HL1 - 5

Matthew Beall

OWNER, PRINCIPAL BROKER

HL1 DIRECTORS

Neal Norman RB

Erik Hinshaw RB

Patricia Choi RB

Maggie Huang RB

Mary Anne Fitch RB

Josh Jerman RB

Dave Richardson RB

Carrie Nicholson RB

HL1 MEMBERS

Roni Marley RB

Steve Hurwitz RB

Billy Eckert RS

Amy Frazier RS

Tiffany Spencer RS

Sean Ginella RA

Cynthia Nash RB

Beth Thoma Robinson RB

Julianna Garris RB

Robert Chancer RB

Ben Welborn RB

Nam Le Viet RS

Ray Chin RB

Susan Higgins RS

Mami Takeda RB

Winston Welborn OWNER, CHIEF DESIGN OFFICER

COOPERATING REALTORS

Andrew D. Reenders RB, CBRE

Anna Severson RS, Hawaii Life

Charles Anderson RB, Hawaii Pacific Brokers, LLC

Frank Schenk RS, Hawaii Life Mauna Kea LLC

Jim Deville RS, Hawaii Life

Julia Napua Fetzer RB, Hawaii Life

Kimi Correa RB, LUVA Real Estate

Lauren Pingree RS, Hawaii Life

Leslie M. Smith RS, Wailea Realty Corp

Linda McCormick RS, Hawaii Life

Matthew Bittick RB, CBRE

Pete Arnold RS, Hawaii Life

Rocky Canon RA, Hawaii Life

Rod Easterly RB, Hawaii Life

Sherri Williams RS, Hawaii Life

Tim Stice RB, Hawaii Life

Victoria NV Gutierrez RS, Hawaii Life

PARTNERS & CONTRIBUTORS

Marmol Radziner Architects

Kukui‘ula

John Russell

Craig Steely

Rocky Mountain Hardware

Global Ocean Club

Hawaii Life Vacations

North Shore Preserve

Howard Hughes

Lutsko Associates

Studio Gang

Phillpotts

EDITORIAL PARTNERS

Jason Cutinella

Publisher, NMG Network

Joe V. Bock

Chief Financial Officer

Ara Laylo Creative Director

Matthew Dekneef Editorial Director

Lauren McNally

Managing Editor

Electric Pencil Printer

The Hawaiian Islands have an immediate and commanding sense of place that lends us a powerful sense of ourselves in relationship to this place.

Architecture serves to enrich those senses. The best architecture expands and refines our understanding of where and who we are. It provides enjoyment but also challenges our boundaries, biases and style.

I’ve been relegated to a sort of architectural agnosticism in my career. I am, after all, a hired gun. I’m expected to highlight the very best of whatever property I’m selling at the time, however trite or ordinary I may find it personally. Indeed, I’ve seen more than my share of mosaic tile dolphins at the bottom of swimming pools and pillars shaped like pineapples.

Secretly (or not), I’m a critic. But even my decades of exposure to thousands of Hawaii residences has left me only marginally more aware of my own preferences. It’s difficult to separate the significant architecture from the frivolous. Is it enlightened eclecticism or overly nostalgic and campy? Is it intellectually visionary or dysfunctional and over-hyped?

You get to decide. Because architecture, like any art, is personal.

HL1 was created to help our clients see the best of Hawaii’s real estate market in context. Even though the HL1 Directors are the most seasoned residential real estate brokers in Hawaii’s history, the task of showcasing “the best” of anything is ultimately a subjective one. Even tastemakers don’t always agree. The results show in the array of properties included in our HL1 Collection.

As much as our clever copywriting attempts to normalize the unbelievable homes and land featured here, the truth is, we sell surreal homes. Some are sanctuaries. Some are summer camps. Some represent the culmination of a particular architect’s life’s work. Some are in the most spectacular locations. Some are all of the above.

As always, we open this issue with market trends and data, detailing the incredible, record-breaking sales of last year. Although in some respects, this issue is laid out in reverse.

Starting with The Collection in this issue (p. 130) might be just the way to try on your own likes and dislikes before diving into the subtleties of landscape architecture in Link To The Land featuring Ron Lutsko (p. 50), or the complexities of crafting hardware in our story Old World Wonders (p. 90), about Rocky Mountain Hardware.

We push our own boundaries in Static Motion (p. 70), where we highlight how modern construction technologies mixed with intense design prowess can allow for a certain reductivism. “The less I can build, the better,” says Craig Steely in House of Glass, Steel, and Stone (p. 80).

And where better to explore pure architectural hedonism than in the design of a custom yacht? The images in Downwinder (p. 96) highlight the craftsmanship and consideration involved in building these incredible boats, while the article details how we can all enjoy them.

From the interiors of fine-dining restaurants featured in Hustle and Flow (p. 122) to the intensity of creating a master-planned private club in Building Community (p. 34), architecture provides both beauty and structure to the built environment in Hawaii.

Enjoy Issue #5.

And, as always, welcome aboard, Matthew G. Beall

HAWAI‘I LIFE ONE LUXURY MARKET REPORT

Sales and trends in Hawai‘i’s high-end real estate market.

RESEARCH & WRITING BY MATT BEALL EXCERPTS FROM HL1 DIRECTORS

It’s quite a thing to be involved in the largest residential real estate transactions in the country, especially when they’re happening in Hawai‘i.

We formed HL1 to aggregate the collective knowledge of the most experienced, seasoned real estate brokers in Hawaii. For as long as we’ve been publishing this magazine, the Directors of HL1 have maintained a dominant market share of Hawai‘i’s high-end real estate trades. In 2018, Hawai‘i Life commanded an impressive 31% market share in the market segment of sales at or above $10 million–more than twice that of our nearest competitor.

In some years, there is the occasional extraordinary transaction which sets a new record or receives extensive media coverage. Indeed, we’ve conducted some of the largest single transactions in the country in recent years. Some of these have been reported in the media, while others have not been published anywhere.

Hawai‘i Life Luxury Market Share Statewide Sales $10M+

Hawai‘i Life dominated highend sales, representing 20 of the 70 total sides of business.

Whenever we’re involved in a transaction for what may seem to be an unusually high sales price (or the aggregate of sales prices, in the case of contiguous parcels), I’m quick to remind the team that these trades are statistical anomalies. They’re unicorns. They are, by nature, unpredictable and infrequent. I’ve always maintained that it’s ill-advised to build a financial model which would predict or expect these types of trades.

And then came 2018…

A RECORD -SETTING YEAR

In the last edition of this report, I wrote:

“If the early part of 2018 is any indication, we’ll likely see one of the most significant transfers of wealth and real estate in the history of Hawai‘i’s residential real estate market this year.”

It turns out I’m a bonafide soothsayer. 2018 was a record-breaking year in almost every category of the high-end real estate market in Hawai‘i. There were more transactions above the $10 million mark than any previous year. The increase was significant, jumping from 27 total sales in 2017 to 34 in 2018, an increase in this segment of the market of more than 25% year over year.

Along the way, new records were set for both the highest sales price of singlefamily homes and condominiums.

In November, we recorded the largest residential transaction in the history of Hawai‘i, with the sale of a residence on Kaua‘i’s North Shore for $46.1 million. Hawai‘i Life’s Neal Norman represented both the buyer and the seller in this $46.1 million transaction.

In December, Park Lane–the new luxury condominium project at Ala Moana–sold a penthouse for $23.5 million. The price was the highest ever for a condo on in Hawai‘i. Purchased by Katsumi Tada, a billionaire Japanese real estate developer, the penthouse is a 6,273-square-foot residence with four bedrooms and 4.5 baths, and is called Hale Moana. According to Forbes magazine, Tada develops hotels, malls, and office buildings throughout Australia, and lives across his six other residential properties located in Sydney, Brisbane, Singapore, and Tokyo.

It’s worth noting that 2017 was also an outlier, in that the vast majority (9 of 11) of the sales on O‘ahu above the $10 million mark were for new construction, high-rise condominiums at Park Lane and Waiea at Ward Village. Only two single-family homes sold on O‘ahu in that price segment in 2017, contrasted with 11 O‘ahu home sales at or above $15 million in 2018.

In contrast, the market segment for transactions at or above $3 million was slightly less active in 2018 than 2017, which was a challenging year to outperform. The new luxury condominium projects in Honolulu’s urban core at Waiea, Anaha, and Park Lane represented nearly 170 trades at or above the $3 million mark in 2017.

Statewide Midyear Update

As expected, 2018 has been a hard act to follow. Statewide, the market was softer in the first half of 2019. To date, Hawai‘i has seen 11 sales above the $3 million luxury benchmark compared with 356 sales above $3 million throughout all 112 months of 2018. Almost at the midpoint of this year, high-end sales are well below the halfway mark of last year’s record-breaking year.

However, some significant transactions above $10 million have happened, including three sales greater than $10 million Oahu, one on Hawai‘i Island, and five on Maui. Three of these five transactions were private club development properties within Makena Golf & Beach Club.

Hawai‘i Life was the market leader representing 108 of the 712 sides of business in that segment.

Nonetheless, 2018 was a banner year for sales at or above the $3 million mark, with a total of 391 sales in this market segment across the state. Hawai‘i Life represented a 15.6% share of that market, making us the market leader in the segment (again at more than twice the share of our nearest competitor).

The team at Hawai‘i Life continues to lead the market in this segment, with 21 sides in the $3 million to $9.99 million range, almost double the number of our nearest competitor. Three Hawai‘i Life listings above the $10 million benchmark have been sold year-todate, out of seven total transactions in this market segment statewide.

Here are the statewide market trends, beginning with the context, scope, and sourcing of the market data, followed by specific reports for each of the four largest Hawaiian Islands, and concluding with our forecast for Hawai‘i’s high-end real estate market.

PRICE POINTS

Worldwide, the average starting price of a luxury home differs significantly by region and market type: from under $1 million in Ottawa, Canada to above $10 million in Monaco.

The statewide real estate market is strongly influenced by significant vacation home ownership and out-of-state investors, resort communities on each island (save for Molokai), as well as higher construction costs and supply constraints in the sector. For these reasons (and perhaps with our own degree of subjectivity and relevant market knowledge), we consider $3 million as the starting point for the high-end market in Hawai‘i.

UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING

The building trades in Hawai‘i continue to command higher wages, as the overall construction commitments in Hawai‘i increased by 23% in 2018. The residential construction sector is still relatively flat, with only a 2.5% increase statewide. For high-quality homes (in the market segments of this report), home builders’ quotes regularly surpass the $1,000 per square foot mark.

The regulatory environment in Hawai‘i remains complex and increasingly bureaucratic.

“A partial listing of major permits required

Hawai‘i could be said to include multiple markets, but the state regularly ranks among the highest in the U.S. for home prices (both median and average), as well as cost of living.

for residential and resort development alone contains literally hundreds of entries.” —David L. Callies, Professor of Law at the University of Hawai‘i

St. Barths

INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATIONS

For our HL1 Report, we include data points and insights from Luxury Defined 2018, Christie’s annual Global Luxury Real Estate Report. Luxury Defined is authored primarily by Monique Sofo, Vice President of Strategy and Dan Conn, CEO at Christie’s International Real Estate. Additional information in this year’s market report is taken from “The Rise of the New Aristocracy,” a white paper produced by Luxury Portfolio International®.

Hawai‘i Life is the exclusive statewide affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, an invitationonly network comprised of leading luxury real estate brokerages around the world. Their global network is comprised of 27,000 agents operating out of 940 offices around the world, as well as specialists from the broader Christie’s world. Perhaps equally exciting is our direct connection to Christie’s Auction House, with its 54 offices and 12 salesrooms around the world.

The Christie’s affiliation continues to provide us with a host of opportunities to connect buyers and sellers of some of the most spectacular properties across the globe. Our brokers and clients have capitalized on the access, information, and services that Christie’s Art and Jewelry Departments have provided.

Our membership in Luxury Portfolio International®, the luxury arm of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, further enhances our growing global network of clients. The 200-plus select luxury affiliates represent the luxury component of an organization which encompasses 565 companies, 4,300 offices and 130,000 associates producing $372 billion in sales last year, with over one million transactions in over 60 countries.

As a result of our affiliations with both Christie’s International Real Estate and Luxury Portfolio International®, we’ve fielded countless referrals for both sales and listings, adding immense value for our clients.

These international affiliations and relationships provide global market information as well as insights into the macroeconomic and demographic trends impacting high net-worth individuals (HNWIs).

They help us to view the Hawai‘i high-end real estate market in context while contributing to a significant volume of business. With the collective insights of our HL1 Directors and team members on each island, we share the unique perspectives of the brokers who represent more luxury sales than any other firm in Hawai‘i.

RESILIENCE

Hawai‘i’s high-end real estate market has shown remarkable resilience this year, weathering one natural disaster after another. Record rainfall and subsequent flooding on Kaua‘i and O‘ahu in April was followed by the volcanic eruption of Kilauea on the Big Island in May, then more flooding from Hurricane Lane and Tropical Storm Olivia through the fall. All of these inflicted significant damage from which the affected communities continue to recover.

Kaua‘i is in recovery from the flooding. As of January 2019, the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation estimates the slope stabilization and roadway repairs needed to open Kūhiō Highway past Hanalei safely to two-way traffic will be substantially complete in April 2019.

The Big Island’s real estate market and visitor occupancy haven’t fully recovered yet, although we’re forecasting a significant rebound in 2019.

COOLING BIG ISLAND

The eruption of the Kilauea volcano in May of 2018 and related events resulted in a measurable slow down in the high-end real estate trading on Hawai‘i Island. For decades, the unique and rugged stretch of coastline along the Kohala Coast, situated north of Kailua-Kona, had been the hottest luxury market in the state. Between 2010 and 2015, the District of North Kona on Hawai‘i Island had almost twice the volume of high-end trades as any other neighborhood or district in Hawai‘i. Even prior to eruption, the velocity of the high-end market on other islands was beginning to outpace the Kohala Coast and North Kona—first in Honolulu, with the frenzy over the new luxury condominiums in 2017 and more recently back into single-family residences, but also on Maui and Kaua‘i, both of which had significant increases in the $10+ million category in 2018.

Despite these natural disasters, the state as a whole had a record year for high-end real estate and tourism, supported by robust growth in the global economy, abundant airline seats, and ready access to less traditional accommodations.

The intense national and international media coverage of Kilauea’s eruption, coupled with the increase in emissions of vog (sulfur dioxide gas) caused occupancy rates in Hawai‘i County to steadily decline from 83% in April to 65% in September. The number of visitors fell at double-digit rates in late summer.

When the eruption subsided late in the year, the emissions of vog radically declined, resulting in a level of crystal-clear air quality on Hawai‘i Island unlike any residents or visitors have seen in decades. Tourism still has yet to fully rebound on Hawai‘i Island, but the recovery in the high-end real estate market may happen sooner than later. The Kohala Coast still represents one the country’s highest concentrations of deca-millionaire homeowners, many of whom have been visiting the coast regularly for decades, if not for generations, as is the case with destinations like the Mauna Kea Resort.

North Kona and the Kohala Coast remain Hawai‘i’s most robust high-end market over time. We expect its value to hold, if not increase.

KAUA‘I IS LESS QUIET

The island of Kaua‘i had the most dramatic increase in high-end real estate trades of any island in Hawai‘i. In the categories of $3+ million and $10+ million, Kaua‘i had more than twice as many trades in 2018 than in 2017. Some of the increase in the high-end condominium market was due to a new Timbers Resort project in Lihue called Hokuala.

The high-end home sales in the $10 million and above category were all on the north shore, on Hanalei Bay and in Kilauea on Kauapea Road.

Kaua‘i has historically been a favorite destination for the entertainment industry. Actors, musicians, and authors seem wellequipped and willing to contend with the possibility of a few consecutive days of rain on the Garden Isle. In recent years, however, interest from the Bay Area and buyers from technology and other industries have shown up in increasing numbers on Kaua‘i.

Heat Map

SHIFTING MARKETS

In our previous year’s forecast, we called attention to the opportunities in historically high-value markets which were overshadowed by new inventory nearby, leading to price adjustments and slower trading velocity.

Specifically, on O‘ahu, the neighborhoods of Kāhala, Diamond Head, and Kailua were relatively quiet at the high-end of the market in 2016 and 2017.

The redevelopment of Honolulu’s urban core made the city, and Kaka’ako specifically, 2017’s top-performing high-end market in Hawai‘i, with more highly concentrated sales activity and high-end listings than any other region in Hawai‘i. The new luxury condominium developments of Waiea, Anaha, and Park Lane all benefited from pent-up demand locally as well as an uptick in international buyer interest.

In line with our suspicion, interest shifted in 2018 from a focus on new luxury condominiums to single-family residences, primarily beachfront, and in the neighborhoods of Kailua, Lanikai, Kahala, and Diamond Head.

The resort community of Kapalua in West Maui has seen a renewed interest with more high-end trading, although still not outpacing the South Maui communities of Wailea and Makena.

Japan remains the leading country of origin for international buyers of high-end Hawai‘i real estate.

That trend has held into 2018. Canada remains the second most-represented country of origin for foreign buyers of Hawai‘i’s high-end real estate. While purchases at all price points may be (slightly) more spread out across the state, Maui remains the biggest beneficiary of Canadians’ interest in the high-end, with over 80% of their transactions taking place on the Valley Isle since 2010.

Maggie Huang, HL1’s Director for the Greater China Region, is quick to point out what may be erroneous reporting mechanisms for tracking real estate sales to foreign nationals.

“From my own experience, the majority of my clients have a tax address that is not physically in China,” Huang says. Instead, buyers use addresses from homes they’ve already established in the U.S. to avoid higher tax rates on foreign transactions. “But the source of the money is definitely China.”

Japan

Canada

China

BENCHMARK SALES IN 2018

4663 Kahala Avenue, Honolulu –

A beachfront villa with wide frontage on sandy Kahala Beach sold for $16.25 million. This property was part of the Alexander and Baldwin Portfolio and Hawaii Life represented the seller in the transaction. The dated villa was demolished, and the new owner from Singapore is in the planning stages for a new residence for this trophy location.

1234 Mokulua Drive, Lanikai –

A restored, architecturally significant home on the beach at Lanikai sold for $12.15 million. Designed by famed modernist architect Vladimir Ossipoff and built in 1962, the house was recently restored and updated. The buyer searched the Hawaiian Islands for “the most modern and stylish home on a beach.”

4383 Royal Place, Honolulu – The Doheny Estate on the oceanfront in Kahala sold for $17 million. This iconic mid-century residence designed by Frank Roberts, AIA was built in 1965. It was in its original condition, well maintained but with few updates.

4155 Nu’uanu Pali Drive Honolulu –

The first successful luxury auction in Honolulu was a significant success resulting in the sale of a historic home in Nuuanu. The field of eight bidders was a mixture of Oahu residents and

mainland U.S. buyers. A California buyer won the ultimate auction with a sales price of $4.1 million, a recordbreaking amount for a home in the Nuuanu neighborhood. Hawai‘i Life represented the seller.

SALES VOLUME (ABOVE $10M)

Due to market size and international demand, the island of Oahu had the highest number of high-end sales in 2018. In the $10+ million range, there were a total of 11 single-family home sales and four condominium sales.

In that same market segment, the shift from nearly all new developer product back to single-family homes was a significant trend for Oahu. The demand for single-family homes resulted in a resurgence of activity for oceanfront homes in Kailua. There were a total of five sales in Kailua/Lanikai at or above the $10 million mark in 2018 compared to only one in 2017.

On the South Shore, the neighborhoods of Diamond Head to Hawaii Kai have seen a similar resurgence in demand for oceanfront homes, with five sales in 2018 compared to only one in 2017 (with another, the sale of Jim Nabors’ home already in 2019).

Eastbound buyers continue to be the primary purchasers of $10 millionplus properties. The buyers tend to

be in one of two camps, those looking for value in price or those looking for high quality and more of a highfashion residence.

Of the four condominiums to sell in the $10 million or above range, all were new developments. Two were penthouses at Park Lane Penthouses, one of which set the record for the highest condominium sale in Hawai‘i at $23.5 million.

NOTABLE LISTINGS IN 2019

1388 Ala Moana Blvd 5505:

$10,780,000, 4-bedroom, 4/1 bath, 4,142 square foot, Park Lane; Buyer is from Big Island, first bought 5405 and wanted a bigger space and upgraded to Unit 5505. Not represented.

1388 Ala Moana Blvd 8804:

$11,066,000, 3-bedroom, 3/1 bath, 3,252 square foot, Park Lane; a corporation from Japan, not represented.

1118 Ala Moana Blvd 3400:

$14,500,000, 4-bedroom, 4/1 bath, Waiea, 4,192 square foot, $14,500,000, local buyer who sold their residence on Kahala Avenue. Not represented.

1388 Ala Moana Blvd 5800:

$23,500,000, 4-bedroom, 4/1 bath, Park Lane Grand Penthouse, Japanese buyer represented by Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties.

The island of O‘ahu had the highest number of high-end sales in 2018. In the $10+ million range, there were a total of 11 single-family

Waianae

Oahu 2019 Midyear Update

Early 2019 has seen 43 total transactions above the $3 million benchmark to middle of June on Oahu, with three of these exceeding a $10 million price point. Hawai‘i Life represented the second largest number of sides on Oahu year-to-date. HL1 Director Patricia Choi’s Diamond head listing on Kulamanu Place sold for $12 million in early January. An oceanfront lot in Kahala listed at $11 million by Principal Broker Matt Beall and HL1 Director Erik Hinshaw is currently in escrow.

The aforementioned shift in interest in the Oahu market from condos to single-family homes in neighborhoods like Diamond Head and Kahala has held through the early part of 2019. More than half of Oahu’s high-end transactions this year have been sales of single-family homes in these and other residential neighborhoods outside of Kaka‘ako.

This is the highest sales on Oahu in 2018, inclusive of both condominiums and single-family homes.

4439 Kahala & 4767D Kahala Avenue, Honolulu – These are the final two vacant, oceanfront lots from the Alexander and Baldwin Portfolio of Kahala Properties, priced at $11.1 million and $12 million, respectively.

202 Kaikuono, Honolulu – In the Diamond Head neighborhood, near Doris Duke’s Shangri La Estate in Black Point, a contemporary, cliffside home overlooking the beach and the Pacific Ocean sold for $22 million.

The Blackstone Group’s purchase of Turtle Bay Resort for $330 million and their reported plans to add another hotel has fueled expectations that Oahu’s North Shore will see increased activity and upward price pressure. Price points and the velocity of sales for well-priced oceanfront homes are both increasing.

BENCHMARK SALES IN 2018

61-779 Papailoa Rd., Haleiwa – Sold in April 2018 for $12 million, this transaction broke the record for the highest sale on the North Shore in 2017, which was a $7.8 million home property next door.

NOTABLE LISTINGS IN 2019

56-1081 Kamehameha Highway, Kahuku – Priced at $19.988 million, this is the largest privately-owned oceanfront property on the Island of Oahu, consisting of 165 Acres including approximately on one-third of a mile of shoreline.

59-338 Wilinau Rd., Haleiwa – Priced at $19.8 million, the Sullivan Estate is a private holding and wellness spa set on five acres overlooking the entire North Shore. Multiple structures provide a wide range of use and can accommodate guests and support staff. It features mature, park-like landscaping throughout the property, which begins on the Pupukea plateau and cascades down to the sea-level plains below.

BENCHMARK SALES IN 2018

2018 was a benchmark year for sales over $20 million with two sales closed on Maui (plus additional ones in West Maui, listed below). The two South Maui properties on Keawakapu Beach were located 3190 South Kihei Road (sold at at $22.8 million) and 3244 South Kihei Road (sold at $20 million). HL1 Directors Dave Richardson and Josh Jerman represented the clients in these sales.

NOTABLE LISTINGS IN 2019

Lona Ridge, a landmark 5.75-acre estate with a 5-bedroom, 5.5 bath, 8,032 square foot home that overlooks Central Maui listed at $12.8 million

Modern Makena –This private twoacre estate in Makena complements the natural elements. Pathways through ginger, Ipe bridges over lava rock stream beds, lush lawns, and mature tree canopies connect the property’s seven structures for a seamless indoor-outdoor living experience on Ahihi Bay. Modern design incorporates a large kitchen and dining area, a master bedroom suite, two private guest suites, a theater room, gym, office, an ‘ohana, a three-car garage, a 25-meter lap pool,

infinity lounge pool, gym, and South Maui’s only private, fully-lit tennis court with viewing trellis and wet-bar. Listed at $12 million.

SALES VOLUME (ABOVE $3M)

Sales at or above $10 million were up in 2018, with seven compared to five sales in 2017. Five of these were in South Maui, and two were in West Maui. Hawaii Life represented clients in four of the seven sales. The number of sales above $3 million was similar to 2017, with 96 compared to 95.

Before 2018, there had been a total of five sales in Maui’s history at $20 million or above. There were two in 2018 alone: 3190 South Kihei Road recorded at $22.8 million and 3244 South Kihei Road sold for $20 million. Both properties are on Keawakapu Beach in South Maui. There are currently eight properties listed at $20 million and above, compared to six in 2017 and five in 2016.

As we noted in last year’s Maui report, HL1 is connected to off-market or private listings in both South Maui on Keawakapu Beach and Makena, the North Shore, as well as West Maui, but with a broader price range this year. Offerings of this type range from $10 million to just under $60 million.

BENCHMARK SALES IN 2018

The only oceanfront sale in West Maui in 2018 above $10 million was 9 Kapalua Place, which recorded in May 2018 at $12 million.

There were two record-breaking sales at the Montage Kapalua Bay. Montage 2301 closed in May 2018 for a record $7.95 million. That record sale was surpassed with the closing of Montage 1201 in September 2018 at $8.950 million.

NOTABLE LISTINGS IN 2019

Olowalu Makai Plantation Hale –This legacy property bordering a stream in an exceptional agriculturalzoned community on West Maui’s coastline south of Lahaina comprises more than 4.55 acres and 300 feet of ocean frontage in an exclusive gated enclave. Listed at $6.3 million.

16-Acre Oceanfront Olowalu Makai

Lot – This extremely rare parcel, bordered by the Olowalu Stream, has a sense of peace unlike any other on Maui. Acquisition of all three Olowalu Makai properties could create a legendary estate offering a total of 22 acres and 2,200+ feet of linear ocean frontage. It is listed at $8.49 million.

Hekili Point Secluded Estate – West Maui’s oceanfront sanctuary is peaceful and private with a rare, exotic Hawaiian ambiance, and set on 1.34 acres of land with a sprawling ocean lawn, 75-foot pool and spa, tropical gardens and walkways. Designed by Glen Mason, an awardwinning architect renowned for cultural heritage preservation, this home incorporates authentic design features of 1930’s Kamaaina architecture—including wide verandas, wood floors, spacious rooms with high ceilings, and doublepitched roofs, into new construction. It is listed at $9.9 million.

9 Bay Drive – This spectacular oceanfront estate is a true legacy property. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and two of the most beautiful beaches in Kapalua, Namalu Bay and Oneloa Bay, this exclusive resort-style property offers magnificent views of the neighbor islands. It boasts half a mile of ocean frontage in a perfect location to access Kapalua amenities and Montage Kapalua Bay. Completely remodeled in 2016, it includes state-of-the-art features, beautiful interior design and large covered lanais which heighten the sense of grandeur of this 12,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor living area. Listed at $49 million.

Maui 2019 Midyear Update

Maui has seen 27 transactions above $3 million so far in 2019, with an additional fives sales above the $10 million benchmark (three of these at Makena Golf & Beach Club, a private club development).

HL1 Director Josh Jerman recently closed on his listing on South Kihei Road for $13.95 million.

Sales at or above $10 million were up in 2018, with seven compared to five sales in 2017. The number of sales above $3 million was similar to 2017, with 93 compared to 94.

Kipahulu

Hana

BENCHMARK SALES IN 2018

The top 10 sales on Kauai ranged from $8.765 million to $46.1 million in 2018. Hawai‘i Life represented seven of the sellers and eight of the buyers. The highest sale was a two parcel property with a 4-bedroom, 6.5 bath, 10,000 square-foot principal residence; an additional 2-bedroom, 2-bath caretaker’s residence; a large infinity-edge pool, a working tree farm, a transient vacation rental permit, and direct beach access–all set on the elevated bluffs along Kauapea Road. The sale also represented the largest ever residential transaction in the State of Hawai‘i.

The top sales ranked 2nd through 9th by selling price were all also on Kauai’s North Shore. The second, third and fourth top sales on Kauai were all for beachfront homes in Hanalei. A completely remodeled, 2,400 square-foot home on a roughly 17,000 square-foot lot sold for $15 million. The neighboring property, which was also a remodel, was a 4,100 square-foot home on a 17,000 squarefoot lot and sold for $14 million. A 1,100 square-foot house, originally built in 1928 on a 1.26-acre lot also sold for $14 million.

SALES VOLUME (ABOVE $3M)

In 2018, there were 52 combined residential, land and condo sales on Kauai above $3 million, more than double the number of sales in that market segment in 2017. Broken out by property type, 11 of these sales were

condo sales, four were vacant land, and 37 were residential. Across districts, we saw 14 of these sales on the South Shore, ten sales on the East Side, and 28 sales on the North Shore of the island.

Concentrations of these high-end sales were evident in several of Kauai’s most desirable areas. The highest priced transaction of the 11 sales in the Kukuiula subdivision was a 3,500 square foot residence on a half acre, golf course fronting lot which sold for $6.5 million. The Hokuala project in Lihue sold nine units over $3 million with the highest priced sale of $4.6 million.

On the North Shore, four of these sales occurred along the bluff above Kauapea Beach, including two sales for more than $10 million. Eight sales occurred in Hanalei, with six of those being beachfront transactions and four of those six trading for over $10 million. In total, there were seven transactions above $10 million islandwide in 2018, all of which occurred on the North Shore.

The highest sale on Kauai in 2018 also happened to be the highest priced sale ever in the State of Hawai‘i for a single-family residence, closed at $46.1 million (see Benchmark Sales above). Neal Norman of Hawai‘i Life represented the buyer and seller.

NOTABLE LISTINGS IN 2019

Listed by Ben Welborn, R(B) is a beachfront, TVR-licensed home located centrally along Hanalei Bay. Priced at $29.75 million, the property

features a 5-bedroom, 4-bath home and a separate 2-story accessory building on a sprawling 1.1-acre lot. The estate includes an outdoor kitchen/gazebo with wet bar, pizza oven, and stainless appliances, as well as a hot tub and fitness gym.

Also set on the bluff above a secluded beach called Waiakalua, is a 4,400 square-foot, 4-bedroom, 4-bath residence situated on a bluff ridge between Na Aina Kai to its west and nearly 22 acres of conservation land to its east. This ultra private property is listed at $19 million by Neal Norman, R(B) and also features naturally flowing waterfalls and direct pedestrian and vehicular beach access.

Kauai 2019 Midyear Update

Kauai saw twice as many trades in the highest end of the market in 2018 as in the previous year, so it’s no wonder that it has been difficult to keep pace with the anomaly of last year. Year to date, Kauai has seen what has been an average number of transactions above the $3 million benchmark, with a total of 12 sales to midJune (compared to 52 total transactions in 2018, and 25 in 2017). Hawai‘i Life remains the leading brokerage in this segment of the Kauai market, with a total of six sides, or 25% of the market share in trades above $3 million.

In 2018, there were 52 combined residential, land and condo sales on Kauai above $3 million, more than double the number of sales in that market segment in 2017.

Kekaha

Kalaheo

Lihue

BENCHMARK SALES IN 2018

2018 started with great momentum on the Big Island of Hawai‘i with five residential homes sold within the first quarter that were listed at more than $10 million. The highest resale home in 2018, Kukio 13, was listed at $29.5 million and sold for $27.5 million on March 9, 2018. It was a pocket (quiet) listing that sold before print on the MLS. Located in the coveted private club community of Kukio, this home was a unique front row opportunity in Hawaii’s premier private golf and beach club.

Another significant sale was Nani Paniau, this ultimate oceanfront compound is adjacent to the Mauna Lani Resort, and within walking distance to the Fairmont Orchid Hotel and soon to be L’Auberge Resort Hotel. It was one of the last remaining, privately-owned and fully entitled oceanfront holdings on the Island of Hawai‘i, encompassing 7.45 acres of park-like residentially-zoned property. It was listed at $24.5 million and sold for $18 million by Bob Chancer with Mauna Kea Realty–A Hawai‘i Life Company in March 2018. It was also noted as the third highest sale on the Big Island for 2018. Approximately five to 10 minutes north of Kukio and Hualalai Resort is an exclusive private oceanfront community called Kaupulehu. With six bedrooms and 7.5 baths, the Kaupulehu residence on lot 31 was listed at $20 million and sold for $18.5 million in July of 2018. It was noted

as the second highest sale on Hawai‘i Island in 2018.

Bordering Kukio is another community called Maniniowali. Some of the most beautiful panoramic oceanview properties above the famous “Kua Bay” can be found here. The Maninowali Residence on Lot 05 was listed at $16.95 million and sold for $14.75 million in March of 2018, constituting the fourth highest sale price on Hawaii’s Big Island in 2018.

Hualalai Resort, located near the Four Seasons Resort on the North Kona Coastline, is recognized as one of the best luxury resorts in the state of Hawai‘i. In January of 2018, a beautiful estate on Kaimupulehu Street within Hualalai closed for $14.2 million before reaching the MLS.

SALES VOLUME (ABOVE $3M)

Overall, the majority of the high-end luxury property sales have been along the North Kona and South Kohala coastline, within some of the most prestigious private club communities in the state. The area is known for pristine ocean visibility, great diving and ocean activities, lots of sunshine, and some of the best golf opportunities.

Sales in the high-end of the market were down in 2018 compared to the previous year, in no small measure due to the volcanic eruption of Kilauea and resulting vog (sulfur dioxide gas), which began in May 2018. All sales activity slowed down

for the entire Island of Hawai‘i. Overall, sales above $3 million were down to 64 from 80 in 2017, and down from nine to five transactions in the over $10 million market segment.

SUMMER 2018

The national media reported the Big Island to be on red alert and with unsafe air quality. Residents were following civil defense reports daily. Sellers became motivated to sell, and we saw many price reductions across the island. Sellers who were not as motivated to sell took their homes off the market. Overall, everything was on pause as tourism dropped, exacerbated by hurricane season warnings of storms nearing the Hawaiian Islands.

FALL 2018 - 2019

By the fall of 2018, the volcanic eruption on the northeast side of Hawai‘i Island had subsided, resulting in excellent air quality and clarity, and some of the most pristine views ever! Buyer inquiries started up slowly, and by mid-December, business picked up again, leading to a growing recovery in January 2019.

EARLY 2019

This year kicked off with a great start, which included the sale of a 5-bedroom residential home on Kaupulehu Drive within Hualalai Resort.

Hawai‘i Island

Majority

Hawai‘i Island 2019 Midyear Update

Notable Big Island sales so far this year have included 24 total transactions above the $3 million luxury benchmark, with one of these exceeding the $10 million price point. This compares to a total of 65 sales above $3 million throughout the whole of 2018. Negative media surrounding the volcanic eruptions on a small area of Hawaii Island’s more than 4,000 square miles is likely a contributing factor to the downturn in trade. However, HL1 Director Stephen Hurwitz’ $10.9 million listing at 72- 433 Kaupulehu sold for $9.675 million in March.

All sales activity slowed down for the Island of Hawai‘i. Sales above $3 million were down to 65 from 80 in 2017, and down from nine to five sales in the over $10 million market segment.

Kapauu

Honokaa

Keaau

Pahoa

Kalapana

Pahala

HL1 was created to help our clients see Hawai‘i’s luxury market in a unique light. While we include and consider the more conventional measures of the high-end real estate market such as sale prices, volume of sales, key benchmarks, etc., we also aim to provide historical context for the market, as well as a sense of what to expect in the years to come.

The ongoing growth of economic activity globally, US fiscal expansion, healthy labor markets, high business and consumer confidence, and the depth of domestic demand for Hawai‘i properties have all provided a solid foundation for Hawai‘i’s high-end residential market. Hawai‘i’s overall economy has been on a favorable path and by many metrics, it is as healthy as it has been in years. Record-high visitor numbers, record-low unemployment, and ongoing (however unimpressive) income gains continue to provide underlying stability.

The rate of growth, however, is clearly slowing as we reach the apogee of this cycle. Despite having its best year since 2011, there are signs the global economy may have now peaked. Trade tensions, high debt levels, and volatile equity markets are magnifying concerns.

INTERNATIONAL DEMAND

Although both Japan and China’s economic prospects have softened recently, forecasts for a weakening US dollar may drive up international demand for Hawai‘i property and decrease US domestic demand for foreign property and vacations, leaving the island of O‘ahu in the best position due to its intense and sustained foreign demand.

Maggie Huang, HL1 Director for Greater China, indicated that Chinese nationals “may be more prudent and conservative and less celebratory when they buy in Hawai‘i, because of what is happening in their home country,” although simultaneously, perhaps now more than ever than before, “they see US as a safe harbor where they can take their assets and park their money.”

O‘AHU

We remain bullish on continued growth in O‘ahu’s market, which benefits from the great majority of international demand for high-end real estate. Honolulu’s urban core, particularly in Kakaako and Ala Moana, as well as the continued attention on high-value trophy properties in the neighborhoods of Kahala, Diamond Head, and Kailua, should remain strong.

The Mandarin Oriental has recently announced a new tower at Kapiolani with pricing starting at $3.5 million, and Howard Hughes Corporation continues to develop luxury inventory on its 60 acres at Ward Village. New luxury condominiums on O‘ahu will continue to drive interest and sales for years to come.

“Create your future from your future not your past.”

—Werner Erhard

HAWAI‘I ISLAND

In 2019 and and into 2020, we expect the high-end market on Hawai‘i Island to return to its previous velocity from the early part of the decade. While there’s no clear ability to forecast future volcanic eruptions, the reality of the clearest sky and cleanest air quality in decades will not be lost on the highest concentration of decamillionaire property owners in Hawai‘i, and newcomers into the market will not have to contend with vog.

KAUA‘I

Kaua‘i may continue to surprise the high-end market with significant, if not record-breaking, transactions. There are several high value off-market listings which may trade in the coming years, surpassing even 2018’s record-breaking year.

We also expect to see new high-points in the Club at Kukuiula on Kaua‘i’s South Shore. The club has steadily gained momentum in previous years and is poised for both increased volume, as well as higher price point trades.

MAUI

Maui’s most significant challenge at the top of its market remains the quantity and quality of inventory. West Maui, and Kapalua in particular, may continue their increasing momentum into 2019 and perhaps 2020. For the island’s total high-end market, supply constraints might lead to trading staying flat or even contracting on Maui into 2019 for the high-end of the market, especially after a recordbreaking 2018 with two $20 million sales in South Maui.

CONCLUSION

The past five years have clearly seen the recovery, if not a boom, in the high-end residential market.

Building on previous years’ momentum, both 2017 and 2018 brought their own records at the top of the market. We expect pricing to continue to follow sales with upward pressure on pricing in 2019 and into 2020.

Predictably, the price records set in 2018 will eventually be broken, although we expect that to occur sooner rather than later. The Park Lane sale at $23.5 million set a record that may take longer to surpass due to supply constraints of comparable or relevant condominium offerings. However, we predict the high-end residential sale record to be broken again in coming years.

Property may take (slightly) longer to sell in 2019 and 2020, predominantly due to the large number of out-of-state buyers and the relative lack of urgency when purchasing a vacation or trophy home compared to a primary residence.Days on Market has never been the most significant indicator of the high-end market’s health.

We expect the trend of increased or at least sustained velocity of trading to hold into 2020, barring any significant natural disasters or unpredicted “black swan” types of geopolitical events. Presidential election years are historically passive for high-end real estate markets, so 2020 could see a slowdown in trading.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

TEXT & INTERVIEWS BY SUSAN HIGGINS

IMAGES COURTESY OF KUKUI‘ULA

REALTY GROUP AND MIKE POOLEY

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MOLLY REEDER

Since its inception, Kukui‘ula has successfully faced many challenges, not the least of which was the economic crisis of 2008. Today, Kukui‘ula is a vibrant and rapidly growing luxury community with a unique voice and brand.

We recently sat down to check in with Kukui‘ula President, Richard Albrecht, and Broker-in-Charge, Suzanne Harding, to gain insight into how they’ve evolved over the years to face these challenges and continue to appeal to the very discerning luxury buyer.

We also caught up with Michela Abrams, former publisher of Dwell Magazine, to discuss her involvement in Ke Ola, the recently launched, custom Kukui‘ula publication.

Richard Albrecht

HL1: I know you started here in 2014 and brought experiences with you from successful resort properties in Hawai‘i including Hualālai and Four Seasons on Lāna‘i. When you joined Kukui‘ula, what was your top priority?

Richard Albrecht: The first big thing for me was to really understand Kaua‘i, Kukui‘ula and how the consumers’ preferences and needs have changed since the recession. We went through the 2002 to 2004 period where people were really confident and go-go. We knew pretty clearly what people wanted. After the recession, it was hard to understand how it had changed them. When I started in 2014, there wasn’t a lot of market information to know how things and preferences changed.

I read a quote in Pacific Business News that when you took over for Brent Harrington, he stated “buyers are back with a very strong bias in favor of finished homes.” But suddenly there’s been this shift to dirt, right?

My belief has been that there is a sizable percentage of the population that will not go through the pain of building a home in Hawai‘i. We build a variety of nice finished products: the Cottages, Bungalows, Villas, and a handful of spec homes. People see those spec homes and get comfortable with building here—it stimulates their creative juices. We help them identify architects, contractors and builders. They also realize if they buy a lot and build a house, they can build in equity.

When Kukui‘ula was about marrying the traditional plantation-style architecture, it focused on just that style. Then in recent years, contemporary designs have been embraced here. Do you see the Contemporary trend growing and evolving to become a substantial part of the landscape here at Kukui‘ula?

I do. As developers, you want to create a sense of place that has an identity. But if you’re too narrow and dogmatic about it, it becomes limiting and starts to look like a period piece. It becomes confining. What we’re looking to do is make sure that it’s high quality design with high quality materials. The thing about Kauai is, the community and its character is about the landscape. We focus on having beautiful elegant rooflines. A good home in Hawaii is going to have outdoor living space, shaded from the wind, rain and sun because the climate is so nice here. You want to be outside most of the time.

How would you describe Kukui‘ula and the way it is different from offerings throughout the state? What makes Kukui‘ula unique?

The thing that is immediately obvious to people is how relaxed it is. People tend to have this perception of what luxury is—that luxury means formal. We’ve tried to go the other way and make it Kauai Lifestyle. It is the relaxed casual Kauai style. We’re delivering service, that attentive personal touch, without it being stuffy. People always talk about how friendly everybody is. That harkens back to the old days of Hawaiian hospitality. But because of the scale of the property — it’s not a big resort — the staff gets to know people on a first name basis and people feel that sense of ‘ohana quickly. It has this relaxed personal nature and you feel a sense of belonging. We work on getting to know the needs of each person, but also, we allow the staff to be playful with members and their guests. We don’t script them.

The way you describe the staff’s approach is very Kauai. It’s easier to come here as a visitor, and feel at home quicker than on other islands. Some people feel we’ve lost some of the aloha, but there’s still so much of it here.

I think that’s the evolution of aloha. The aloha spirit, and the island way of life, is important to the experience we convey to people. It has to have that unique Hawaiian thing. But it has to be relevant, it can’t be historic. We have the elements of the culture and the aloha spirit, without force-feeding it to people.

Well thank you. I know I can speak for everyone at Hawai‘i Life who has an interest in Kukui‘ula; it is an exciting product, community to be a part of, and we all want to see you succeed. Whatever we can do to help further, that is the goal.

Michela Abrams

HL1: I’d love to hear about your experience as a publisher and a journalist. How did you get started?

Michela Abrams: I always loved writing and was fascinated by the entire craft of journalism. For me, what that meant was not just good writing but being able to tell a story in a way that surfaced all facts. That explored whatever the subject was, that was done in a way the reader was able to take it all in and come to their own conclusion.

Not an opinion piece.

Exactly. I left UCLA because they dropped the journalism major, finished at Cal Poly where their staff had 30% adjunct professors from the NY Times, current local papers and California based magazines. It was an amazing education and you basically got an F if you started a lead with anything that looked like your opinion. Then I found out how much a journalist made for a living and that I couldn’t just start at the LA Times. I decided to work for a woman who was the Western Sales Director for TV Guide. And if you could make TV Guide sound like the most brilliant idea ever, then I wanted to follow her. I realized I could use my skills in writing to continue to enjoy the journalistic pursuits and also see how that worked with marketing and “did I like that?” And I did.

That’s interesting to hear because I know your background is in journalism, but when I think about architecture and good residential design I think about you. Where did that interest come from?

It’s truly a testimony to my personal belief that everything happens for a reason. When I was ten my family was transferred from the Bay Area to LA. My father needed to rent a house before we bought one. Having no idea who Schindler was, he rents what’s now the famous and first R.M. Schindler house on King’s road in West Hollywood. That is where I lived with my parents for six months. The most modern home in 1922. From there we moved to a home across the street from Lautner Silvertop house and across the reservoir, in Silver Lake, from Neutra VDL House. That whole area of Silver Lake, thought of as incredibly Bohemian in the 20’s and 30’s, became very much middle to upper middle class in the 50’s through the 80’s and now it’s envogue again. The entire neighborhood was peppered with the most talented architects. Those were my parents’ friends. I grew up with modernist architecture all around me.

So, imagine taking your career and putting that together with everything you adored in your childhood.

So interesting! Switching to another love of yours: this beautiful island of Kauai. When did you first start coming here?

My first visit —because this was my parents’ favorite— was 1972. That was when Hanalei Plantation still existed. When we’d go to other islands I’d say, “I don’t care. Can’t we go back to Kauai?” Then my husband and I came in early ‘90s a couple times. But when I came back to Kukui‘ula, after probably 10 years, was January of ‘17.

I’ve been back now a number of times, and I do consider the staff members my friends. In fact, I haven’t gotten to know many [club] members. It’s the staff I’ve gotten to know and adore, and they are so much a part of the heritage and the culture. It’s really great.

I was pleased to see this expression and extension into a publication of the Kukui‘ula brand.

Yes, the goal was to have the beautiful representation of the brand be in all the Lodge homes and for the members also to see what the Kukui‘ula voice really meant in print. What I’m most pleased with is that we were allowed to develop an editorial magazine. It is not a marketing vehicle for Kukui‘ula. It is honestly Kukui‘ula putting their brand on their voice and the heritage of the property and what it meant to the culture of the south shore.

Anything else you want to add about your relationship with Kukui‘ula as a visitor?

I am the happiest version of myself here (laughs). I really am.

Suzanne Harding

HL1: Suzi, you’ve seen this community and development grow into what it is today. I’d love to get your perspective on the initial vision of the project when you joined and then talk about how it’s evolved over the years.

Suzanne Harding: It was like the wild-wild west out there for initial sales. You had to have a lot of vision. We had all this great collateral on paper and what we anticipated the Living Garden would be, because that was our initial vision.

You’ve seen a big shift over the last couple of years. All of a sudden, we’re seeing so much vacant land selling. What would you attribute that to? What do you think is driving that change?

A couple things: at least in Kukui‘ula, land loans are now available with good rates and more lenders are able to convert a land loan into a construction loan, so that’s attractive. At Kukui‘ula there’s less inventory of finished homes than we had before. I mean we have a handful

of homes left. And I believe that for a few of those it’s a narrower market of who the buyer will be. It’s not for everyone. You’ve got price point. You’ve got design. You’ve got location.

I think optics have changed on built products as well. We are also seeing younger buyers. They want to rent it out when they’re not using it. They’re not looking for this little second home they’re keeping closed up. They are looking more for value. They want something that is a vacation rental proposition.

That’s interesting. How have you managed the design guidelines? Have those changed and accommodated a more progressive design that we’re seeing now?

What we see now is in response to the marketplace and in response to what people are building. They do want more of that open, big expansive sliding doors, big beams, more modern contemporary, but still Hawaiiana.

As a community, by looking at your design guidelines (neighborhood or subdivision specific) having that big picture for what you see over here as opposed to a mashup—you want to be able to have that; not autonomy by neighborhood but at least personality.

Are there any particular design elements that have proven more successful from a sales approach than others? What have you had to go back and retool?

What we have seen to be successful are the designs for the Club Villas. They were met with high receptibility. Our 3-bedroom bungalow people love that design. We’ve had a couple people want to tweak it and put it on custom lots.

You are kind of constantly walking a new line trying it out because the market changes and ecofriendly and eco-luxury, sustainability. The optics change trying to reinvent and retool.

I like that eco luxury or even tropical-lux. People like the mixture of the fine fixtures and amenities with the warm woods to give the home a feel of being in Hawaii.

That’s exactly what I’ve found people respond to - kind of a beachier, maybe neutral palette, but then blasting that with woods, textiles, repurposed woods, even eco-furniture, repurposed items, they’re looking for (right now).

How do you address the fact that Kukui‘ula doesn’t have beach frontage?

I think it’s part of if that objection comes up — because it doesn’t always.

How we overcome that objection is lifestyle. We have our boat. We take people on the boat. We do custom excursions. We set up beach trips at Mahaulepu or Baby Beach. We have that ability to set up if someone wants something private. We focus on spa, golf, the amenities we have. Most people that come to Kauai aren’t going to the same beach every day and sitting there. We are going to Polihale. We are going to Mahaulepu. We are going to the North Shore. You are using all your beaches. There are so many great beaches to explore.

If you’re looking for water sports, we launch you from the harbor on perfect days and you kayak down to Lawaikai or Allerton’s. We’ve got the Farm for Stand Up Paddling if people want to go in the lake up there. We have our team to help direct people and show them that it’s not just about sitting on one beach. You could be beachfront, and you might not even be able to access the water sports.

HL1 CRAFT

LINK TO THE LAND

TEXT BY WINSTON WELBORN IMAGES COURTESY OF MARION BRENNER AND RON LUTSKO

Landscape architect Ron Lutsko’s approach incorporates his deep interest in ecological systems, architecture, design, and conceptual art. His projects are executed always with a view to enhancing the sense of place and context of each unique site.

Close your eyes and imagine a tropical backyard garden full of native plants and botanicals. What do you see? If you’re a Hawai‘i resident, your mind’s eye may have featured birds of paradise, hibiscus, pikake, red ginger and bougainvillea.

If you thought about the trees in your tropical landscape, they may have included several types of palms, as well as papaya, mango, avocado, plumeria and mango. Filling it out, you may have considered the ubiquitous red Hawai‘ian tī plant, some varieties of ferns and Philodendron, or perhaps the purple and green blade like leaves of the widely planted Moses in the Cradle. It may surprise you to learn that some of these plants aren’t from Hawai‘i at all.

California native Ron Lutsko is stoked that his landscape architecture work is bringing him back to the islands more often these days, where he spent part of his nature-loving childhood exploring fish, birds, and plant life under the shadow of the formidable Ko‘olau mountains on O‘ahu. He recently shared with us his passions, his formative influences, and talked story about his current projects across the islands, sharing his views on the shrinking quantity of native plant life and how Hawai‘i homeowners might take steps to help restore our unique habitat.

Lutsko’s award-winning practice has been thriving since 1982, when it ran in parallel with an academic career as a lecturer that led him from UC Davis to UC Berkeley, both his alma mater. With undergraduate

degrees in horticulture and landscape architecture, and a considerable portfolio of work under his belt, Lutsko was able to design his own unique graduate program that incorporated the study of architecture, cultural geography, and art, completing an M.A. in Landscape Architecture in 1990. Though he spent his childhood on university campuses, following his father’s scientific career from place to place, 14 years of teaching left Lutsko lukewarm about academic life. In 2004, he gave up his academic career and devoted himself full-time to his practice and never looked back. His ethos of conservation, sustainability and habitat rehabilitation, as well as his considerable creative talents, have since found their full, artistic expression in residential, commercial, civic and institutional projects around the globe.

Examples of his firm’s highly acclaimed work can be enjoyed at the San Francisco and Humboldt Botanical Gardens and numerous high profile wineries throughout Northern California’s wine country, where he currently runs a native plants nursery and olive oil farm in the Capay Valley AVA. The nursery serves as a testing ground for introducing appropriate plants into cultivation and as a unique resource for Lutsko Associates projects; including luxury homes, urban gardens, vineyards, campuses, parks, museums, and rural ranches.

The organic evolution of Lutsko’s career, led by his intense passions and interests, is reflected in his current approach to landscapes, which focuses on sustainable design that honors elements of the endemic landscape. While Lutsko’s aesthetic incorporates restraint and the use of native plants wherever possible, his work is all about rigorous,

composed design, with a view to creating spaces that engage people’s mind and spirit in thoughtful, meaningful interactions with nature and their environment. He’s currently working on five residential projects across the islands.

HL1: What brought you to a career in landscape architecture?

Ron Lutsko: I come by it honestly, I think. My parents kept us in the outdoors a lot and I’ve always been interested by all aspects of nature. I was kind of a geeky kid and had intense interests from a very young age. I caught, collected, and bred fish. Once I had learned everything I could about fish, I switched to birds. By the time I was 12, I had sighted more species of birds – I had a “bird list” to rival most adults. I was just completely into it.

Then those interests found their way, ultimately, to plants. My father was a scientist and I grew up on university campuses. Combined with my interest in natural history, that whole world felt very natural to me and I just stepped into it. Neither of my parents are particularly artistic, but my brothers and I all have that artistic gene in a big way. Who knows where it came from? The need to express myself, coupled with with my interest in natural history adds up to landscape architecture.

When did you begin to be interested in the current work that you’re doing?

I’ve really always been into the current work that I do, but it’s evolved over time. When you first do anything, the way to master it is to learn from previous examples of really excellent work. You learn from that and begin to carry it into what you do, like a painter who has to copy the work of all the masters before they can go out and do their own thing. Is there such a thing as true, raw, genius creativity?

Very few people actually start from nothing and create something new and sustainable. It’s usually a compilation of all of our experiences. My work has of course evolved over time, based on my experiences and so on.

But I would say that about 20 years ago, I made the decision to stop doing traditional work that is based on historical or previous landscapes. I had learned how to do that, and it had become easy and maybe a little monotonous for me. Like a classic English garden with Hawaiian plants, for example. I made a very conscious decision to explore contemporary thinking both formally and artistically, but also in terms of what things mean ecologically, and in terms of habitat development.

In the end, what I am really driven by is the belief that people have lost nature and they needed to reconnect with nature in a huge way. That disconnection has resulted in humans that are destroying habitat all over the world. What I can bring as a landscape architect is to reunite people with nature and natural process, and simultaneously build habitat and create habitat for local species. Our projects typically grow out of wherever they find themselves.

How would you describe your approach or aesthetic?

Stylistically, I prefer simplicity over complexity. It’s really important to me that landscapes relate to the buildings and to the region around them, so there are probably similarities that carry through my work. But really, every project is unique because I consider how to take the place as it finds itself, and turn it into the best version of that. So that’s what makes it fun!

We asked Ron Lutsko for some plant recommendations for use in Hawai‘i residential landscapes. The plants on his short list were chosen primarily for their striking beauty. However, his choices also reflect Lutsko’s keen interest in the use of native plants for a healthy ecology, as well as his interest in traditional plants from a cultural perspective.

On the whole, the plants he recommends are grounded in the islands. Some are indeed common plants—not rare or unusual—but in Lutsko’s view, they are emblematic of Hawai‘i’s original coastal landscape. Having spent his childhood in Kāne‘ohe, Lutsko is also drawn to some of his choices because he feels they are fundamental aspects of the Hawaii landscape, even if they’re not native. He notes that the shell ginger and the flame tree fall into this category.

Since he is ultimately a designer, his aim isn’t to recreate nature, but to improve upon it using carefully composed tableaux. Above all, each choice on this list has high value from a design perspective and Lutsko loves them all.

PORTRAIT ILLUSTRATION BY MOLLY REEDER

Recommended by Ron

Metrosideros polymorpha – ‘Ōhi‘a Lehua

The ‘ōhi‘a lehua is an endemic species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family. A species currently at risk, the ‘ōhi‘a lehua is a nectar plant that has great ecological value, as well as cultural significance in Hawai‘i. It is remarkably beautiful and is right at home in a structured, architectural design setting with its bright red blooms and its vertical growth habit, especially when young.

Tournefortia argentea – Beach Heliotrope

Lutsko chose the beach heliotrope for its beautiful windswept form. Excellent for coastal properties due to its ability to withstand wind and salt spray, this wide-ranging evergreen shrub can grow in sandy soils and along rocky shores.

Vitex rotundifolium – Beach Vitex

Also excellent for coastal properties, the beach vitex is a native plant, but not endemic to Hawai‘i. It grows in Brazil and along seashores throughout the Pacific. Like the beach heliotrope, it is known for the soft purple gray it adds to any landscape. It is a perennial, low growing plant with a sprawling growth habit.

Sida fallax – ‘Ilima

A member of the Hibisucus family, the ‘ilima is a hugely versatile and beautiful native plant that flowers on and off throughout the year. Its combination of soft silver foliage with upright, cup-shaped yellow flowers is lovely, but it’s reminiscent of the scrubby, low, windblown plants that are characteristic of Hawai‘i.

Alpinia zerumbet – Shell Ginger

Lutsko calls the shell ginger a “postcard plant,” yet he loves it anyway. While there are many types of ginger, he chose this one for its beautiful form – its long arching stalks with leaves radiating off of them, and its white flower with a pink blush and dark red markings. It withstands sun or shade and is best kept sparse by cutting back the old stalks.

Taro – Piko Ele’ele

While not native to Hawai’i, the taro plant is, of course, the quintessential canoe plant, with enormous cultural significance. There are more than a hundred varieties of taro grown here for food purposes, but Lutsko feels the ele‘ele is a particularly beautiful one for residential planting. It likes water and ponds and looks especially striking in landscapes dominated by lava rocks and water features, due to its black stem and brilliant green leaves.

Pritchardia hillebrandii – Loulu palm

According to Lutsko, the loulu is the only palm that’s native to Hawaii. It is one of many Pritchardia species and it grows on Moloka‘i. The loulu is so hearty, it grows on rock outcroppings in the ocean. It’s a small-scale fan palm that’s ideal for intimate residential landscapes. It is endemic to Hawai‘i and is currently an at risk species.

Bismarkia nobilis – Bismarck Palm

The Bismarck Palm hails from Madagascar, but Lutsko chose this as a favorite due to its giant, steel-blue fans that are particularly striking when set against an ocean backdrop. Though it’s not a native plant, it adds a beautiful, sculptural element to Hawai‘i landscapes.

Hibiscus arnottianus - Koki‘o Ke‘oke‘o

Lutsko likes this species of hibiscus, which is native to Hawaii, for its elegant white flower with a long exerted red stamen. Growing naturally on both O‘ahu and Moloka‘i, it is super fragrant, though unlike many hibiscus, it is quite understated in its form.

Munroidendron racemosum – Pokalakala

Lutsko chose this small-to-mid-sized, endemic tree for its small silhouette and because he feels it’s what Hawaii would have looked like before the introduction of new species. It is from the Aurelia family and it’s strange, Dr. Seuss-like shape can be found in very rare populations only on Kaua‘i. It is best planted in small groves or copses.

Wilkesia gymnoxiphium - Iliau

Found in three locales on Kaua‘i only, where it is endemic, this rare, endangered and odd-looking plant resembles a small yucca with its short stalks and palm-like heads. It lends a sculptural element to gardens and landscapes and can be grown from seed.

Delonix regia – Flame Tree or Royal Poinciana

While found all across the South Pacific, the flame tree originates in Madagascar. Known for it’s beautiful red blooms that are equally striking when carpeting he ground, the tree’s silhouette when not in bloom is reminiscent of an African savannah. Its beautiful, exotic form casts a nice, dappled light and provides ample shade for any residential landscape.

Wikstroemia phillyreifoliam – ‘Akia

While not uncommon, the native and endemic ‘akia is a beautiful, coastal bluff plant that is drought and wind tolerant, as well as salt spray resistant. Low-spreading, it is a lovely, silvery green-blue with bright red berries alternatively known as Wikstroemia uva-ursi (grape-bear).

What makes you a good landscape architect?

There’s the ideation, of course, and the composition, the design, and my interests and fascinations. But another piece of this is the process piece, right? To be a good designer, you have to be a diplomat, or you’re never going to get there. You have to learn when to listen, how to handle budgets, and people. There’s all this other personality stuff. These are tools you need to develop to be effective and to realize your ideals. What we do is kind of a trip and it has a lot of layers to it!

Do you think you are setting trends, or bucking them? Or are you just doing your own thing?

Irreverence is definitely one of my personality traits! I don’t care that much about trends. I’m mostly dedicated to what I believe is the right thing and the right approach. But looking back, I can see that we have probably set trends and have been influential in our discipline, and have changed some attitudes along the line. That feels really good, but it’s not a goal. We probably have had some effect, and it’s pretty nice, but I’m certainly not driven by that.

What’s your process and how do you keep ahead of the curve in your discipline?

I read about projects and process, and about local architecture, landscape, and plants. I study a lot and I observe probably even more. I travel a lot, too. I’m fascinated by different circumstances related to landscape, both human-made places and natural places. I’m constantly photographing, but I hardly ever go back and look at an image. I’ve come to learn that for me, framing up an image, considering it, looking at it and hitting that shutter is like reading. It imprints it in my brain, like building my own internal catalogue.

What projects are you working on in Hawai‘i right now? What are you excited about?

We have five active residential projects as we speak: two in Hanalei, one in Maui, one in Po‘ipū and one over in Kona. I’m pretty excited by all of them, but for slightly different reasons. They’re killer. One site has the Hanalei River on one side, and the beach on the other. It’s insanely beautiful, but what an opportunity to create a landscape that conceptualizes water flowing on one side, and tidal and surf activity on the other.

I’m really proud of the way we’ve composed it — there’s one palette of plants that emulates the surf coming in on one side, and another palette of plants that talks about the currents of a river on the other. It’s a conceptual piece. It’s not meant to be literal. We are working on another great site overlooking Hanalei Bay with a sophisticated client. I’m loving it. It’s a simple, Zen-like, pared down, minimal space — which is true to my heart.

We have another project in Po‘ipū with Walker Warner Architects where the clients are giving us a ton of latitude to bring them the best work we can possibly deliver. It’s like a classic Malibu beach house, with a very hip design, and beautiful architecture. We are creating landscapes with a very strong relationship to the buildings and the house. The landscape is like a series of rooms and the floor plan of the house expands and flows out into the landscape.

I’ve been there. It’s as busy as it gets in that area, yet that home is like a little oasis.

I love the austere lava landscape of Kona, where we are doing another amazing project. I also love going up high to the volcanoes and the lava flows.

Kona is not unlike a many of the deserts we have in California, which is a habitat that I love and know well. It’s lava, kiawe, and introduced grass from Columbia, and that’s the primary landscape. I love the minimalism and the austerity of it. I am infatuated with the idea of lava as the single biggest contributor to the visual and experiential landscape. So for us to take basalt and lava and bring it into the landscape, and start to play with it, and explore what you can do with it — it’s a nice opportunity.

We are doing something similar on our project in Makena on Maui. The development mandates that we build only traditional lava rock walls, but I feel like it’s sacrilege for me to try and copy what Native Hawai‘ians have done. So instead, we are building a wall out of the excavation materials from the site. We sliced up the lava rock into different finishes and carved big windows into the wall. We are still building a wall out of the native materials, but we are doing something really creative and contemporary with it, and reapplying it in a way that doesn’t look like a tourist postcard.

So it sounds like each project has its own special appeal.

Yes. They all have their own kind of cool and unique opportunities and elements that get me charged up. I’m having a ball and love working in Hawai‘i.

I can tell because you always have a big smile on your face. What is your dream project here?

I’d love to get an observatory project way up in the raw lava fields because to me, the landscape is not just about the plants, it’s about the place. Hawai‘i has such a wonderful, rich history, in the way that people who have lived here have interacted with the land and the sea.

What is your connection to Hawai‘i? You spent part of your childhood here, right?

A lot of my early memories come from here, since I spent 5 years of my childhood living in Kane‘ohe. Hawai‘i is an easy place for me to plug into and it’s fascinating to find that it still resonates with me. It’s fun for me to work on landscapes that are of and about this place. It’s also incredibly complicated because the pivotal question is, of course, what is Hawai‘i?

There’s so little of it left. If you ask the average person what nature looks like in Hawai‘i, they’d show you a postcard of plants that aren’t even native. There are tropical and botanical gardens that have examples. But if you really look at the native plants, they are adapted to being hammered by salt spray and wind. They look more like chaparral plants in California than the postcard picture most people imagine. It’s a departure from what most people think of as a tropical garden or what they want in their landscape at home.

It’s been a huge learning curve to figure it all out and of course, I haven’t come close to figuring it all out. I’m enjoying the process immensely from a habitat perspective. I’ve gone deep into many places looking for Hawai‘ian native plants. As you know, to find a place that is truly and purely native Hawai‘i, you sometimes have to travel through some thickets and look for natural habitat. It’s a hard thing to find, yet there are fragments of it everywhere.

It’s fragile isn’t it? It’s a fragile ecosystem where everything grows year-round and there’s always new stuff coming in. So are you, with these personal spaces, trying to strip it down to what it used to be? And is that a challenge in this climate?

Totally. Everything wants to eat it alive and most of it has been eaten alive. There are fabulous native plants that are relatively easy to incorporate. I think clients’ desires are equally as challenging as the fragile environment. In proposing native plants, it’s not always what my client is looking for. They want a philodendron, a banana tree, and a palm tree — what they imagine the idyllic tropical paradise looks like.

Yet that’s what I’m interested in doing and that’s what I’d like to achieve, even if it’s piece by piece and fragment by fragment. As much as plants have been destroyed in Hawai‘i, the insects, birds and critters that those plants supported have also gone away. They have been pushed deeper and deeper into the center of the islands. So with every native plant gain, we are buying a little more habitat for the marginalized species. With some exceptions, native animal species will move into their native habitat whether it’s planted in rows or all mixed up. They really don’t care. They want a certain structure to nest in, they want a certain berry to eat, they want a certain nectar to drink, and they want a certain lair to hide from their predators.

From your assessment, what percentage of the vegetation that you see in Hawai‘i is actually native?

I’d say it’s 5 to 7 percent. It really depends on where you go, of course. It depends on how much development has occurred. If you go up Waimea Canyon, there’s more. But there’s also a California Redwood stand and Australian Eucalyptus up there, too. But if you’re paying attention, there are beautiful beach heliotropes, as well. They’re there, but you have to look for them.

One of the things that I love about your work is the grasslands, the tall grass vibe that you have going. Can we do that here? Can there be a native lawn in Hawai‘i?

That’s a cool question. In Hawai‘i, I’ve been researching this. You will see a lot of meadows in our work in the western United States. The reason for that is not because I have a personal love affair with meadows. It’s because I want to work with what’s already there. So in many habitats, grasses are a really obvious choice. In the past 10 years, grasses have also become popular and hip and I think they are beautiful. But often, those aren’t native grasses.

I have a friend in California who grows and seeds native grasses for restoration projects all over the West, which really speaks to his values. In his view, establishing native grasses means we’d need to use chemicals to eradicate the invasive weed grasses and give the native species a toehold. He feels it would take 5 to 10 years in order to get rid of the introduced species that have taken over in many places. Unfortunately, we have dug ourselves a big hole.

In Hawai‘i, we can do Pili grass. We can pull it off, but on a large scale it’s really challenging because there are several invasive weed grass species like kukui and guinea grass. These giant grasses are horribly aggressive. I wish I had a solution for this. We’ve definitely done residential projects with native grasses and carex, but you’re gardening them on a small scale in the way you’d grow other small-scale, ornamental plants. We are figuring it out over time. Plants grow so quickly and successfully here and the weeds are equally successful. That growth rate is actually a positive and negative all at once.

What are the biggest mistakes that people make in landscape design in Hawai‘i?

I would say that the most tangible mistake is overplanting. People plant everywhere and then the plants grow so fast and big that everything gets choked and it loses its appeal.

I think the other mistake people is not considering the location, particularly because so much of the landscape design is focused on coastal margin. People don’t factor in the coastal influences like salt spray and wind, and that’s from both a plant and also a materials perspective. I see materials used that just don’t hold up, that get swallowed alive by plants, that erode and corrode. That’s a really unique, intense part of Hawai‘i. Perhaps it’s more pronounced here because so much of the development occurs in coastal areas.

Finally, and this is subjective of course, I feel that people are really missing an opportunity. I often see people regenerating the same type of postcard, tropical landscape. I think people should investigate more deeply the potential of the place.

Pay a visit to Allerton Garden, which is essentially a traditional Italian garden with tropical plants. Even though not all the plants are native, it will give a comparison of the kind of experience that you could have. I think the plant use there is very beautiful. Part of that is the scale, of course. The little garden at the Honolulu Museum of Art is a beautiful, residentialscale garden. That’s another wonderful example.

There’s also quite a bit of, sometimes radical, climate diversity here in Hawai‘i.

No kidding! We go from 10 inches of rain to 400 inches of rain. On the Big Island, if you’re down on the Kona Coast, then you drive 30 minutes up the hill, you can find yourself in a fog belt similar to San Francisco, where you need a sweatshirt every morning. Coming from California, we also have a lot of diversity, so we can deal with it.

Do you feel like part of your process is in exercising restraint, as much as what you add to a space?

That’s critical. Absolutely critical. Knowing when to be humble enough to let the place show itself, and not putting a bunch of stuff in the way of seeing that. I teach my employees about being humble all the time. When I hire, I interview for humility. If you look at our work, I hope that people see that. We are not trying to make big, splashy, showy places. We try to set it up so that you really see the place you’re in.

It’s so cool that you’re into architectural design as one of the things that guides your landscape design. There are common threads in design thinking and empathy is probably one of the biggest. When you’re navigating the client relationship, how do you approach issues like empathy?

It’s true that often clients are more interested in saying their piece, rather than listening. But you know, I like to talk, too! That’s why I love working with Greg [at Walker Warner Architects]. We both speak that language and connect on that point without having to talk about it. He’s one of those architects who totally pays attention to the surroundings. His work comes as close as anyone’s that has grown out of the Hawaiian context, without co-opting or copying Hawaiian stuff. I think he really is humbled by landscape and I think he’s deferential to it when he thinks about designing homes.

You guys are an awesome team. The energy between you is good. So you’re about honoring the place and using what grows naturally. It seems that’s a really good desire, although attainability is not always easy. Is restoring a habitat to its original state one of your goals?

I think it’s important to note that although I could be, I’m not a restoration ecologist. The idea that we want to use native plants and re-appropriate natural habitat is a huge part of our work. But, we’re not interested in copying nature and that’s kind of critical. We are really interested in forward-thinking, rigorous, and even risk-taking design, but using native elements to achieve it.

I need to underline this statement because it’s a huge part of what we do. We’re about design. We’re not just copying nature. We are creating something for people to interact with nature. While we’ve done many 100% native gardens, we compose them to create spaces for people. That’s the way that we get people to become one with nature. If you look at our gardens, it’s clear that they are places where sophisticated, urban people can hang out and feel comfortable. That’s kind of critical and it’s at the core of the way I think about our work. It really is combining people with nature.

And without people connecting and being inspired by these spaces, you wouldn’t have the motivation to create more of them?

Exactly! I want to turn people into ecologists, conservationists, and preservationists. That’s my underlying agenda, honestly.

Lutsko believes his mission is to educate people about natural processes, connecting them with where their food comes from, and where animals, insects and plants live. With the goal of bringing awareness to issues of ecology, conservation and preservation in mind, Lutsko’s firm has built an internal culture of philanthropy. His team is typically engaged in one or two pro bono projects at any given time, supporting the efforts of like-minded nonprofit organizations that will further the kind of work he is so passionate about.

LUTSKO ASSOCIATES LANDSCAPE lutskoassociates.com

STATIC MOTION

Along the sundrenched hillsides of Waimea, the Anekona House stands as a testament to a design ethos centered around form, function, and spontaneity.

IMAGES COURTESY OF JOHN RUSSELL AND TEAL BOWDEN

Beauty isn’t going anywhere.

Everything is in constant motion. Going somewhere. Coming from somewhere else. Never perfect, never totally complete. Always and only evolving or devolving. Art, design, attitudes, philosophies, fashion… architecture: all are dynamic.

Sometimes they rebel against the dominant establishment, ignoring conventions and trends and “taste” altogether. They step out of the hierarchy. They focus on nature. On the stream. On the mountains. On nature’s endless processes.

Pay attention. Be patient.

Look closely. Look again.

To everything there is a season.

Some things capture those processes. They memorialize the motion. The inevitable vulnerability of earthly materials records the impact of sun, rain, and wind.

Attrition becomes the art. The document. The record. Beauty is a contextual event. In just the right circumstances, from just the right point of view. Beauty is an altered state of consciousness.

The event horizon between subject and object. Collapse the boundaries of “things”—acknowledging that we’re all in process.

Inside and outside. Spontaneously occurring in the moment. Again, and again, and again.

Nowhere

HOUSE OF GLASS, STEEL, & STONE

TEXT BY TIMOTHY A. SCHULER

IMAGES COURTESY OF CRAIG STEELY

At first glance, the clean, volumetric homes in Steely’s Lavaflow series have little in common with the thatch-roofed hale, but the seven houses, including Steely’s own (Lavaflow 2), were inspired by the structures of early Hawai‘i.

“Really, what it was about was protecting yourself from the rain and the sun—with whatever was available,” Steely says of early Hawaiian architecture. “And I still go back to that premise when I’m doing the projects I’m doing. The less you can build the better.”

Steely first came to Hawai‘i in 1998. A year later, he bought his own slice of Hawai‘i Island, just south of Pāhoa, and designed a small, sparsely furnished outpost for himself and his family amid a lava field (the first four of the Lavaflow series houses on Big Island were in such locations). Since then, he’s become passionate about educating the public on the value of good design. He gets annoyed when people attempt to conflate “historic Hawaiian architecture” with “plantation style,” i.e. stick-framed houses with deep eaves and hipped roofs. “Plantation style is essentially East Coast architecture that was brought in by the missionaries,” he says. “At its most benign, it’s just transplanted. But at its worst, it’s really a symbol of exploitation.”

Steely’s homes make heavy use of concrete and display a modern sensibility that has earned him repeated exposure in the pages of modern design magazine Dwell. Yet they respect the land by sitting lightly upon it, oriented to take advantage of natural breezes and equipped to capture rainwater.

Thanks in large part to Ossipoff, the idea of blending indoor and outdoor space has become commonplace in Hawai‘i, but Steely tries to emphasize the lānai as the primary living area by selecting higherquality finishes outside versus those utilized inside. He believes even his use of certain modern materials honors the Hawai‘i of old. “In a way,” he says, “the concrete houses and the steel houses have more to do with old Hawaiian architecture [than plantation-style houses] because we’re building with fewer parts.”

Building technologies also have evolved since Ossipoff’s time, allowing architects to design longer-lasting structures. “Materials have gotten so much better,” Steely says. Architects can, for example, design a luxury residence that’s completely off the grid, which is what Steely is doing on a remote site along the Hāmākua Coast. The home’s massive, triangular roof is covered in solar panels that will generate all necessary electricity, while rainwater is directed to an interior courtyard, and then stored in an underground tank for future uses like irrigation.

Others are using technology to push architecture into new places, designing structures that weren’t possible 20 years ago. For example, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, one of the best-known architecture firms in the United States, designed a guesthouse and art gallery for a historic residence along Diamond Head Road. As a counterpoint to the existing home, a wood and stone masonry house designed by C.W. Dickey with wide roofs and deep eaves, the architects created a three-story, glass-enclosed studio joined via a glass bridge to the art gallery—an angular, double-curved volume clad in copper tiles that reinterprets Hawai‘i’s ubiquitous double-pitched roof.

Nate Smith, the project manager who oversaw the construction, says it was one of the most complex projects he has worked on, due to the complex geometries of the doublecurve. “It was like building a football,” he says. But even such sophisticated architecture, if it’s good, is subservient to the site, says Robert Miller, who led the design of the project, known as Waipolu Gallery, from Bohlin Cywinski Jackson’s Seattle office. Despite its bold shape, the gallery allows visitors framed, unimpeded views of both Diamond Head and the ocean simultaneously. “Diamond Head becomes a piece of art, and the ocean becomes a piece of art,” Miller says. “It just happens to be changing as you’re watching it.”

OLD WORLD WONDERS

TEXT BY HL1 IMAGES COURTESY OF IAN ROBINSON

Rocky Mountain Hardware products are cast using a mix of Old World artisanal practices and elements while also incorporating the most modern operations.

Using Old-World casting techniques, each product touches no less than 30 hands, undergoing a rigorous 20-plus-step process that begins in our pattern shop.

Make Pattern: An expert craftsman begins by hand sculpting imaginative ideas into pattern to create casts using sand or wax.

Cast Parts

1 Sand Cast: Sand is compacted tightly to both sides of the pattern board. Once set, the boards are removed, and each half of the mold is carefully inspected. The halves are placed back together, forming a cavity to hold the molten bronze. Next, 300 pounds of bronze ingots are melted in a crucible, reaching a temperature of 2,200°F. The bronze is poured by hand into the molds and left to cool. After cooling, the parts are removed and sent on for finishing.

2 Investment (Lost Wax) Cast: For designs that are a bit more intricate, the art of lost-wax casting is employed. This process is extremely time intensive as the wax molds are dipped in a ceramic slurry multiple times and must dry completely between each dip. The molds are placed in kilns to harden. Then, hot molten bronze is poured into the cavity. Once hardened, the shell is cracked off by hand to reveal the bronze piece nestled inside.

3 Then, we sand and refine details.

4 Machine each piece to exact tolerances: After the casting is complete, each piece moves through a series of steps to add precise functionality. We employ over 30 computer numeric controls (CNC) machines to ensure that the hardware functions flawlessly for a lifetime. These state-of-the-

art computer programs are written to make our machines perform to our exacting specifications. We also have large lathes to turn specific parts, as well as water-jet machines to cut 2D custom parts using high pressure. Our advanced technology gives us the ability to create virtually any custom request.

5 Hand apply patina and assemble parts: Once in the studio, the artistry and detail of the pieces are highlighted with a warm, hand-applied patina and hand-rubbed polish.

Parts Assembled

6 Final Check and Ship: Rocky Mountain Hardware team completes the final check and we ship the hardware to the client or distributor.

7 The end product is a sculptural work of art, the handiwork of many, and one that is expertly crafted to last a lifetime.

HL1: Tell us more about how Rocky Mountain Hardware is made?

Casting products in bronze to be used in today’s modern world is accomplished by combining time-honored traditions with the most sophisticated technology. As a company, we are constantly looking for new and innovative techniques and equipment to ensure the items we produce embody the charm of a solid bronze while meeting the strict standards of today’s building and safety codes. Over the past nearly 25 years our portfolio, which is backed by a lifetime guarantee, has grown from door and cabinet hardware to lighting and plumbing and more for both residential and hospitality projects. And with our extensive custom capabilities, the breadth of product options are truly endless.

What’s

your view on sustainability?

Sustainability is one of the brand’s core values, and something that we thoughtfully implement in everything that we do—from designing our facilities to be LEED Gold certified to finishing each piece with our eco-friendly patina process, and using bronze that contains a minimum of 90% post-consumer recycled content. For us, it’s a way of life. And, I think it has also become the norm for brands, designers, architects, clients, etc. Years ago, it was viewed as a goal and a perk. But, today, people expect things to be sustainable. And, there’s no reason why products and projects shouldn’t be.

Tell us about the artisans who work for you.

Since our founding we have had the honor of joining forces with an impressive lineup of design collaborators—Roger Thomas, Ted Boerner, HOK Product Design, and most recently Kravitz Design, the New York-based firm headed by Lenny Kravitz. We value such quality partnerships as they not only broaden our portfolio and bring Rocky Mountain Hardware in front of new high-caliber clientele, but each collaborative experience has added another dynamic and inspiring layer to the brand and for the team—a celebration of craftsmanship, quality and design—from design concept to delivery. Not to mention, the response from clients has proven beyond positive. In addition to expanding the partnerships that are already in place, we are open to exploring collections with new architecture firms to further touch and strengthen the relationships we currently have in that space, and boost our offering to include even more options for all residential and commercial applications.

How do you come up with new styles and designs?

When my parents started the business they quickly realized the need for unique, premium-quality products that their clients wanted, but that didn’t exist. Clients wanted accessories that offered one-of-a-kind character, that would not only stand the test of time but improve with age, and that were simply beautiful. Bronze, specifically art-grade bronze, provided a medium that allowed our artisans to handcraft such designs without artistic limitations and sacrificing style—it’s one of the most malleable, remarkable and time-honored materials with which to craft.

Today, as in the beginning, we take our cues from both our designer partners and clients as well as our internal team. We look to other industries such as fashion and jewelry design as well as interior design to develop new and exclusive product that set us apart from the competition. Introducing eye catching, unexpected collections like Trousdale, that we designed in collaboration with Kravitz Design allows us to differentiate our offering and highlight our capabilities.

We look forward to continuing our commitment to handcrafting high-quality, custom pieces, and evolving with and exceeding the marketplace demand for different. We’re always shaping something new—be it a new pattern, partnership, project, or vehicle for communicating our values—that not only propels the brand and its colleagues and clients, but the category and design sensibilities, too.

DOWNWINDER

TEXT BY WINSTON WELBORN ILLUSTRATION BY MOLLY REEDER

The captains of Global Ocean Club set a course for ocean adventure with pono values. The premier service provider for yacht owners and discerning guests looks for unique adventures of discovery in the islands.

“There is complete generosity in ho‘okipa: We call it lokomaika‘i, ‘the generosity of good heart.’

— from the book, Managing with Aloha: Bringing Hawaii’s Universal Values to the Art of Business

First discovered by Polynesian settlers who ventured the vast and daunting Pacific in outrigger canoes, the Hawaiian Islands are arguably best explored from the perspective of the seafarer. Our shorelines are punctuated by emerald-hued cliffs and lush, verdant valleys that open to intimate coves. From this vantage, the majestic slopes of volcanoes give way to stark black lava fields and soft green inclines, and finally, to some of the world’s most iconic and stunning beaches—in hues of white, red, sparkling green, and black sand.

With 750 miles of dramatic coastline to explore, Hawai‘i’s archipelago of eight islands and numerous atolls spans some 1,500 miles. Many of Hawai‘i’s shores remain undeveloped and timeless.

A true and passionate waterman, Chad Allenbaugh is a most enthusiastic advocate of experiencing Hawai‘i from the sea. He is the owner of Global Ocean Club (GOC), a modern yacht club that creates bespoke experiences for a global clientele. Comprised of a fleet of performance motor and sailing yachts located around the world, all of them custom-built, GOC operates along some of the most memorable coastal waters of the world; in Hawai‘i, in Northern and Southern Europe, the Galapagos, French Polynesia, and throughout Asia, Mexico, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

A Hawai‘i-based company, GOC began as Hawaii Yachts, a premier service provider for yacht owners and discerning guests looking for unique adventures. In addition to providing fully managed itineraries at sea for their guests, they build air and land experiences, connecting their clients with a collection of curated luxury accommodations, and chartering luxury private jets to deliver guests to desirable latitudes.

Highly celebrated, GOC has received accolades from USA Today, as one of the “above and beyond” ways to ring in the New Year. They’ve hosted programs on the Travel Channel and over their two decades of operation, GOC has received coverage from the Hollywood Reporter, on NBC, on CBS and on the Oprah Winfrey Network. In 2017, one of their custom-built boats won three “Boat of the Year” awards, from Sail Magazine, Cruising World, and Boot Düsseldorf.

Charting Seas

Hawai‘i’s challenging topography ensures that much of its landmass is nearly impossible to develop, thus preserving vast swaths of natural and spectacular beauty to enjoy. There aren’t always roads that lead to the most incredible island locales, due to impassable mountain ranges and cliffsides by land.

The lush Hālawa Valley on Moloka‘i, for example, was first settled as early as 650 A.D. and is considered by Native Hawaiians to be a sacred and cherished place. This naturemade cathedral isn’t home to a single resort or business of any kind. At the right season, when the swells are low, the Nā Pali Coast on Kaua‘i’s north shore is a magical string of perfectly secluded beaches set against a jaw-dropping backdrop of towering cliffs, accessible only by boat. The entire island of Lāna‘i and its beauty are the exclusive domain of the island’s 3,100 residents and the guests at

the island’s singular, exclusive resort. In short, some of the most select destinations in Hawai‘i can be accessed from the beautiful turquoise waters that caress her shores.

Allenbaugh and his team design itineraries for an impressive list of clients, including Hollywood celebrities, Grammy Award winners, royal family members, sports legends, politicians, and even former U.S. Presidents. Two of GOC’s yachts have been designated Presidential by the U.S. Secret Service.

After college, Allenbaugh himself worked for the Air Force as a civilian. His brother served as a Navy pilot and his grandfather was killed at the Battle of the Bulge. His father is a also a veteran. Drafted into the American conflict in Vietnam, he found his way to Hawai‘i. For Allenbaugh, it would have been easy to follow in the military footsteps of his forebears, but when he was offered a scholarship to the Air Force, his father rightly told him, “I think you have a higher calling.”

His father wasn’t wrong. Throughout his career in business, Allenbaugh successfully exited to publicly traded companies no less than three times. His first foray into the NASDAQ was with a travel company called Cheap Tickets. He joined the Honolulu-based company in 2000, but when the company was acquired that same year, they moved him to Manhattan. Turning down quadruple the salary to work in Silicon Valley, he opted for stock options instead. When CheapTickets went public in late 2003 (as part of Orbitz), his bet paid off. What followed were two more public offerings, before Allenbaugh returned to Honolulu, where his parents met more than 50 years ago.

An islander herself, Allenbaugh’s Greek mother met Allenbaugh’s father at a lounge in Waikīkī during the Vietnam War, where his father was enjoying a bit of R&R and his mother was about to depart the islands for her home in Europe. It was in the age of aloha hospitality that their family story began, and this made an imprint on Allenbaugh. He’s based his business operations on the Hawaiian values of aloha, kuleana, and ohana.

All Aboard with Allenbaugh

Allenbaugh’s love for the water and passion for sailing began with a boat called Zoe. In something he lovingly refers to as one of many “Chad-Dad” projects, he and his father refurbished Zoe, sparking his lifelong passion and pursuit. Growing up on a bluff overlooking the rough, shallow surf of Lake Erie, Allenbaugh purchased his own first boat at age 12 with money he’d earned mowing lawns. It was a Sunfish. “As kids, we liked to test the laws of physics on sailboats, in order to learn about strength of materials and just how far could we push it,” Allenbaugh said. Next came a 17-foot Douglass & McLeod Thistle.

Both boats came with Allenbaugh to college, where he raced competitively and graduated with a degree in English and Communications. He proudly recounts beating Navy at Annapolis while wearing foul-weather gear held together with duct-tape. It was at college that he was able to sail around the world for a Semester at Sea, working closely under a Master at Sea.

After graduation, Allenbaugh went on to work in the business world, but always pursued his passion as a sailing instructor. He spent four years in the waters around Maine while he pursued a graduate degree in Integrated Marketing at Northwestern. He did a threeyear stint in Japan working for the CEO of Mitsubishi. There he learned, “In Japan, I learned that words, deeds and actions really matter,” he said. “This Japanese influence is seen in the way that we do business, and in our design and in how we treat our guests. The Japanese are experts at executing a structure.” Japan was an impressionable experience before settling in Hawai‘i, where he had visited for years.

These days, he uses his lifetime of experience reading the ocean and operating every imaginable type of vessel to create unique experiences for GOC’s guests. Itineraries are tailor-made for the client, with services from private chefs, local musicians, spa treatments, and custom menus. The destination and duration are

entirely up to the guests, limited only by seasonality and the tradewinds.

GOC commissions thoughtfully designed equipment to contend with the various weather and wave conditions here in Hawai‘i, and in every port of call from which they operate. Recently, Allenbaugh was most excited about a brand new, carbon-fiber, 60-foot performance Solaris sailing vessel that will round out his Hawai‘i fleet to eight yachts which conveniently operate out of Honolulu’s Kewalo Basin Harbor. The smallest of these is 42-feet from bow to stern, the largest is 138-feet in length. All of them are super luxury.

The Pono Adventure

“While we are always excited to deliver an above and beyond experience to our guests, our motto is always safety first,” Allenbaug says. “We believe that safety and stewardship are our ultimate kuleana, and so we never push boats or passengers harder than they need to go.”

Allenbaugh’s military bent applies to his practice as a yachtman, with an acute focus on training, procedures, and protocols in everything they do. “Plotting the weather window is key, whether you are crossing the entire ocean, or taking an inter-island trip,” Allenbaugh notes. “Here in Hawai‘i, everything relies on the trades and the direction the vessel is moving in relation to them. We’re still able to offer something distinctive and touch all the islands in really unique ways, but protocols are key to pulling that off.”

Like an avid fisherman or surfer, Allenbaugh is inclined to protect his list of the most fabulous destinations in Hawaii, but instead he implores that if you “come aboard, then we’ll share them with you.”

Once on board, guests can enjoy intimate surf, fishing, snorkelling, and diving adventures, away from the press

of tourists. His favorite island destinations are often decided by the weather and the season. Destinations like Waimea Bay and the Nā Pali Coast are best seen in summer, when the swells are relatively calm. He points out that some locales are challenging year-round, particularly on the leeward coasts. “Hāna is impossible if the trades are up,” he says.

The corollary to safety is stewardship. GOC approaches their favorite spots with respect and thoughtfulness, often using local guides to share cultural aspects of areas like Ka‘ena Point on O‘ahu. “We treat each trip as though we are visitors ourselves,” Allenbaugh says, noting that there are maritime preserves like Captain Cook where it’s forbidden to drop anchor.

As part of a menu of on board services, local musicians are frequent fixtures aboard GOC’s vessels. “Music is a big part of what we do. Local musicians provide a cultural aspect, an island vibe, and lots of comfort to both the guests and team. There’s an experience being shaped every day, and local music is definitely part of that,” he says. Musicians Jeff Peterson and John Valentine (Bruno Mars’ uncle) are repeat performers. For guests looking to unwind, and for Allenbaugh, who runs a global business, the sound of slack-key or ‘ukulele makes the stresses of the day simply melt away.

GOC’s captains are highly trained and experienced. They lead the voyage in every way, always mindful of their clients’ needs. Allenbaugh takes what he calls a “good captain” mindset. “Driving a boat is just one aspect of the job,” he says. “The expectation of most guests is to be comfortable, safe and have a great time and then hana hou,” he says. Captains are expected to attend to every aspect of the guest experience, often leading them on dives below the water’s surface. “Attention to detail is one of our values. Joining the guests is one of the most spectacular things we get to do. Often they’re surreal experiences, given our client list.”

The company’s culinary talents include French-born and French-trained chef Philippe Padovani, one of the original 12 founding fathers of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, an esteemed lineup of Hawai‘i’s very best restauranteurs that include Roy Yamaguchi, Alan Wong, Beverly Gannon, and Peter Merriman. Beginning in the mid1980s, Padovani worked as Executive Chef at La Mer at Waikīkī’s celebrated Halekulani, at the Big Island’s Ritz-Carlton, and at The Mānele Bay Hotel on Lāna‘i. He made an indelible contribution to the emerging Hawai‘i culinary movement that showcased the state’s many ethnic flavors, using fresh, local ingredients, which transformed the state into a culinary hotspot.

GOC’s culinary team is led by executive chef Grant McPherson, formerly a trusted staffer of Steve Wynn. He oversees the menu design around the globe and manages GOC’s team of professional chefs. Also working on GOC’s Hawai‘i yachts is chef Salvatore Coppola, of Trieste, Italy, who served as private chef to the Royal Family of Monaco for 25 years.

For those looking for a new private vessel, GOC provides assessment, design and build services for their global clientele, delivering bespoke yachts designed for the coastlines in which the vessel will spend most of its time. Management also offers a comprehensive range of vessel management services including risk management, asset value protection, cost control, and crew management. Their services also extend to hosting privately-owned visiting mega-yachts. In recent years, they helped welcome an iconic Philippe Starck-designed 400-foot mega-yacht on its visit to Hawaiian waters.

Unlike many sought after ports of call, Hawaii enjoys a 365day season for yachting. While the yachting infrastructure isn’t as developed as it may be in other locales, the state is working on better harbors and support systems. Allenbaugh has thrived in a market with few competitors,

in large measure due to his very evident passion for his work. Part instructor, tinkerer, tester, explorer, sailor and businessperson, his enthusiasm and easy laugh are infectious. “I default to happy,” he claims. He remains optimistic about increased investment from the state, recognizing that private entities are already aboard, helping to bring Hawaii’s infrastructure up to speed with the state’s thriving boating industry.

In 2012, signalling a growing market, specialty boating retailer West Marine doubled the size of it’s Honolulu footprint with a new flagship store located near Kewalo Basin, enhancing the company’s 300+ retail locations nationwide. In 2015, Howard Hughes Corporation won a bid to conduct a $20 million revitalization of Honolulu’s Kewalo Harbor area, to keep pace with their enormous real estate investments at Ward Village, along Honolulu’s coastline. Their master plan will connect Kewalo Harbor more seamlessly to Ala Moana Beach Park, and includes renovations to the dock, boat slips and harbor facilities, as well as added services for area residents.

With North American distribution rights multiple European and domestic yacht builders, including Solaris, x, y and z, GOC is well positioned to benefit from industry expansion. Currently, his Hawaii yachts are booked for holidays periods at least six months, and often as far as one year in advance. “In some ways, we are in the customer prevention business,” he laughs. Nonetheless, he’s turned around Christmas Day charters that were requested on Christmas Eve. “We are always looking to deliver the dream. It’s an intimate experience and I always say, ‘The magic is real.’ Our commitment to service is always about alignment with the client’s needs and desires. They’re the best ambassadors of what we do.”

TRAVEL HABITS OF THE AFFLUENT

TEXT BY MEGHAN THIBAULT

IMAGES BY CHRISTIAN COOK AND JOHN HOOK

ILLUSTRATION BY MOLLY REEDER

Hawai‘i’s top-tier accommodations sometimes bring a slightly more demanding, if not downright eccentric visitor.

As an example, one Hawaii Life Vacations guest–who is a huge fan of the Jurassic Park movie franchise–had his personal assistant put forth a rather unique request: to source and display a large Tyrannosaurus Rex model on the lawn of his vacation property during their stay.

Kahea Zietz, the Brokerin-Charge of Hawaii Life Vacations, represents the finest homes in Hawaii. These are often referred to as “alternative accommodations” by Hawaii’s robust tourism and hospitality industry. As a high-end property manager, we asked her to share some of the travel habits of Hawaii’s more affluent traveler, and perhaps debunk some myths...

HL1: Does the term “affluent traveler” describe your clientele? Is it all diamonds and furs and traveling in first-class, sipping champagne and nibbling on Russian caviar?

Kahea: Ha, no. We’re not accommodating your pet tiger—well, most of the time, anyway. That stereotype may have a few grains of truth to it, but I think our definition of affluent might be a bit more nuanced. There’s a lot of variety to who visits and from where, and their tastes vary, but ultimately it comes down to those who are willing to pay a premium for comfort,

privacy and exclusivity. And really we’re only talking about a small number of the total visitors to Hawaii. We represent premium vacation packages.

What’s the “premium”? What’s the difference in price for the top-tier rental vs. the average vacation rental?

Keep in mind there are a lot of vacation rentals here in Hawaii, so we’re really only talking about the best of the best, and there’s not a lot to choose from in that space. The nightly rental for these high-end homes might be anywhere from $2,000/night to $10,000/ night depending on the number of guests, the home’s location and time of year. And then there’s the rest of the vacation that we usually handle as well, so it’s not just the nightly rental, but all kinds tours and services that we take care of for incoming visitors.

How long is a typical booking?

Typically, these guests stay a bit longer in Hawaii than the average visitor—two weeks is not uncommon, but 10 to 11 nights seems to be the norm.

What’s the most sought-after amenity or attribute to these homes?

Proximity to the ocean is probably the most important aspect of a home’s location, but that can also be at odds with privacy, especially if a home is truly beachfront. Privacy is far and away the most sought-after requirement, especially for high-profile guests. It depends on which island, too… different guests want different things.

Is privacy hard to provide?

It all depends on what kind of privacy. It’s not usually a problem with the homes themselves. We can book as private of a house as anyone would want … but once you’re out and about in public, it’s a little harder. For our really high-profile guests, believe it or not, we sort of keep tabs on the local paparazzi. I even have different Google Alerts in place to make sure some of our guests’ haven’t been discovered.

And what do they enjoy doing while they’re here?

For most, it’s anything that doesn’t involve other vacationers! So, private excursions, usually—private boat or helicopter tours, private surf lessons and island tours with knowledgeable locals. Wellness experiences such as in-home massages or yoga sessions are also common.

What about food? Are there certain restaurants that are more popular for this type of guest?

Until you’ve stood in line at a shave ice truck in Hanalei, you haven’t really experienced true Hawaii! We book a lot of restaurants on Oahu, but on the neighbor islands in particular, we don’t make a lot of restaurant reservations for our guests. Instead, we organize locally-based, private chefs to cater to guest in the vacation property. Our guests might eat out once or twice, but more often than not they stay in... and really, I wouldn’t want to leave most of these homes either!

So, it sounds like all of these private activities require a lot of planning. Do you usually work with someone’s assistant or travel agent? Who books the vacations and all the associated activities for affluent travelers?

Most often, it’s the guests themselves, though they will occasionally pass the task on to a personal assistant. It’s actually good for us because we get to know them from the beginning, and since we’re often booking everything in advance, it helps to have that relationship all the way through, instead of working with an agency or a travel agent who’s less involved once the house is booked.

Do ever have to accommodate an entourage, as well? Are guests’ nannies and chef all coming along?

You forgot the personal trainer, the astrologer, and the educator for the kids! No, surprisingly, many of these high net-worth travelers are really just as likely to travel with only their family. Every now and then we deal with a whole plane full of people, but more often than not, it’s just a core crew.

Do you have a favorite house that you personally recommend?

It really all depends on which island they want to visit. For example, the Kauikeolani Estate in Hanalei on the North Shore of Kauai is a pretty incredible way to experience old Hawaii, and an incredible location at the same time. The original home dates back to 1800s, but it’s grown over the years to six bedrooms and six bathrooms.

vacations.hawaiilife.com

THE JOURNEY

TEXT AND IMAGES BY

IJFKE RIDGLEY

Rather than just rushing along the dizzying Road to Hāna, stay the night at the end of the journey, and let this offbeat locale seduce you.

It would be a mistake to think that the journey to Hāna—52 miles of hairpin turns through dense jungle and along sheer cliffs—is more important than the destination. While Hana Highway offers enough roadside attractions and worthwhile detours to turn a two-hour car ride into an eight-hour adventure, it is precisely the difficulty of this journey that makes the final destination so special.

Hāna’s approximately 1,200 residents—both locals whose families have been there for generations and visitors so seduced by the area that they decided to stay—are committed to keeping the area largely unchanged. Locals of Hāna live and work there, rarely leaving more than once a week.

This small footprint makes for a tight-knit community, one whose members must rely on each other and the land. “What makes Hāna so special is the people,” says Ipo Mailou, a staff member of Kahanu Garden. “We genuinely care about the people, the family, the ocean, the ‘āina. It is the commitment that we made to our families, to our kūpuna, that this land is going to stay like this for generations to come.”

For Food

Off one of the 620 curves on the Road to Hāna, located closer to the beginning than to the end, you will find the Rustbucket food truck in a lush clearing. Reggae music may or may not be on blast, and Jesse Nako’oka, owner of the Live One Day Hawaiian Adventures company that shares the same plot, may or may not be on hand to hack open a fresh coconut for you. But there is certainly lunch to be had. Today, Rust Buckets owner Kapono Tumale is serving up a mountain of kālua pork and barbeque chicken

with brown rice, fresh pineapple, and grilled banana. All of the food is made fresh daily and uses locally sourced ingredients, which means that whatever Tumale and his friends hunt, fish, or gather may make an appearance, including rack of goat, beef ribs, prawn curry, or fresh ‘ahi. Rustbucket’s live-from-the-land ethos even extends to its dishware: To minimize waste, Rustbucket’s food comes served on plates made of banana leaves.

The days that Thai Food by Pranee, a food truck in Hāna, are open are limited, and it only serves lunch, but who ever said that getting the good stuff would be easy? On a small road overlooking the Hāna Pier, a red sign points you in the direction of the best Thai food around. Originally a food vendor in Bangkok, Pranee Collins came to Hāna in 1989 and started cooking for private parties in town. Demand for her delicious dishes quickly grew, and she opened her food truck eight years ago. These days, Collins whips up two specials daily, or will make you her other menu items to-order, but come early, as it all tends to sell out quickly. You can’t go wrong with the house specialty: deep fried opakapaka (Hawaiian pink snapper) with green mango salad. A fan favorite, this item is crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, light, tangy, and refreshing. Says one Hāna local juggling five takeout orders of it: “Wait ‘til you taste the lime dressing!”

No trip to Hāna would be complete without a visit to Hasegawa General Store (5165 Hana Hwy.), a true old-fashioned general store open since 1910. Part grocery store, part hardware store, with a smattering of souvenirs and recreational items, Hasegawa’s has been supplying locals and visitors with all that they need for more than 100 years.

For Sightseeing

Just past mile marker 16 on Hāna Highway is a sign for Ke‘anae, where a beautiful rock-walled church built in 1856 sits on a picturesque peninsula. Grab some shave ice or banana bread from Aunty Sandy’s, the only vendor in the area, and take in the dramatic cliffs and high surf of Maui’s north shore.

Hāna is often described as Maui’s “last truly Hawaiian place,” and there is no better spot to experience this truth than Kahanu Garden. Explore this peaceful botanical garden, home to plant species from throughout the Pacific, one of the last native hala tree forests, and Pi’ilanihale, the largest heiau in Polynesia. Don’t be shy to talk to the friendly park staff— they are eager to share their knowledge of Hawaiian culture.

At Wai‘ānapanapa State Park, located at the end of Wai‘ānapanapa Road off Hāna Highway, a small road leads past old rock walls to camping areas in the trees. The coastal trail promises incredible views of lava rocks jutting from the ocean, and leads past sea caves to the black sand beach.

For Adventure

At Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach, a sheltered cove makes for great snorkeling. However, getting here requires a 10-minute hike down an unmarked trail over sketchy, somewhat dangerous, terrain.

It would be a sin to drive this far through the rainforest and never step foot in all its greenery. There are countless waterfalls along the Road to Hāna, both visible and hidden, but some of the best can be found past Hāna. For instance, the pools at ‘Ōhe’o Gulch, also known as the Seven Sacred Pools, are one of the area’s most famous sights, and are located in the Haleakalā National Park, just 20 minutes south of Hāna. A short hike brings you to tiered pools fed by ‘Ōhe’o Gulch—perfect for swimming when the water is low—while a longer hike up the Pīpīwai Trail leads to the 400-foot Waimoku Falls. More adventurous travelers looking for a less crowded area should ask locals for directions to Waioka Pond (also known as Venus Pool), located just past Hāmoa Beach on Hāna Highway. The Kīpahulu entrance to Haleakalā National Park is found at mile marker 41 on Hāna Highway; $15 entrance fee per vehicle.

BEACHES

Hāmoa Beach Haneo‘o Rd.

Wai‘ānapanapa (Black Sand Beach) Mile marker 32, the end of Wai‘ānapanapa Rd.

Hāna Bay Beach Park 150 Keawa Pl.

Kaihalulu Bay (Red Sand Beach) Uakea Rd.

THINGS TO DO

Kahanu Garden and Preserve 650 Ulaino Rd.

Kīpahulu Mile marker 41, on Hāna Hwy.

Hāna Lava Tube 205 Ulaino Rd.

WHERE TO STAY

Travaasa Hana 5031 Hana Hwy.

Ala Kukui, Hāna Retreat 4224 Hana Hwy.

WHERE TO EAT

Rustbucket 5 Hāna Hwy.

Thai Food by Pranee 5050 Uakea Rd.

Hana Ranch Restaurant 5031 Hāna Hwy.

The Preserve

Kitchen + Bar

5031 Hāna Hwy.

Paniolo Lounge

5031 Hāna Hwy.

Barefoot Cafe 1630 Keawa Pl.

HUSTLE AND FLOW

TEXT BY ERIK HINSHAW

IMAGES BY CHRISTIAN COOK, MARK KUSHIMI AND JOHN HOOK

Honolulu’s arts and culture scene is more vibrant here. Here’s how to get around by foot and car in the bustling state capital.

Does a night out in Honolulu bring to mind a sunset cocktail with hula and slack key guitar followed by grilled fish and wine in an oceanfront setting?

I live in Waikīkī and happily that is often how my evenings go, but more and more these days I venture out, grabbing an Uber to one of Honolulu’s diverse neighborhoods for theater or an art event followed by dinner at a locally owned cafe with a passionate chef with emphasis being placed on food quality over quantity.

Downtown Culture

For theater lovers I always suggest Kuma Kahua Theater. This theater company, occupying a historic structure in downtown Honolulu, is dedicated to plays about Hawai‘i and its people by local playwrights. There are also plays for Hawai‘i’s people such as a recent adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in Hawaiian Pidgin. Now that was brilliant.

A night at the theater could begin with a cocktail at Bar Leather Apron near the theater in downtown Honolulu. The bar’s setting feels more Tokyo than Honolulu: a small, intimate, gorgeous bar on the mezzanine level of a financial tower with only six seats (you Tokyophiles know what I’m talking about), spectacular bartenders, and a great collection of whiskey, especially.

Waikīkī Revival

If you are in Waikīkī and would rather just walk than take an Uber, great chefs from Osaka and Tokyo are opening their first American establishments for us to enjoy. One such new offering is Yokocho, a lower level food hall that recreates the type of food “streets” one finds in the underground “cities” that make up Tokyo subways.

Keiji Nakazawa, arguably one of Japan’s leading Sushi Chefs has opened an outpost of his Ginza Sushi bar SHO Sushi here at the Ritz Carlton in Waikīkī. With only 10 seats at the bar and two seating per evening this is another hard reservation to obtain. His focus is of course on fresh and he likes to feature fish from the local waters in addition to fish flown in from Japan. The omakase or chef’s choice dinner features 31 perfect bites.

If your mood is more New American Cuisine then head to Mahina & Sun’s at the Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club, just down from the Ritz, where local boy and tastemaker Ed Kenney’s fourth restaurant offers “elevated home cooking with a Hawaiian sense of place” and utilizes local and organic ingredients.

It has a modern, whimsical interior that opens onto the hotel’s courtyard, dominated by a pool tiled with the words “Wish You Were Here” at the bottom, expertly crafted cocktails, and some of simply the best food offered on the islands makes for a dining destination. It certainly did for the Obamas when they recently visited. The hotel and

restaurant features the work of local designers and artists. There is even a boutique, Olive & Oliver, with its hip take on island fashions for men, women, and the home.

Heart of Honolulu

Chinatown hosts its First Fridays, held the first friday of the month, and from 5 to 9 p.m., where you can walk from gallery to gallery, and from bar to restaurant, imbibing with all senses. Be sure to try one of the fabulous concoctions at Livestock Tavern—you might never have a better cocktail than their own Red Ryder: St George Spirits Terroir Gin, Juniper & Cedar Infused Campari, and Carpano Antica Vermouth.

Another new favorite is Senia in Chinatown. One partner chef is Anthony Rush from London, and the other is Chris Kajioka, who is born and raised here in Hawai‘i. They worked together in Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York before deciding to come to Honolulu. To quote their website: Senia is “a cultural intersection of the chefs and their experiences that always pay homage to Hawaii’s abundance of beautiful ingredients.” Getting a reservation is next to impossible, so I’d say so far they are meeting that goal.

Additionally, if you are in town for the last Friday of the month from January through October be sure to check out the Honolulu Museum of Art’s well-attended and muchanticipated themed event, Art after Dark, from 6 to 9 p.m. Approximately 2,000 show up for this monthly party which includes access to a new exhibition, performances, and food and drink which often play off the artworks.

As great as the food is at this event, somehow I am still hungry, so it’s not unusual to grab an Uber again and head off for a bowl of ramen. Like most big cities, Honolulu is having a love affair with ramen, but unlike the others, Honolulu’s love affair began over a century ago. There is ramen everywhere here and many of the noodles you have been eating in San Francisco and New York City originate in our local ramen factory Sun Ramen. A favorite near the museum (and walkable from it) is Golden Pork Tonkatsu Ramen Bar. They use thin noodles and offer three styles: Golden Pork Classic, Spicy Miso Dragon, and my favorite, Black Garlic Original. It is a small, cozy place with great style and service.

Ward Wonders

To check out some art by day, head over to Honolulu’s newest neighborhood and the burgeoning art and dining scene at Ward Village. Check out the new buildings rising, each by a noted international architect. Pow Wow Hawaii, a collective of Honolulu Street artists have come together to create amazing murals on older buildings and new construction throughout the Village. Surf meets urban, all with a mix of remarkable architecture, local boutiques and cafes.

Great options for lunch or dinner such as a famed Hawai‘i Island chef Richard Merriman’s first O‘ahu restaurant at the base of the new Anaha Tower has opened. Another local gem on the restaurant scene, The Pig and The Lady, located in Chinatown, has opened up a Ward Village bistro Piggy Smalls, and it is amazing. Grandma’s Vietnamese flavours mixed with

urban cool, and the space features my favorite mural, hands-down, in the Ward Village area.

Ward Village also hosted a new arts festival, the Honolulu Biennial. The launch of the Honolulu Biennial in 2017 marked Hawai‘i’s first entry into the international biennial circuit. Honolulu Biennial focuses on art from the Pacific, the Asian continent and the Americas. The Honolulu Biennial has been highlighted by Vanity Fair as a top art event to attend.

If you are able to attend this exciting event then you will want to dine at the crown jewel of the Kaka’ako dining scene, Nobu. Chef Nobu has moved his eponymous restaurant from its Waikīkī location (and added a teppanyaki room, one of only six in all of the Nobu establishments worldwide) to take the top honor spot in the new Ward Village, at the base of Waiea. This is a world-class restaurateur in our midst, and we look forward to many happy hours spent dining here.

HL1 COLLECTION

HL1 Collection: a Subjective Compilation...

Location, architecture, and emotion are core criteria in this curated Collection. Properties are selected based on merit, style, and substance. The final cut is, admittedly, subjective. The HL1 Collection is, by definition, not a comprehensive list of all Hawaii’s high-end properties. It is a curated list by the top brokers in Hawaii. This edition of the Collection introduces two new categories: Conservation and Legacy Lands (CLL) and Bulk Sale properties.

Chances are this magazine was given to you by an HL1 Director, Member or contributor. HL1 is not available for purchase or subscription. We are here to listen to your objectives. To tune in, and practice discretion. Enlist us for local knowledge of current and upcoming listings, off-market properties and market insights.

Brokers with Properties Featured in this Collection (Alphabetical Order)

Amy Frazier RS, Hawaii Life

Andrew D. Reenders RB, CBRE

Anna Severson RS, Hawaii LIfe

Ben Welborn RB, Hawaii Life

Beth Thoma Robinson RB, Hawaii Life

Billy Eckert RS, Hawaii Life

Carrie Nicholson RB, Hawaii Life

Cynthia Nash RB, Hawaii Life

Charles Anderson PB, Hawaii Pacific Brokers

Dave Richardson RB, Hawaii Life

Erik Hinshaw RB, Hawaii Life

Frank Schenk RS, Hawaii Life Mauna Kea LLC

Jim Deville RS, Hawaii Life

Josh Jerman RB, Hawaii Life

Julia Napua Fetzer RB, Hawaii Life

Julianna Garris RB, Hawaii Life

Kimi Correa RB LUVA Real Estate

Lauren Pingree RS, Hawaii Life

Leslie M. Smith RS, Wailea Realty Corp

Linda McCormick RS, Hawaii Life

Mami Takeda RB, Hawaii Life

Mary Anne Fitch RB, Hawaii Life

Matt Beall RB, Hawaii Life

Matthew Bittick RB, CBRE

Nam L. Le Viet RS, Hawaii Life

Neal Norman RB, Hawaii Life

Patricia Choi RB, Hawaii Life

Pete Arnold RS, Hawaii Life

Raymond S.F. Chin MBA, RB, Hawaii Life

Robert Chancer RB, Hawaii Life Mauna Kea LLC

Rocky Canon RA, Hawaii Life

Rod Easterly RB, Hawaii Life

Sean F Ginella RA, Hawaii Life

Sherri Williams RS, Hawaii Life

Stephen Hurwitz RB, Hawaii Life Mauna Kea LLC

Susan Higgins RB, Hawaii Life

Tiffany Spencer RS, Hawaii Life

Tim Stice RB, Hawaii Life

Victoria NV Gutierrez RS, Hawaii Life

Conservation and Legacy Lands

By Beth Thoma Robinson, Director Conservation and Legacy Lands

Mark Twain famously advised, “Buy land, they’re not making any more of it”—a strange observation from someone who visited Hawai’i Island in 1866 and described the crimson glow of a Kilauea eruption. But unlike the eruption that began on May 3, 2018 and eventually created roughly 875 acres of new land in the Puna district, Twain observed a more typically self-contained phase of eruptive activity from the State’s most active volcano.

When Pele takes action, she creates and she also destroys. In three months, new lava flows covered almost 14 square miles and obliterated the largest freshwater lake in the State, warm ponds, and the beloved tide pools at Kapoho Bay. The Hawaiian cultural understanding of Pele accepts this as her nature and her right.

Humans and their actions are equally capable of changing the face of the land and perhaps nowhere is the fragility of ecosystems more readily apparent than in an island environment. This is also in our nature; but rather than a right, we have a responsibility, a kuleana, to protect and enhance the land that feeds our bodies and touches our souls.

In creating an initiative focused on Conservation and Legacy Lands, Hawaii Life recognizes that development and preservation are two sides of the same coin. Past issues of this magazine have highlighted the work of Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, the use of conservation easements to protect agricultural and environmental land values, and the importance of food self-sufficiency in the islands, small scale philanthropic efforts such as the Merwin Conservancy, and the work of the Nature Conservancy in this state, plus the legacy of Laurence S. Rockefeller who began building conservation-minded resorts more than 60 years ago.

Following the lead of the State of Hawaii, “Legacy Lands” is the term we use to describe properties that have exceptional value for agriculture, wildlife habitat, scenic beauty, coastal or forest ecosystems, wetlands and watersheds, or cultural and historical significance, frequently existing together with significant value for residential or commercial development.

Real estate in Hawai’i is a relationship business operating within a relationship culture. The conversations around conservation within the context of development can be intense; they can also lead to the building of a rich fabric of relationships and collaborative efforts towards visionary outcomes that benefit both people and the ‘aina for generations to come.

The most extreme and rare examples of legacy lands are on the scale of Larry Ellison’s acquisition of 98% of Lana‘i Island, which he describes with his flair for hyperbole as an “engineering project” in which he gets to work with the residents of the island to create a “prosperous and sustainable Eden in the Pacific”.

With Legacy Land and development properties in general, the key to success is sensitive engagement with the local community. This is true whether the property is in Hawai’i or elsewhere. Dr. Stephen Covey’s 5th so-called “habit of successful people” might be the best advice: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. A new owner may be thinking of the legacy they wish to leave; but these properties come with their own legacy and the community is a living embodiment of the ancestral heritage represented by Legacy Lands.

In creating an initiative focused on Conservation and Legacy Lands, Hawaii Life recognizes that development and preservation are two sides of the same coin.

The Hawaii Life Conservation and Legacy Lands Initiative

Conservation and Legacy Lands refers to a specialized area of real estate practice, as well as a category of property with environmental and/or cultural conservation values. These are properties that, in many cases, should remain undeveloped. In other cases, their conservation should be ensured through sensitive development. Our Conservation and Legacy Lands initiative is a natural progression of Hawaii Life’s long-standing commitment to conservation. Through our Conservation and Legacy Lands initiative, we serve our clients by identifying and gathering information about suitable properties across the state, educating our brokers and agents, and refining best practices for brokering and marketing properties suitable for conservation through the specialized knowledge and experience of our Director of Conservation and Legacy Lands, Beth Thoma Robinson.

Our primary goal is to generate awareness of the role that conservation plays in Hawaii’s future and to further conservation efforts across Hawaii by leveraging the Hawaii Life network and platform. In addition to listing these properties, we are committed to generating and expanding a pool of committed buyers and donors for conservation properties in Hawaii and to representing them in their conservation efforts.

It comes down to Sense of Place. Whether describing the best architectural expressions of our built environment, innovative land use planning and development, the work of a Hawai’i based artist, or the wild places we treasure and the culture that sustains them, the essence of Hawaii Life One Magazine is a curated experience of a subtle sense of place.

The pop artist Andy Warhol, best known for images of Campbell soup cans and Marilyn Monroe, also painted volcanoes and over 1,000 images of flowers. “I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own,” he wrote.

We agree. The Conservation and Legacy Lands initiative serves our HL1 clientele as a unique resource. Our values and the values of our clients align with the values that give Hawai’i its sense of place. “Having land and not ruining it” is a pretty good definition of the mission, tools, and expertise represented by HLCCL.

$18.88M | 168 Acres Land | Non-MLS Property

This 144-acre North Shore legacy holding is the largest, privately-owned oceanfront parcel on Oahu, with approximately one-third of a mile of shoreline. Zoned agricultural which allows for dwellings and farm-use buildings, preliminary archeological and architectural studies have been completed envisioning single, large parcel applications or small farm usage. The parcel adjoins a national wildlife refuge providing habitat for endangered water birds and has strong coastal conservation values that could be protected via conservation easement in a development scenario. Large capacity well for water, electricity, and some farm infrastructure are in place.

168 ACRES AT KAHUKU, OAHU’S NORTHERNMOST POINT Kahuku, Oahu

FORESTS, WATER ELEMENTS AND ACREAGE AT WAI KOA PLANTATION

Kilauea, North Shore, Kauai

$30M | 528 Acres Land | Non-MLS Property

Wai Koa Plantation is a 528-acre agricultural property located on the North Shore of Kauai, just outside the town of Kilauea. Situated between Common Ground, the Anaina Hou Community Park, and the Kalihiwai Ridge subdivision, this property is comprised of two parcels that feature varying topography and terrain, from gently sloping hardwood forests to flat meadows. The property is home to various water sources and picturesque features, including large fish ponds, flowing streams, and Kauai’s historic stone-dam waterfall. Zoning for this unique property allows for the construction of up to 15 farm dwellings.

$2.9M | 93 Acres Land | MLS 272634

This legacy Hawaii Island property includes Kapanaia Bay, which is still a recreational spot today as it was for generations of Native Hawaiian royalty. Seven parcels were nominated for preservation purchase by the Hawaii County Open Space fund along this stretch of oceanfront dubbed Kula Iwi o Kamehmeha, meaning the homeland of Kamehameha I in North Kohala. Two parcels were privately purchased; one was acquired by the County; this is one of four remaining listings. The 93.1 acres includes a preservation parcel surrounding Kapalama Heiau, with the remaining acreage zoned agricultural. Archeological studies have documented important pre-contact agricultural sites.

KULA IWI O KAMEHAMEHA ON THE NORTH KOHALA COAST

Halawa, Hawaii Island

Kau, Hawaii Island

Price Upon Request | 16,456 Acres Land | Non-MLS Property

Listed by Matthew Bittick RB, CBRE | Andrew D. Reenders RB, CBRE

One of the largest legacy land opportunities in Hawaii, this 16,456-acre holding has approximately six miles of oceanfront in Ka’u district near South Point on the Big Island. Pohoe Bay’s secluded white sand beach is one of the safest swimming spots in the area when the ocean is calm. Offering breathtaking views of the slopes of Mauna Kea to the ocean, the parcel is rich in Hawaiian cultural conservation values with archeologically documented historical sites, and is habitat for protected species such as the critically endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle. The property has mixed zoning of preservation and agricultural, requiring a minimum 20-acre lot size, if subdivided.

POHOE BAY OCEANFRONT NEAR SOUTH POINT

Kahuku, Oahu

$3.8M | 2-3 acres | MLS 201903717

Unit 5 is a 3-acre oceanfront land parcel with private access to more than 200 ft of sandy beach frontage on Oahu’s North Shore. It is located down a private road next to Turtle Bay Resort and accessed through a security gate. Nearby, you’ll find resort amenities, some of the world’s most renowned surf breaks, Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach, as well as boutique shopping and dining in nearby Haleiwa. Just ten minutes from the conveniences of Laie and 45 minutes from Honolulu and the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, this parcel is zoned agricultural. A farm dwelling and agricultural accessory structures are permitted.

MULTIPLE NORTH SHORE OAHU BEACHFRONT PARCELS

OCEANFRONT LAND AT MOKULEIA

Mokuleia, Oahu

$5M | 7-8 acres | MLS 201813065, 201813657, 201813063

Across from the Historic Dillingham Ranch and steps to Mokuleia Polo Fields, these three remaining eight-acre lots present a unique opportunity to own one of the last oceanfront properties of this size on Oahu – with 240+ feet of beach frontage, stunning mountain and ocean views, and a world-class white sand beach, great surfing, fishing, diving and sailing right in your backyard. A nearby airfield is perfect for sky diving, glider rides, or to land your own plane, all less than 45 minutes to Honolulu and 10 minutes to Haleiwa town’s dining, shopping and North Shore surf breaks. Two dwellings allowed on each lot along with AG accessory structures. mokuleia.hawaiilife.com

$1.295M+ | Land Various Sizes | Multiple MLS | Visit Pe‘ahifarms.com

Pe‘ahi Farms is a unique residential development comprised of just 16 custom home sites ranging in size from 2.7 to 25 acres, centered around a 75-acre community farm. Located at Opana Point, on the northernmost tip of Maui’s North Shore, it sits atop a 130-foot bluff with panoramic views of the Pacific, Maui’s upcountry, the slopes of Haleakala, the West Maui Mountains, the island of Molokai, and the rugged coastline along the Road to Hana. Named for the nearby big wave surf break Pe’ahi, known worldwide as Jaws, the property is part of the North Shore surf community, with local farmers’ markets, farm-to-table dining, festivals, boutique shopping and art galleries. Utilities are in place and SMA permits for each lot saves years of planning and approvals. Buy with confidence about when your estate will be ready for occupancy. The CC&R’s do not restrict CPR’s, thereby allowing for additional development and ownership options.

OCEAN BLUFF LANDS AT PE‘AHI FARMS, NORTH SHORE OF MAUI Haiku, Maui

420 ACRE DEVELOPMENT LAND IN LIHUE

Lihue, Kauai

$27M | Vacant Land | 420.24 Acres | MLS 278042

Listed by Charles A. Anderson PB, Hawaii Pacific Brokers, LLC

Situated on the East Coast of the “Garden Isle” and bordering Hanamaulu Bay, with resort development to the North, lies 420 acres of gentle terrain sloping to the ocean with dramatic coastline views. Total oceanfront is 1.25 miles! Centrally located on Kaua’i, this large property is extremely private. Currently zoned State Agricultural/Conservation/Urban, and County Agriculture/Open/Open-ST/R, respectively, this property has significant development potential. The land is ideal for an oceanfront residential estate or gentlemen’s ranch or agricultural enterprise. Enjoy the cool ocean breezes and breath-taking views of surrounding mountain ranges.

KAUPULEHU DRIVE AT HUALALAI RESORT

Hualalai Resort, Hawaii Island

$12.95M | Residential | 0.85 Acres Land | 5,396 SF Living | 5 BR | 5.5 BA | MLS 613291

Located in one of Hualalai Resort’s premier locations with large homesites and panoramic coastline and golf course views. Large custom 5 bedroom, 5 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom with expansive covered lanai for entertaining. Short distance to the Member’s Keolu Golf Clubhouse. This residence was built by Aina Ola Construction, a renown luxury builder and has been maintained immaculately.

MAGNIFICENT NANI PANIAU OCEANFRONT ESTATE IN PUAKO Puako, Hawaii Island

$23.9M | Residential | 7.45 Acres Land | 7,130 SF Living | 7 BR | 9 BA | MLS 623987

Nani Paniau is comprised of 10 legally subdivided, residential lots spanning 7.45 acres of park-like property adjacent to the Mauna Lani Resort. This 7-bedroom, 7-bath residence sits on the largest of these, at 1.79 acres. An expansive, covered lanai creates 10,000 sf of seamless indoor-outdoor living space, highlighted by a media room, wet bar/billiard room, gym and freeform oceanfront swimming pool. One of the last remaining privately owned and fully entitled oceanfront holdings on the island, with all infrastructure in place to accommodate the development of an additional nine homes, Nani Paniau is the ultimate oceanfront estate or development opportunity.

KUKIO 15B2-B

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Island

$10.5M | Residential | 1.22 Acres Land | 5,902 SF Living | 5 BR | 5.5 BA | MLS 629305

This beautiful two-story residence with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths sits on an expanded, lushly landscaped lot of over an acre, with its own private drive overlooking Kukio’s beautiful anchialine ponds and beautiful ocean views. Tucked in the heart of Kukio, this is an ideal location for anyone who wishes to be in close proximity to Kukio’s Golf and Beach Club amenities and white sandy beach at Uluweuweu Bay.

KE KAILANI OCEANFRONT LAND

Ke Kailani, Mauna Lani, Hawaii Island

$4.95M | 1.33 Acres Land | MLS 620199

Ke Kailani Lot 2 spans more than an acre with approx. 136 linear feet of ocean frontage. All lots are graded to pad and ready for development, offering a unique design-build opportunity on the Kohala Coast, and within the highly desirable Mauna Lani Resort. Enjoy a host of on-site amenities, in addition to privileged access to the Mauna Lani Beach Club’s calm, turquoise waters and exceptional resort amenities, including a state-of-the-art health and fitness center, championship golf, tennis, swimming pools, fine dining and boutique shopping. These elevated parcels are the most competitively priced oceanfront and oceanview properties in the area.

HONUALAI ESTATE OCEANFRONT AT PUAKO

Puako Beach, Hawaii Island

$17.499M

Honuala’i Estate is located quiet Puako town and features approximately 450 feet of prime ocean frontage. This residence is one of the only resort zoned properties in the area and great for entertaining guests or coordinating special events. Every detail of this property epitomizes Hawaiian style. This unique property greets you with grand double gates that open to a beautifully manicured landscaped turnabout circle drive. Prime snorkeling is directly out front. Enjoy water features, vaulted ceilings a zen garden and fireplace as you enter the home with a back drop of views across the expansive swimming pool that disappears into the pacific blue ocean. Honuala’i Estate was awarded the Award of Excellence for the American Institute of Architects in 1986 (the highest honor to receive in architectural design in the state, and only one buildings wins it per year).

CONTEMPORARY RESIDENCE AT KE KAILANI, MAUNA LANI RESORT

Mauna Lani Resort, Hawaii Island $4.2M

This contemporary stunner is situated in one of the newest oceanfront residential neighborhoods at Ke Kailani at Mauna Lani Resort on Hawaii Island’s legendary Kohala Coast. Situated on 1.13 acres, this expansive, two-story property enjoys panoramic ocean, Island of Maui, Mauna Kea and Kohala mountain views, and it overlooks the scenic 6th Fairway on the Mauna Lani Golf Course. Exterior features include a bamboo-lined entry courtyard that creates an exotic island vibe on arrival, large pool and spa, outdoor grill area and private outdoor shower gardens off two of the guest bedroom suites. Offered furnished, the interiors are beautifully appointed with luxurious custom detailing throughout.

THREE CONTIGUOUS OCEANFRONT LOTS WITH PLANS AT KAUPULEHU Kaupulehu Community, Hawaii Island

$35M | 3.64 Acres Land | MLS 624507, 624508

This unique real estate opportunity includes three contiguous oceanfront lots framed by rugged lavascapes. Approved architectural building plans by Paul McClean of McClean Design Inc. reflect 18,590 sq. ft. of interior living space and a total of 29,235 sq. ft. of indoor-outdoor living. These plans include a 9-bedroom main residence, garage, two-story accessory structure, site walls, pool and water features. The level, graded-to-pad lot is ready for immediate development and is perfectly sited to capture cooling ocean breezes and lend ocean and sunset views, and unobstructed mountain views to the east. Plentiful oceansports, along with spinner dolphins, whales, Hawaiian green sea turtles, whales and the occasional monk seal sighting are just offshore in this uniquely beautiful location.

MULTIPLE LAND PARCELS AT KOHALA KAI

Kohala Coast, Hawaii Island

From $2.75M to $11.5M | 7 Lots | Vacant Land | 5 Acres to 28 Acres | Multiple MLS Numbers

Listed by Charles A. Anderson PB, Hawaii Pacific Brokers, LLC

Kohala Kai is an exclusive new residential development featuring seven exquisite, large acreage, custom oceanfront home sites. Situated on 63 pristine acres on the spectacular North Kohala Coast, these rarely available oceanfront properties offer a once-ina- life opportunity for investors and for those who value great natural beauty, tranquility and spectacular ocean views.

Extremely private with gated entry, the Kohala Kai community is a secure sanctuary for the perfect family retreat, and is located in close proximity (15 minutes) to the towns of Waimea and Hawi, and the acclaimed beaches, luxury resorts, spas, golf courses, shopping and dining along the Kona-Kohala Coast (aka the “Gold Coast”). Rare opportunity to own a prime oceanfront property with room for an expanded family compound.

Makena, Maui

$6.5M | 121,532 SF Land | MLS 378831

One of the last in the area, this 2.79-acre estate property across from “Big Beach” in Makena presents a rare opportunity to build or develop. The property has preliminary subdivision approval for four half-acre lots and four 3/4” water meters. Current utilities to the site include a 3/4” water meter and underground electricity. Build one luxury estate on the 2.79 acres or subdivide the lot into four half-acre lots. With the building site sitting at approximately 48 feet of elevation, the property enjoys views of Makena’s pristine waters and Haleakala’s rolling pastures. This is one of the last available parcels in the area, and offers a multitude of development options.

BIG BEACH ESTATES

MODERN MAKENA COMPOUND

Makena, Maui

Modern design is a refreshing find on Maui. This private 2-acre Makena estate is designed to complement its natural surroundings. Located on Ahihi Bay, with swimming, snorkeling, and ocean activities at its doorstep, the property’s seven structures span two acres, and include a large kitchen and dining area, a master bedroom suite, two private guest suites, a theater room, gym, office, a guest house, a three-car garage, a 25-meter lap pool, infinity lounge pool, gym, and South Maui’s only private, fully-lit tennis court with viewing trellis and wet-bar. Pathways wind through ginger and abundant fruit trees, over Ipe bridges and lava rock stream beds, and across lush lawns under verdant tree canopies to connect the property’s structures for a seamless indooroutdoor living experience.

This home affords one of the most powerful view locations in all of South Maui. The premier view home site of this gated 7 lot oceanfront compound is nothing short of remarkable. From the landmark Pu’u, rust red cinder cone, rising out of the deep blue ocean to the verdant West Maui Mts. this view is one of Maui’s finest displays of raw beauty. The home is all about capturing the view. A great room with 20 foot ceilings and 12 foot retractable glass doors opens to a large lanai with infinity edge pool providing year round sunsets over the expansive Pacific . The home has been meticulously maintained and provides for one level living with 2 additional ensuites on the lower level. A wine room, elevator and 48 panel photovoltaic system round out this architectural masterpiece. Makena affords some of the very best year round weather and is renowned for its expansive white sand beaches which are within close proximity.

PANORAMIC SOUTH MAUI VIEWS NEAR MAKENA BEACH Makena, Maui

PRIVATE MOUNTAINTOP ESTATE ABOVE CENTRAL MAUI

Central Maui

$12.8M

Nishikawa Architects was influenced by the iconic work of C.W. Dickey in their design of this home, which was the winner of BIA Hawaii’s 2016 Grand Award for design excellence. A gated estate set on a mountaintop for ultimate privacy and security, the home can be reached by a winding private road that brings you to the porte-cochere of the main entrance. The unique setting and landscaping are reminiscent of a hilltop chateau or private island. The home’s vantage point is unmatched by any other on Maui, and offers sweeping views of the central isthmus and the the north and south shorelines. Open spaces allow tradewinds to circulate, and projecting eaves keep rain out without closing windows, while the addition of clerestory windows invite natural light into the home.

OFF THE GRID ART INSPIRED SANCTUARY ESTATE

Haiku, Maui

$4.8M | Residential | 9.64 Acres Land | Ocean House 2,772 SF Living | Sky House 2,160 SF Living | Non-MLS Property

Listed by Billy Jalbert, RB, The Maui Real Estate Team, Inc

At the end of the road lies a new beginning; a sanctuary for the soul; a property that you may have imagined, but never thought possible. From the moment you pass through the gates, you will feel that you have entered a special place. An off the grid estate featuring two artist inspired homes, two pools, an art studio, nature trails, fruit groves, secret spots and more. Secluded properties like this are increasingly rare in Hawaii and throughout the world. The 3 bedroom 3 bath Sky House is perched near the top of the property and features spectacular ocean, valley and Haleakala views. It has its own mosaic tile pool and wonderful indoor and outdoor spaces. The 3 bedroom 3 bath Ocean House is nestled in the valley near the confluence of two streams. The covered first floor lanai may be one of the most soothing places on the planet. With captivating tropical and ocean views fused with the melodious sounds of the streams, birds and the ocean. The mosaic tile pool is perfect for star-gazing or cooling off on a warm Maui day. The white cedar artist’s workshop rests between the two homes. The nearly 10 acres of grounds feature secret trails and an abundance of healthy botanicals, citrus, banana and coconuts. This grid independent property includes a well, multiple photovoltaic systems and a back-up generator. Independence, awe-inspiring beauty, abundance and privacy.

HANA’S GOLD COAST OCEANFRONT ESTATE

Hana, Maui

$6.5M

This private, tranquil oceanfront estate is located minutes from world-famous Hamoa Beach, the Hana Airport and Hana town. The property consists of three parcels for a total of 17 acres with almost a half mile of shoreline and faces the Big Island’s western shore across the Alenuihaha channel. A gracious, private plantation-style home complements the natural beauty, offering 3,600 sq. ft. of indoor living space, and 1,200 sq. ft. of lanai space. Sited high on a bluff, it offers dramatic coastline and ocean views, and in the distance, the “Big Three” — Hualalai and the snow-covered summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. A gently sloping pasture leads to trails to the shoreline and tide pools.

OLOWALU MAKAI PLANTATION HALE & OCEANFRONT LAND

Olowalu Oceanfront, Maui

Makai Plantation Hale | $6.3M | Residential | 4.55 Acres Land | 1,010 SF Living | 1 BR | 2 BA

A legacy property bordering Olowalu Stream with 300 feet of ocean frontage with a plantation-style residence and three-car garage. | Oceanfront Land | $3.995M | 2.21 Acres Land | MLS 372292

Oceanfront land adjacent to the Makai Plantation Hale featuring approximately 200 feet of linear ocean frontage. Building covenants allow for construction of an estate including a main residence, guest cottage and a barn. Olowalu is a very special, agriculturally-zonned community on West Maui’s coastline south of Lahaina. The community is gated and private, with phenomenal ocean views of neighbor islands and sunsets. Enjoy easy access to Lahaina and the Kahului Airport, with snorkeling, kayaking, surfing and whale watching right at your doorstep. These two adjacent Olowalu oceanfront properties are listed separately, or may be purchased together. Acquisition of both properties would create a truly exceptional compound boasting nearly seven lush acres and over 500 feet of pristine ocean frontage bordered by the Olowalu Stream.

UPCOUNTRY ESTATE

Kula, Maui

50 Oluolu Place | Price upon request | Residential | SF Land 1,001,880 | SF Living 7,809 | 7 BR | 12 BA Plus 3 BR/2 BA Living SF 1056 Ohana | Agent Kimi Correa RB LUVA Real Estate | MLS 379914

Nestled amidst the clouds you will find an Estate like no other. Upcountry Maui at its finest. Remodeled in 2016 including adding PV, Smart home technology, High tech Security, Exquisitely landscaped and Furnished. This Estate boasts a Mansion (with a traditional accordion cage elevator), Apartment above the 3-car garage, single level cottage, two story Gate House, 9-car garage building, Pool Pavilion with over sized infinity pool, an Extremely large barn next to the approx 9 acres of Koa Tree forest. Estate being sold with most furnishings. The sale of 50 Oluolu includes two other parcels—A roadway parcel and 80 Kawehi Place together make up the 23 acre privately Gated Compound. This property is nothing short of Magical.

SIXTEEN-ACRE OCEANFRONT OLOWALU MAKAI LOT

Olowalu Oceanfront, Maui

$8.49M | 16.09 Acres Land | MLS 372895

With unmatched ocean and mountain views, this rarely found large 16-acre oceanfront parcel features approximately 1,700 feet of linear ocean frontage and is bordered by the Olowalu Stream. Olowalu is a very special agriculturally-zoned community located on West Maui’s coastline south of Lahaina, less than 10 minutes away from Front Street and less than 30 minutes from the Kahului Airport. The property’s agricultural zoning allows for the construction of a main residence, cottage, barn, and other auxiliary agricultural structures, as well as the opportunity to create an agricultural business. Two adjacent properties are also listed for sale. Acquisition of all three properties could create a legendary estate offering a total of 22-acres and more 2,200 linear feet of ocean frontage.

HEKILI POINT ESTATE IN WEST MAUI

Olowalu Oceanfront, Maui

$9.9M

This peaceful, 1.34-acre oceanfront estate is ideally located just five minutes from Lahaina, but feels worlds away. Designed by award-winning architect Glen Mason, the property’s three plantation-style structures incorporate authentic design features of 1930s, classic Hawaiian architecture; wide verandas, wood floors, spacious rooms with high ceilings, and double-pitched roofs. With a sprawling lawn, a 75-foot pool and spa, tropical gardens and walkways, the property offers stunning ocean, shoreline, and island views of Kahoolawe, Molokini, Lanai and Molokai. Featuring indoor-outdoor gathering spaces, a chef’s kitchen and a guest house beautifully linked to the main home by a trellised walkway, the property includes a third structure that houses a gym, steam room and an additional suite above.

$7.5M

This artfully designed, distinctive home sits directly in line with a local surf spot, with panoramic views of the islands and sunsets. With direct access to a sandy cove that’s ideal for snorkeling, the home also offers nearby surfing, SUP, kayaking, spearfishing, fishing, whale and turtle watching. Designed by architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg and completed in 1982, this tropical beach bungalow has been beautifully maintained, with koa and exotic wood work, a heated oceanfront pool with a waterfall, an open design plan sited to capture breezes and the sound of waves, a unique hexagonal roof design, skylights, a lava-rock fireplace, and an open-air hot tub in the master bathroom. Offered furnished, with Hawaiian quilts and an extensive artwork collection with original pieces by renowned Hawaii artists.

THE TAHITIAN PAVILION ON PAPAUA POINT

Napili, Maui

$6.4M | Condo | 2,400 SF Living | 3 BR | 3.5 BA | MLS 381637

Two oceanfront properties are combined into one single-level home perfect for entertaining and watching the sunsets, all within a desirable, gated community with three pools, a clubhouse and tennis courts. Just five minutes from Lahaina Town, the residence features a spacious living area with vaulted ceilings, a fireplace, and an open kitchen, all ocean-facing. The private lanai and outdoor bar area provide panoramic island views. An oceanfront master bedroom features a fireplace and an adjacent spa tub, a spacious vanity area, and walk-in closet with cedar-lined walls. Impressive koa wood doors and a waterfall wall make for a remarkable entrance.

DOUBLE PUAMANA OCEANFRONT

Lahaina, Maui

MONTAGE RESIDENCES AT KAPALUA BAY 5103

Montage Residences at Kapalua Bay, Maui

$3.65M | Condo | 2,904 SF Living | 3 BR | 3.5 BA | MLS 379957

This private, highly desirable Montage residence is located on the ground level of Building 5, with very close proximity to Kapalua Bay and the Beach Club. Designed in a private, three-bedroom floorplan with den, the home has been enjoyed solely as a primary residence by the home’s original owner. The spacious lanai offers additional outdoor living space in a lush garden setting. Easy garage access to a tandem parking space and owner storage is also included. Ownership includes access to fivestar resort amenities at Montage and Kapalua Resorts, including golf, tennis facilities, fine dining and a resort shuttle.

SECLUDED OCEANFRONT PENINSULA IN KAPALUA

Kapalua Oceanfront, Maui

$9.9M | Residential | 3.45 Acres Land | 4,351 SF Living | 4 BR | 4.5 BA | MLS 381791

One of Maui’s most secluded oceanfront properties known as The Alaelae Peninsula, this estate is just a short distance from the heart of Kapalua Resort. As you enter the property through custom-made gates, Old Hawaii beckons with mature landscaping, striking ocean and Molokai views, and sightings of humpback whales in season. This single-level home offers a spacious master suite and walk-in closet and three additional guest suites. Zoned as conservation and spanning 3.45 acres, it is rare to find an oceanfront property of this size on Maui. The space offers complete privacy and a deep connection to natural world.

ON THE WATER AT KANAHA

Price Upon Request | Residential | .62 Acres Land | 6,500SF Living | 4 BR | 5.5 BA | Non-MLS Property

This rare, oceanfront estate blends timeless architecture and design with a magnificent setting. The all-concrete construction residence is perched just 25 feet from the shoreline. Large pocket doors slide gracefully to open the great room—with its 17-foot vaulted ceilings and star-shaped skylights—to shimmering ocean views. Enjoy views of Lanai and Molokai, magical year-round sunsets, and whales in season. Gracious lanais set the stage for the inviting palapa, perfect for casual outdoor living and dining. Steps away, the heated, mosaic swimming pool and inset spa await. A garden lap pool, fully stocked koi pond, and lush, mature landscaping enhance the setting.

Kahana Oceanfront, Maui

PINEAPPLE HILL CASUAL ELEGANCE

Hill, Kapalua, Maui

$3.495M | Residential | 9,727 SF Land | 4,140 SF Living | 5 BR | 4.5 BA

This casually elegant residence was completely remodeled in 2015 by one of Maui’s best luxury builders and architects, giving it a like-new feel. It offers an inviting and warm ambiance with striking ocean, neighbor island and sunset views. Electronic pocket doors open the great room to a beautiful pool with lounging area. The spacious floor plan of over 4,100 square feet includes five bedrooms, four on the ground level, and a very private master suite on the second level with an adjacent home office. Quality craftsmanship and designer furnishings add to the overall appeal of this lovely Pineapple Hill home that’s perfect for entertaining or quiet enjoyment with family.

Pineapple

Oceanfront, Maui

$16.5M | Residential | 22,216 SF Land | 9,112 SF

This nearly half-acre estate with more than 250 feet of prime ocean frontage in West Maui is ideally located between Kaanapali and Kapalua. Completed in 2009, the home epitomizes Pacific Rim architecture. Sliding walls of glass disapear into rock walls bordering the spacious great room that includes a grand living and dining area, and an open kitchen with enclosed butler’s pantry. A floating mezzanine soars above the great room, Extensive enhancements were completed in 2015, including a completely redesigned master suite, a new roof with photovoltaic system, a new air-conditioning system, and a hydraulic elevator. This home is offered furnished.

KAHANA OCEANFRONT CONTEMPORARY HOME

Kahana

MAHINAHINA OCEANFRONT PLANTATION-STYLE HOME

Mahinahina Oceanfront, Maui

$11.5M | Residential | 41,382 SF Land | 5,418 SF Living | 6 BR | 6.5 BA | MLS 376954

This classic, plantation-style residence sets a new standard for island elegance and sophistication. Set on almost an acre of beautifully landscaped grounds with ocean and sandy beach access, this property is ideal for entertaining. The shoreline setting provides amazing views of the ocean, the islands of Lanai and Molokai, year-round sunsets and whale watching in season. A meticulous 2017 renovation included a remodel of the master suite, the addition of a new master suite with outdoor shower on the ground level, a new cedar shake roof with copper, tiger wood floors, Ann Sachs glass tile, Walker Zanger stone, and all-new kitchen and bathrooms.

$10.88M | Residential | 3,296 SF Land | 10,960 SF Living | 3 BR | 3 BA | MLS 383812

Perfectly nestled on a pristine and private portion of West Maui’s Kahana coastline (known as Keoni Nui Bay), this oceanfront estate offers dramatic southwest sunset, ocean and coastline views. Graciously spread across 3,296 living square feet on a 10,960 square foot parcel, the property is a perfect example of the best of island living: an intimate atmosphere with stunning ocean views and impeccable architectural design. Turtles on the shoreline, endless sunset views and a private oasis awaits you from this estate. The Hale Malia Association is a private, six-home, coastal community. The gated community offers a community pool. Your Time Is Now.

OCEANFRONT PRIVACY KEONI NUI BAY

Napili, Maui

CONTEMPORARY HOME AT HONOLUA RIDGE ABOVE KAPALUA

Plantation Estates at Kapalua, Maui

$10.5M | Residential | 92,347 SF Land | 7,286 SF Living | 4 BR | 4 BA | MLS 380142

Listed by Leslie M. Smith RS, Wailea Realty Corp.

Enjoy ocean, resort and sunset views from this elevated, single-level estate within a gated community, with sight lines to Honolua Ridge, the Kapalua Ritz Carlton resort community and the islands of Molokai and Lanai. Built in 2017, this sizeable home features a theater, a wine cellar, gym, home office, infrared sauna, three-vehicle garage and a game room, complete with a pool table & fireplace. A great room with retractable 14 ft. sliding doors and 20 ft. ceilings spills onto the lanai, with its 42-foot salt water, infinity-edge pool and spa. Thoughtfully chosen design features and appliances integrate seamlessly, including River Blue polished quartzite and Terra Azul leathered granite, stone work and Sapele kitchen cabinetry. Fully equipped with state-of-theart home automation and security systems

KAANAPALI’S LAST BEACHFRONT LOT

Kaanapali Beach, Maui

$11.5M | 38,246 SF Land | MLS 378255

Approximately one-care site to build your ultimate beachfront residence in this area. This is the only available lang remaining on Kaanapali Beach. 30 Kai Ala Place is one of only six individual gated lots that are located within Kaanapali Resort, and features more than 100 linear feet of beach frontage. Transient vacation rentals (TVRs) are allowed on this hotelzoned property.

LARGEST AND MOST PRIVATE LAND AT KAANAPALI COFFEE FARMS

Kaanapali Coffee Farms, Maui

$1.15M | 7.855 Acres Land | MLS 381435

Wake up to panoramic views of the Pacific, the neighboring islands Lanai and Molokai, the West Maui mountains and acres of coffee fields. Kaanapali Coffee Farms is a gated community in the midst of a working coffee farm. This is the largest, most private site in the development, and allows for a main home, a guest cottage and a barn structure.

NAPILI OCEANFRONT ESTATE

Napili, Maui

$7.95M | Residential | 10,110 SF Land | 3,742 SF Living | 3 BR | 3.5 BA | MLS 377918

Papaua Place is an oceanfront property located between Kaanapali and Kapalua Resorts. This impeccable estate was completely upgraded in 2014 with high-quality, modern finishes throughout. Private and gated, the home’s open floorplan and proximity to the ocean make it ideal for entertaining or relaxing with family and guests. With a classic Hawaiian style and beautiful setting, this gracious residence is designed for year-round enjoyment. A rock staircase leads down to the cove for great snorkeling, surfing, turtle and whale watching in season. The home features breathtaking ocean and Honokeana Cove views and mature landscaping.

MOLOKAI OCEANVIEW ESTATE

Papohaku Ranchlands, Molokai

$2.35M

Located on just over four lush acres, this turnkey, furnished residence offers privacy, high-end finishes, and ocean views from its high vantage point on the west end of Molokai. Wake up to the sunrise over the eastern mountains of Molokai and watch the sunset over Diamond Head as the lights of Waikiki come alive on nearby Oahu. Rebuilt in 2008, the main house encompasses a kitchen, dining room, living area and library/TV area, as well as five bedrooms and 5.5 baths. Relax around a tranquil pool and entertainment area. A 2-bedroom guest house complete with kithcen, dining area, covered lanai, and its own private laundry/ utility room overlooks a citrus orchard and rock garden on the property. A solar panel system on net metering substantially reduces power costs with Maui Electric Co.

Enjoy unobstructed, 180-degree ocean views perched above the 18th fairway from this elegantly appointed condo at Manele Palms, a 16-unit development on the the island of Lana’i. This bright, airy condo has bamboo wood floors throughout and new carpet in the second-level master suite with sitting room, two walk-in closets, and a master bath with separate tub/ shower and sink/vanity areas. Enjoy high-end appliances, gas stove, granite counters, and pocket doors that open to a built-in barbecue on the oceanside lanai with spa/splash pool. Lush vegetation throughout the property is maintained by the AOA. The unit features a private driveway and two-car garage. Residents can take advantage of the Four Seasons Resort golf and resort privileges with membership.

BIG OCEAN VIEWS AT MANELE PALMS ON THE ISLAND OF LANAI Manele, Lanai

$2.8M

SULLIVAN ESTATE: PRIME NORTH SHORE WELLNESS & GATHERING COMPOUND

Haleiwa, Oahu

$19.8M | Residential Estate | 5.27 Acres Land | Numerous Living and Spa Structures 6 BR | 4.5 BA | Non-MLS Property

Set on five acres at Pupukea, overlooking the famed surf breaks and beaches of Oahu’s North Shore coastline as it stretches some 15 miles to Kaena Point, this property is currently the personal residence, spa retreat, and skin care lab of Dr. Jurgen Klein, founder of the Jurlique and JK7 lines of high-end, organic skincare products. Built in 1962 and renovated in 2010, the property features multiple structures centered around a 6-bedroom main residence, and set in a sprawling, spa retreat with beautiful, park-like tropical landscaping. Just 45 minutes from Honolulu and the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, this spectacular estate offers a bird’s eye view of migrating whales, world-famous surf spots, and Waimea Bay—all set high on a bluff in a gated, private setting that’s ideal for extended family and entertaining.

LOT ON OAHU’S NORTH SHORE

Haleiwa, Oahu

$7.9M | .72 Acres Land | MLS 201822596

One of the last remaining vacant oceanfront lots on Oahu’s stunning North Shore, this Rocky Point property is nestled between Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach, on what is known as surfing’s 7-mile Miracle. Powerful surf in the winter and beautifully tranquil seas in the summer, the 103 feet of sandy beachfront offers an array of year-round watersports right at your doorstep. Direct access to a 5-mile biking path connects residents to a host of nearby activities, farmers’ markets and fruit stands. Nearby Turtle Bay Resort offers world-class golf, dining and an award-winning spa, while the vibrant city life of Waikiki and Honolulu are just 50 minutes away.

ROCKY POINT BEACHFRONT

Stanhope Farms is a rare & breathtaking gated estate on 103 acres, surrounded by the seclusion & privacy of hills & mountains with Mt Ka’ala as your backdrop. A beautiful country residence & 3-car garage with connecting work shop - all perfectly sited on a grassy knoll to capture stunning views far below of ocean, agricultural lands & haleiwa community lights. A perfect blend of country & coastal living - minutes to world famous beaches, surfing, kayaking, fishing, and historical haleiwa town. Only 45 minutes to hnl int airport. “Stanhope Farms” is a peaceful legacy cattle ranch with a small herd of approx. 50 Grass fed cattle & colorful wild peacocks roaming the acreage. An ideal country lifestyle surrounded by nature. Includes a variety of fruit trees; avocado, mango, lychee, & bananas.

103 ACRES OF PRIVACY AND VIEWS ABOVE THE NORTH SHORE Waialua, Oahu

BEACHFRONT RESIDENCE ON KAILUA BEACH Kailua, Oahu

$5.895M | Residential

Beachfront residence with true Hawaii charm located on world-famous Kailua Beach, voted 2019 Best Beach in America by “Dr. Beach”! Steps to turquoise waters ideal for wind/kite surfing, kayaking, swimming, and relaxing sunset/sunrise walks along the gorgeous white sand beach. Prime 26,916 sf parcel with 75 linear feet of beach frontage includes a 4 bedroom, 3 bath home and a detached 1 bedroom, 1 bath beach cottage perfect for guests or family. Main home is set back from the ocean with a sandy knoll providing beachside privacy. The expansive lawn offers room for a pool. Both homes are licensed for short-term vacation rental use. Wonderful opportunity to remodel or build your dream beach estate.

LARGEST BEACHFRONT PROPERTY ON KAHALA AVENUE

Kahala, Oahu

$23M | Residential | 76,046 SF Land | 4,947 SF Living | 6 BR | 6 BA | MLS 201915741

First Time on the Market in 30+ Years! Comprised of 3 parcels with 118 linear feet of sandy beach frontage. One-Level Hawaiian Modern residence, possibly among the last designed by Hawaii’s most acclaimed architect, Vladimir Ossipoff. Curved driveway nestled amidst lush landscaping graciously welcomes you into this tropical retreat. Organic design in harmony with nature provides an effortless transition from indoors to out and efficient use of natural light and ventilation. Living room frames the picture-perfect ocean view and opens to lanais on both sides – step out to the oceanfront yard or out to the pool. Features a 5-bedroom, 5-bath Main House, plus a 1-bedroom, 1-bath Cottage. Close to Kahala Mall, Kahala Resort, Diamond Head and Waikiki.

DIAMOND HEAD BEACHFRONT ISLAND RETREAT

Diamond Head, Oahu

$15.8M | Residential | 15,044 SF Land | 3,108 SF Living | 3 BR | 4.5 BA | MLS 201825671

This beachfront Diamond Head retreat features more than 85 linear feet of gorgeous sandy beach. A beautiful home thoughtfully rebuilt in 2004 had maintained the spirit and charm of a classic Hawaii home with traditional batten board siding, hardwood flooring, crown moldings and walls of pocketing glass doors to enjoy gorgeous ocean and garden views from the living and dining areas. A generous second floor master suite boasts vaulted ceilings, an ocean-facing covered lanai, and walk-in closet with numerous built-ins. The entry to the property is impressively walled for privacy and the interior showcases exceptional attention and design details throughout.

NEW DIAMOND HEAD OCEANVIEW CUSTOM HOME

Diamond Head, Oahu

$6.9M | Residential | 10,003 SF Land | 4,575 SF Living | 4 BR | 5 FBA | 2 HBA | MLS 201830672

Permit is ready for a brand new Diamond Head custom home to be built by one of Honolulu’s leading custom builders, Pyramid Premier Properties. Perched above the highly desirable Kahala neighborhood, this modern 4-bedroom home spanning approximately 7,000 sq. ft. of contemporary indoor living space on the east-facing slope of Diamond Head will feature two master suites, five full baths, two half-baths, and an elevator. Enjoy beautiful ocean views, an infinity spa and large pool. Estimated completion: 2020. Pre-construction price is listed here.

MODERN BEACHFRONT DIAMOND HEAD HOME

Diamond Head, Oahu

$12.995M | Residential | 5,885 SF Land | 3,996 SF Living | 4 BR | 4.5 BA | MLS

This prime oceanfront location offers approximately 122 linear feet of sandy beach frontage on the tranquil side of Diamond Head crater, yet conveniently located close to Waikiki. Enjoy stunning ocean views from virtually every room of this extraordinary modern residence with unique steel and concrete construction, custom details and quality materials throughout. Walls of glass maximize the sweeping panoramic ocean, sunrise and sunset views. The home’s unique position also captures views of the Diamond Head Lighthouse. Extensively remodeled in 2016, this former home of famed fashion designer Geoffrey Beene features an elevator, Smart Home technology, a sound system, an oceanside jacuzzi, photovoltaic system, and a generous multi-car garage.

$12M | 35,896 SF Land | MLS 201813468

Kahala Avenue oceanfront estate lot features an expansive 126 linear feet of ocean frontage on one of this premier neighborhood’s finest stretches of sand. Oceanfront estate lined, mile-and-a-half-long Kahala Avenue is one of the World’s most prestigious residential neighborhoods with a mix of historic homes and contemporary residences. Kahala residents enjoy all the conveniences of the nearby Kahala Mall, with its many shops, departments stores and eateries, as well as multiple fine dining restaurants, a deluxe spa and and resort amenities at the Kahala Hotel & Resort.

KAHALA BEACHFRONT ESTATE LOT Kahala, Oahu

OCEANFRONT HOME NEAR DORIS DUKE’S SHANGRI LA ESTATE Diamond Head, Oahu

$23M | Residential | 8,414 SF Land | 4,829 SF Living | 4 BR | 4.5 BA | MLS 201908386

Elegant, multilevel, and contemporary this oceanfront home near Doris Duke’s Shangri La Estate features a gracious interior that opens onto terraces with some of Honolulu’s finest views. An azure cove, coconut-lined white sand beaches, the surf, sunsets and Diamond Head are all at its doorstep. A statement making, yet intimate house with a stunning interior, this private estate is ideal for entertaining. Featured in Forbes Magazine and Architectural Digest, the home includes private, deeded beach access to one of Diamond Head’s finest white sand beaches. Located at the end of a private street and close to the shopping and restaurants of Kahala and Waikiki.

Honolulu, Oahu

$4.35M | Condo | 1,712 SF Living | 3 BR | 3 BA | MLS 201911810

Luxurious and elegant high floor pied-a-terre in the exclusive Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach. This property is hotel-run, allowing for managed short-term rental with minimal hassle. Enjoy panoramic Ocean, Fort DeRussy Park and Mountain views by day and beautiful city lights at night from floor-to-ceiling picture windows or from the privacy of your two lanais. This preferred corner-end unit comes fully furnished and ready for immediate occupancy. Enjoy world-class amenities such as valet and concierge service, housekeeping, infinity pool, fitness room, spa, and great dining options from The Market, Dean and Deluca and Sushi Sho all located on property.

HIGH-FLOOR CORNER UNIT AT THE RITZ-CARLTON RESIDENCES WAIKIKI

One of the finest offerings on Kauai, and named House of the Year in 2019 by the Wall Street Journal, this spectacular Kukui’ula estate home offers commanding views of the ocean and surrounding mountains from most every vantage point. Warm woods, soaring ceilings, luxurious stone floors, solid Sapele cabinets in a gourmet kitchen are just a few of the high quality features that pull you into the seamless indoor/outdoor living experience. Designed by world-renowned architect Bing Hu, whose work focuses on creating harmony with a property’s natural and cultural surroundings, the home features custom lava rock walls and over 7800 sq. ft. of living space that encompass a private guesthouse, an infinity-edge pool, cold plunge, yoga pavilion, outdoors showers, and beautiful tropical gardens.

WALL STREET JOURNAL’S HOUSE OF THE YEAR Poipu, Kauai

TOP OF KUKUI’ULA OCEANVIEW

$11.5M | Residential | 36,416

Set at the top of Kauai’s exclusive Kukui’ula community, this exquisite custom home boasts vast and commanding ocean views. Superior craftsmanship and attention to detail are evident at every turn. Dual master suites occupy opposite sides of the main home, with a large indoor/outdoor lanai placed thoughtfully at the center, offering a relaxed space from which to enjoy the vanishing edge pool and spa. The chef’s kitchen is a design masterpiece that includes honed marble counters, custom cabinetry, a butler’s pantry, farmhouse sinks, and the highest-quality appliances. A one bedroom guest home is accessed from the private courtyard, which serves as a welcoming entrance to this unique estate.

Poipu, Kauai

OCEANFRONT POIPU HOME

Poipu, Kauai

$5.95M | Residential | .47 Acres Land | 2,164 SF Living | 3 BR | 3.5 BA | MLS 620505

This turnkey, highly successful oceanfront vacation rental with a pool in Kauai’s resort community of Poipu includes professionally landscaped grounds that extend to a sandy beach and tide pools teeming with sea life. The home’s elevation offers unobstructed ocean, coastline and distant mountain views from every room. Entertain friends and family on the spacious, oceanfront lanai or spread out on the nearly half-acre lot, while enjoying the oceanfront pool and outdoor kitchen. The home includes three private, en suite bedrooms, two single-car garages, a finished workshop area, ample storage, and is offered beautifully furnished.

PRISTINE

$2.8M | Residential | 3.68 Acres Land | 2,296 SF

Perfectly perched above the Pacific, this 4-bedroom, 3-bath home offers stunning ocean and mountains views. Upon entry through the private gate to the 3.68-acre estate, the driveway climbs past an exotic fruit orchard to the spacious, secluded hilltop home. With 3,000 sq. ft. of living space, the home was designed and sited to maximize the panoramic views of Kalihiwai Bay, the Kilauea Point Lighthouse, and the Namahana mountain range from every room in the home. This property, rich in history, extends down into the makai or ocean-facing valley and has been meticulously landscaped with native Hawaiian flora and fauna and a walking path that reaches the shoreline.

WANINI BLUFF ESTATE Wanini, Kauai

ANINI BEACH OCEANFRONT

Anini Beach, North Shore, Kauai

Price Upon Request

Sophisticated, contemporary oceanfront home just steps from the sand at Anini Beach, on Kauai’s North Shore. An elegant, open concept design with 9-foot high glass pocket doors creates seamles indoor-outdoor living with expansive ocean views and refreshing breezes. Paddle out to the nearby surf break or stroll down to the turqoise, tranquil waters of Anini Lagoon. Ample natural lighting, private lanais off each bedroom, high ceilings, a gourmet kitchen, and a half-acre of lush tropical landscaping make this home perfect for entertaining and family gatherings. This property is a successful, licensed vaction rental (TVR).

Enjoy 240 linear feet of beachfront and 180-degree ocean views of the azure waters of Anini Beach, encompassing breaking surf and a distant glimpse of the idyllic little island named Moku’ae’ae. Aptly named after the quiet waters of the Anini lagoon, Wailana Malie is a timeless Polynesian estate designed by Anderson Collier Architects and constructed by Kauai’s premier builder, R.S. Weir. This property is characterized by incredible design features and custom woodwork throughout, it offers ample privacy, security, a separate guesthouse, an artist studio, and one of the most beautiful island settings imaginable, just steps to the sandy beach.

ONE-ACRE BEACHFRONT AT ANINI BEACH North Shore, Kauai

POINT – WINNER OF HGTV’S ULTIMATE HOUSE HUNT 2019

Anini Vista, North Shore, Kauai

$8.9M

Named for the humpback whales which frequent the islands from December to April, this spacious ocean bluff home overlooks Anini Beach on Kauai’s North Shore. A contemporary, open floor plan with a seamless transition between the indoor and outdoor living areas, incredible ocean and coastal views, elegant design features and quality craftsmanship throughout make it the perfect haven. Gated, private and secure, the home features gleaming hardwood floors, an expansive great room, a gourmet kitchen, an infinity-edge pool, and an outdoor kitchen / bar area that is perfect for entertaining. It’s also a successful, licensed vacation rental (TVR). It is no surprise that this property won the top honors in HGTV’s Ultimate House Hunt for 2019!

KOHOLA

KAPAKA RIM LOT WITH UNOBSTRUCTED HANALEI VIEWS Princeville, Kauai

$6.2M | Land | 5.56 Acres | MLS 629925

This extraordinary offering provides the opportunity to design your ideal home and guest house on a 5.56-acre Kapaka rim lot. Enjoy unobstructed views of world-famous Hanalei Bay and Mount Makana (“Bali Hai”) sunsets. The unparalleled panoramic vistas provide an ever-changing landscape sweeping from the Hanalei mountain range and valley, to the taro fields below. This rare opportunity on the Kapaka pali captures expansive wilderness views while only being 3-miles from the vibrancy of Hanalei Town and Hanalei Bay’s world-class surfing. This small development includes a native hardwood tree farm and a conservation setback from the top of the pali to preserve the natural ridgeline beauty. The entire mountain range including Hihimanu, Namolokama, and Mamalahoa is a state-owned reserve, ensuring protected views.

THE POINT AT ANINI VISTA

$33M | Residential | 6.87 Acres Land | 10,320 SF Living | 6 BR | 5 BA | 3 HBA | MLS 628527

The Point at Anini Vista offers a rare combination of elegant contemporary design with Hawaiian sensibility and indoor-outdoor living. Situated on a magnificent bluff, high above the beaches and lagoons of Anini on Kauai’s North Shore, this location offers sweeping views in almost every direction. Watch the sun rise over Kilauea Lighthouse and Secret Beach, view the world class waves and sands of Kalihiwai Bay and catch the sun setting over Anini reef and the famed Bali Hai.

Kilauea, Kauai

FRONT ROW HOME ON HANALEI BAY

Hanalei, Kauai

$8.25M

Living on the beach is all about access. Access to water, sun, waves, and a shady covered lanai to share meals with family and friends at the end of the day.  This island style beach home is located on the front row of Kauai’s premier white sand beach, Hanalei Bay. Wake up, grab a board and stroll across your expansive backyard lawn till your feet hit the sand. After a surf, swim or paddle, hop on a beach cruiser and pedal into Hanalei town for a delicious meal or just for the fun of checking out the shops.  This three bedroom, three bath home includes a workshop and has an open floor plan perfect for sharing with friends and family. This property is a rare find on Kauai as it is a permitted vacation rental that enjoys strong income and will earn for you while you are away.

SECLUDED NORTH SHORE BEACH WITH WATERFALLS

Kilauea, Kauai

$19M | Residential | 21.88 Acres Land | 4,458 SF Living | 4 BR | 4 BA | MLS 617045

This 21-acre estate is an incredible real estate opportunity on the North Shore of Kauai that includes a 4BR / 4BA home and 2,238 linear feet of oceanfront land bordering a secluded, sandy beach accessible by vehicle or a short walk across the property’s lush gardens of native flora and multiple waterfalls. The home sits atop a ridge, positioned to take full advantage of the property’s spectacular ocean views from its large lanais that feature a beautiful pool and hot tub. Situated between Na Aina Kai Botanical Garden to the west and the surrounding 21+ acres of land to the east, the home offers incredible privacy.

$4.5M | 2.09 Acres Land | MLS 625515

An ideal location for building your custom home, this rare 2-acre parcel in one of Hawaii’s most sought-after neighborhoods offers stunning panoramic coastline, ocean and mountain views of Kauai’s North Shore. Perched above Secret Beach, this gently sloping, private and gated home site is walking distance from Kilauea town’s amenities, including the forthcoming Lighthouse Village. Enjoy nearby world-class golf, the charming Hanalei, and plenty of nature with botanical parks, wildlife and forest reserves, North Shore surfing, hiking and watersports. House plans are completed and available from one of Hawaii’s most sought-after designers.

BLUFF PROPERTY WITH COASTAL VIEWS OF KAUAI’S NORTH SHORE

Kilauea, Kauai

Kō‘ula, Ward Village, Honolulu

Architecture practiced at the highest level is about building relationships. Walls can form the periphery of a space that encourages people to interact. A home can at once be private and still allow for neighbors and the formation of a community that feels very close knit and connected. On an individual level, the manner in which interior and exterior space flow together instills a sense of belonging.

At Kō‘ula, the newest residential offering at Ward Village, that sense of connection is at the center of the building’s design. Within the building there are purposeful spaces in which friends and family can gather together. Eight stories above Victoria Ward Park, Kō‘ula’s amenity deck is equipped

with kitchens and dining areas, lounges that open onto the pool deck, shaded cabanas—places that invite sharing stories and laughter. From the pool, the view down to the 1.5-acre park suggests another important relationship, one with the natural world. Pedestrian pathways meander through gardens, and spaces where the community can gather to do yoga, connecting points where casual encounters will lead to conversations and newfound friendships will form.

Feeling connected is an integral part of what it means to feel at home. At Kō‘ula, connections are fostered in a verdant gathering place where residents and visitors will come together, steps from the sea.

Learn more about Koula at seekoula.com.

JEANNE GANG, PRINCIPAL OF STUDIO GANG