Archinect - News

Burning down the house to make American homes disaster-proof

2024-07-21T11:00:00-04:00

Last year's devastating wildfires in California and Hawaii once again came into focus as part of a New York Times exposé on the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (I.B.H.S.)-led movement towards the “biggest overhaul of building standards in more than 30 years.”

Burn demonstrations help visualize protective interventions that best resemble moats in unison with better building materials. The Times says: “The message to homebuilders is stark: Homes in certain parts of the United States must now be constructed with wildfires in mind, or they most likely will not be insured, which would mean they couldn’t be bought with a mortgage.”

Landscape designers as well as architects working on private residences will be equally affected. The MIT Technology Review wrote more extensively on the subject of design and the disaster-proof home in California last April.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa professor Cathi Ho Schar named 2024–2025 ACSA President

2024-07-08T18:09:00-04:00

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) has announced University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Architecture associate professor Cathi Ho Schar as its incoming president for 2024–2025.

Ho Schar is also the inaugural director of the eight-year-old University of Hawaiʻi Community Design Center (UHCDC), where she has gained valuable experience working with legislators, state agency directors, and faculty principal investigators to establish partnerships with over 30 public and non-profit organizations while generating $8 million in community-engaged research.

Those efforts were instrumental in helping the UHCDC win the 2020 AIA/ACSA Practice and Leadership Award. Ho Schar says: "As an island-based educator and practitioner, I am shaped by Hawaiʻi’s Indigenous, immigrant, and multicultural community and aligned with ACSA’s commitments to equity and inclusion."

Five idyllic Hawaiian homes by Walker Warner: Your Next Employer?

2024-04-29T11:13:00-04:00

Following our previous visit to New York-based Oza Sabbeth Architects, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to California this week to explore the work of Walker Warner.

Founded in 1989, and based in San Francisco, the firm has built an extensive portfolio of bespoke homes and hospitality venues across the United States. “Enduring architecture gains beauty as it passes from one generation to the next. It is timeless,” the firm says about its ethos. “Thoughtful design heightens your way of life. It invites you to feel at ease, at peace, at home.”

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for several positions to join their San Francisco office. For candidates interested in applying for a position, or anybody interested in learning more about the firm’s output, we have rounded up five Hawaiian residential retreats by Walker Warner that exemplify the firm’s ethos.

Makena. Image credit: Matthew Millman

Makena, Maui, Hawaii

The Makena residence on Maui was designed ...

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa architecture students use AI and 3D modeling to preserve Lahaina heritage structures lost in August wildfires

2024-03-29T12:51:00-04:00

A new course being taught to undergraduate students this semester at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Architecture is helping preservationists on Maui document lost heritage structures using the same AI-augmented 3D modeling technology that was previously incorporated into the rebuilding of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Co-taught by Dean William Chapman, Associate Professor Hyoung-June Park, and visiting Assistant Professor Kyung Hoon Hyun of South Korea’s Hanyang University, ARCH 490: Rebuilding Lahaina in Mixed Reality offers students the chance to aid in the recovery efforts by creating digital versions of lost buildings such as the Baldwin House, Wo Hing Society Hall, and Old Lahaina Courthouse.

"We want students to expand their creativity to think of more than simply rebuilding what was destroyed, but also what they can do with this new 3D model that they created," Hyun explained to Hawaii Public Radio recently. "They can add values or communal experiences within ...

Shigeru Ban team constructs Paper Log House prototype in wildfire-ravaged Maui

2023-12-08T17:32:00-05:00

A new collaborative project between Shigeru Ban, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Architecture, and Hawaii Off-Grid Architecture and Engineering has been constructed in Maui, providing residents of the community with much-needed temporary accommodations following the aftermath of the deadly spate of wildfires that killed 97 and destroyed another 2,000 structures in August of this year.

The installation of Ban's Paper Log House housing prototype in heavily afflicted Lahaina follows previous contributions to earthquake recovery efforts in Turkey and Morocco through Ban’s nonprofit Voluntary Architects’ Network (or VAN), which was first founded in 1995.

Image courtesy Hawaii Off-Grid Architecture and Engineering

“We are so grateful to Shigeru Ban and the Volunteer Architects Network (VAN) to inspire and remind us of the compassion and creativity that architecture and architects can provide to our communities,” Hawaii Off-Grid principal David Sellers told local news outlet La...

AIA calls for donations in wake of Hawaiian wildfires

2023-08-16T11:51:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is soliciting a call for donations in response to the devastating wildfires that have claimed more than 100 lives and damaged countless structures in Maui.

The AIA shares: "The AIA family is deeply saddened by these recent wildfires and is working in close coordination with AIA Hawaii as recovery efforts get underway. Our 97,000 members and extensive resources are being activated to support Hawaii’s health, safety, and welfare in the weeks, months, and years ahead. AIA’s past experience with disasters of this magnitude tells us that the recovery process is a long, arduous road that architects can, and must help navigate, to make communities whole once again. We cannot bring back what has been lost, but together we can help find a new way forward."

This summer has seen a spate of natural disasters across the West, including the record heatwaves in Arizona and other wildfires in Colorado and the Mojave Desert. The concerted effort of archite...

6 Hawai'i-based architecture firms join AIA's 2030 climate commitment

2023-04-27T17:01:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architects' 2030 commitment program aims to transform building design to address climate change by setting standards and goals. AIA Honolulu member firms AEPAC, AHL, Ferraro Choi, KYA Design Group, MASON and WRNS Studio signed onto the commitment in honor of Earth Day.

The AIA 2030 Commitment program requires participating firms to report the predicted energy performance of all projects in their portfolios each year. Energy by fuel source, renewable energy, post-occupancy energy use, and embodied carbon are also tracked. The program has mapped out energy reduction targets of 80% and 90% by 2025 and complete carbon neutrality by 2030.

Previously on Archinect: AIA 2030 signatories making progress on commitment to reduce energy use

Your next job could be designing off-grid homes in Hawaii

2022-08-17T11:55:00-04:00

Last month, we used our Job Highlights series to profile an opportunity to design rural getaways at the full-service Brooklyn studio HUTS. The role offered an example of architectural careers intersecting with popular culture; in this case, the alluring cliché of leaving a bustling city to find peace in nature.

Our editorial frequently sees examples of residential typologies that have captured the mainstream imagination. These include the tiny house movement, minimalist living, and DIY homes; architecturally themed movements capable of sustaining popular Netflix shows, YouTube channels, and Instagram profiles.

For this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series, we are continuing this theme by exploring open opportunities to design off-grid homes in Hawaii. The roles, advertised by Haiku-based Hawaii Off-Grid, offers interested applicants the opportunity to engage with...

Tired of snow? These 5 architecture firms are currently hiring in Hawai'i!

2021-02-18T14:05:00-05:00

With most states feeling the pinch of freezing winter right now, the thought of furthering one's architectural career at a place where the average February daytime temperature lingers around 80°F can be tempting. So if you are ready to trade the snow shovel for a surfboard, check out these five Hawai'i-based employers with active job openings on the islands of Oʻahu and Maui.

To look up specific job titles from the architectural profession, consult Archinect's Guide to Job Titles series. Also, follow our Archinect Tips series to improve your portfolio, resume, interviewing skills, and increase your overall chances of getting that next job.

Belt Collins Hawaii seeks a Landscape Architect I in Honolulu
"We are looking for a Landscape Architect I to join our team. This person will be working on and leading a full range of assignments in delivery of all project phases and administration, as well as scoping work and developing the project approach and work plans for support projects. Land...

Hawaii issues RFQ for new Aloha Stadium

2020-04-02T12:13:00-04:00

The state of Hawaii's Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) has issued a Request for Qualifications for contractors interested in bidding on the first phase of the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District in Honolulu. The first five years of work will include a replacement stadium and ancillary commercial mixed-use development and will be delivered through a public-private partnership (P3).

According to Construction Dive, Phase 1A of the project will include the demolition of the current 50,000-seat stadium; design, construction, financing and maintenance of a new 35,000-seat stadium, due to open August 2023. The work will also include necessary infrastructure, including roads, parking, public spaces and utilities; and connections to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) system.

Phase 1B will include 20,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space; up to 700 residences; 75,000 square feet of office space; and 240 hotel rooms, Construction Dive reports.

Snøhetta, WCIT, and AECOM to redesign Honolulu cultural center

2019-06-28T16:06:00-04:00

Snøhetta, WCIT, and AECOM have unveiled renderings depicting the team's efforts to re-imagine the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu via the creation of a new master plan for the 22-acre complex.

Exterior view of the rehabilitated arena. Image © Snøhetta.

A site plan for the project. Image © Snøhetta.

The designers are working to reposition the 64,000-square-foot cultural and arts center in order to update the venue into a state-of-the-art facility. Built in 1964, the Modernist-era structure is marked by sweeping archways, super-scaled columns, and an undulating concrete roof.

Image © Snøhetta.

The project will bring new performance and exhibition spaces as well as a sports pavilion, new parking structures, and reconfigured public outdoor spaces to the site. A new lobby and expanded food and beverage areas are included in the plan, as well.

Image © Moare.

A timeline for the project has not been unveiled.

Hawaii allows Thirty Meter Telescope to start construction on disputed Mauna Kea peak

2019-06-21T14:20:00-04:00

After years of protests and legal battles, Hawaii officials announced Thursday that a massive telescope which will allow scientists to peer into the most distant reaches of our early universe will be built on a volcano that some consider sacred. The state has issued a “notice to proceed” for the Thirty Meter Telescope project, Gov. David Ige said at a news conference. In October, a state Supreme Court’s 4-1 ruling upheld the project’s permits for the $1.4 billion instrument.

Meanwhile protests continue by a group of native Hawaiians who see the telescope's site on top of Mount Mauna Kea as sacred ground and have been trying for years to block the project at this location.

To tackle Honolulu's housing shortage, lawmakers take inspiration from Singapore

2019-05-01T13:12:00-04:00

Hawaii and Honolulu laws require most new developments to set aside a certain percentage of units as affordable rental housing, but it’s not enough. In five years, Honolulu will still need thousands of additional new units. That has elected officials looking for other solutions to the problem, and some think they’ve found one in Singapore.

The housing proposal put forward by Hawaii State Senator Stanley Chang is called Affordable Locally Owned Homes for All, or ALOHA, and looks to replicate the public housing program of Singapore which has a comparable median household income.

Marketplace's Ryan Finnerty reports that the "vast majority of Singaporeans live in flats built by the government — [...] between 80% and 85% of the island nation’s 5.6 million residents. Singapore residents can purchase a two-bedroom flat on the resale market for less than $300,000."

What is Tropical Modernism, and how did it find its way to Hawaii?

2019-01-11T15:46:00-05:00

The weather in Hawaii is fickle, always shifting depending on the island, the time of day, and the direction of the trade winds. How to design a building in such a place? One must account for the abundant sunshine, the humidity of the air, the salt of the sea, and the damp layers of maritime fog that settle around the smoky mountain peaks. For Vladimir Ossipoff, whose brand of midcentury modernism would define Hawaiian architecture, the answer lay in simplicity.

Though Vladimir Ossipoff may not be a household name in the continental United States, his work has become the stuff of legend in the Aloha State. Producing over 1,000 buildings in Hawaii throughout his 60 year career, Ossipoff championed a style of architecture now described as 'Tropical Modernism.'

Thurston Memorial Chapel, by Vladimir Ossipoff. Photo by Chris Mottalini

The work of Ossipoff neatly fits into the category of Critical Regionalism as well, a movement the critic Kenneth Frampton associated with architects from different corners of the globe, such as Alvar Aalto, Glen Murcott and Jørn Utzon. To battle the "war on ugliness" he famously announced in a speech against the mass-produced buildings that grew in popularity by the mid-century, Ossipoff designed his building as a blend of elements from Japanese, Hawaiian and American Mid-century design.

Robert Wenkam Ossipoff House in Lanai. Courtesy of Tad Wenkam and Ossipoff, Snyder and Rowland Architects.

Is it possible to resu...

Searching for some sun? Check out these architecture job opportunities in warmer climates

2018-12-06T10:00:00-05:00

Not everyone loves cold weather. If you're a skilled architect looking for a warmer place to relocate to check out these architecture firms hiring in sunnier climates. Scroll down and be warmed by our list of future job prospects.

Hainan Tongguling Hotel Resort Image © LOD | Laliving & OPR Design

LOD | Laliving & OPR Design seeks a Project Architect/Senior Designer in Shenzen, CN
Qualified candidates would work not only in our Shenzhen/Beijing office on projects in China, but also with our Barcelona office on international projects and research prototype. LOD specialises in mixed-use development, residential and commercial complexes, hotels, offices, institutional buildings and design integration of sustainable technology.

Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina Image © de Reus Architects

de Reus Architects is seeking for a Junior Architectural Designer, Intermediate Architect/Designer, and a Bilingual (Japanese/English) Architect in Waimea, HI
The Waimea, Hawaii Island office of de Reus Architec...

Hawaiian Supreme Court green-lights construction of $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope

2018-11-02T13:46:00-04:00

Hawaii's Supreme Court has sided with scientists in a battle to build one of the world's largest telescopes, rejecting efforts by native Hawaiians to block its construction atop what some consider a sacred volcano. In 2015, a construction permit for the Thirty Meter Telescope, or TMT, to be built on Mauna Kea, was invalidated amid protests and court appeals, claiming the dormant volcano is sacred land that would be violated in the building process.

The embattled TMT astronomical observatory project on Mauna Kea previously in the Archinect news:

New case of proposed "Poor Door" in Honolulu

2017-12-04T14:01:00-05:00

A real estate developer in Hawaii is under scrutiny for its plans to build a residential high-rise that has two separate entrances: one for high-income residents and another for low-income earners. [...] will include 78 affordable rental units for people earning 80 percent or less of the area median income, as required by Honolulu’s affordable housing strategy. The other 351 units will be market-priced condominiums. If things go as ProsPac plans, the units will be separated with two entrances.

Various examples of so-called "poor doors" in New York City, London, and Vancouver made the headlines in previous years, sparking heated debate across a number of Archinect comment sections.

How solar battery storage will affect microgrids and off-grid living

2017-08-14T17:32:00-04:00

In March, Tesla cut the ribbon on this groundbreaking grid-scale battery installation, a key test of the viability of energy storage in making renewable energy a more reliable part of the grid. With 50,000 solar panels and 272 batteries, the combined solar-and-storage plant provides enough energy to power 4,500 homes for four hours. If Tesla can help keep Kauai solar-powered around the clock with its batteries, then it can apply what it has learned elsewhere in the country, and around the world

In her Longreads/Grist piece, author Amelia Urry explains the changing nature of solar power challenges that off-grid dwellers as well as smaller, geographically isolated microgrids face now that battery storage on an industrial scale is becoming more lucrative.

The article tells the story of a young couple struggling to live off the grid on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, when at the same time, the local utility cooperative switches on its brand-new bank of Tesla batteries to store the abundant solar power it generates during daytime but couldn't offer during peak times in the early morning and late evening hours: "It’s not about getting off the grid. It’s about building a better one."

Hawaii's Thirty Meter Telescope could be moved to the Canary Islands

2016-12-01T12:40:00-05:00

The Thirty Meter Telescope’s International Observatory Board decided late last month that if they cannot move forward with building the telescope in Hawaii, they will instead choose La Palma, one of Spain’s Canary Islands...The nonprofit group that’s building the Thirty Meter Telescope began scoping out other sites for the $1.4 billion telescope this fall—including mountains in Chile, India, China, and Mexico...

Previous news about the TMT:

Hawaii protesters block construction of giant telescope on sacred mountain Mauna Kea

The $1.5B 30m telescope (TMT) will be the biggest ever

Hawaii protesters block construction of giant telescope on sacred mountain Mauna Kea

2015-06-26T13:02:00-04:00

Builders pulled back from Mauna Kea as hundreds of protesters set up roadblocks to oppose construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on top of Hawaii’s sacred mountain. State and local police arrested a dozen demonstrators.

"Protesters say they are taking a stand to defend Mauna Kea, sacred to native Hawaiians, from the international conglomerate attempting to build the mega-telescope, also known as the TMT. They say the 18-story building represents an unacceptable desecration of the mountain."

The Thirty Meter Telescope, or TMT, was designed to be one of the largest telescopes in existence — at a price tag of $1.5 billion USD.

Previously on Archinect: The $1.5B 30m telescope (TMT) will be the biggest ever

The $1.5B 30m telescope (TMT) will be the biggest ever

2015-04-08T18:22:00-04:00

...after a year-long delay, Canada has committed $243.5 million to build a giant telescope observatory in Hawaii. The Thirty Meter Telescope, or TMT, will cost an estimated $1.5 billion USD to build...When completed, the TMT will be one of the largest telescopes in existence...Its 30 meter-wide mirror lens...will allow scientists to search the skies for planets outside of our own solar system, as well as other phenomena like supermassive black holes.

Honolulu Law Criminalizes Homelessness

2014-10-15T16:37:00-04:00

On Sept. 16, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell signed three bills that make it a misdemeanor (punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine) to sit or lie on sidewalks in the bustling tourist district of Waikiki and outlaw relieving oneself in public islandwide. Homeless advocates say the new laws unfairly target Hawaii’s most vulnerable residents, especially since Waikiki has only one 24-hour public restroom in the crowded district.

In a 2014 report, Hawaii was ranked as the state with highest population of homeless residents, who provoke the ire of local businesses. Some opponents of the new law claim it breaks the traditional "law of the splintered paddle," introduced by King Kamehameha circa 1797. The law states: “Let every elderly person, woman and child lie by the roadside in safety."

This is just a recent example of a growing trend of criminalizing homelessness in the US. For more information about such laws, as well as design solutions intended to circumvent them, read our coverage here. For design innovations particularly oriented around the lack of public bathroom facilities, click here.

Daniel Friedman to serve as Dean of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Architecture

2014-06-02T13:07:00-04:00

Daniel Friedman has been named the new UHM Dean of the School of Architecture, beginning August 1, 2014. Friedman has served as Dean of the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington, and is currently a Professor of Architecture at the University of Washington. Prior to joining UW, he served as Director of the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and as Director of the School of Architecture and Interior Design at the University of Cincinnati.

Get Lectured: University of Hawaii at Manoa, Spring '14

2014-03-28T12:51:00-04:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Winter/Spring 2014

Archinect's Get Lectured is up and running again for the Winter/Spring '14 term! As a refresher from our Fall 2013 guide, every week we'll feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current season. If you're not doing so already, be sure to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

For Friday, we have our first poster from Hawaii with the University of Hawaii at Manoa, School of Architecture. They have two lectures left for the season.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Lectures take place at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, School of Architecture: 2410 Campus Road Honolulu, HI 96822

March 29
7:30-8:30 pm
Craig Steely / Craig Steely Architecture
AIAS West Quad Conference Keynote Speaker

April 9
6 pm
Yoshiharu Tsukamoto / Atelier Bow-Wow
archhawai'i speaker

For more details, click here.

...

Atelier Bow-Wow helps design Honolulu's first "indoor park" pavilion

2014-02-12T14:30:00-05:00

Interisland Terminal from Honolulu is on a mission to show the creative potential of their city's neighborhood with their latest endeavor known as Kaka'ako Agora. Located in the neighborhood of Kaka'ako, the project is an empty warehouse-turned-community space designed and planned in collaboration with Japanese architecture firm Atelier Bow-Wow.

Surrounded by plenty of local outdoor parks, Kaka'ako Agora will be the first "indoor park" for the Honolulu neighborhood. Once complete, the new space will serve as a local gathering area for various public programs, educational use, and other community-driven purposes.

Interisland Terminal recently launched a Kickstarter with a $15,000 goal to partially raise funds to purchase building materials for the pavilion's final pieces. The Kickstarter closes on Sunday evening, March 16.

For more details on Kaka'ako, click here.