A combination of stacking and pocket doors with tall windows allows the homeowners to open the third-floor living area almost completely to the outdoors. “There’s a lot of heat gain in the house, so you want to make sure you’re using dual-glaze, low-emissivity windows,” says Marshall Hickox, of Homeworks Construction.

When a home-industry expert and her husband, both successful business owners, decide to build their dream home from the ground up, exciting things are bound to happen.

When they choose a steep, graded lot on Hawaii Loa Ridge, things really get interesting.

When their wish list includes a comfortable haven for three generations of the same family and spacious room for entertaining, the challenge becomes too enticing to pass up—especially for a great design/build firm like Homeworks Construction.

The hand-scraped teak wood flooring adds warmth and unification to the space. “It’s the finest floor we carry,” says Shirley Hilton, of Pacific Imports International. “It was the color I thought would best unify the diversity of woods used in the home.”

So when architect Richard R. Bass, AIA, president of Richard R. Bass Architects Inc., released his plans for Shirley Pai Hilton and Joe Hilton’s custom home, Homeworks put in a bid to build it.
Homeworks already has an experienced group of in-house architects on staff. Thus, taking on a project they hadn’t originally designed might have been an unexpected endeavor.

However, as it turned out, the partnership was a smart idea. “It’s actually beneficial to the architect because it keeps the project moving along,” explains Marshall Hickox, co-president of Homeworks. “We can actually have a dialogue with the homeowner as builders with design/build experience. We can assist the architect in working with the homeowner. We can talk about making changes that don’t add cost.”

The Dura Supreme Designer Series cherry cabinetry in the kitchen are semi-custom, modular pieces. “They are factory-built, and they’re a very good cabinet,” says Hickox, who suggested the semi-custom line as a cost-saving measure. “They’re durable, have great hardware and a great finish.”

The Hiltons’ business expertise was another bonus. Shirley Pai Hilton, owner of Pacific Imports International, and Joe Hilton, owner of Cigar—Cigar! in downtown Honolulu, knew the scope of the project and had realistic expectations. “Building a home is very emotional,” says Hickox. “It’s also a business. It’s great to work with business owners because they understand the challenges associated with building a custom home.”

With the team in place, groundbreaking could begin. The first challenge? The home’s foundation. “Everyone knew, going in, that we were dealing with a difficult site,” says Hickox. But the team took things slow and did it right.

In designing on a grade, “Richard did what a couple of other architects could not,” says Shirley. Homeworks followed with a carefully managed, intricate foundation installation process that involved inspections by structural engineers at every phase. “It’s important to go slow and steady to make sure you’re not rushing through any of that,” says Hickox.

Architect Richard Bass, AIA, designed this third-level glass foyer to maximize the home’s amazing views. Though it was originally planned to house a commercial-grade glass configuration, it was changed to a more budget-friendly, but equally beautiful, Pella window system at Hickox’s suggestion, and to Hilton’s delight.

The foundation process took about six months. When it was complete, the rest of the home could take shape.

At three stories high, the home stands tall and proud. It includes ample room for the Hiltons to share space with their 4-year-old daughter, Sophia, and Shirley’s mother, Sook Ja Pai.

“Coming from owning her own home, and giving [it] up to live with us, we thought it might be nice for my mother to have her own little kitchenette and her own laundry for privacy,” says Shirley.

Pai’s bedroom and kitchenette suite sits on the home’s second level and opens out onto the second-level deck. This level also houses more guest quarters. It’s the perfect amount of space for someone as independent as Pai—and a great place to retreat when she’s not caring for little Sophia or cooking in the family’s third-floor kitchen.

“Everything flows. The ideal plan for a multigenerational home is to create pockets of independent areas while, at the same time, trying to keep that open feel,” says Hickox.

It’s just a short elevator ride to the first-floor service area and four-car garage. A ride to the third floor reveals 13 feet of glass—the top portion of a 30-foot window system. The third floor also houses the master suite and Sophia’s room. Finally, it features a living area and a gourmet kitchen that opens up to a yard, lanai, pool and outdoor entertaining pavilion. The entire space features views from Koko Head to Diamond Head.

The Hilton home was built on a steep, challenging grade on Hawaii Loa Ridge.

With every square inch of the lot maximized, the Hiltons are satisfied that the space is being used in the smartest, most efficient way possible. “You have the dream of the homeowner, Richard’s beautiful design, and Homeworks balancing our dream with our budget,” says Hilton. “Homeworks has their own equipment and they do so many projects, so they were able to make our dream a reality.”