2024 Design Award Winners

AIA Honolulu is pleased to announce the winners of the 66th Annual Design Awards, recognizing architectural design excellence for 2024. This is Hawaii’s oldest design competition — held annually since 1958 — recognizing the year’s best in architectural projects.

2024 AIA Honolulu Design Awards Booklet
Available this September!

All winners and entrants are featured in our special Design Awards insert included in the September issue of the Hawaii Business Magazine.

AIA Honolulu has maintained an excellent partnership with aio Media Group, publisher of Hawaii Business Magazine. This alliance positions our members within a core readership of business and professional leaders as well as potential private clients.

The following exemplary projects and architects were recognized as Design Award winners from the distinguished entrants.

View the Past Winners Since 1958

Congratulations to the 2024 Design Awards Recipients!

Award of Excellence
Mayor's Choice Award
Hawai‘i Energy Award for Excellence in Energy-Efficient Design

Kūlanihākoʻi High School (Institutional)

Firm: G70

Client: Hawaii State Department of Education
Contractor: Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.
Project Location: Kihei, Maui, Hawai’i
Photo Credits: Olivier Koning; Travis Rowan Photography

Kūlanihākoʻi High School is a new DOE high school in Kihei Maui. It will ultimately accommodate 1,600 students once all phases are complete. It was designed to be a highly sustainable school that will set an example for future schools in the State. The school serves a vital need in the community as there were previously no other high schools in the area, and students from the community were forced to bus to other campuses located on the other side of the island.

The project's Big Idea was to use passive and low-cost sustainable strategies to create a learning environment that inspires while leaving a small carbon footprint. Everything within the project serves a specific purpose, from building scale sun-shading trellises down to the water features that utilize excess well water to irrigate only after passing through runnels and channels that the students can interact with. The project is slated to be net zero energy at the end of all phases.

Historical research helped create a pattern language that celebrates the lowland dry forest that used to be in the area. The design team used elements and inspiration from the Mamani trees that once thrived there.

Award of Excellence

Hale Kiawe (Residential)

Firm: Walker Warner

Additional Design Firms: Philpotts Interiors (Interior Design); David Y. Tamura Associates (Landscape Design)
Client: Withheld per owner's request
Contractor: Metzler Contracting Co. LLC
Project Location: Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i Island, Hawai’i
Photo Credits: Matthew Millman Photography

This retreat serves as the new residence for a pair of empty nesters looking to put down roots in Hawaii after years of visiting the island. The design evokes a reverence for history, resulting in a soulful home that feels both unique and of a place. When the site was selected, it was a barren tract of land, save for the underpinnings of a long-forgotten building and a scattering of kiawe trees where flourishing groves once stood.

After discovering that lava had formerly flowed through the site on its natural path from mauka (mountain) to makai (ocean), it was critical that the architecture echoed this history. Thus the home, in harmony with the terrain, hovers above a bed of grasses and molten rock—emblematic of an era when lava ran through the site. An enclosed lanai serves as the entryway and heart of the home. The open-air pavilion transitions from the hectic outside world to the calm within.

The structures draw inspiration from the agrarian buildings that once dotted the area, with clean lines contrasting the undulating landscape and coastline. The simple color palette inside reflects the muted tones outside, avoiding competition with the landscape’s beauty.

Award of Merit
Community Impact Award

806 Iwilei Affordable Housing & Resource Center (Residential)

Firm: G70

Client: City and County of Honolulu, Department of Land Management
Contractor: Allied Builders System
Project location: Honolulu, O’ahu, Hawaiʻi
Photo credits: Hawkins Biggins; Olivier Koning

Located on the 'Ewa mauka corner at the intersection of Iwilei Road and Summer Street, the existing property and structures were adaptively re-used and transformed into a new four-story, mixed-use property, housing a 27-unit affordable rental apartment complex, administrative offices, community outreach and resource center equipped with a commercial kitchen, dining hall, 10-person dormitory, hygiene facilities, and counseling and other support services.

The design approach began with considering the re-use of the existing structure where it was feasible for the new programmed spaces. The City's need for a cost-effective and durable building lent itself to the project adapting to the existing structure with concrete masonry, steel, and light-gage framing. To visually soften and articulation of the massing, while varying the facade material sections and colors.

Award of Merit

Civil Beat Plaza (Commercial/Industrial)

Firm: G70

Client: Withheld per owner's request
Contractor: Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.
Project location: Honolulu, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Photo credits: Adam Taylor Photography

Civil Beat Plaza is a four-story building with about 70,000 square feet of floor area. It has different uses, such as retail, office, and restaurant spaces. It keeps the existing Goodwill store as the main retail element and the face of the project. The project also has three underground parking levels with 92 spaces, even though it was not required by the Kaimuki Parking District.

The owners did this to avoid adding to the parking problem in the area. The parking lot has many electric charging stations for the present and future needs of electric vehicles. The project also improved the good will donation center, which used to block traffic and cause safety issues on the street.

The new drop off and loading areas are designed to keep the streets clear and make it easier to donate and use the site. The new ground floor has a new Goodwill store with a lot of daylight and street exposure, as well as a new restaurant at the plaza corner. The upper floors have Civil Beat’s office and other tenant spaces.

Award of Merit

Līlia Waikīkī (Residential)

Firms: SCB and Benjamin Woo Architects (AOR)

Additional Design Firm: Jules Wilson Design Studio (Interior Design)
Client: Brookfield Properties; OliverMcMillan
Contractor: Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.
Project location: Honolulu, Oahu, HI
Photo credits: Adam Taylor Photography

One of the world’s most popular beachfront destinations, Waikīkī is the centerpiece of Hawaii’s tourism industry and its main retail, lodging, dining, and commercial district. Līlia Waikīkī redevelops 2.5 acres of aliʻi trust land in the heart of Waikīkī into a commercial mixed-use rental project. The redevelopment plays an important role in the continued revitalization of the Kūhiō Avenue Corridor, preserving Queen Emma’s legacy lands and providing direct financing to The Queen’s Health Systems in support of its mission to provide quality health care in Hawai’i.

Līlia Waikīkī is a community-facing project both in spirit and by design: the podium houses the newly reinvigorated Waikīkī Market, which has acted as the only full-service grocer for Waikīkī in fifty years. Facing the bustling Kūhiō Avenue, Līlia Waikīkī’s triple-height covered court and oculus offers a unique arrival sequence and is inspired by traditional Hawaiian lanais. The 28-story tower, aligned with the mauka-makai axis, sports a punched window façade, connecting with the urban context. Glazed corners offer mountain and ocean vistas. The preservation of heritage trees and iwi kupuna demonstrates a deep respect for local culture and natural heritage.

Award of Merit

Beachfront Sea Level Rise Adaptation (Unbuilt)

Firm: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Architecture, Sea Grant, and School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology

Project location: Waikīkī, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Photo credits: Eric Teeples, DArch, Assoc. AIA; German Failano; Desiree Malabed; Georgina Casey; Chris Lomboy, DArch; Josephine Briones, DArch, Assoc. AIA; Wendy Meguro, AIA, LEED Fellow; Chip Fletcher, PhD

This series of unbuilt designs and community outreach events utilized architectural renderings based on current site conditions and best available scientific data to facilitate coordinated discussion between many stakeholders for collecting information on and evaluating potential in-place flood adaptation strategies in Waikiki. This design research exhibits creativity and originality: at the time this research was initiated in 2018, there were no Honolulu-based, government-sponsored adaptation plans or guidelines. Today, this research is directly referenced in government-led adaptation planning, demonstrating the power and potential of the ideas. This work moved beyond abstract notions of adaptation and identified study sites; visualized specific flood hazards in 2050 and 2100 based on the latest science; illustrated potential strategies for adapting buildings, open space, transportation and utilities; and queried diverse stakeholders on each strategies’ relevance and solicited discussion. Considering that sea level rise will occur during the long useful life of buildings, this research developed methods to determine the elevation of buildings, which could inform future building incentives or codes.

Site-specific architectural renderings were a key tool to prompt structured community input on the coordination, prioritization, policy, and feasibility of adaptation measures for buildings, utilities, transportation, and open space. For example, by illustrating the cisterns and bioretention volume needed to retain a large rain event on-site, other property owners may evaluate the feasibility of on-site stormwater retention. During outreach, each adaptation strategy presented (a total of 37), participants were asked, on a scale of 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree), “Do you think this strategy is applicable to Waikīkī?” In total, the survey received 3428 votes; 79% (2693) of votes indicated participants strongly agreed or agreed that the adaptation strategies presented were relevant to Waikiki. The strategies that participants rated most relevant to Waikīkī were: relocate critical [building] systems; elevate critical equipment; relocate ground floor use; elevate exterior circulation; elevate walkways; and build with flood resistant materials.

Award of Merit

The Manoa Agricultural Innovation & Learning Exchange Project (Unbuilt)

Firm: AMA A/E

Additional Design Firm: Sasaki
Client: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources,
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Project location: Honolulu, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Photo credits: Epic Inspired

The Mānoa Agricultural Innovation and Learning Exchange Project (MAILE) is a conceptual design for the University of Hawaii at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), an outreach and research lab located on the Magoon research site at the northern end of the Mānoa campus. The four themes identified earlier in the Programming Phase documents inform the MAILE conceptual basis of design scope, and are understood to be consistent with the mission of the College:

Cultural Integration: The design proposes an integrated relationship between agricultural landscape, research, and building program area to illustrate the principles of sustainable agriculture employed centuries prior in this valley neighborhood, creating a meaningful whole of both past and present;

Community Outreach: The program spaces and display agricultural gardens are a living and evolving demonstration of the research that occurs within and behind the building, making visible the tangible results of research and knowledge dissemination for the benefits of food security and resiliency of the larger regional and global agricultural community;

Sustainability: The project will utilize the MAILE Project’s performance characteristics to maximize resiliency (storm and flood), resource conservation (water) and production (power), and modeling how institutions can aid community needs of resource stewardship and community restoration;

Engaging Site and Architectural Features: The urban and natural boundaries of the site are reflected in a mediated language of ecological and structured elements to articulate the building’s interaction with the physical world (nature) and resource management (agriculture).

The organization of the program is a linear arrangement of classrooms and soils / plant research laboratories that minimizes the depth of the building and maximizes daylighting and public visibility to the rest of the Magoon research activity beyond. This institutional and visual transparency prioritizes a connection between CTAHR’s research within and the physical products of the demonstration gardens outside.

The elemental components of the project (roof, enclosure, base) find their analogs in the agricultural and natural world (plants, soil, sun, water.) Each element visually and experientially describes its functional stewardship of each site resource (orientation, light, water, food) to raise awareness of CTAHR and the University’s role in resource management, continuing by example to educate students, public, and the agriculture community.

The proposed design aims to embody the ethic of CTAHR’s mission to conserve, restore and produce agricultural resources beyond the larger Magoon site and University community, and experientially communicate the institution’s stewardship of the natural world.

Honorable Mention

Hawaii State FCU Headquarters (Commercial/Industrial)

Firm: hi•arch•y llp (Lead Architect / AOR)

Additional Design Firm: ZGF (Interior Architect)
Client: Hawaii State Federal Credit Union
Contractor: Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.
Project location: Honolulu, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Photo credits: Olivier Koning

The Hawaii State FCU (HSFCU) Headquarters represents a significant investment in its employees, members, and the community. For the first time in its 80+ year history, HSFCU has one place to call home, bringing together approximately 250 employees. The 10-story office building includes ground floor retail, a 5-story parking structure, and a new branch to service the Downtown community.

With a project kick-off at the start of 2020, much of the initial planning and design occurred at the peak of the pandemic. The team quickly adapted to the new reality of virtual meetings and continued to deliver positive results despite obstacles such as increased lead times for materials and occasional absences due to covid. Other challenges included lack of existing documentation for certain areas of the building including the entire 10th floor due to several modifications to the structure over the years. Despite these setbacks, the team successfully met structural requirements and design intentions to remodel the site into a gateway to the Downtown community.

Honorable Mention

Lavaflow 8 (Residential)

Firm: Craig Steely Architecture

Client: Françoise Bourzat and Aharon Grossbard
Contractor: Hilo Coast Construction
Project location: Pahoa, Hawaii Island, Hawaiʻi
Photo credits: Darren Bradley Photography

Lavaflow 8 inhabits a land of dramatic contrasts. Located on the eastern edge of the Big Island of Hawaii, it sits in the thin and constantly changing zone between the ocean and the jungle. This remote and highly sensitive site, located in a conservation district challenged us to re-imagine what living in such a place should look and feel like, as well as what the responsibility of living here should entail.

In the decision to live here lies a tacit agreement to become a steward of the land—to maintain and protect it. A local botanist was brought on in the early stages of design to catalog and annotate what was endemic and indigenous to the site and what was invasive. The location of the house was predicated on these findings as much as orientation to the sun, weather patterns and cross ventilation. We removed invasive species of Autograph and Ironwood trees and protected clusters of endangered Ischaemum. We built the house around an existing Hala grove, adding more native Hala trees, Naupaka and Ama’u fern to protect the house from the constant wind and sea spray.

Honorable Mention

Wailuku Civic Complex Parking Structure (Commercial/Industrial)

Firm: Ferraro Choi And Associates

Client: County of Maui
Contractor: Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company
Project location: Wailuku, Maui, Hawai‘i
Photo credits: Anton Kisselgoff / HI Media Creative

Our vision for the parking garage extends beyond mere functionality. It aims to be a vibrant community asset, fostering energy and economic vitality in Downtown Wailuku. Key design objectives include harmonious integration with the urban context, cultural homage, prioritized wayfinding, and increased parking capacity.

The building's massing and scale effortlessly blend with surrounding structures and public areas, respecting the existing urban fabric. Architectural details pay tribute to Wailuku's cultural heritage, resonating with residents. Wayfinding is prioritized through clear signage and vibrant colors, ensuring easy access to parking.

Vehicle circulation routes are established along Church St. and Pili St., with Pili St. transformed into a shared pedestrian/vehicular road. Two pedestrian pathways connect Market St. to Church St., while the east edge offers a promenade for retail and dining opportunities.

Pedestrian access is carefully considered, with central and makai stairs connecting levels and providing views of the plaza and future cultural center. EV charging infrastructure future-proofs the garage amidst the transition to cleaner transportation.

The first level features a spacious 14-foot clear ceiling height, ideal for farmer's markets and public events. Imagine community gatherings, art exhibitions, or cultural performances in this light-filled, airy space, contributing to the vibrancy of Downtown Wailuku.

People's Choice Award

Hawaiian Airlines Air Operations Support Space (Interior Architecture)

Firm: HDR, Inc.

Client: Hawaiian Airlines
Contractor: Hensel Phelps
Project location: Honolulu, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Photo credits: Arnel Domingo

A new support space for below-the-wing Air Operations staff was needed as Hawaiian Airlines adjusted to the changing airport environment and projected growth. The site selection was based on availability of vacant tenant space for a new interior build-out at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport Terminal 1.

The vision was to create a workplace environment that encourages employee excellence through thoughtful design; create an environment that helps recruit and retain the best people for the job; and create an environment that is environmentally, socially, and economically responsible to the people who use it, and ultimately, to the customers they serve.

Effective workplaces are inclusive environments that focus on the user experience and communicate the tone and culture of the company. Through multiple sessions of end-user engagement via early-stage design charrettes, this principle was manifested throughout design considerations of the Air Operations Support Space which included a new breakroom, locker and shower rooms, briefing room, workstation area, and management offices, leaving end users with an intuitive sense of Hawaiian Airlines and workplace pride. Key design drivers extracted from the charette process included: durability, cost effectiveness, user workflow, health & wellness, and experience & environment.

USGBC Hawai'i
Sustainability Award

Slice of Paradise (Residential)

Firm: Peter Vincent Architects

Additional Design Firms: Star Pierce Design (Interior Design);
Aloha ʻĀina Landscaping (Landscape Design)
Client: Withheld per Owner’s Request
Contractor: Mokulua High Performance Builder
Project location: Kahuku, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Photo credits: Adam Taylor Photography

The client purchased their “dream property” on a narrow strip of land situated between the busy Kamehameha Highway and beautiful Mālaekana Bay on Oʻahu’s north shore. An existing small, dilapidated house was not worthy of saving (however was sustainably deconstructed by Re-Use Hawaii). The owner’s program included spaces for them and their two children, a guest suite, and a pool, on a modest budget, in a non-kitchy Hawaiian design vocabulary.

To minimize the house’s massing, the programmatic elements were divided into two structures – the guesthouse combined with the garage and pool lānai, and the main house. The result is the creation of three distinct outdoor spaces – an auto court, which provides a buffer from the adjacent highway, a central pool courtyard which is buffered from the on-shore trade winds, and the makai yard.

The living spaces of the main house were conceived as a covered lānai, with the private spaces incorporated into a narrow 2-story element organized along the property line. This allowed views through the “lānai” to the ocean from the guesthouse on the mauka side, thereby expanding ocean views from the property. Additionally, “borrowed views” were captured across adjacent properties, making the property feel larger than it is.

Hawaii Home + Remodeling
Editor's Choice Award

Hale Le‘ahi (Residential)

Firm: ADM Architecture + Interiors

Client: Withheld per owner’s request
Contractor: Barker Kappelle Construction
Project location: Honolulu, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Photo credits: Andrea Brizzi Photography

Our design intent was to create a structure that would integrate natural light and ventilation seamlessly into a handsome architectural vocabulary that would present a sense of integrity and honesty and would fit nicely into its neighborhood.

The main exterior expression of the structure is a simple form that goes up and over the home. The up (wall) provides protection and visual privacy from the neighbors and the over (roof) provides shelter from the elements. This up and over form repeats itself in different ways sometimes as solid mass (plaster, wood, drywall, counters) or transparent (glass) as well. Natural light and ventilation are mainly let in through clerestory windows in the great room as well as the main level hall. It was a big leap of faith from the client to agree to the hall clerestory especially.

The hall clerestory added significant cost to an area that at first glance may not seem significant but would play a huge role in how the main level of the home could "breath" and feel bright and airy.

Student Design Awards Recipients

The Student Design Awards were created to honor student achievements in the design studio and provide a forum for student design excellence to be celebrated beyond the academic setting.

Award of Excellence &
The People's Choice Award

Mauna Kea Residence (Undergraduate)

Student: Michael Griffin

School: Honolulu Community College

Project location: Waikoloa, Hawaii, HI
Submission type: Undergraduate

In the ancient art of Japanese carpentry, there is a reverence for wood that transcends mere construction. Each beam, each column, is a testament to nature's grace and endurance. It’s within this spirit that this house is conceived, a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity, crafted with love and deep respect for the natural world.

The timber frame structure stands proudly on a hillside, embracing the land's natural downward slope. A post and pier foundation was chosen, not out of convenience, but out of reverence for the earth. This method gently cradles the home, preserving the landscape's integrity and echoing the principle of Design for Ecology. It's a silent promise to tread lightly, to honor the land we build upon.

The great diagonal timbers, acting as cross braces for the elevated lanai and living room, are more than structural supports. They are reminiscent of the sprawling branches of an ancient tree, deeply rooted and steadfast. These timbers enhance the home's resistance to wind and earthquakes, ensuring its strength and resilience. The house does not impose itself upon the landscape; rather, it melds with it, becoming a natural extension of the environment.

The broad roof, with its generous overhangs, offers sanctuary from the fierce Hawaiian sun, while the ample jalousie and louvered windows invite the gentle trade winds to dance through the home. This interplay of light and air is a tribute to nature's rhythms, providing a simple yet effective method of passive cooling and ventilation.

Inside, the warmth of exposed wood creates an inviting sanctuary, where each grain tells a story of time and patience. The central kitchen, the heart of the home, overlooks the living and dining areas, offering sight lines to the encompassing landscape and ocean. With the gentle push of folding wall doors, the boundaries between inside and out dissolve, allowing the home to breathe with the seasons. This seamless transition fosters a profound sense of peace and connection to nature, promoting well-being and serenity.

The choice of wood as the primary building material is deliberate and passionate. It’s a living, breathing testament to sustainability, capturing carbon and standing as a renewable resource far more practical than concrete or steel. This respect for nature is further exemplified by the roof-mounted photovoltaic panels, which harness the sun's energy to completely power the home, embracing the principle of Design for Energy.

This house is more than a structure; it’s a labor of love, a harmonious blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern sustainability. It stands as a beacon of aesthetic and functional excellence, a commitment to energy efficiency, well-being, and ecological harmony. In its design and construction, one finds a profound expression of the designer's passion, a celebration of the art of living in balance with nature.

Award of Excellence

CMU Park (Graduate)

Student: Siwei Su & Jiaqi Xu

School: University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Architecture

Project location: Amarillo, Texas
Submission type: Graduate

The community center is called CMU PARK situated in Memorial Park, Amarillo, Texas, and since Memorial Park is the only large green space in the community, we wanted to return the land occupied by the community center to the residents. Therefore, we wanted to create an ecological, active, and safe CMU PARK out of cold concrete masonry. The huge, curved roof gives the residents a unique roof garden and plenty of grey space for activities. The skylights in the roof also allow for convection of air between inside and outside, which, together with CMU's excellent insulation, gives CMU PARK in hot Texas a cool interior.

Tornadoes are frequent in the area. The sunken courtyard and multi-purpose rooms can be used as a shelter. The small rooms in the community center, like classrooms and offices, can also be used as dormitories for people made homeless by tornadoes. The curved roof makes the building seem to grow out of the ground. Roof gardens and roof paths also enrich the experience. The contoured roof form uses both plant and concrete materials to give CMU PARK a different appearance. On the ground CMU PARK is white, on the roof it is green. The curved roof is also more resistant to tornadoes than a flat roof, providing a safer shelter for people.

We want to present the adaptability and flexibility of CMU materials to the maximum extent possible. In the CMU system, different parts of the wall have different properties. load-bearing walls, partition wall, green wall, urban furniture, and paving. Based on the selected basic units of masonry, we have defined several of the most typical masonry methods. In our scheme, the walls are all curved walls, and in the other three core shelter spaces hyperbolic walls are used. We used the most basic block units, controlling the curves by controlling the width of the mortar joints. With the most basic units, interesting special forms are created.

Honorable Mention

Stacked Housing Complex (Undergraduate)

Student: Edwin Sun

School: University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Architecture

Project location: Honolulu, Oahu, HI
Submission type: Undergraduate

"Stacked" is a visionary housing project designed to foster community interaction and create a vibrant social hub for the Kaimuki neighborhood. This innovative building offers a variety of amenities and facilities aimed at enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. Conceived as a space where the Kaimuki community can congregate, relax, and connect, "Stacked" serves as a modern-day gathering place, promoting social interaction and a sense of belonging among residents. The ground floor is a bustling area featuring a gym, bakery, and coffee shop. These facilities provide essential services and leisure activities, making it convenient for residents to maintain a healthy lifestyle, enjoy fresh baked goods, and socialize over a cup of coffee.

The building design displays a unique Jenga-style construction and stacking design. This not only gives it a striking visual appeal but also creates numerous outdoor gathering spaces on different levels, encouraging outdoor activities and social gatherings. The orientation of the building ensures that the courtyard receives maximum natural light from the corner of the lot. This design element enhances the ambiance of the courtyard, making it a pleasant and inviting space for residents to enjoy. To mitigate the noise from the bustling Waialae Street, outside corridors and a screening system are incorporated into the design. This feature ensures a quieter and more serene living environment, improving the overall comfort for residents.

The interior design prioritizes comfort, offering studio and one-bedroom apartments with expansive views of lush greenery. This not only provides a beautiful living space but also fosters a connection with nature. Incorporating trees and plants throughout the building contributes to a healthier atmosphere. This biophilic design approach enhances the well-being of residents, making the building a more desirable place to live, work, and learn. Recognizing that young adults make up the majority of the audience, the design emphasizes creating a welcoming and community-focused living environment. This demographic focus drives the building’s vibrant and dynamic atmosphere.

"Stacked" exemplifies a move towards a more modern design and sustainability through the use of repurposed shipping containers. This innovative construction method not only reduces waste but also highlights the building’s dedication to eco-friendly practices. Old shipping containers can be recycled to drastically cut down on construction time and costs, which improves the efficiency of the entire building process. Building shipping containers is also environmentally beneficial since it recycles materials that would otherwise be thrown away. These containers provide a sturdy and long-lasting structure because they are incredibly durable and made to withstand harsh conditions. In addition, because they are modular, there are more creative and adaptable design options available, which facilitates faster assembly and simpler modifications than with conventional building techniques.

2024 Design Awards Jury

Juror selection is based upon locating impartial individuals who represent high levels of achievement, design quality and professional integrity. Every attempt is made to create a balanced panel that will provide fair judgment to all entries. We are excited to introduce our 2022 jury, who this year consists of five individuals, two of whom are members of an AIA chapter outside of Hawaii. Three jurors are Hawaii residents to ensure that the uniqueness of Hawaii Architecture is recognized and appreciated by non-local jurors.

Introducing our 2024 Esteemed Jurors!

Laura Ayers, AIA, LEED AP (AIA Honolulu), Principal & Co-owner, Whitespace Architects
April Hughes, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C (AIA Chicago), President, HPZS
Yasushi Ishida, AIA (AIA Honolulu) Architect & Assistant Professor, UH at Mānoa School of Architecture
Brian Masuda, AIA, LEED AP, WELL AP (AIA New York), Design Principal, Ennead Architects
Lorrin Matsunaga, AIA, LEED AP (AIA Honolulu), Founding Partner, Urban Works

Members of the design awards committee whose firms have submitted in that year may not be present and/or may not participate during any aspect of jury deliberations.