US studio De Reus Architects has perched this villa on an expanse of solidified lava, offering its residents sweeping views of the leeward side of Hawaii’s Big Island.

The Kohala Coast residence is made up of a cluster of small buildings and named after the area in which it’s located. It was completed by De Reus Architects, a studio with offices in Hawaii and Idaho.

The buildings are perched atop an expanse of blackened igneous rocks, which are formed when lava solidifies into stone. According to the firm, this particular rock formation dates back to 1801.

By breaking up the 10,000 square-foot (929 square-metre) home’s different spaces into smaller buildings, the architects sought to reference the local vernacular architecture. This is reinforced by the house’s gabled overhanging roofs.

“The residence was designed as a modern interpretation of indigenous island architecture and a way to connect the occupants to nature, the region, and its culture,” De Reus Architects said.

A water feature set within an entry court greets visitors to the home. According to De Reus, the open spaces that transition between the different buildings were as important as the primary rooms of the house.

“The home is organised as a series of interlocking yet separate hale (pavilions), with the resulting spaces between the hale becoming as important to the experience as the hale themselves,” the studio said.

Guests enter through a gallery into the home’s principal public area, which combines kitchen, living, and dining rooms under high cathedral ceilings that follow the building’s roof outline.