AIA Maui 2001-2011 Recognition Award

After more than a decade, the AIA Maui reinstated its annual recognition of Maui architecture. The goal was to “highlight and publish remarkable projects in Maui that have the potential to inspire.” Evaluating projects built in the last ten years throughout Maui, and McClellan Architects was selected for their residential project `Eheu Hale.

The design began with the desire to create an authentic expression of place. Two very different sources of Hawaiian architecture were explored – Hale-o-Keawe on the Big Island, and the vernacular architecture of Japan. These two idioms were most responsive to the landform, climate, and lifestyle of the owner.

The hipped gable form of the roof is a combination of both vernacular traditions while the steep gable with exposed beams in the living area refers more to Hale-o-Keawe. The surrounding hips recall the influence of the vernacular Japanese architecture in Hawaii, creating large lanais that surround the living spaces. Set into the hill, with the main living space set on the upper level, the living area mediates the two aspects of the site. On the west side, a courtyard garden directs views to the valley and the steep face of the mountain that rises directly from the back of the property. On the east side, a 12 foot wide Lanai affords expansive views of the ocean.

The materials were selected to harmonize with the landscape. Lava rock masonry forms the base, while the Venetian plaster and stucco were matched to the color of the earth on site. Interior colors and textures also were chosen with respect to the landscape. Details and art throughout the home reflect special character of the place. The decorative railing corners use a strangler fig motif, and the wood carving at the entry by a local artist is his interpretation of the valley. The name of the home, ‘Eheu, which means “wing” in Hawaiian, was inspired by the roof corners that seem to hover over the landscape.

Design Features

Built on a challengingly steep site, this home embraces its waterfront location. The varied outdoor spaces offer both privacy and invitation, creating a rich dialog between shelter and grounds. From front entry to back terrace there is a steady progression from masonry walls to a more open and lighter structure of steel and wood.

The steep terrain of the site presented a challenge to siting the house at a plateau along the water’s edge. The garage and second floor ADU were placed along the toe of the 40 foot high bluff to retain the bluff, and to increase the level area at the base.

To maximize the home’s views to the water, the rooms are strung along a line following the coastline, grouped into two masses: the two story residential quarters and a glassy public pavilion which opens to the outdoor deck and pool. The two forms are bridged by the entry with framed views to the water.

Design Goal

This weekend cottage sits at the base of the Cascade foothills, opening to the banks of the Columbia River. It is home to a family of four. A guest bunkhouse and outdoor rooms define the grounds, creating a seamless relationship between inside and out.

The design program for this house emphasized its relationship to the outside and the river. The house establishes a demarcation between the desert and the river oasis. As one descends through the site the building forms open, embracing the site.

Editorial Coverage: published in the winter 2010 edition of Luxe Magazine.

The River House is located on the Columbia River in eastern Washington. The house was designed for a young family as a weekend retreat and has a separate guest house over the garage. The home takes full advantage of the views to the river and the sage brush covered mountains. McClellan Architects also designed a lower outdoor dining room just off of the pool so that the family can enjoy the long summers.

Here are some highlights from the article:

“It was important to have the house mediate between the wet, green makeup of the river and the dry, seared terrain of the hills behind,” says Regan McClellan, AIA. The architects designed the main house and an adjacent bunk house (perched over the detached garage) to offer guests a private retreat. The living and dining areas are situated on the second level of the main house to take advantage of the river views. An outdoor room at pool level lends a relaxed alfresco space for family and friends to gather.

“With the backdrop of the river and mountains, we wanted to have huge windows that would allow the river to become our art,” says the home owner.

“There are clerestories over the entry way that frames the line of the mountain behind them. So you’re enjoying the view out to the river and then you turn around and there’s the mountain, like Kilroy peeking his nose over to say hello. It’s something we incorporated because we wanted some light in the room, but it was a nice, happy accident that the mount just fit perfectly.” says Ross Ishikawa.

Design Features

Built on a tight lot, this home accommodates three generations of one family. Taking advantage of the steep slope of the site, the main house and a second floor ADU are both afforded street level access. The roof forms of the two masses reflect the separate yet familial nature of the program within.

The house is located on a corner lot, next to a city park. Establishing a balance between family privacy and street friendliness was a central challenge in its siting. The main house acts as a wall protecting a sheltered back terrace and garden. At the same time, it presents an open facade to the street, buffered by a breakfast terrace and low wall overlooking a front yard heavily planted with native plants.

The ADU, whose outdoor space is limited to a street front terrace, has a more opaque buffer of evergreens and native plants. The terrace has a more intimate, urban scale, with a raised kitchen garden and a private outlook towards the rest of the site.