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Hawaiian Island Home and its Stunning Ocean Vistas

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“The architecture integrates both functional and aesthetic elements, taking into consideration the clients’ lifestyle and daily activities, as well as conditions of the natural environment and tropical climate.”
—Greg Warner

Located at the end of a highway on the southern coast of Maui Island in Hawaii, Maui Residence was designed to harmonize with its gorgeous oceanfront environment.

Nestled within a 0.5-acre plot adjacent to one of the island’s pristine beaches, the 7,000-square foot house by San Francisco firm Walker Warner Architects belongs to a couple who wanted to spend time with each other, entertain family and friends, and display an impressive art collection.

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The 7,000-square-foot floating house looks out onto one of Maui’s most pristine beaches.

They also wanted to integrate the dramatic landscape into their home.

“After learning their vision and artistic sensibilities, everything fell into place—from the design of the landscape to the fabrics on the wall,” says Greg Warner, founding partner of Walker Warner Architects.

Floating house above the waters

Upon approaching the building, one’s first visual impression is of a floating house atop the sea. As one gets closer, one sees that it’s actually a two-story residence constructed of glass and steel.

On the upper level, where the entrance is located, are the living room, kitchen, dining room, and master bedroom. Here, an adjacent lanai (roofed verandah) runs the full extent of the house, offering uninterrupted 180-degree views. A deep overhang shields the lanai and adjacent great room from the strong western sun and passing storms.

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Left: An upper-level dining room. Right: The master suite and other main bedrooms are designed with corner windows offering stunning wrap-around views of the coastline.

The lower level of the house opens onto a pool and terrace overlooking the ocean. Contained within this level are three guest bedrooms, a kitchenette, a family room, a lounge space, and a den.

“The master suite and other main bedrooms are designed with corner windows that dematerialize the structure, providing stunning wrap-around views of the coastline,” says Warner, who collaborated with Leverone Design for the house’s interior design and with Lutsko Associates for the landscape design.

Filtering light

Light permeates and unifies the architecture, especially through various screening elements. An example of this is the brass brise soleil that tops the walkway leading to the front door.

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A brise soleil tops the walkway leading to the front door of this beautiful home.

The structure is solid on one side and perforated on the other to collect both sun and rain, the latter being sieved into a collection pool. As light seeps through the perforations, it casts a shadow across the concrete walls.

In addition to chasing light, the house’s architecture counters it with a 10-foot roof overhang facing west, reducing intense sun exposure and heat gain.

Inside the house, vertical wood louvers separate spaces while inviting sunlight into the interior rooms. Skylights and clerestories accent the concrete and cypress walls. A separate system of slatted screens around the corner windows helps filter the afternoon sunlight through west-facing windows.

“The architecture integrates both functional and aesthetic elements, taking into consideration the clients’ lifestyle and daily activities, as well as conditions of the natural environment and tropical climate,” Warner says.

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A wooden-clad wall brings the beauty of nature into one of the home’s bathrooms.

Contrasting raw and refined

A neutral colour palette contrasts the basalt found throughout the site—a legacy of the volcanic activity that formed the island chain. The Walker Warner team chose low-maintenance materials such as board-formed concrete, cypress, teak, and steel, which are durable enough to withstand the oceanside weather conditions.

The cypress offers pattern, contrast, and visual interest, while the teak flooring connects the lower-level interiors to the exterior deck and infinity pool. Wood and concrete elements straddle the line between indoors and outdoors on both levels, helping to draw attention to the ocean views and the surrounding landscape.

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Reclaimed teak flooring connects the lower-level interiors to the exterior deck and infinity pool.

The residence’s interiors are subdued but elegant, featuring vintage and contemporary furniture and several works from the client’s expansive art collection.

The materials chosen for the interiors include hand-loomed and stitched fabrics alongside tailored furniture such as a sectional with a base wrapped in double weave alpaca bouclé and Yabu Pushelberg swivel chairs.

Other signature pieces include vintage Willy Guhl concrete chairs, Kaspar Hamacher tables, and a Joshua Vogel hand-turned vessel.

Warner says this project “achieves a balance between massing and space, privacy and openness, sunlight and shadow, all perched fittingly on the threshold between land and sea.”

This story is from Magnifissance Issue 116

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