Browning Residence, Haena, Kauai

The North Shore of Kauai poses one of the biggest challenges for building.  This is the wettest place on earth.  The maps chart, with lines similar to topographic indicators, the rainfall in inches.  The ideal is to find a site that’s less than 150 inches a year.  Additionally, this area is subject to tsunami flooding.  We were asked by a very close friend of the family to design a second home for them in this green paradise. All of our work is environmentally sensitive and situationally governed.  In this case our goals included tempering the humidity with an orientation which understands the trade winds, and insuring that large exterior areas remain covered and protected from the daily rain, so that exterior living can continue regardless of the weather.  The requirement to resist Tsunami flooding results in the building’s living levels to be a minimum of 22 feet above the site.  The design is a highly crafted response to island living, culture and craft.  Through a progression of large interlinked ‘landings’ you walk the stairs from the ground floor entry to the main level. Interlocked, curved roofs are oriented away from the trade winds to create a negative air pressure on the leeward side.  This insures that the occupants of the home have control over the amount of air traveling through the building with the use of louvered windows on both sides.  Air is gently pulled through the home not pushed through it. Exterior materials were selected for their durability in this environment, and include Ipe wood, High density fiber cement panels, and Southern Cypress, known for its ability to naturally resist decay and insect attack.