Excellence in Design: Hawaii

Architect Clayton Nishikawa's award-winning architecture firm, Nishikawa Architects, Inc., and design-build firm, Architectural Design & Construction, Inc., marry unsurpassed architectural excellence with a flawlessly harmonious experience from start to finish.

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Constantin Brancusi, often referred to as the patriarch of modern sculpture, was renowned for the simplicity of his work, both in form and process. A century later, the timeless appeal of his work stands testament to the idea that often, in art as in life, efficiency lies at the heart of exceptionally beautiful results.

This idea of resolving unnecessary complexity to achieve truly elevated outcomes is one that has followed architect Clayton Nishikawa from the launch of Nishikawa Architects in 1990. More than three decades later, Nishikawa’s award-winning designs are sought after as much for their sophistication and stunning architectural impact as they are for the architect's unsurpassed skill in bringing an elegant simplicity to the frequently hectic process of building or remodeling a home.

"Building high-quality homes of excellence was at the center of our business model from day one," Nishikawa says, "but underpinning that is our belief that building or remodeling a home should be a smooth, trouble-free experience for our clients."

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Comprehensive Creativity

Devoted to a bespoke, highly personalized approach, Nishikawa Architects quickly established itself as one of Maui's most respected architectural firms, lauded for stunning design executed to meet and exceed the highest luxury standards - standards, Nishikawa says, that could sometimes be a challenge to achieve when handing the design off to a general contractor.

"It was difficult to design a truly spectacular home, then to have to rely on an outside contractor to execute that design," he explains. "Contractors can be motivated to cut costs and find more inexpensive ways of doing things to keep profit margins as wide as possible. The approach is usually at odds with design quality and delivering a home that is as it was meant to be."

The complex web of subcontractors that clients often had to manage throughout the build process could be equally problematic, in Nishikawa's experience, adding a fraught element of unnecessary confusion and stress to the client experience. Ten years after founding his architectural firm, Nishikawa decided to change all that. It was time, he felt, to bring the entire design and construction process under one roof, and to begin offering a simplified, single-sourced design-build solution to his clients. Thus, Architectural Design & Construction, Inc. (ADC) was born.

More than 20 years later, with a host of accolades and a burgeoning portfolio boasting some of Maui's most admired homes, ADC stands at the forefront of the island's 21st century architectural landscape and has evolved into an in-demand resource for green and net-zero construction, as well as design solutions conducive to aging in place.

Offering a seamless client experience from conception and design through construction and delivery, the firm continues Nishikawa's tradition of bespoke design excellence, with the added benefit of its extensive network of skilled contractors and tradespeople working hand in hand under the leadership of the architect throughout the process.

"Clients shouldn't have to act as intermediaries between the architect and builder," Nishikawa says. "We take that complexity and simplify it to ensure the integrity of their home from the ground up. There truly is beauty in simplicity."