In the heart of Honolulu’s prestigious Kahala neighborhood, nestled on a 1.3-acre parcel stretching from street to shoreline, stands this detached architectural estate an organic extension of the tropical landscape. With 171 feet of ocean frontage and a reimagined design completed in 2025, this residence offers a lifestyle that merges thoughtful luxury with environmentally responsive architecture.
Overall Composition: Horizontal Elegance and Ocean Connection
This single-level home a rarity for properties of this size delivers a seamless spatial experience, embodying architectural humility and grounded elegance. A gated private drive leads to a spacious motor court, offering a sense of serene seclusion and understated grandeur.
Floor-to-ceiling glass—especially retractable walls—dissolves the boundaries between indoors and out, allowing the ocean to become an integral part of daily life. The design philosophy here is not to frame nature, but to integrate it.
Materiality: Tangible Beauty and Organic Depth
Extensive use of Burmese teak in floors and finishes evokes a warm, natural resilience.
Concrete walls and a steel frame express a deliberate balance of strength and openness.
The material palette flows from vaulted wood-clad ceilings to smooth plaster walls, creating visual richness without clutter.
Exterior surfaces and poolside tiling are crafted to endure tropical conditions while maintaining visual harmony with the landscape.
Visual and Sensory Composition
Interior and exterior color schemes are anchored in sandy beige tones, light woods, and creamy whites—subtly accented with gray and gold. These hues echo the surrounding sand, palm trees, and natural island light.
This sensory cohesion extends outdoors: the spa-style pool is not an imposed feature, but a natural continuation of the horizon. A built-in spa, sunken wet bar, and jacuzzi transform this zone into a wellness retreat—blending functionality with restorative ambiance.
Architectural Function: Every Space Has Purpose
- Bedrooms: 6
- Bathrooms: 8 (6 full + 2 half)
The primary suite includes a private lanai and a spa-style bathroom wrapped in natural stone.
Detached guest suites offer views of either the garden or ocean, ensuring optimal privacy.
A chef’s kitchen—hotel-grade in function—serves as a social core open to both the living and dining areas.
The 5,000-square-foot outdoor lanai includes a sunken bar, integrated grilling stations, and multiple lounge areas.
Relationship with Nature: Biophilic Architecture
This residence exemplifies biophilic architecture, where natural elements are not decorative but fundamental to spatial experience. Retractable walls, operable windows, and strategic daylighting create a sense of living outdoors—while still within the home’s refined interior.
Privacy and Infrastructure
- Fully gated entry with private drive
- Parking for 6 vehicles, including an enclosed garage and at least three outdoor spaces
- Home systems include: central air conditioning, security system, automatic garage doors, full kitchen appliances, high-speed internet, and cable-ready infrastructure.
Technical Property Details
- Interior area: 9,896 ft²
- Total area: 15,830 ft²
- Original build year: 1988
- Full renovation year: 2025
- Stories: 1
- Lot number: 1-3-5-004-011-0000
- Zoning: Single-family residential – Premier class
Surrounding Schools
- Elementary: Kahala
- Middle: Kaimuki
- High School: Kalani
Final Architectural Reflection
This property is more than a luxury home it is a fully realized architectural experience that places nature at the center of everyday life. Its detailing balances elegance with calm, functionality with aesthetics, privacy with openness.
It represents a mature architectural mindset—one that understands true luxury lies not in excess, but in harmony and a deep connection with place.
Photography: Eric Mansberger
This review is part of ArchUp is ongoing documentation of iconic homes around the world—where architecture is presented not merely as living space, but as a cultural and sensory expression of humanity’s relationship to design and place.
