“As architect Greg Warner embarked on a project in his native Hawaii, a field trip was in order. He brought his client, a resident of the Pacific Northwest who had purchased a vacation property on the Big Island, to the nearby campus of his alma mater, Hawaii Preparatory Academy, which is populated with buildings designed by renowned modernist architect Vladimir Ossipoff. Of particular interest was Davies Chapel. The 1967 structure, comprised of simple materials, demonstrates a sensitivity to its surroundings and climate. ‘I took the client’s reactions to heart—what resonated with him—and that informed some of the choices we made for his home,’ recalls Warner, principal of San Francisco-based Walker Warner Architects.
The project culminated in four buildings that make ample use of cedar, steel, glass and concrete. ‘I wanted the material palette to feel better as it aged, ‘says Warner. Behind two oceanside hales—the client’s primary lodging and a main house intended for gatherings—are the guest accommodations, one of which contains a rec room. The topography creates ‘a theatre-like setting,’ he continues, “where you have a transitional rise from the back of the property that descends toward the ocean.’”
