Front Street

Perched on the Shore

In the wake of the 2023 Maui Fires, a significant challenge was assisting homeowners in rebuilding non-conforming properties to meet new tidal setback regulations. Inhabit Designs worked with Maui County and private clients to create a new home that adheres to ecological requirements—utilizing smaller footprints and raised foundations—and serve as a model for resilient, beautiful, and responsible design.

The design utilizes FEMA guidelines for the flood plain to inform the program. Mandated to raise the habitable space 8’-0” above grade the covered parking, storage, and an outdoor living space that spills out to the rear yard make up the program of the ground level. The stricter setbacks enforced did not allow for the three bedrooms to be rebuilt on a single level. To maintain a lower profile the third bedroom pops up as a loft, offering a dreamy space to take in the ocean with the horizon line. 

* Note: Exterior Renderings are generative studies preformed with Sketch Diffusion’s AI based on narratives and models built by Inhabit Designs.