dekleva gregoric's clifftop house in hawaii watches over the ocean

maui’s northern coast is full of rocks, high cliffs and strong winds – conditions that tend to repel tourists when compared to it’s more tropical temperate counterpart along the south. they are also conditions that make for the perfect waves, something that wind surf sail designer robert stroj fell in love with when moving his family to the area to lead the design research studio of neil pryde. almost a decade of preparation and searching for the perfect site finally culminated in the completion of their dream house facing the ocean. slovenian firm dekleva gregoric arhitekti was chosen to carry out the design, having the opportunity to realize a project in a mostly uninhabited location characterized by long stretches of uninhabited land. in response to the rocky landscape, the house is embedded into the sloping site.

image © cristobal palma (also main image)

U-shaped concrete retaining walls are spaced out on the lot, creating pockets of private program: the owner’s and guest’s bedrooms. having one side open on each concrete foundation effectively directs views to the ocean while maintaining a large degree of privacy from the interstitial public areas which revolve around a central kitchen and dining area perfect for hosting guests. a network of beams and joists stretch across the concrete bases to support a wood-clad roof that folds above the ground until being received by an uplifted portion of grass that transitions back into the ground – an extended hard surface that gives the owners an immense deck from which to view the sea. with an efficient design geared towards natural ventilation and plasters made from sand gathered from only a few hundred feet away, the low-tech house achieves a high level of comfort without the excessive use of mechanical equipment.

image © cristobal palma

approach to the house
image © cristobal palma

image © cristobal palma

view from the rooftop deck
image © cristobal palma

site slopes down into the ocean directly from the house
image © cristobal palma

image © cristobal palma

wrap-around veranda
image © cristobal palma

image © cristobal palma

large glass facade protected by the overhanging roof/deck
image © cristobal palma

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$dekleva gregoric\'s clifftop house watches over the ocean$

project info:

authors: dekleva gregorič arhitekti
architectural office: dekleva gregorič arhitekti
project team: aljoša dekleva u.d.i.a., m.arch. (aa dist), tina gregorič u.d.i.a., m.arch. (aa dist), flavio coddou dipl.arch., lea kovič u.d.i.a.
client: robert & drazena stroj
site area: 10.000 m2
build up area: 450 m2
net area: 263 m2
project date: 2004
completion date: 2011