Daniel Nick Salerno

Dan Salerno was born in Los Angeles in 1930 and secured his degree in architecture from USC in 1957 following service in the US Navy (1951).

After working as a project architect for Edward H. Fickett, AIA, Dan worked as job captain for Daniel, Mann, Johnson & Mendenhall, and draftsman for the Cunneen Company. He would later work as ‘City Architect’ for the City of San Diego.

The Salerno Residence #1 was the first home Salerno designed for himself. Years later, Salerno shared with a later owner of the home that the project was a real challenge, in that the lot was oddly shaped and sloped. Because of these conditions, the parcel of land was relatively cheap to purchase - and like most good designers he liked the challenge. During construction the crew ran into some poorly compacted fill dirt and rather than spend the money to compact it, he expanded the lowest level to include a regulation bomb shelter in addition to the planned home office on that level. The home was published in LA Times Home Magazine just after it was built.

Dan lived in the first residence for about 5 years, when he started designing his second home on Marisma Way in La Jolla. Dan Salerno retired in the mid-1990s and moved to Incline Village, Nevada with his wife Virginia.

Partial List of San Diego Projects

Balboa Park Nursery Additions (1961)

Garciner Residence
La Habra

Mulrooney Piano Store (1958)

Salerno Mountain Home (1960)
Green Valley

Salerno Residence I (1965)
459 Culebra Street, Del Mar

Salerno Residence II (1971)
1685 Marisma Way, La Jolla
*Demolished

Salerno Residence III (1979)
1534 Rancho Serena Road, Rancho Santa Fe

Salerno Residence IV (1984)
1408 Rancho Serena Road, Rancho Santa Fe

Salerno Residence V (1991)
377 First Green Drive, Incline Village, Nevada