A Legacy and Forever Home

Nestled in a quiet East Honolulu neighborhood is a special project by Homeworks Construction: a multigenerational abode with an accessory dwelling unit designed and built for a local ohana with longstanding roots in the area. The home will be a place to grow and to gather in the years ahead, and a place where the family’s legacy can live on.

“It was immediately evident this was more than just a request to build a new home,” says Homeworks’ president Marshall Hickox. “The original home had been the epicenter and heartbeat of this family for generations — a place where so many precious memories had been made. We are always cognizant that we must be respectful of the past, even in how we demolish the old home. We reflect on the nuances that made the original home special, and, in this case, captured that essence to honor the past. We knew this new house had big shoes to fill.”

The newly built residence stands on shoreside Aina Haina property that was purchased by the homeowner’s parents in 1973. The parents remained in the property’s original house after the son moved out to Kapolei in 1991.

The accessory dwelling unit features a multifunctional space with a bedroom and office.

The kitchen in the ADU includes Color Wheel Collection subway tile from Daltile and multilevel countertops.

“When my father passed away in 2016, my mom was alone and it was time to start planning the move back” with his own family and a rebuild, says the homeowner.

“My father loved the ocean, I love the ocean and I need to pass on that appreciation to my children and, one day, my grandchildren. We have had so many parties, fishing gatherings and other social occasions at the house over the decades, and we will continue to draw family together to carry on that joy of ohana, community and friendship.”

The homeowner and his wife began “conceptual planning” for the new build in 2018. In 2019, they visited four design-build contractors to discuss the project; they say that in the end they selected Homeworks because of the company’s fair pricing, experience and design capability.

Exterior, trim and eaves are done with finishes by Sherwin-Williams (Extra White, White Cotton, Useful Grey, White Gallery, White Batten).

Smoked pendant lighting fixtures from Lighting Concepts shine in the kitchen and dining area of the main house.

Homeworks was “willing to design the ‘plantation-style’ themed house that we imagined for our new home,” note the homeowner and his wife. “Although we already had the concept plans in hand, Homeworks displayed the willingness and flexibility to work with us to take the plans to the next level.”

The homeowners requested specific design elements such as single-hung windows and a combination of board and batten and lap siding for the exterior walls. They also wanted exposed rafter tails, plantation-style columns and railings, and varied rooflines with standing-seam and asphalt shingle roofing. “Homeworks guided us through the planning process to find the look and feel we wanted for the house,” the homeowners write.

Hickox explains that keeping the original swimming pool and “making the feature tie seamlessly with the new home and courtyard” was a unique challenge. The Homeworks team “had to engineer and manage drainage with absolute precision, down to the quarter-inch.”

A timeless kitchen design is achieved with the Lunada Bay Tile backsplash supplied by Tile Warehouse, and luxury vinyl flooring.

This seating and dining area provides the family with added storage and entertaining space.

Features the homeowners love in the abode include the fluid kitchen and grand room layout with high ceiling; halfway frosted glass doors for the pantry, laundry and workout rooms; and raised ledges along the wash basins in the bathroom.

The project took 18 months to finish due in part to material delays and manpower shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paperwork for the project started before the pandemic hit, though, and the permit to build was issued just 11 weeks after the project contract was signed at the end of 2019. The homeowners attribute this relatively quick turnaround to Homeworks’ “thoroughness and completeness of the building plans.”

The rebuild was a worthwhile investment, note the homeowners. And, they say, they couldn’t have asked for a better contractor than Homeworks.

Materials in the bathroom design include Wailea luxury vinyl tile flooring from Mohawk Flooring, with shower and surround in Tender Gray cultured marble from U.S. Marble.

The raised ledges along the wash basins in the bathroom are among the homeowners’ favorite features.

“My parents lived here 1970s-2010s,” says the homeowner. “We are back in the 2020s, and my children will reap the benefits of the new house and location into the future. Hopefully, their children will want to live near their grandparents, and the cycle will begin again.”

As Homeworks marks its 30th year in business in 2024, the Aina Haina project is a shining example of the design-build firm’s commitment to good communication, expert craftsmanship, and construction with the highest-quality products.

“This legacy home will serve the family for generations to come, and that is what it means to be successful for our team,” says Hickox.

To contact Homeworks for your next project, call (808) 774-3525 or visit homeworkshawaii.com.

Homeworks Design and Construction Team Who Worked on This Home
Left to right: Sylvio Boucher, Sean Bradshaw, Elyse Grable, Bob Almeida, Michele D’Amico, Jon Zimmerman, Richard Church, Marc Dawson

Homeworks Construction Owners and Partners
Left to right: Marshall Hickox, Jim Byxbee, Sylvio Boucher

Building Kamaaina Homes for 30 Years

Homeworks Construction was founded by Jim Byxbee in 1994 as a design-build company, providing Oahu homeowners with a full-service experience. Their radically different approach to homebuilding influenced the industry in the decades to come. Today, they are an award-winning and industry-leading expert with more than 1,000 completed projects across the island. Focused on utilizing better building products, assisting homeowners throughout the process, and building homes to meet the needs of Oahu residents drives this team every day. The company’s owners are grateful to their clients and their fantastic team for making the last three decades possible.

Group photos: Courtesy of Homeworks Construction

Editor’s Note: This article has been slightly modified from the original print version for optimal online reading. To view the full print story, pick up your copy of Hawaii Home + Remodeling at one of our partner locations.