Detweiler House
Detweiler House is a Tropical Modern and Brutalist house in Honolulu, Hawaii. The house was built by Waialea Builders, with structural engineer Richard M. Libbey. It was designed by architect Walter Booser “Chip” Detweiler in 1973 to be his private residence.
Design
Detweiler's work was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright. Detweiler held to the architectural tenet of “truth to materials”, with his choice of palette, his unfinished treatment of construction materials such as concrete and rough-hewn lumber throughout the house, and his use of indigenous materials such as volcanic rock and redwood. The interior is minimalist and forgoes ornament. For example, there are no cornices, trims, or moldings.Detweiler planned the building's design being conscious of air circulation in the tropical climate. Banks of clerestory windows with cantilevered glass run along the uphill side of the house and downhill facades of the house; other window-type openings have louvered wooden jalousie blinds. This system channels the Hawaiian trade winds through the house, cooling it naturally and eliminating the need for any mechanical system.
Detweiler lived in the house—first with his wife, Virginia Detweiler, and then later with his professional and life partner designer Dian Cleve until he died in 1984. A series of subsequent owners made alterations to the house, including sealing off window openings which thwarted the intended air circulation as designed by Detweiler, and adding giant floor-to-ceiling mirror panels to the interior.