A house in the grass, where golden-green tufts spring from the crumbled beds of black lava rock.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-0501-weblandscape-1600x1200.jpg)
Nestled comfortably in the towering grasses, the home fully embraces the quiet beauty of the landscape, suggesting the illusion of isolation amongst the lacy leaves of the Kiawe trees.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-0168-webvertical2-1200x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-0168-webvertical2-1200x1600.jpg)
A boardwalk floats respectfully above ground, marking the pathway from the mountains above to blue waters beyond. Clustered loosely around a lush, grassy courtyard, the hale form a small village that offers protection from the blowing trade winds.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-d0315-weblandscape-1600x1067.jpg)
Rooftop valleys and hillside peaks create stunning moments of convergence, while gables and eaves greet each other with bends and bows. Copper-cladding, with its standing seams, appears pragmatic and uniform, yet exudes a subtle organic quality, reminiscent of the texture of a towering coconut palm.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-0565-webvertical2-1200x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-0247-weblandscape-1600x1200.jpg)
“We designed the house to engage with the elements—it’s a place you can go barefoot, rain or shine.”
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-0802-webvertical2-1200x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-c5335-webvertical2-1067x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-c5335-webvertical2-1067x1600.jpg)
“It’s a celebration of the refined, the organic, and the beauty of juxtaposition.”
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-1062-weblandscape-1600x1200.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-crop-1200x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-0747-webvertical2-1200x1600.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-0747-webvertical2-1200x1600.jpg)
Movable wooden doors welcome the landscape inside when fully open, allowing fresh air to slip through openings between the horizontal planks when closed. And at night, the same perforations emit a soft glow, turning the buildings into lanterns in the landscape.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-0064-weblandscape-1600x1200.jpg)
Process & Details
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/kua-bay-process-64.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-16.jpg)
House in the Grass
Translated to “House in the Grass,” the vacation home is set against a volcanic backdrop of black lava rock, golden grasses, and Kiawe trees.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-7.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-28.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-2.jpg)
Roof Over Head
The home’s most distinct feature is its shallow-pitched, copper standing seam roofs, which extend well beyond each structure to shelter perimeter walkways from the sun and rain.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-13.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-26.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-15.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-24.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-0888a-weblandscape-1600x1200.jpg)
Mind the Gap
Even when exterior doors are closed, horizontal gaps in the gray-stained cypress facades allow for natural ventilation, while exaggerating the lines of the architecture. At night, light from inside glows softly through the slatted walls.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-3.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-35.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-14.jpg)
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![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-34.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-32.jpg)
Materials Palette
Materials include board-formed and polished concrete, exposed steel, and cypress, which combine to create a clean but rich palette that lets the landscape and views take center stage.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-4.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-22.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-20.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-27.jpg)
A Place to Gather
A raised boardwalk runs through a grassy courtyard surrounded by loosely clustered hale, forming a village and central gathering space that connects to a pool and spa at the edge of the property.
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ww-mauu-d0528-weblandscape-1600x1067.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-5.jpg)
![](https://walkerwarner.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mauu-process-30.jpg)