Ruhl Walker Architects

Having worked on several cool projects in Hawai‘i over the last few years, our eyes have really been opened to architectural possibilities that rarely exist in New England. For example, we collaborated with Rhoady Lee Architecture and Design on the Big Island on a new house near the Four Seasons at Hualalai that had custom motorized rolling walls of glass and teak (detailed by our own Sandra Baron and Lilly Smith!) that disappear into lava rock walls, opening virtually every room in the house to trellised lanais, an edge-less pool, lushly landscaped courtyards, and sweet tropical breezes. So, how can we introduce these exotic possibilities to the custom houses we design in New England?

One answer is through bi-folding glass walls from companies like Nanawall, and we’ve designed several recent houses that utilize their exceptional technology. Our clients wanted to have large screened porches so they could live outdoors spring, summer and fall without the ubiquitous New England mosquitoes and flies, and wondered how they might join those porches to the rest of the house. Voila, we proposed Nanawall doors and something that has traditionally been a barrier in older New England houses becomes an opportunity. Added benefit: makes a great party house even better!

After a very long, exhausting day flying from Boston to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, and after a bizarre drive across seemingly endless miles of lava – usually at night with little sense of scale – harried visitors are often welcomed by a warm “aloha”, friendly faces, cool towels, fresh guava juice, and hotels unlike anything most of us have seen before. Who knew that hotels didn’t really need walls? As with Hawaiian houses, the main public spaces of most Hawaiian hotels are essentially large open air lanais; no screens as you would find in the Caribbean since flying insects are less prevalent in Hawai‘i, and it is rare to see the discrete bi-folding shutters or sliding skylights closed. The next morning you wake up, and you see views like those below.  Pure heaven! And fresh ideas for how these design possibilities might translate into our own work on custom vacation houses in New England…

Credits:
Mauna Kea Beach Resort: Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Four Seasons Hualalai: Four Seasons Resort At Hualalai

Having just returned from the Big Island of Hawai‘i – the first time in five years not related at least partially to working with the Hawai‘i Wildlife Center – I still have Hawai‘i on my mind… It doesn’t help that the temperatures dipped into single digits this weekend, with wind chills below zero!

Architects have a hard time traveling without focusing obsessively on local architecture, and Hawaii’s – the openness to the elements, the blurring of inside and outside, the direct link to Asian architecture in both form and spatial flow – is particularly alluring. One key element is the “lanai”, a term first used in Hawai‘i in the early eighteenth century, and elsewhere known generically as a porch or veranda. The Hawaiian Islands are well known for their steady tropical breezes, a benefit and sometimes curse of being located so remotely in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Hawaiian lanais are often a house’s primary living space, and provide much needed shade and help Hawaiian buildings breathe by catching the trade winds and using that constant supply of fresh, naturally cooled (by the Pacific) air to remove hotter, more stagnant air. Below are a few of my favorite examples of modern lanais.

Send us your own images and thoughts! And look forward to future posts showing how we bring this “exotic” knowledge to our New England projects!

Will Ruhl

Credits:

Belzberg Architects, Santa Monica, CA: Belzberg Architects
Olson Kundig Architects, Seattle, WA: Olson Kundig Architects
Craig Steeley Architecture, San Francisco, CA: Craig Steely Architecture
Legoretta + Legoretta, Mexico: Legorreta + Legorreta

Last Saturday, November 19^th, our Hawai‘i Wildlife Center had its official opening, and Will Ruhl and Sandra Baron were fortunate to be able to be in Kapa‘au to represent Ruhl Walker Architects in paradise. We were joined by our Associate Architects and great friends Rhoady Lee and Aaron Spielman of Rhoady Lee Architecture + Design, our landscape architects Jason Umemoto and Nancy Cassandro of Umemoto Cassandro Design, the rest of our talented (and pro bono) design and engineering team, the general contractor and many of his incredibly generous sub-contractors (many if not most of whom had donated or discounted their time and material costs), and hundreds of neighbors, family, and friends.

The celebration began with a quietly beautiful and poetic blessing of the Center by Kumu Hula Raylene Ha‘alelea Kawaiaea, and also included some other visiting dignitaries who publicly declared their support, like John Buckstead of Governor Abercrombie’s office in Honolulu, who spoke on behalf of the Governor, who declared November 19^th, 2011 as the official day of the Hawai‘i Wildlife Center. In between the speeches, entertainment was provided by students of the nearby Kohala Middle School, as well as the Kohala Hula group, Halau Kalaniumi Aliloa O Hawai‘i Nei, and topped off by the Grammy Award winning slack key guitarist John Keawe. There is always an element of bittersweet sadness at the end of a project, for clients and architects alike, but the focus of the day was on the path that led us to this point, and on the new beginning of the HWC’s important efforts to protect and rehabilitate the native flora and fauna of this magical place.

Though the project has a (small) punch list still to complete, the Certificate of Occupancy is in hand and “all” that is left to do is construct the pens and pools in the fenced-in rehabilitation yard for the expected endangered native species, build the custom pens for the recovery rooms, connect the custom hoses for the wash-rinse room (for handling any future oil-soaked animals in the event of an oil spill), install the rooftop solar photovoltaic array and the water-collection catchment system, deliver the triage room furniture, install building signage and educational displays, hire staff, and … raise some money for operations! We hope you will consider joining us in donating online to this wonderful and critically important environmental organization; just click here! Mahalo!

For additional information on the opening of the Hawai‘i Wildlife Center, see:

Hawai‘i Tribune Herald

Big Island Video News (great video, if you have time!)

Hawai‘i Wildlife Center Facebook

Ethan Tweedie’s online photo album

For additional information on the HWC architecture, see:

Ruhl Walker Architects

images courtesy of Ethan Tweedie.

It’s been awhile since we posted an update for our Westport project, the modern house Ruhl Walker Architects designed to float above its Westport River site, and that we introduced back in January and April.  Rick and Susan have moved in and were even able to enjoy the summer while some finish work and landscaping continued. We directly benefited from some of this fun, not only because Rick and Susan were in such good spirits and kept telling us how much they loved their new house, but also because we were treated to an amazing feast with our design partners from Reed Hilderbrand and Oblio Design on August 6^th. Out of a great project experience have grown some wonderful friendships!

A few weeks after the celebration, Will Ruhl returned to discuss the “punch list”, which was unusually short given the excellent craftsmanship provided by the general contractor, Gilman, Guidelli, Bellow, & Co. It was actually more of a list of potential design modifications, minor tweaks to fine tune a few of the built details. Some fun work for Rick to ponder this fall!

Reed Hilderbrand’s landscape design is looking great already, and thanks to a violent rainstorm we witnessed first hand the wonderfully interactive water gathering rock gardens that coordinate perfectly with the house’s scuppers and waterfall element.

We are excited about some publication possibilities that have already come our way; publish or die… Keep tuned in for updates on that!

The east side of the house, viewed from a pea stone parking court.	The front door is on the side of a covered front porch, at the top of a 60” wide mahogany ramp. To the left is a grilling porch, protected from the prevailing breezes by the screened porch beyond.
The windows on the east façade are sized for selected views and to enhance cross ventilation.	The two architectural bars of the house are visible through the woods on the north side of the house. In the foreground on the right is an outdoor shower cube with slatted cedar siding that matches the base of the house.
The house appears to float above its site along the Westport River.	The main living spaces are in the upper, all glass bar of the house, with guest rooms and storage built within existing basement spaces below.
As you approach the house from the river, you become aware that the master bedroom windows on the far left are in a different plane from the living room windows. Between the two is a walnut clad volume that houses a fireplace and closets; this walnut cladding continues inside in both the living room and master bedroom.	60” wide custom galvanized steel and mahogany stairs lead up to an upper deck, adjacent to a large screened porch. Below the screened porch is an open-air storage room protected from the elements by a wall of cedar slats held apart to allow ventilation.
The main living and dining space, along with the screened porch and the master suite, has 10’ ceiling heights, and a wall of glass facing the river. At the end of the space is a wall of bleached walnut paneling around a fireplace clad in black slate. A TV is concealed to the left of the fireplace behind flush walnut paneling.	The dining area is completely open to the kitchen, and finishes in the kitchen match those of the living space. Flooring throughout is bleached Ash.
Kitchen cabinets are bleached walnut. At the right is a floor to ceiling door leading to the grilling deck.	At the end of the compact hallway separating the master suite and home office is a wall of glass with views into the woods and of the roof scupper / waterfall.
Behind the living area is an open stair leading down to a lower level family room. Beyond is a small sitting area with a window that brings in ample morning light.	The west wall of the living / dining space is virtually all glass, with views of the Westport River and glorious sunsets.
One wall of the master bedroom is paneled with walnut, and conceals closets and cabinetry; this material is aligned with the walnut volume visible on the west façade of the house. All built-ins, as well as the bed and side tables are custom designed by Oblio Design.	A closer view of the wall of storage in the master bedroom.
The stair railings inside match the exterior steel railing details, with stainless steel guards and walnut hand rail. The light is aniline dyed wood veneer.	Remember where this all started?...

The Hawai’i Wildlife Center, designed by Ruhl Walker Architects, was featured in ArchDaily on August 20^th.  ArchDaily is one of the leading and most influential architecture website in the world, and gets over two million visits and eighteen million page impressions per month according to Google Analytics.

Please visit our portfolio website for additional information on the design of the HWC, and join us in supporting this critically important environmental cause by visiting the HWC’s online donation page!

The exterior of the HWC has been completed, and the interiors will be finished in November, in time for a grand opening celebration on November 19th.

Ruhl Walker Architects is providing pro bono design services for several affordable / sustainable house prototypes to be built in the Summer of 2012 in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i, as part of “Blitz Build”, an annual event undertaken at different locations around the country by Blitz Home Builders, an international group of Habitat for Humanity volunteers that have organized annual Blitz Builds since 1996.

The Blitz Build will take place from September 12-22, 2012, in Kailua-Kona on the west (dry) side of the Big Island.  The West Hawai’i affiliate of Habitat for Humanity hopes to build up to five houses in this 10-day span! These homes will be similar to the Habitat homes built on the mainland, but will have some unique design features suitable for the heavenly Hawaiian climate. Please visit the Hawaii ’12 page on Blitz Home Builder’s website for additional information.

Ruhl Walker has begun preliminary design work on two prototypes that will be presented to Habitat West Hawaii’s Building Committee later this year. The plan features a covered deck or lanai, an open living / dining / kitchen with sliding glass doors leading to the lanai, and a screened porch / hallway leading to 2 bedrooms and a shared bath. The proportions of the house — 16’-0” wide by 60’-0” long — allow for simple wood framing and ample cross ventilation; the covered lanai and screened hallway further enhance natural cross ventilation.  One side of the house has fewer / smaller windows and would be oriented towards the prevailing trade winds, and the other sides would have larger windows and generous overhangs and be oriented towards the sea (“makai”). The screened hallway would have painted studs 24” on center and horizontal battens 12” on center, and the resulting grid would read as a large window.  Materials under consideration are composite siding and trim on the makai side of the house as well as the end elevations, and corrugated metal siding on the windward side. 

The images below are very preliminary.  We look forward to posting updates as our design work – and ultimately construction – continues.

The prototype floor plan, with lanai on the far right, main living space in the middle, and screened hallway, two bedrooms, and shared bath on the left.	One option for the exterior, with separate volumes for the living and sleeping spaces, separated by the screened hallway.
A second option for the exterior of the West Hawai’i Habitat prototype, with a more linear expression.	The windward side of the house will have smaller windows and corrugated metal siding.

The new native species gardens are growing in nicely at the new facility Ruhl Walker Architects designed for the Hawai’i Wildlife Center on the Big Island of Hawai’i, and the construction team at TDI is making great progress towards the official opening in November. Rough plumbing, electrical, and mechanical work are installed and ready for the interior finish work.  

Our partners at Rhoady Lee Architecture and Design are managing the day to day construction administration process which is great except it means for Will there is no longer a regular excuse to visit the islands, unlike the last few years… It’s been great collaborating with Rhoady and Aaron; they’ve been helping us on the HWC, and we’ve in turn collaborated with them on several residential projects, including a recently completed house at the Hualalai Resort, home to the fabulous Four Seasons.  In fact, our senior associate, Sandra Baron, spent 6 weeks working in their office in Waimea during the detailing push for that house, 3 weeks each on two separate occasions.  Aaron, when are you coming to Boston?!

The outpouring of community support for the HWC continues to be amazing. On June 15^th, a contingent of Marines – members of Wing Support Squadron 171, stationed in Iwakuni, Japan, but currently training at the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island – joined Linda Elliott and others to assemble enormous lava rock slabs into benches and tables within the interpretive courtyard. The slabs had been donated by Ryan Associates.

November can’t come soon enough!

Please join us in supporting the Hawai’i Wildlife Center by donating online here!

Exterior view of the main façade of the HWC, seen from the parking area, towards the lanai and open-air education pavilion.	Exterior view of the main entrance to the HWC, with the staging porch (open air triage space) on the left.
A vibrantly painted blue planar wall continues from the entrance lanai into the reception area.	The members of Wing Support Squadron 171, stationed in Iwakuni, Japan, but currently training at the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island, ready to assemble the lava rock slabs into benches and tables for the interpretative courtyard.
The ventilation system will not only cool the injured endangered species being cared for, but also will provide the required air exchanges that will improve their healing more quickly; air conditioning will be minimal despite the tropical climate, due to excellent cross ventilation and reliable tradewinds.	The elaborate plumbing systems will be able to handle major oil spills as well as day to day rehabilitation needs.

Ruhl Walker’s modern house on Mystic Lake is nearing completion and the owners have moved in, while meanwhile crews are still scrambling to finish the exterior. In fact, work is still on-going on the inside too, so living in the house is quite a challenge! But the movers had already been rescheduled twice, everything was packed, and the construction crews doubled down to make at least a partial move-in possible.

The interior stair railings were recently completed, after two separate steel fabricators’ equipment broke while trying to drill holes in the stainless steel posts for the cable rail system. The off-the-shelf railing system – by the Italian company Indital – was substantially less flexible and customizable than anticipated, but the installers went above and beyond to make everything work out smoothly in the end.  Painters, tilers, carpenters, plasterers, plumbers, electricians, and landscape crews all competed for the same limited time and space.  Everyone was trying their best to overcome the time lost to inclement weather over the brutal winter and wet spring.

One highlight of this last few weeks was the delivery of the dozens of slabs of granite, bought for next to nothing from the general contractor working on IKEA’s new store in Somerville; without our intrepid (and persistent) client, all of the granite curbs would have been dumped at a landfill, but are now beautifully choreographed per Matthew Cunningham’s brilliant landscape design. Saving money and being “green”…

So, with a month left before the babies are due, every day is still full of noise and commotion, but the end is in sight, and the magnificent views of the lake are at least a calming influence after the crews leave…

Exterior view from the street; lots of landscape work still on-going, as well as a sizable exterior punch list.	The street side of the house is relatively solid, with cedar screen partitions providing some extra privacy for bath and laundry windows.
The front door will ultimately be translucent, but for the moment you get a sliver of the lake view.	The main living space cantilevers 6’ out from the lower level; adjacent to the living room is a roof deck with wide steps leading down to the yard and lake.
Another view of the deck stairs and the custom stainless steel railing system, including “baby proof” gates.	The slate tile and honed absolute black granite fireplace surround; still to come is the walnut panel for the TV niche, and the stainless steel mesh AV cabinet below.
The stair is almost complete; risers and treads are maple, as is the screen wall that also conceals structure for the landing and extends down into the partially finished basement.	The elegant railing joints are actually standard off-the-shelf stainless steel elements, as are the posts and all of the cable rail fittings.

We are thrilled that our Westport clients are enjoying living in their new river front house, after recently having received their Certificate of Occupancy from the town! There is still an extensive punch list to complete, but after such a long, snowy winter and an unusually rainy spring, that first coffee on the new deck was extra special…

We do our best to address our clients’ expectations throughout the design and construction process; but because every client is so unique, each project has its own unique and ever-changing set of expectations.  In most cases the design process is quite fun, perhaps because the focus is on hopes and dreams.  But most of our clients would not describe the construction process as fun… Maintaining some perspective is the goal, remembering that there is an end to the often stressful process, and trying to find some humor in the occasionally ridiculous process of residential construction. In this case, the focus was on that mid-summer coffee on the deck, watching the river flow by…

Exterior view, river side; the upper level has a master bedroom on the left, living / dining room in the middle, and screened porch on the right, and the lower level has two additional bedrooms, family room, bathroom, and abundant storage.	Close-up of steel stair leading down to the river from the raised deck and screened porch.
Living room view facing the screened porch, accessible through the Nana Wall door system; interior floors are bleached Ash and porch and deck flooring is sustainably harvested mahogany.	The new kitchen with bleached walnut cabinetry and Ash floors.
Interior stairs connecting renovated lower level and new upper level; stairs are bleached ash and lower level floors are stained concrete.	Screened porch view facing into main living / dining space; eventually the far wall will have bleached walnut and honed black slate paneling.
View of Westport River from screened porch; stainless steel railings have been installed since this photo was taken.	The first coffee and NY Times on the new deck…