by Don J. Hibbard, Glenn E. Mason, and Karen J. Weitze

As a leading advocate for the development of a Hawaiian style of architecture, Hart Wood (1880–1957) incorporated local building traditions and materials in many of his projects and was the first architect in Hawaii to consciously blend Asian and Western elements in his designs. Lavishly illustrated with 200 photographs and illustrations, HART WOOD traces the life and work of this notable talent, from his beginnings in architectural offices in Denver and San Francisco to his arrival in Hawaii in 1919 as a partner of C. W. Dickey and eventual solo career in the Islands. Enchanted by Hawaii’s vivid beauty and its benevolent climate, exotic flora, and cosmopolitan culture, Wood sought to capture the aura of the Islands in his architectural designs.

Hart Wood’s magnificent and graceful buildings remain critical to Hawaii’s architectural legacy more than fifty years after his death: the First Church of Christ Scientist on Punahou Street, the First Chinese Church on King Street, the S & G Gump Building on Kalakaua Avenue, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply Administration Building on Beretania Street, and the Alexander & Baldwin Building on Bishop Street, as well as numerous Wood residences throughout the city.

Don J. Hibbard administered the State of Hawaii’s historic preservation program in 1981–2002 and now works as a heritage specialist. He has written several books on Hawaii architecture, including The View from Diamond Head and Designing Paradise. Glenn E. Mason, AIA, heads Mason Architects in Honolulu and has published several articles and essays on Hawaii’s historic architecture. Karen J. Weitze is an architectural historian living in California who has worked on historic preservation projects across the nation, including Hawaii. She is the author of California’s Mission Revival and primary contributor to The Arts and Crafts Movement in California: Living the Good Life.

Read Chapter 1 and the table of contents here.

Tags: Alexander & Baldwin, Architecture, buildings, C. W. Dickey, design, First Chinese Church, First Church of Christ Scientist, Gump Building, hart wood, historic preservation, Mason Architects, UH Press

This entry was posted on Friday, June 4th, 2010 at 7:09 pm and is filed under Architecture, Hawaii history, Hawaii non-fiction, Nonfiction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.