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  By Lisa Scontras Taking their cue from casual, recreation-friendly architecture found in exclusive resort hotels in Waikiki and elsewhere around the world, veteran remodelers Tamara and John Scott decided to knock down walls in their Portlock home to extend the living area outward and capitalize on their property’s greatest asset.In renovating their Portlock home, owners Tamara and John Stone drew on design-build strategies to extend their living space outward. “We designed the entire house so that it opens up to the ocean,” says Tamara, who remembers being surprised at how closed up the original house seemed when she and her husband bought it. “That was our number one priority.” According to Tamara, she and her husband had built at least 10 homes before redesigning this enviable Island-style residence, which sits on the waterfront with a sweeping view of Diamond Head. “We put furniture out on the lanai, so it’s hard to tell where the interior ends and the outdoors begin,” she says. “It’s like another room.” The growth of outdoor rooms — loosely defined as interior rooms open to the outdoors — is a design trend driven by the increasing cost of land and efforts by designers to make the most of every last inch of living space. In Hawaii, postcard views and a relaxed Island lifestyle make outdoor rooms a natural way to enjoy the Islands’ world-famous climate. But the concept is also gaining ground on the Mainland, where homeowners are incorporating gardens, fountains and fireplaces as key design elements. “Essentially you treat the space as an interior with the exception that one wall to the exterior is missing,” explains Marshall Hickox, vice president of Homeworks Construction, the architect and general contractor who built the Scott residence. “All you need is a decent exterior space. Sometimes you see the opening to a courtyard with a water or rock feature.” As opposed to many building experts, Hickox is in a unique position to expound on the subject of design. His company is among a new generation of firms embracing the “design-build” philosophy. The idea behind the design-build concept is the entire team involved in the creation of a home — from the architects and designers to engineers, general contractors and builders — all working in concert under one roof. According to the American Institute of Architects, design build enables architects to successfully convey their overall vision and knowledge of a project regarding risk management, project management and the long-term picture needed for the successful completion of the project. Many express a belief that design build can even contribute to shorter construction deadlines. “Design build is a team concept,” says Hickox, who sees it as being more functional than being merely trendy. “You’re hiring your builder on a notion that you work together to design the project and then build the project on budget, on time and to your specifications.” Tamara notes that she and her husband hired Homeworks to oversee a previous remodel and were impressed with the company’s integrity and ability to get things done on time. She also says that while she knew more or less what she wanted the house to look like and even drew pictures to illustrate her ideas, she needed the architects and engineers to determine if her ideas were all structurally sound. Those ideas, enhanced and brought to life by Homework’s multi-disciplined approach, have created a casual, Island-style residence that, in many cases, blurs distinctions between indoors and outdoors. Anne Oliver, vice president at Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties, attributes the overall comfortable, resort feeling of the home to its casual style. “The resorty, open-air style of the home reflects the way people in Hawaii actually live,” says Oliver, who currently has the Stone home listed for $7.9 million. “Casual dress, casual dining, outdoor sports, the ocean backdrop — it’s perfect. This home has a very simple, easy floor plan — no complicated angles or spaces.” Hickox notes that interior designers often enhance the indoor/outdoor theme by placing indoor furniture on the lanai and traditional outdoor wicker or rattan furniture inside. Embracing that concept, Tamara took it a step further by incorporating everything from a coral fireplace, natural stone floors and palm frond fan blades to the placemats and candle votives made from bamboo and drawer pulls in the shapes of palm trees into the home’s overall design. Hickox says that by using elements normally seen in a purely interior setting outdoors, you get that seamless indoor-to-outdoor transition. “You know you’ve nailed it when you have continuity in the living space and are safe from the elements,” says Hickox. “You shouldn’t have to shut the doors when it rains.” HS
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