Photos by J.R Storment

A decade ago, ubiquitous cell phones transformed the entire planet into a "global phone booth." Now, wi-fi zones are quickly plugging the entire planet into the VirtualSphere of Internet communications. But where in this wired world can a person go to unplug, tune out, and escape the 24/7 barrage of buzzing cellphones, bleeping Blackberries, and flashing laptops alerting us that "You've got mail"?

Hale Alaula, that's where.

"Hale Alaula" means "House of the Glowing Sunset." This custom-built dream vacation home on the Big Island's Kohala Coast deserves its own motto, echoing the Statue of Liberty: "Give me your stressed-out, your media-saturated, your hi-tech-burdened yearning to breathe free..."

Seclusion. Privacy. Escape. Seeking those values in his vacation home, the owner of Hale Alaula House, not surprisingly, wishes to remain anonymous. But, when the homeowner explains the inspiration behind his home, he voices his own version of Lady Liberty's sentiment.

"When we were considering a home in Hawai'i," the owner says, "we wanted it to be in a place where we could disappear--where we could be anonymous. Simply, the last thing we wanted was a barrage of what's going on back in that place where 'too busy' is normal everyday life. When we go to Hawai'i we yearn for the opposite of 'too busy.' We wanted to unplug from work, commitments, and all the things that normally demand our time and attention."

As the site of his virtual retreat, the Kohala Coast's most secluded gated enclave: 49 Black Sand Beach at Mauna Lani Resort was selected. This oceanfront, gated community nestles around Honoka'ope Bay on the Big Island's Kohala Coast. Amenities include a private beach club, Hale Ola Kino (House of Well Being) that offers a clubhouse with full kitchen, exercise facility, negative edge lap pool, daybed pavilions, on-the-beach hot tub, and tennis court.

After interviewing various architects and designers, the homeowner decided to work with Charles Hamlet "Lucky" Bennett, a long-term Big Island resident and a highly respected architect of custom homes, and with interior designer Steven Hensel, IF ASID. Seasoned builder Gary Queen headed construction.

"My goal for this client," says Bennett, "was to provide a sanctuary within a design where views and protection from the wind are paramount...where interior and exterior blend together seamlessly, providing an expression of space that is at once exciting yet meditative, expansive yet intimate. A place where one experiences the relaxation of a vacation, at home."

The result is a nearly 4,500 square foot refuge by the sea, perched above tranquil Honoka'ope Bay. Sightlines from the home, situated on a southwest-facing lot, afford year-round sunset vistas and spectacular whitewater views.

Everyone involved was awed by the location, including Gary Queen. He admits: "Watching the seasonal migration of the humpback whales from the länai and observation deck of Hale Alaula is incredible. As a diver and fisherman in Hawai'i for 27 years, I have never been so moved as by the experience of watching a mother humpback give birth to its calf in the beautiful bay below the länai."

Bennett approached the project with his characteristic respect for the aina (land). "One of the most interesting challenges," he recounts, "was the archeological site, which allowed for a unique entry. This, and the existing contours of the lot, required us to think vertically as well as horizontally. As a result, the first floor is where you would normally expect the second floor to be. Because of the level change, one leaves the street reality below and arrives upstairs where one experiences the tranquil walk across the pond, towards the house, the pool and the ocean beyond."

The unique entry Bennett describes, allows a visitor to enter the haven through the common courtyard via a quartzite stepping-bridge over a koi pond. The expansive ocean view waits like a framed Wyland mural. It is irresistible eye candy, enticing one's gaze to skim over man's creations as if they didn't exist and focus on the reflection of the infinite that is the Pacific.

"For the uninitiated," says the owner, "walking into our house takes people's breath away. The panorama is amazing as the house falls away and the ocean and horizon pull you. The design makes the house almost disappear and you get to focus on the spectacular views and drama of sunrises and sunsets."

The kitchen, great room, and master bedroom share the frontage on the deep länai. A glass wall, comprised of sets of pocket doors, separates the interior and exterior. Sunbathing lounges are placed around the pool, and large 25-foot cantilevered Honduran mahogany soffits shade the länai from the hot afternoon sun. "The couch on the länai is a magnet," says the owner. "People are known to disappear in that couch for hours.... for days on end."

Although technically outside, this länai with its commanding views is the real center of the home. The large professional built-in Viking barbeque and wet bar with Sub Zero refrigerator and icemaker serve the outdoor dining and entertainment areas. Tiki torches and a traditional Hawaiian fire pot set the backdrop for the balmy tropical nights.

The cook's kitchen features Honduran Mahogany cabinets with Tunis green granite counter tops, Sub-Zero refrigerator, professional Viking six-burner gas cook top, Wolf dual-convection ovens, KitchenAid microwave and Bosch dishwashers. Culinary creativity can only be enhanced by the spectacular ocean views seen through the 12-foot glass pocket doors. Depending on the mood of the moment, one can choose to share meals at the kitchen bar, the semi-formal dining area, or on the länai.

The kitchen opens to the great room where the 20-foot mauka (mountain) and makai (ocean) facing pocket doors remove any barrier between interior and exterior spaces. A large dining table resides between the breakfast bar and the living room. Designer Stephen Hensel was responsible for realizing the owner's wish that the furnishings not distract from the ambiance of the natural surroundings.

"Our objective in working on the interior design with Steven was to create an environment that was welcoming and not intimidating," the owner explains. "The last thing we wanted was an interior that was shouting for attention or was trying to impress somebody. It needed to be exceptionally simple... and comfortable. Function was prioritized ahead of form. It works." According to Hensel, "We set out to achieve a subtle, inviting, comfortable interior that quietly completed the handsome architecture--without upstaging the glorious setting and view."

This goal was achieved in the master suite by installing a set of glass pocket doors that open to the länai, which in turn features a spiral staircase leading up to the observation deck. The bed is designed to capture the remarkable view and allow the sounds of the ocean to lull occupants to sleep at night. The large dressing area divides the sleeping area from the bath with deep soak tub and indoor and outdoor showers.

The children's bedroom has bunk beds and a pathway that circumvents the main living area to the pool. Two additional bedroom suites, one handicapped ready, provide ample sleeping areas for relatives and guests. In the home's one concession to the wired world, the den/office features a 60" High Definition Sony TV, state-of-the-art A/V stereo and high-speed Internet wired through the main rooms of the home.

An impregnable zone of privacy...a haven from the frantic pace of modern life...a virtual retreat from the wired world...Hale Alaula House is all of this and more. Far removed from the mainland in spirit as well as distance, with sky and sand as its calling cards, this dream residence offers the reality of getting back to nature while enjoying all the comforts of home.

No wonder the owner declares: "Hawai'i is the greatest place to unplug."