A popular 19th century New England proverb claimed “Good fences make good neighbors.” Even more famously, poet Robert Frost disagreed with that sentiment in one of his most honored poems, “Mending Wall.” Frost gently implied that neighborliness -- open hearts – may be best encouraged by open spaces.

In Hawai‘i, developer Brian Cook and architect Michael Riehm strongly support Frost’s view. They’ve virtually made careers out of creating master-planned communities on the Islands that offer meticulous theming and design. From the street lamps to the trellises, every element is intended to create an old-fashioned, pedestrian-friendly, neighborhood feeling.

Cook’s and Riehm’s newest project, the 8.6-acre Big Island development called Hölua Kai, is an inspired example of their approach. Located in Keauhou Kona on one of the area’s last undeveloped, oceanfront plots, the community will consist of 41 luxury homes with Pacific and golf course views. Two home models (one-story and two-story plans) are offered; both are simple yet striking in architecture and interior design.

Riehm and Cook clearly feel the special character of Hōlua Kai will come as much from the overall environment, as from the style of the individual residences. When it comes to planning the project’s public spaces, no detail was left to chance. Riehm and Cook envision Hōlua Kai as the kind of place where folks sit on the front porches (of their beautiful, designer homes), enjoying magnificent views, trade breezes, and stunning tropical sunsets while they chat with families who stroll by on broad, pleasant lanes.

“We custom-design everything in the neighborhood -- from the shaded streetlight fixtures to the placement of shade trees on the lanes, the use of wide grass shoulders rather than concrete sidewalks, and even the selection of street pavement materials and the open floor plan of the central clubhouse,” said Riehm, principal of Riehm Owensby Planners Architects. ROPA’s Michael Franke served as consulting architect on the project.

“It’s all of a piece,” Riehm continued. “This comprehensive approach allows us to do much more creative site planning and design than typical county standards would permit.”

The pedestrian is the most important person who stands (or strolls) at the heart of ROPA’s vision. “We designed the streets of Hōlua Kai to accommodate jogging, walking, and many other pedestrian activities – and to slow down any automobile traffic,” Riehm said pointedly. “Our philosophy is that the streetscape is probably the most important element of defining the character of any neighborhood. The result is, the homeowner is not just buying a single family residence; he’s getting the benefit of the larger overall setting -- a comprehensive design of an entire neighborhood.”

Hōlua Kai’s two home models are perfectly suited to this old-fashioned community feeling. Outdoor courtyards and sitting areas, wide länais, and vast glass expanses all capitalize on unobstructed views to the ocean and fairways. Indeed, most of the perimeter units will feature views of the mountains, the golf course, the ocean, or the property’s own gardens from virtually every room in the house.

Yet ROPA’s ingenious architecture also ensures that residents will enjoy their privacy, too. This is achieved through the careful use of screens or Riviera shutters, as well as the locations of side yards and garden areas with optional trellises that can support a screen of flowering plants.

Another design element that blends openness with privacy is the ability (thanks to sliding glass pocket doors) to open an entire side of the house to each property’s side garden or courtyard, screened from its neighbors by a freestanding garage. “To me that is true tropical architecture, bringing the outdoors into the house,” said Riehm.

The “garden home” architecture of both models combines an understated, contemporary glass-box design with subtle yet effective touches of Hawaiian plantation-style architecture such as double-pitched roofs, wide overhangs, white wooden outer trim, and broad länais. All homes feature an appealing yet unobtrusively uniform color scheme with classic white trim, green-blue stucco walls, and light gray roofs.

Hōlua Kai’s homes “really don’t have an individual style,” Riehm modestly claims. He says his chief concern was ensuring that all the properties made a pleasing and consistent contribution to the appearance of the neighborhood, rather than “making each home a busy monument to itself.” He added: “The whole is greater than any one part.” Riehm pointed to the example of traditional Italian hill towns, where all the houses in the village reflect a common vernacular, as an inspiration for this aesthetic approach.
Master bedrooms in both units are located on the end of house that faces the golf course or ocean. With both homes, at the buyer’s option, the detached two-car enclosed garage may be built as a one-story unit or with its own second story to incorporate an upstairs studio apartment.
The two-story home design offers 2,898 square feet of indoor living space and 812 square feet of outdoor länai. The two-story great room (including dining area) is approximately 16x35 feet and is surrounded with glass on two sides. The retractable glass walls meet in the corner with no column or post to mar the view.
All of the two-story homes include a wider than normal staircase, plus an elevator lift that can accommodate two people (an appointment that may prove especially valuable for older residents).

Upstairs, the interior features a central balcony-style sitting area, approximately 12x16 feet, that overlooks the great room. The two-story unit’s master bedroom is 15.7x16 feet and features a spacious private fenced länai (8x15 feet). Guest bedrooms are approximately 13x14 feet. All bedrooms have walk-in closets.
The one-story unit provides 2,898 square feet of indoor living space and 812 square feet of outdoor länai. This home features an L-shaped great room approximately 12x32 feet including dining area. The master bedroom is 13.5x14 feet, while the larger guest bedroom is approximately 12x14 feet. The one-story home design may be constructed with a two-story enclosed garage featuring an upper studio apartment.
Interior design for the two-story model was created by Carol Ann von Hake (Kitchens & Interiors by von Hake, Ltd.). Her goal, she said, was to complement the light, airy tropical feeling of the architecture. Just as the homes do not distract attention from the neighborhood and the views, von Hake’s understated contemporary interior design does not distract from the home’s function as a showcase for the larger environment. In the great room, for example, simple white chairs and a calming, deep blue area rug provide less a central focus than a comfortable accommodation. “We wanted to create a timeless appeal,” said von Hake.

Timelessness is indeed a hallmark of Hōlua Kai. As envisioned by its creators, it’s a place where yesteryear’s old-fashioned neighborhood meets today’s conveniences of state-of-the-art materials and modern design. It’s a place where traditional plantation architecture gets a fresh, contemporary treatment. Most of all, it’s a setting that offers privacy while beckoning residents to enjoy and participate in their community.

“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,” said Robert Frost. In Hōlua Kai, it’s open spaces that make good neighbors.