Shay Zak, of the eponymous San Francisco–based firm Zak Architecture, follows just one unbreakable rule when it comes to designing a Hawaiian residence: The interior’s great room and the outdoor pool must be constructed next to one another. Therefore, before his first meeting with a pair of new clients on a hilly Kauai site, Zak decided to solve the potential conundrum of the great room and pool area layout. The result is a 4,070-square-foot, four-bedroom house that appears as a group of high-ceilinged pavilions organized around a stepped courtyard that came together with the help of interior designer @catherinekwongdesign. Escape to the serene retreat at the link in our bio. Photo by @william.jess.laird; design by @catherinekwongdesign; architecture by Zak Architecture; words by David Sokol.