Tropical Craftsman – North Kona Coast, Isle of Hawaii, Hawaii

Mark de Reus, in association with Hart Howerton, designed this home on one of the prime coastal properties of Kukio. This six-bedroom residence is designed as a series of separate hales (buildings) within a garden. An understated stone entry, inspired by the split temple gateways of Bali, opens onto a stone walkway leading through a palm-lined walk.

The main open-air hale includes gathering areas and the master bedroom suite, with views over historic anchialine ponds to the surf break at Kikaua Point and wider vistas of Uluweuweu Bay on Hawaii’s North Kona Coast. Architectural reflecting pools wrap around the main hale, giving the dining pavilion a floating effect.

Responding to the owner’s love of Maybeck and Greene and Greene architecture, the design is craftsman-style, reinterpreted for its tropical setting. Proportions and detailing grew out of the need to harmonize with the surroundings, eliminate the distinction between interior and exterior, frame the views, and use natural materials.

This home is featured in Tropical Experience, 21st Century Homes and the May 2010 issue of Architectural Digest.