From Historic Waimea Comes a Stunning New Living Opportunity!

All homes tell a story, a reflection of memories that becomes part of the fabric of the homes, as much as the building materials that give them form and structure. To tell the story of the Laelae Home, we take a step back to 20th century Waimea, when horses were still hitched outside of buildings, and Parker Ranch was the largest privately owned ranch in the United States, larger even than King’s Ranch in Texas!

Richard “Dick” Penhallow had a long and distinguished career in Hawaii Ranching, culminating in twenty-four years at Parker Ranch with his last two years as the Parker Ranch Manager. Among his many achievements, his influence on education in Hawaii is unsurpassed, opening both Hawaii Preparatory Academy and Parker School, and serving as regent for the University of Hawaii at Hilo. During his time on Hawaii Island, Dick developed several home designs that relied on locally available materials like lava rock and Ohia wood. Decidedly hand-built by unskilled labor, these structures used vernacular cues to develop an architectural language of lava rock wainscot below and split-log Ohia siding above, wood doors and windows, and metal roofing. The homes were economical to construct and served a needed purpose, during a time when there was not a hardware store just down the street.

Dick constructed the original Laelae Home in 1951, eight years before Hawaii joined the United States! The original home had a smaller footprint and roof form, with an arbor/trellis element along the west elevation to provide solar shading in the summer months. As homes tend to do, the Laelae Home grew up with its various inhabitants over time.

Don Ho purchased the home and expanded the Living area to the south, capturing more interior space for entertaining. The new square footage doubled the size of the entertainment space, but left the original living areas of the home dark and under used. When Elvis Presley visited Don Ho at the Laelae Home, they surely had drinks in the expanded Living area, taking in the views from the mountains to the ocean.

Various Owners after Don Ho lived in the Laelae Home, but no major changes were made to the structure. Fast forward to 2008, and the Owners of that period constructed lava rock walls around the property, creating more walkable areas and additional planting terraces.

By 2016, after sixty-five years, it was clear that the original Laelae Home had seen better days and needed to be overhauled. The plumbing was exposed exterior of the walls; the wiring was suspect; the foundation had been built over time with different conditions; the roof eave was only 7-feet above the ground; and the walls were effectively open to the exterior air. The Laelae Home was tired and ready for new life and energy.

The conceptual design was to create a new Laelae Home, built for today, with spaces that allow families to congregate and separate within the same home, while respecting the original building footprint, reusing original materials where possible, and modernizing the architectural detailing. The “big move” was to remove the corner fireplace constructed during the Don Ho period, and open the view (and bring in more light and air) by raising the roof plane to 10’-0” above the ground. The introduction of the timber frame package at the new Living and Dining area (using Clear/Tight Knot Cedar sourced and fabricated by Daizen Joinery in British Columbia Canada), was a design-play on the original extended living room from the Don Ho era, allowing for larger glazing and an upper clerestory, with elegant detailing in a grand room, flexible for any purpose or furniture arrangement. The lava rock wainscot and wood siding mimic the original home. The wood doors and windows were upgraded to aluminum in consideration of long-term maintenance and thermal consistency.

The Entry to the Laelae Home is carved out of the exterior wall, a design feature to relax and welcome family and friends, a space to slow down before turning and entering the home, walking into the view and the experience of the great room with the outdoor trellis beyond. The openness of the room is anchored by the masonry fireplace opposite the large sliding glass doors. The Kitchen is open to the great room, but not part of the same volume, which brings intimacy to the Kitchen. Bar seats bring the conversation to the working Kitchen, without interrupting the flow and function. The Bar treatment is reminiscent of the original siding design, with split-lot Ohia posts, reused from the original structure. In all likelihood, Don Ho had at least one beverage at this exact location.

The Media Room is a counter-balance of the carved out Entry sequence, with an open room that backs to the masonry fireplace, for a more intimate experience that is still connected to the great room.

Each Bedroom has a Bathroom, and there are two Powder rooms for guest use. The entry to the Master Suite is another reflection of the original structure, with a lava rock wainscot and split-lot Ohia siding, further relieved to showcase the painting of the home as modified by the Don Ho expansion.

The Party Barn and Outdoor Pizza Oven complement the home and provide accessory areas for entertainment or family time. Two retaining walls create an extended yard area that expands the views and usable outdoor area.

The reflection of new memories is now integrated with the fabric of the new Laelae Home, which in turn tells the story of the original home, and all of those stories as well. The Laelae Home is happy, welcoming, and at ease with the land, ready for the next chapter in its story. A Hui Hou!