Oahu’s new Ocean Pointe planned community
lovingly recreates a traditional neighborhood feeling

If 100 architects were asked what their dream job might be—and told to think about it long and hard—many would probably admit that creating an entire community from the ground up would be the ultimate creative project.

To make this fantasy assignment even more tantalizing, imagine 4,850 homes, a dozen neighborhood parks, a golf course and country club designed by Ernie Els, and a high-tech, 600-slip marina. Finally, suppose this residential community project would be located within the number-one vacation destination in the U.S.…namely, the Aloha State?

It’s no dream. Welcome to Ocean Pointe, a 1,110-acre swath of land tucked between O‘ahu’s central mountain range and the Pacific Ocean—as envisioned by Haseko Realty. Located just a few miles from Pearl Harbor (in the opposite direction from Honolulu), Ocean Pointe is in an area poignantly called “Ewa,” or “west” in Hawaiian – yet to O‘ahuans, the name connotes a frame of mind. Where much of O‘ahu has been built up, and crowded in, Ewa has come to stand for the new frontier. Known for its more arid land and local-heavy population, Ewa is true Hawai‘i—and its growth over the last decade is a testament to islanders seeking a taste of “Old Hawai‘i” with a new face.

This aesthetic powerfully shaped the community’s design scheme, according to Haseko Realty executive vice president Richard Dunn. Ocean Pointe features higher-end single-family residences interspersed with mid-range townhomes and condo-type units, all in the same neighborhood. On a single tree-lined street, one might find three homes from the Executive series that begin at $680,000; while across the lane will be a few Cottage or Hearthstone models, which range between $550,000 and $580,000. Further down the street will be a number of Backyard Town Homes that start at $420,000; across the street from these will be a pair of 2,800 sq. ft. Manor homes, beginning at $840,000.

The judicious blend of property values makes it possible for  “everyone live up to a higher level,” said Dunn. “It keeps it nicer. It’s all about the community.”

Dunn, Haseko president Toru Nagayama, and designer Stephen Sang from Quad Design agreed that functional porches, or länai’s, that faced the street, are essential to the community’s design. Tying the entire development together, according to Dunn, will be the action that takes place on these porches. Owners will sit and relax on them, watching their children play in the front yards, as neighbors pass by and stop to chat.

“We aim to bring back that community feel that is slowly slipping by,” said Dunn.

The fronting streets throughout the entire Ocean Pointe development will conduct low-density traffic. The majority of car activity will take place in the alleys behind the homes, where all auto garages, refuse collection, and mail delivery will be located.

Ocean Pointe developers carried the theme of community into the architectural designs of the various home models. Currently available units offer a family room or den directly off the front door. One could easily sit on a couch in the den reading, with the windows open, and keep an eye on children playing out front.

In the Hearthstone Home series, the open kitchen to the rear of the first floor provides the most stunning feature. Open to a sitting area/eat-in table, as well as the formal dining room, there is a line of sight straight through to the den at the front of the house. Out back, a sizeable area is adequate for outdoor dining, with a standalone garage unit providing a buffer between the home and the alley. Hence, from anywhere inside the home looking to the rear, owners see nothing but their own property—a rarity in larger developments.

Interiors make good use of wide-board wooden floors.  European detailing such as moldings and creased drapes of royal blue and white stripes add a tasteful accent to the tiled kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Up an arcing staircase, the master bedroom may be twice the size of the remaining two bedrooms. A “family” workstation in a hallway nook adds a fine touch, especially for those families that share or monitor computer use.

A visit to a Manor Home revealed a four-bedroom layout with an office that occupies a well-lit corner room behind the front door, opposite the family den. Wainscoting and a framed picture window in the dining room give this home a slightly more formal air, but it’s clearly meant for entertaining. A short hallway between the kitchen and dining room could act as butler’s serving station, with an extra sink and under-counter space for a wine refrigerator or second dishwasher. Upstairs, a huge master bath is highlights the second floor, while the rooms are perfectly suited for the built-in wall units.

Both homes feature an elegant, Old World charm more reminiscent of modified colonial styling than Asian influences —something not often found in the tropics. But here on the drier, warmer side of O‘ahu, Ocean Pointe’s homes utilize central air conditioning replaces rather than louvered windows. Additional European touches include large tiled floors with a slight shine, lightly-stained wood trim, ornate yet tasteful chandeliers, grand staircases and carved finials, and wall sconces.

The Paired Home series offers single-story duplexes. Both of the residences feature extensive windows facing away from the sister unit, as everything is built outwards from the shared section. According to Dunn, these units have the most light of any Ocean Pointe series. The extensive windows also offer residents the opportunity to catch maximum trade winds. Generally 1,500 sq. ft., they offer three or four bedrooms, and are compact versions of the Town Homes.

Extensive pedestrian walkways wander through a number of “pocket parks” scattered among Ocean Pointe’s 28 different home types. An elementary school is under construction; a nursery school was recently completed. And, just to make the development official, Haseko invited a local kapuna (Hawaiian elder) who gave each street an appropriate Hawaiian name and blessing.

Ocean Pointe, therefore, can literally claim to be a dream home in the “blessed isles” – a place where the pleasant, meandering streets and front-porch neighborliness of another era have been recreated as a vibrant, Hawaiian-flavored reality today.