"Luxury Contempo": Hawaii's First Luxury LEED Home

Designed to sell, "Luxury Contempo" is a 5-Bedroom ecoluxury contemporary home and is part of Hawaii’s up-and-coming modern luxury aesthetic. The home has been submitted for LEED certification, anticipating a Gold rating. The design team crafted this unique contemporary home with carefully selected finish materials that are low-emitting and ecologically conscious, while invoking the look of a serene, luxurious spa. The architects began with sustainability in mind, by selecting a previously developed infill site with an inefficient dated structure in need of updating. Instead of demolition, the existing home was dismantled piece by piece by a local salvage company for reuse. In it’s place, the architects create an elegant, efficient model of responsible luxury. The home incorporates several green strategies with an energy efficient insulation and envelope, efficient Energy Star appliances, expansive daylighting and skylights, natural and renewable materials, water saving strategies, improved indoor air quality, and effective use of the site.

This home is the representation of a commitment on the part of the design team to present a sustainable idea house to the community. After receiving some inquiries about green design, but realizing most potential and current clients had little or vague understanding of sustainable design or the LEED system, the principle architect took on this ambitious LEED idea house to show what is possible within the realm of green design. Once complete the home has been a showcase for the community, students, and colleagues to see a LEED home completed and offer a forum to share lessons learned during the process. With a luxury buyer in mind, the house still had to remain salable in the local real estate climate. Without client input, the architects had to achieve a design that would be compelling for potential buyers. The home includes several features that are highly customized and yet can be modified. For example, the fifth bedroom is a set up as a theater, complete with Energy Star flat screen TV and media system, and can also be transformed into a gym. Inside the room is a temperature controlled closet that can be fitted as a dedicated wine room, walk in humidor, or standard storage. Modular furniture pieces were used in other bedrooms to allow the future owner to modify the spaces to suit their needs; a dressing room can evolve into a home office or nursery, just by reconfiguring the furniture.