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The fun design blends modern architecture with Hawaiian vernacular. Land in Hawaii is notoriously sparse, and architect Ryan Fujita and interior designer Chris Netski wanted to balance a need for indoor space with creative use of Carrazana’s yard. Instead of trying to build one house on the small lot, they pursued a unique design of splitting one house into two: a main house and a smaller guest house.

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In the video Netski said, “By separating the two houses we kind of forced this engagement with the site – a connection to the outdoors – and not just capturing the view with strategic openings and windows but also really feeling it; feeling the weather that day.” Carrazana compares the two houses to “two fish…a humpback whale with a calf.” Nevermind that whales aren’t fish – the concept works.

The main house includes sloped roofs and an outdoor living room with two chairs, a sofa, and a small table. Indoors, a kitchen and dining room are blended into one room, allowing Carrazana to cook for guests while chatting with them during dinner parties.

The guest house contains furnishings and materials similar to the main house, so the two structures feel connected – as if they were one house instead of two. Between the two houses lie palm trees and a kidney-shaped pool.

Sand is a major factor to consider when outfitting a home in Hawaii. In such an environment, wood floors usually aren’t the best choice since homeowners inadvertently track in sand that could damage the floors. The H-1 F+N Design-Build Collaborative worked around this constraint by laying down floors of polished concrete instead. Not only are they easy to clean, but they’ll stand up better to sand and can be re-polished in the future if necessary.

Carrazana said he “absolutely” loves his new beautiful new beach home.

+ Chibi Moku

+ H-1 F+N Design-Build Collaborative

Images courtesy of Chibi Moku