In this initial blog I want to explore aspects of contemporary architecture in Hawaii. It seems to me, despite the recent residential building boom here on the Big Island, there are few examples of design that really push any boundaries. Even the Legoretta house, which has some great spaces and excellent detailing, does little to inspire me. I understand the challenges with development in the residential communities here, whether it is the design review guidleines (committees), NIMBY's or a client's unwillingness to stand out from his/her peers.
These constraints tend to produce residential products with a superficial applied individuality. I have worked on a number of these homes in the recent past for an architect in Waimea. Although the floor plans usually were well designed to give potential to the massing, this is where it stopped. The floors where then quickly extruded and grappling with clumsy roof pitches that had to be tied together, formed the next design phase. Selecting the roofing material, wood species and plaster color was all that left to do.
I am not saying good contemporary Hawaii Architecture needs to be flat roofed with lots of glass and stainless steel on a rectangular lot on the ocean. If the designer considers other elements besides program area and circulation, the solutions will be much richer, embedded with consideration for isses such as; site selection, sustainability, culture, symbolism, context, views, feng-shui, spatial relationships, massing, site integration, etc...
There are a few good examples on island where some of these issues are considered, Lot 60 at Kukio and the Sato residence at Pu'u Lani. Lot 60 took a traditional Hawaiian home and expressed all the elements in a minimalist, clean approach. The effect was mixed... as an architect, I appreciated the attention to detail (mortar joints aligned, flawless semetry, material palette) however the typology was understood even before I entered the home.
One of my past projects, the Slim Alta house in St. Louis is not Hawaiian, however it does take a unique approach which could still be a valid approach to a contemporary home in Hawaii. The site was an irregular lot in a subdivision that had never been developed. An easment cut through the site and had access only to half of the site, which was on a hillside. The unusual contraints forced the stacking of the program creating a dramatic solution with the cantilevered living room and exterior views from all major spaces.
The idea of seeking unusual sites with inherant challenges can actually provide opportunity for unique contemporary architecture. I believe this approach would be applicable for Hawaii archtiects as well. Allowing the site to inform the massing, utilizing all local materials and employing appropriate sustainable practices.
more later....
These constraints tend to produce residential products with a superficial applied individuality. I have worked on a number of these homes in the recent past for an architect in Waimea. Although the floor plans usually were well designed to give potential to the massing, this is where it stopped. The floors where then quickly extruded and grappling with clumsy roof pitches that had to be tied together, formed the next design phase. Selecting the roofing material, wood species and plaster color was all that left to do.
I am not saying good contemporary Hawaii Architecture needs to be flat roofed with lots of glass and stainless steel on a rectangular lot on the ocean. If the designer considers other elements besides program area and circulation, the solutions will be much richer, embedded with consideration for isses such as; site selection, sustainability, culture, symbolism, context, views, feng-shui, spatial relationships, massing, site integration, etc...
There are a few good examples on island where some of these issues are considered, Lot 60 at Kukio and the Sato residence at Pu'u Lani. Lot 60 took a traditional Hawaiian home and expressed all the elements in a minimalist, clean approach. The effect was mixed... as an architect, I appreciated the attention to detail (mortar joints aligned, flawless semetry, material palette) however the typology was understood even before I entered the home.
One of my past projects, the Slim Alta house in St. Louis is not Hawaiian, however it does take a unique approach which could still be a valid approach to a contemporary home in Hawaii. The site was an irregular lot in a subdivision that had never been developed. An easment cut through the site and had access only to half of the site, which was on a hillside. The unusual contraints forced the stacking of the program creating a dramatic solution with the cantilevered living room and exterior views from all major spaces.
The idea of seeking unusual sites with inherant challenges can actually provide opportunity for unique contemporary architecture. I believe this approach would be applicable for Hawaii archtiects as well. Allowing the site to inform the massing, utilizing all local materials and employing appropriate sustainable practices.
more later....
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