High ceilings and a large skylight open up the main living area of the guest house.

The newly landscaped front yard of the main house welcomes visitors with a variety of tropical plants and an island-style feel.

Alex Dean has never believed in “quick fixes.” As an experienced contractor, with an expertise in green building, he knows the only way to truly solve a problem is to address it at its foundation.  Dean, the founder, president and CEO of The Alexander Group, is a proponent of energy conservation and green building.

He calls construction a “team game” that has to be played with the right people at the right time. “It takes a talented team of architects, engineers and builders, vendors and tradesmen, and all of the people who support them, to integrate the correct designs and know-how into a project,” says Dean. “We need this so the client and owner can receive what they want and have a really rewarding experience at the same time.”

The right people and time arrived in the summer of 2009, when the architectural firm Long & Associates asked Dean and his team to join them in a vast renovation project of a Kahala beachfront home. The task was considerable: The property consisted of a main house with a pool, a guest house with a pool, tennis courts and several outdoor living spaces. Both structures were outdated, in need of multiple repairs and did not aesthetically complement the look and feel of their seaside location. “You couldn’t even see the ocean from the second-floor balcony in the main house,” explains Dean. “It was a dark, contemporary-looking space that didn’t even open up to the beautiful ocean views.”

Dean and the project’s lead architect, Jennifer Harada Okino, director of operations for Long & Associates, assembled a team of trade specialists and workers to assist them in completing the large-scale remodel. With the help of project manager Robert Sharpnack, the daily crowds of workers were extremely productive and well organized throughout the beachfront lot.

Due to the magnitude of the project and the time constraints exacted by the home-owner’s schedule, the renovation had to be carried out in phases. The team had 14 weeks to complete Phase I, which consisted of the guest-house renovation, a renovation of the main room in the main house, and several landscape and exterior modifications. Phase II was completed in 12 weeks, furthering the renovation of the main house with remodeling of the bedrooms, bathrooms and the main house’s outdoor pool area.

 Guest House

BEFORE

The guest house, a 1,200-square-foot, post-and-beam structure, wasn’t built efficiently. The two-bedroom, two-bath dwelling had a main ventilated skylight that would leak hot, humid air, filling the living space below. To fix this, the construction team applied new roofing, installed a new skylight and insulated the ceiling and walls with high-quality insulation. The team outfitted the main room, bedrooms and baths with energy-efficient windows — keeping cool air in and hot air out. “One of the rules to green building is ‘ventilate right, insulate tight,’” says Dean. The interior of the guest house, styled and furnished by Long & Associates’ design team, had a fresh, new look with a soft, earth-tone palette and African mahogany trim adorning its peaked ceiling.

This spalike bathroom in the main house features his-and-her sinks and granite countertops. Wood accents, a hallmark of the rest of the home’s design, make an impression here as well.

Outdoor areas, such as the pool and surrounding decks (above), received some serious upgrades as well. Dean and his team retiled the pool and pool deck, and they revived the wood deck — made from a Brazilian hardwood called ipe — by sanding it down and refinishing it with an eco-friendly gloss.

Main House

BEFORE

Throwbacks to the 1970s abounded in the main house: The living room walls were covered in dark-stained wood paneling and two giant truss beams stretched across the open ceiling, darkening the space. The team replaced the old wood truss beam with a new structural support beam. New roofing and insulation in the ceiling was added to keep the interior of the structure temperate. Four large skylights line the roof, brightening the room and allowing for breathtaking ocean views from the second story of the home.

The new living room is open and light. A natural-finished African mahogany trim frames the floor-to-ceiling windows and contrasts beautifully against the white-painted walls. Contemporary, island-style furniture, also chosen by Long & Associates’ design team, keeps the interiors looking airy and bright. Aside from the visual modifications, the team rewired areas of the house and installed a new solar water-heating system.

The open floor plan of the main house’s kitchen and dining area creates a perfect space for entertaining.

The driveway and front yard got a fresh look with new landscaping. The team renovated the front water feature, a small lily pond and rock waterfall, and lined the entry walkway with stone veneered pillars and copper sconces, giving the space a warm, tropical feel.


Using environmentally friendly materials and recycling most of the original appliances and cabinetry, Dean kept true to his green-building form. “A lot of green building techniques are just practicing good, quality building to make something that will last,” he explains. “It’s doing it right the first time that counts.”
The team returned in August of 2010 to embark on another phase of the project. In this 12-week stint, they renovated the second level of the main house, installing energy-efficient doors and windows and eco-friendly appliances — like low-flush toilets and a five-ton, central A/C unit. The team modernized the master bedroom and bath and added a second bed and bath to the level.

The entire property endured a serious makeover. “It was pretty amazing to see the transformation,” says Okino. “Overall, it was a very good process.”

At the homeowner’s request, the same team will be collaborating on a third and fourth phase of construction this coming summer. “These Islands have some really exciting architectural structures, and it’s rewarding to build here,” Dean says. “A project isn’t just about the kind of doors or windows you used, it’s about the process to restore and create something for someone.”