TAG   FSC certified

The Hawai‘i Wildlife Center has its official opening! November 28, 2011

Last Saturday, November 19th, 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 19th, 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.

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Making progress on the Westport River House April 14, 2011

A few Thursdays ago, we closed the office and the seven of us headed down from Boston to see how the Westport River House was progressing, and to discuss and resolve various interior and exterior details.  The house was a flurry of activity, with almost twenty craftsmen on site, everyone working inside and out with the June deadline on their minds.

The brushed aluminum window system was nearing completion after a substantial manufacturing delay, but beautifully fabricated and well worth the wait; the matching frames for the screened porch were on site and will be installed soon.  Most of the white cedar shingles were installed on the eastern “bar” of the house, as well as the red cedar window and door trim, all exquisitely mitered and finished.  The charcoal-gray stained cedar slats — intended for the lower level rain-screen — were stained and ready for installation, as were the cedar lap-siding boards — prepped with bleaching oil — and the clear-finished walnut boards for the fireplace enclosure on the river-side elevation. The grilling and river decks were framed and the FSC certified mahogany flooring nearing completion, with NHL regulation hockey pucks used as spacers to allow water to shed between the deck and house.  Working with Gilman Guidelli and their excellent crews has been a real pleasure!

And to cap the day off, we headed out of the cold drizzle to the Westporter for a warm lunch by the fire, complete with home made vegetable soup, fresh turkey sandwiches, and an assortment of wines selected by our clients / good friends, for whom the design of this house has truly been a labor of love…

The house as seen from the river.

The house as seen from the river.

 

The red cedar frame and brushed aluminum window system is complete other than at the screened porch in the upper right corner.

The red cedar frame and brushed aluminum window system is complete other than at the screened porch in the upper right corner.

 

The clear finished walnut fireplace siding and lower level rain-screen will be completed next.

The clear finished walnut fireplace siding and lower level rain-screen will be completed next.

The flat abstraction of the house becomes more three dimensional as you approach the house from the river.

The flat abstraction of the house becomes more three dimensional as you approach the house from the river.

The two “bars” of the house as seen from the north.

The two “bars” of the house as seen from the north.

From the east, you can see the river-side “bar” sliding out past the shorter and lower shingle-clad eastern “bar."

From the east, you can see the river-side “bar” sliding out past the shorter and lower shingle-clad eastern “bar."

The eastern “bar” with cantilevered front porch and recessed foundation.

The eastern “bar” with cantilevered front porch and recessed foundation.

The high clerestorey windows bring morning light into the laundry room, guest bath, and home office.

The high clerestorey windows bring morning light into the laundry room, guest bath, and home office.

View of the screened porch, soon to have their brushed aluminum framed screens and doors installed.

View of the screened porch, soon to have their brushed aluminum framed screens and doors installed.

The corner window of the kitchen, adjacent to the grilling deck and front porch.

The corner window of the kitchen, adjacent to the grilling deck and front porch.

Between the living/dining room and screened porch is a bi-folding door system, allowing the two spaces to flow together in good weather.

Between the living/dining room and screened porch is a bi-folding door system, allowing the two spaces to flow together in good weather.

The view from the home office, looking through the woods towards the river.

The view from the home office, looking through the woods towards the river.

Detail of the inset windows.

Detail of the inset windows.

Detail of the front door and windows.

Detail of the front door and windows.

Both the master bedroom and living room are cantilevered out beyond the existing foundation – the living room only by a foot, and the MBR by 3’ – and the volume in between will be sheathed in walnut lap siding.

Both the master bedroom and living room are cantilevered out beyond the existing foundation – the living room only by a foot, and the MBR by 3’ – and the volume in between will be sheathed in walnut lap siding.

View of the screened porch and river-side deck; below the screened porch will be a storage space with slatted siding.

View of the screened porch and river-side deck; below the screened porch will be a storage space with slatted siding.

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The Hawai’i Wildlife Center completes phase one. March 22, 2011

The Hawai’i Wildlife Center completes phase one.

As part of our commitment to annually contribute a minimum of 1% of our time to pro bono causes, Ruhl Walker Architects has been working with the Hawai’i Wildlife Center since 2006 on Hawai’i's first and only native wildlife recovery, rehabilitation, and education center. The HWC is located in Halaula, Hawai’i, on the Big Island of Hawai’i. 

It is difficult to think about problems of any kind amidst the overwhelming natural beauty of the Hawaiian Islands, but the sad truth is that the Islands are host to more threatened and endangered native species per square mile than any other place in the world. A report from 2010 on Climate Change states that 93% of Hawaiian birds are at medium to high vulnerability. In February 2007, the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) declared that the forests of the Hawaiian Islands are the most threatened bird habitat in the United States. The ABC stated that “most (native species) are dependent on vigilant conservation measures to survive at all.” Having seen many of the Big Island’s native birds on a recent trip sponsored by HWC founder and director, Linda Elliott, and renowned wildlife biologist and widely published photographer, Jack Jeffry, project architect Will Ruhl has an even more profound feeling of the urgency for this facility. The BP oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is all the proof one needs that tragedy can occur even in paradise.

This continues to be a labor of love as we progress with fund raising to complete the interiors of the HWC; needless to say, fund raising has been particularly difficult due to the Great Recession! But we are proud to be part of an amazing team of architects from Boston and Waimea, engineers from California and Hawai’i, a landscape architect from Oahu who grew up near the HWC site, construction managers from Hawi, and many local contractors and subcontractors who have contributed so much of their time and donated materials. The spirit of aloha is alive and well!

The interiors of the HWC are framed and roughed, but the good news is that the exterior shell and rough landscape, grading, and parking is now substantially complete.

 

The Hawai'i Wildlife Center from Lighthouse Road.

The Hawai'i Wildlife Center from Lighthouse Road.

The HWC with, from left to right, staging porch, entrance to rehabilitation facility, central public lanai, and open air classroom.

The HWC with, from left to right, staging porch, entrance to rehabilitation facility, central public lanai, and open air classroom.

The front facade of the HWC is composed of fiber cement siding that alternates from solid lap siding to slats spaced apart at different intervals to allow natural ventilation into the education pavilion and staging porch.

The front facade of the HWC is composed of fiber cement siding that alternates from solid lap siding to slats spaced apart at different intervals to allow natural ventilation into the education pavilion and staging porch.

The entrance to the HWC treatment facility is defined by planes of vibrant color set within an otherwise monochromatic composition the HWC's lanai will eventually lead to a native species garden, currently being propogated by a local school group, and will house educational displays focusing on native endangered species.

The entrance to the HWC treatment facility is defined by planes of vibrant color set within an otherwise monochromatic composition the HWC's lanai will eventually lead to a native species garden, currently being propogated by a local school group, and will house educational displays focusing on native endangered species.

the front wall of the staging porch -- essentially the emergency room entrance for delivering injured birds -- is sheathed with composite siding held apart to allow natural ventilation, a new take on an old agricultural building tradition

The front wall of the staging porch -- essentially the emergency room entrance for delivering injured birds -- is sheathed with composite siding held apart to allow natural ventilation, a new take on an old agricultural building tradition.

the side walls of the education pavilion are sheathed with clear corrugated polycarbonate paneling, allowing natural illumination into the space while also keeping out the prevalent rain and mist that North Kohala is known for

The side walls of the education pavilion are sheathed with clear corrugated polycarbonate paneling, allowing natural illumination into the space while also keeping out the prevalent rain and mist that North Kohala is known for.

entry to the open air education pavilion is through the central lanai

Entry to the open air education pavilion is through the central lanai.

Closeup view of the slatted front plane of the education pavilion seen through the corrugated polycarbonate paneling.

Closeup view of the slatted front plane of the education pavilion seen through the corrugated polycarbonate paneling.

The HWC will host talks to local school groups, educational outreach on environmental issues to locals, and talks geared towards vacationers.

The HWC will host talks to local school groups, educational outreach on environmental issues to locals, and talks geared towards vacationers.

by varying the size of the composite slats as well as the openings between slats, a virtual "window" was created in the front facade of the education pavilion

By varying the size of the composite slats as well as the openings between slats, a virtual "window" was created in the front facade of the education pavilion.

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