When Cliff Kihara decided to replace his 47-year-old tract home in Hawaii Kai with a new custom home, he chose a design/build firm with a reputation for including the client in the planning process. As a 35-year veteran of the construction industry, serving in various capacities with Hawaiian Dredging Construction, Kihara knew what he wanted.
With the house finished, the homeowner is now landscaping his own property.
Homeworks Construction’s Kim Green, CGP, who was assigned to the project, said, “We were really honored that Cliff chose us to build his own home, and we included him in the process every step of the way. Not only did he work with our architect, Mario Tadeo, AIA, to develop the plans, he also specified materials, finishes and fixtures. Energy efficiency was a big priority.”
A Certified Green Professional, Green noted that the choices made not only minimized energy consumption, but also took durability into consideration. “The standing seam metal roof is not only extremely durable, but because of the white finish, it also reflects heat away from the house. This, combined with the strategic placement of windows and doors for cross ventilation, cuts down the use of air conditioning, which is a ductless split system that cools rooms only as needed. Because the Kiharas are an ‘indoor-outdoor’ family that gardens and has dogs, they decided on vinyl wood grain flooring for durability and easy maintenance.”
Completing the kitchen was the final phase of the Kihara custom home.
Homeworks’ award-winning kitchen designer Sean Bradshaw said Kihara chose his own appliances and was proactive in developing the floor plan. “This is a very functional kitchen with a good work flow,” Bradshaw said. “It has abundant counter and storage space, and the hardwood maple finish cabinets, stainless steel appliances and white Corian countertops all blend nicely. The vinyl flooring in the kitchen is cushioned for comfort while doing food preparation and cooking. We saved some space in the corner to build Cliff a broom closet that he requested…he thought of everything.”
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