New designer lofts for Waikiki
Urban Loft Development LLC, a Hawaii firm, is planning a new six-story, fee-simple residential community at 427 Launiu St. in Waikiki.
The community, to be called Loft@Waikiki, features 36 private two-bedroom and two-bath residences designed by architect Don Huang.
According to Huang, a team of young, progressive architects and developers worked together on the design, with the goal of developing a product for the urban lifestyle.
"Loft doesn't mean it has to be empty space," Huang said. "We're building the whole thing out in high-quality finishes. We have the highest-appliance groups similar to Hokua."
Huang is a principal of Urban Loft Development LLC, which is made up of various stakeholders that are under contract to buy six parcels of land measuring 30,000 square feet by February.
The Loft@Waikiki condos offer 12-foot ceilings -- up to 19 feet in the penthouse residences -- two arched windows each, art decor doors, porcelain tiles, wine refrigerators and contemporary accents. Units range from 1,047 to 1,096 square feet. Residents also can opt for curved walls between the living room and master bedroom or a floor-to-ceiling glass wall.
Each unit comes with two parking stalls, which are larger than required by the county, at nine feet and four inches wide. Huang calls them "hummer-style stalls." He also said the Loft@Waikiki will be the first test case using insulated concrete -- used in single-family homes -- for a commercial building.
Architect firm Collaborative Seven LLC designed the community and Kahala Associates will be the exclusive listing agent and principal broker for the project.
Prices begin at about $580,000, with sales beginning on Sunday at the Gentry Pacific Design Center, 560 N. Nimitz Highway, Suite 219. Groundbreaking is expected to take place in March.
Launiu St. is a short mauka-makai street, two blocks ewa of Lewers, within walking distance of the heart of Waikiki.
**I'll post renderings when they become available
***Mauka - means towards the mountain(s)
***Makai - means toward the sea/ocean
