As Ludowici’s 2018 Residential Project of the Year award winner, this unique home sits on a stunning ocean peninsula in Maui, Hawaii. Built in the late 1990s, the original design featured deep overhangs and smallish windows amid dense tropical foliage. Over time, the home felt dated and in need of a full reconfiguration. Frustrated by the limited ocean views and absence of flow from room to room, the owner opted for a full renovation to breathe life back into the traditional design.
Harrison Woodfield Architects was chosen to reorganize the public spaces and to design a complete overhaul of the interiors. Sara Woodfield recognized that the roof, as the first element seen from the water, would be a key feature of
the house. The long, overhanging roof was lifted up to allow the clients unobstructed ocean views. Ludowici was brought on board to develop a color scheme and appropriate tile design, choosing a low profile done in contemporary flatwork. Together, Ludowici and Ms. Woodfield worked to capture the many shades of turquoise and azure blue that would reflect the water, sky, and large parcel of grass the house sits on, allowing the house to sink into its setting as part of the natural jungle surroundings.
The glazed roof is highly reflective, doesn’t gather dust, and will never look dirty. The roof’s color scheme was woven from the same palette used in the interiors—which appears in everything from the handmade glass fixtures to the peacock blue of the pool. The re-imagined space draws from the sparkle and shimmer of the water, including the reflective nature and translucence of the sea, while the roof tile colors brilliantly incorporate the shifting hues of the ocean. Colors, reflections, materials, shimmering water, and light, grounded by wood, sand, and the earth, make the house a beautiful feature whether approached by land or sea. More importantly, the house has been connected to the site to feel the continuity between the ocean and the living experience, as if you are walking through an ever-changing sculpture.
