The BIA Renaissance Building and Remodeling Awards, established in 1986, celebrate excellence in design and construction of new and remodeled projects in Hawaii. This showcase recognizes competing categories of Details, Kitchen & Bath, Landscaping, New & Remodeled Commercial Building, New & Remodeled Residential Building, Public Works, Hawaii BuiltGreen™, Historical and Innovative Design & Construction. The 27th annual awards ceremony was May 2, and 38 entrants from Hawaii, Maui and Oahu represented an exciting year of statewide participation.

Entries were judged on creativity, use of materials, environmental and sustainability, functionality, design principles, value, interior space, overall quality and workmanship.

The highlight of the ceremony was recognizing the top four Overall Grand Awards and the Carl Reppun Award. Today’s column features the winner of the Carl Reppun Award, named after the Renaissance Awards program’s first chairman. Carl Reppun was a pioneer in prefabricated cabinet distribution in the 1980s, the first distributor of Diamond Cabinets and supplied cabinets to small-volume remodeling contractors. This award is given in his memory to a small volume remodeler, and this year’s winner was Emery Construction Inc. in the New Residential division for “Kailua Lake House.”

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This open and inviting island-style house, built by Emery Construction Inc. and Brooks & Brooks Inc., is located on Kailua lake-front property, maximizing its wonderful views of Enchanted Lake and Mount Olomana.

The first level has an open floor plan with the kitchen, dining, living and family rooms flowing toward the covered lanai, which offers an unobstructed view of the lake. Polished concrete flooring and the 9-foot, 6-inch-high ceilings allow 8-foot windows and doors to create a spacious atmosphere. The state-of-the-art kitchen has African mahogany cabinets inlaid with mango and Labordorite blue granite countertops.

Second level bedrooms feature lake views, custom built-in storage and tiger wood floors. Old-style Kailua design elements include wood board and batten on the exterior walls with lava rock bases, a wood-shingle roof with copper gutters and casement windows and wood louvers above the doors to capture trade winds.

Karen Nakamura is executive vice president/ CEO of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii.

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