Hale Kiawe by Walker Warner

Hale Kiawe by Walker Warner captures the beauty and authenticity of its Hawaiian landscape and creates a home that deeply expresses its owners’ minimalist leanings.

Hale Kiawe’s owners, who come from a cross-cultural Indian background, believe in possessing only what is truly essential. When working with architect Greg Warner of Walker Warner, this narrative served as both the inspiration and creative framework for their home on Hawaii’s Big Island. “They gave us a book on Vastu Shastra and suggested that we review the concepts with an open mind,” Warner says. The ancient text is based on a traditional Hindu system of architecture, describing conceptual principles of spatial geometry and arrangement, assembled to integrate the architectural response with nature. The resulting design is quiet, unobtrusive and authentically spiritual.

“There is a simplicity to this space that belies the hard work and countless revisions that went into perfecting the design and furnishings.”

Inspired by the same muted and neutral textures and colours as the barren site on the island’s Kona Coast, the design is realised as a series of enclosed lanais, each retaining their own purpose while being connected through meandering pathways. This series of diverse spaces provide the family with moments of respite and/or recreation. “There is a simplicity to this space that belies the hard work and countless revisions that went into perfecting the design and furnishings,” the owners say. The rooms are open-plan and void of excessive built forms and objects. Much like the agrarian buildings that once dotted the land, each structure is clad with a corrugated metal roof and natural wood siding.

An open-air pavilion remains in constant dialogue with the locale, emerging from its agricultural context without intruding on, or interrupting, the landscape. Inspired by Studio Mumbai’s Copper House in Chondi, India, the entry lanai features oak slatted grills framing views to the landscape, dually functioning as walls and doors. Set in an arid climate, the pavilion remains open to the outdoors almost year-round.

“As minimalists, the clients believed in limiting acquisitions to things they truly needed, so under-designing became a big goal.”

Working in collaboration with interior design studio Philpotts Interiors, the project remains authentic to the owners’ way of life. “Minimalism became the hallmark of our design approach,” says studio partner Marion Philpotts-Miller. “For the interiors, there were often times we would suggest an idea or direction, and they would kindly say, ‘It’s nice, but we don’t need that.’ As minimalists, the clients believed in limiting acquisitions to things they truly needed, so under-designing became a big goal.”

The volcanic rock on the site was retained, and life was brought back to the land by integrating drought-tolerant vegetation. During construction, the team also salvaged a fallen kiawe tree that ultimately became part of the home. “The original idea was to cut the tree lengthwise along its natural curve and use it as a bridge between the lawn and the pool, spanning over the lava,” recalls Warner. “It was a remarkable idea but ultimately deemed a potential hazard for bare feet and future grandchildren. The natural next step, it seemed, was repurposing the wood to create a log step at every entry and exit point as a symbolic threshold between the landscape and architecture.”

Hale Kiawe is more than an exercise in restraint. It is a reflection of its owners’ essentialist beliefs and symbolises a kind of coming home. “We visited the islands dozens of times when our kids were growing up, and loved the warmth of the people, the nurturing healing air and the peace and tranquillity,” they say. “We reached a point where we felt we wanted to grow roots here.”

Architecture by Walker Warner. Interior design by Philpotts Interiors. Build by Metzler Contracting. Landscape design by David Y. Tamura Associates. Millwork by Elochoman Millwork.