Eco Modern

“It was a labor of love,” says Shane Jackson, director of environmental projects for Towne Development of Hawai‘i Inc a subsidiary of Zilber Ltd. He’s talking about the environmentally sensitive, custom home the company designed and built in Koa at Kehalani on Maui. “Everything from the initial research through the design and construction to our on-site recycling operation was carefully planned and thought out,” Jackson adds.

Touted as the “Good Home,” which, in its long form, expands to “Good for you, good for the environment and good for the future,” the house is the first in Hawai‘i to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The concept was spurred by an interest in green building on the part of Honolulu-based Towne, which has made its mark over the years in the building of mostly production homes.

Research on the Good Home began nearly three years ago, and included attendance at green building seminars and the examination of LEED requirements, as well as those of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Building Program and Hawai‘i BuiltGreen. “There was a huge learning curve for all involved,” says Jackson.

The house is set in a cul de sac on a one-third acre site in the community of Koa (a sub-division of Kehalani below Wailuku Heights). Decidedly high-end, with four luxurious bedrooms and baths and a multi-functional great room, it totals a mere 2,684 square feet. “We wanted to build responsibly,” Jackson explains, “and for the home to stand out but not look pretentious in a neighborhood that was a mix of production homes and lots for sale.”

Architect Kevin Mantz from Ziber Ltd provided the design. A basic H-plan—two rectangles divided by an entry/foyer—is oriented toward sweeping views of the Kahului Harbor, Haleakala volcano and Kihei. “From the front door, you can look straight through the house to the back länai and Haleakala,” says Jackson.

Exteriors were created with an eye toward energy efficiency, but also to blending with both the natural surroundings and the interiors. Cedar siding wraps the inside walls as well. Quartzite flagstone flows inside and out. The split pitched roofs were topped with standing seam steel to help reflect heat and fitted with solar hot water panels (generous overhangs provide shade for the windows). Bluestone recycled from another of Towne’s Maui jobsites was put to use as exterior wainscoting and column details and incorporated into the landscape, which consists mostly of drought-resistant plants and is watered largely by drip irrigation.

Inside, the floor plan is open and bright, thanks to an abundance of well-placed storefront-style windows with Energy Star, low-e, double-glazed glass and sets of corner pocket doors. “When they retract, the corners of the rooms disappear,” Jackson says. The windows and doors also help with the ventilation of the house, especially when the trade winds blow.

Beyond the entry to the right, passage is into a great room of sorts that encompasses the living room, dining room and kitchen areas. The master suite and a guest suite are off to the left. A pair of guest bedrooms is accessed via a flight of stairs. They are connected outside by a long, narrow wrap-around länai.

Throughout, the architecture is clean and modern, and materials follow suit. Flooring is a combination of eucalyptus hardwood brought over from the Big Island, flagstone brought in from the outside, and exposed slab concrete that’s sealed and highly polished so that the incorporated Maui aggregate shines. In addition to the cedar walls, Koa veneer shows up in the compact open kitchen. Countertops are concrete with recycled glass that's smooth as silk to the touch. (That same combination is repeated in the master bath.)

To help “stage” the house, which is intended for sale, Jackson brought in Jenn Johnson, a co-owner of Pacific Home Studio in Honolulu. “My goal was to visually connect the interiors with the architecture, which was eco modern with clean lines and a fresh Pacific look, as well as with the outdoors,” Johnson says.

Part of accomplishing that goal was taking a minimalist approach and selectively eliminating common elements, such as window treatments that would only have hidden the retractable windows. Items like the chunky shag carpet in the living room were chosen to add a touch of softness to the room. Artwork was minimal as well due to the simple matter of lack of adornable wall space. “The views are the art,” Johnson says.

Challenge came in sourcing furnishings that were in tune with the environmentally sensitive nature of the house. “We found that the furniture industry was not quite as up to green standards as the building side is,” Johnson says. “We could have researched forever, but we had a deadline.” In the end, Johnson worked mostly with companies that were working with sustainable, recycled or organic materials, and ordered items through the store.” Chairs by Herman Miller, carpet tiles by FLOR and bedding by Amenity are perfect examples. Other key pieces, including a freestanding mahogany bed with a screen-like headboard, were designed in-house by Pacific Home Studio.

After all their work, both Johnson’s and Jackson’s satisfaction with the Good Home is apparent, its effect reaching beyond its walls. “This project taught us a lot,” Johnson says. “It’s inspired us to focus on more low-impact products for our store.”

“There’s great satisfaction in having achieved a unique home like this,” Jackson adds. “In addition to being a big turning point for our company, expanding and sharing green building concepts can have a big impact for Hawai‘i.”

by: Linda Hayes
source: http://www.hawaiianstylemagazine.com/designersdesigning/2374-Eco%20Modern.html