'The Hawaiian House Now' takes the reader on a tour of 21 specially photographed homes throughout the islands pf Oahu, Hawaii, Maui and Kauai, including houses that update the 'aloha spirit', traditional houses in Honululu, country houses, fantasy houses, houses that blend the indoors and the outdoors, and, of course, beach houses.

At the forefront of the postwar phenomenon known as tropical modernism, Vladimir Ossipoff (1907-1998) won recognition as the "master of Hawaiian architecture.” Although he practiced at a time of rapid growth and social change in Hawaii, Ossipoff criticized large-scale development and advocated environmentally sensitive designs, developing a distinctive form of architecture appropriate to the lush topography, light, and microclimates of the Hawaiian islands. This book is the first to focus on Ossipoff’s career, presenting significant new material on the architect and situating him within the tropical modernist movement and the cultural context of the Pacific region. The authors discuss how Ossipoff synthesized Eastern and Western influences, including Japanese building techniques and modern architectural principles. In particular, they demonstrate that he drew inspiration from the interplay of indoor and outdoor space as advocated by such architects as Frank Lloyd Wright, applying these to the concerns and vernacular traditions of the tropics. The result was a vibrant and glamorous architectural style, captured vividly in archival images and new photography. As the corporate projects and private residences that Ossipoff created for such clients as IBM, Punahou School, Linus Pauling, Jr., and Clare Boothe Luce surpass their fiftieth anniversaries, critical assessment of these structures, offered here by distinguished scholars in the field, will illuminate Ossipoff’s contribution to the universal challenge of making architecture that is delightfully particular to its place and durable over time.

The tropical homes designed by San Francisco-based architect Shay Zak perfectly capture the spirit and culture of the islands. Subtleties of proportion, celebration of light, and thoughtful framing of views are delicately balanced to create exceptional homes that are perfectly suited to their dramatic oceanside sites. Constructed of natural materials that are beautiful to the eye and pleasant to the touch, the structures mesh seamlessly with the landscape and age with grace. New Tropical Classics: Hawaiian Homes by Shay Zak features color photography, site plans, and descriptions of eight extraordinary residences that both embrace the traditional elements of tropical architecture and push it in exciting new directions.

An introductory course of Hawaiian language, with guided practice in pronunciation, and stories and songs about the islands of Hawaii.

If you think Hawaiian interiors begin and end with floral patterns and a little rattan, think again. Hawaii's best designed rooms exude warmth and comfort while protecting privacy and giving artistic expression to their inhabitants. First in every islander's mind is a love of their natural surroundings and a desire to connect to the environment. Situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii has for centuries been inspired by the cultures of the Pacific Rim, influenced by both Asia and the United States. Hawaii's leading interior designer, Mary Philpotts McGrath, shows you how to get an easy, stylish island look. Peek inside the homes of many of her firm's clients and her good friends. She shows that Hawaiian design is timeless, with a connection to place that transcends fads and fashions.

A House in Hana...is the story about Lani Winters, a nursery owner and avid orchid collector in the Hudson Valley, who is of Polynesian descent and was adopted as an infant. Her nursery is struggling, but to make things worse, her boyfriend of six years breaks up with her and wants to be bought out. One day, she suddenly receives a letter from a lawyer in Kahului, Maui, informing her that she inherited a house in Hana from her great-aunt Malani.She travels to Maui and not only to find a house that is in dire need of renovation and has to be fixed up within one year, otherwise it will be sold to an investor who wants to bulldoze it and build oceanfront condos, she also finds out that her mother disappeared from the face of the Earth when she became pregnant and her father, Lani's grandfather, wanted to talk her into having an abortion.When Lani arrives at the house, she finds a painting of a woman who looks exactly like her: It seems that her father was a renowned artist and painted many paintings of her mother and the beautiful tropical surroundings of Hana and Maui. But he also obviously died a mysterious death and all information about his death has been deleted from the internet.Lani also finds a village that has been in a feud since thirty years, divided between the people that were on her great-aunt Malani's side who thought the pregnant girl, Lani's mother, should have all the assistance she could get, and the people that were on the grandfather's side who did not support having a child from a Haole, a white man.Max, the caretaker of the house, who lives in the guesthouse, not only helps Lani evaluate how much work the house needs, but he also helps Lani follow traces of her mother and father while he shows her beautiful sites of Hana and surroundings. They fall madly in love, but when the singer of a Jazz combo shows up at the house more than Lani can tolerate and obviously wants more from Max than just hang out, Lani is not sure whether Max is just using her or really loves her. She withdraws from him until she is sure about his love.The house suffers a final blow which is the straw that breaks the camel's back, but the residents of Hana have a big surprise for Lani.