Mauna Kea Beach Resort Spa
Location: Kahala Coast, Hawaii
Narrative: Journey Within
Inspired by the Ali‘i who ascended to Lake Waiau atop Mauna Kea to commune with the spirit of place, this interior concept is a reconnection to self through an energetic exchange between person and nature. The design honors elevated journeys—pathways, thresholds, and the latent resonance of site and element—translating cultural reverence into spatial experience.
In ancestral Hawaiian understanding, trees and pōhaku are not elements of the landscape—they are living kin, imbued with mana and lineage. Trees stand as embodiments of akua and aumākua, bridging the human and spiritual realms through breath, movement, and presence.
Pōhaku, in contrast, hold the stillness of time—repositories of ancestral memory and enduring life force, anchoring spirit into form. Together, they express a continuum of energy—growth and permanence, motion and grounding—inviting a relationship not of observation, but of belonging.
Ultimately, the space is conceived not as a static environment, but as a living continuum—one that mirrors the ancestral understanding of interconnectedness between land, spirit, and self. It becomes a vessel for quiet transformation, where each threshold crossed and each material encountered deepens a sense of presence and belonging.
Rooted in reverence and guided by the unseen currents of mana, the design transcends function to become an experiential ritual—an enduring dialogue between stillness and movement, memory and becoming. Here, the journey inward is not an escape, but a return: to origin, to balance, and to the profound intelligence of the natural world.
TEAM PARTNERS:
MADE brands - Jackson Butler, Nao Yoneda
AHL - Neu-Wa O’Neill, Lisa Rapp
Odyssey Hawaii — Patricia Moad
NordicPCL Construction
Benjamin West Procurement
Art Consultant - Allison Wong
Feature Artist: David David Shepard - Kamran Samimi
Photography - Eric Laignel
Mauna Kea Beach Resort
the RockRoom
Location: Kahala Coast, Hawaii
Narrative: Speak the Mid-Centery
An apostle for the restorative powers of nature in an age of anxiety and complexity, Mr. Rockefeller revealed an unusual mix of ingenuous and perhaps chutzpa when he wrote an article for Readers Digest in 1976 call,
“The Case for a Simple Life”
This new space is an homage to Mr. Laurence Rockefeller, his vision, and leaving such a rich legacy. Being in a mindset of a moment and place, new and midcentury. Timeless, elevating a past while delivering something unique and fresh.
This idea of a speakeasy gave way explore and to be in the mindset of “what would Mr. Rockefeller design?!” Rich natural materials, clean lines, form following function with a bit of mystery and fun. And of course, amazing cocktails, music and discovery.
Simultaneously making it feel new and also as if it were always there and recently discovered
"Individually, people are finding that a simpler lifestyle provides greater satisfaction than relentless pursuit of materialism."
Laurence Rockefeller
TEAM PARTNERS:
MADE brands - Jackson Butler, Nao Yoneda
Workshop Hawaii - Jason Selley
Odyssey Hawaii — Patricia Moad
Castaway Construction
Benjamin West Procurement
Art Consultant - Allison Wong
Feature Artist: Jackson Butler
Photography - Eric Laignel