Hale Lana in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii by Olson Kundig

Article source: Olson Kundig

This family retreat on Hawaii’s Big Island takes the form of several canopy-like pavilions dispersed around the site, linked by elevated wooden lanais and a series of gardens. Hale Lana, which translates to “floating home,” appears to hover over the site’s lava fields and dense gardens. The home takes a position at the ecotone line between the heavily landscaped area, and the expansive ocean views which stretch to Haleakalā volcano on nearby Maui. The ultimate design goal was to balance transparency and enclosure to create a home that would function for the couple, their extended family, and for large gatherings, while maximizing connection to the Hawaiian climate and landscape.

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

• Architects: Olson Kundig
• Project: Hale Lana
• Location: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
• Photography: Nic Lehoux
• Project Size: 7,350 SF (+ 2,050 SF of unconditioned interior space and 7,780 SF of exterior lanai)
• Project Team:
  • Design Principal: Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA
  • Project Manager: Todd Matthes
  • Project Architect: Katherine Ranieri
  • Architectural Staff: Gregory Nakata
  • Interior Design: Debbie Kennedy, LEED® AP ID+C
  • Interior Design Staff: Amanda Chenoweth, Kathy Hanway, Maresa Monnahan, Crisanna Siegert

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

• Key Consultants:
  • General Contractor: Dowbuilt
  • Civil Engineer: Kona Wai Engineering
  • Structural Engineer: MCE Structural Consultants
  • Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: WSP
  • Landscape Architect: David Y. Tamura Associates
  • Lighting Design: Niteo Lighting
  • Pool Consultant: Kai Pono Builders
  • Steel & Timber Fabrication Consultant: Spearhead Inc.
• Completed: 2018

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

The entry approach winds through a densely landscaped area with large trees, berms and lava fields before opening to a view through the house to Maui in the distance. The main house is wrapped in sliding window walls opening to covered lanais which link to the home’s other four buildings: the cabana, the master suite, the guest suite, and the garage.

Cantilevered double-pitch roofs in the Big Island style create deep canopies that encircle the buildings and their lanais, allowing the pavilions to open completely to ocean breezes while protecting from solar gain. Operable shutter screens let the family tune each building to changing environmental conditions, adjusting to the desired degree of sun, air and privacy. Rock walls in many of the pavilions extend outdoors, connecting the home to the Kona landscape. Custom-designed furniture and interior elements throughout complement the architecture with subtle Hawaiian references.

“The intention was for the home to feel like a canopy on the Hawaiian landscape, transparent between inside and outside.” –Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, Design Principal

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

Image Courtesy © Nic Lehoux

Tags: Hawaii, Kailua-Kona

Categories: House, Residential

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