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Location: Haiku, Maui, Hawaii
Project size: 812 square feet

Program: Situated on a former pineapple plantation on the north shore of Maui, the Kauhikoa Core House is a low-cost, single-family house designed by 2019 Design Vanguard Spiegel Aihara Workshop (SAW) for a young couple who live on the island seasonally. While they are away, the structure serves as a long-term rental.

Design Solution: To SAW, this dwelling is also known as V002-02—the first built prototype of the architect’s Core House system, which aims to standardize essential technical components and costly finishes into a compact, easily shippable, and prefabricated module that can be quickly erected. Without the burden of complicated site work, “the task of place-making is simplified significantly—allowing for broader, less costly exploration of enclosure, environment, and social arrangement,” the architects contend. With the rising frequency of wildfires—especially following the August 2023 blaze that ravaged the nearby town of Lahaina—flexible, affordable, rapidly deployable houses are more necessary than ever.

Photos © Mariko Reed

The 812-square-foot Kauhikoa Core House sits at the back corner of the client’s plat, pressed against the densely forested edge of a gully. Rooms are organized around the “Core” (which accommodates two bathrooms, mechanical systems, and the kitchen) and the plan directs views from the primary living spaces toward Haleakala Volcano to the west. A prefabricated screen braces the structure against strong eastern winds, while also providing racks for the implements of Hawaiian life—bicycles, surfboards, wetsuits, and beach chairs—and privacy for the outdoor shower. A simple, tilted shed roof, extending beyond the footprint of the house, creates a series of outdoor lanais, a storage loft above the “Core,” and shields a private guest suite from the southern sun.

Structure and Materials: The foundation slab comprises the finished floor, connecting the landscape through the house. While the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic necessitated stick-built construction over a fully prefabricated module, the Kauhikoa Core House proved to be an important first proof-of-concept.

Additional Information
Completion date: April 2023
Site size: 2.5 acres
Total construction cost: $300,000 (construction)
Client/Owner: Jez Fry

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Photos © Mariko Reed

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Images courtesy Spiegel Aihara Workshop; click to enlarge