Constructed in 1973 by architect W.B. “Chip” Detweiler as his private residence in a quiet residential neighborhood on Makiki Heights, the Detweiler Residence is an exemplary model of Tropical Modernism, emphasizing structural innovation, form and function to create a space that gracefully integrates with its setting and environment. The three-story house sits on a concrete foundation, has concrete stucco block walls and a flat roof of standing seam metal. The verticality of the white, masonry house is broken by bands of unpainted, horizontal lap siding found above the garage door, in the cantilevered third story balcony’s balustrade and the overhanging, flat roof’s fascia. The Detweiler Residence is significant under Criterion C. (Retrieved from Historic Hawaii Foundation)
Detweiler House, originally designed by architect Detweiler and influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, received significant recognition over the years. It won an American Institute of Architects-Sunset Magazine Merit Award in 1978. After a meticulous restoration led by Vilcek Foundation President Rick Kinsel in 2020, which returned the house to its original vision, it garnered a project award from the Historic Hawaii Foundation in 2022 and was featured as an Editor’s Pick in the 2023 Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Award for residential restoration. Additionally, the house was accepted for inclusion on the Hawaii State Historic Register.
4211 Waialae Ave., #9000 Honolulu, HI 96816
