AIA Honolulu’s Annual Design Awards program is the state’s oldest program of its type, held annually since 1958. Many of the program’s award-winning projects are now considered architectural landmarks on the islands or are ranked among the best works of architecture in the state—appropriate and well-conceived solutions addressing important urban or social concerns in Hawaii.

Award of Excellence

Nanea Clubhouse, Kailua-Kona, Big Island, by Francis S. Oda, FAIA, Group 70-International Inc.
The Nanea Golf Course Clubhouse easily could have stuck out like a sore thumb, standing alone as it does in the expansive natural landscape of Hualalai. Instead, the architect concealed the majority of the clubhouse—including the golf shop and the locker rooms—under lava rock and grass, thus preserving the view from uphill. The copper roofs covering the makai meeting and dining areas gracefully echo the form of the nearby lava flow pu’u (cinder cones). Inside, traditional touches such as ohi’a wood posts and ceiling trelliswork lashed with cording reinforce the Hawaiian sense of place.
Jury comment: This understated project has a great sense of place without resorting to the more typical hip and gable roof forms so prevalent in the islands. Photo © Kent Hwang.

Sustainability Award of Excellence and Mayor’s Choice Award

Punahou Case Middle School, Honolulu, by John M. Hara, FAIA
With nine separate buildings on four acres of land, the design of the new Case Middle School is intended to foster collaboration and integration of studies as well as cultivate community, belonging, and connectivity. Sustainability is an integral part of the design. The project is registered to be the first major certified green project in Hawaii, seeking LEED™-gold certification.
Jury comment: Meandering paths, vistas, and gathering places give the campus the feel of a village. Throughout, there is a feeling of the expansiveness and connection to the outdoors. Photo © David Frazen.

Sustainable Award of Excellence

Hawaii Gateway Energy Center, Kailua-Kona, Big Island, by Bill Brooks, AIA, Ferraro Choi and Associates Ltd.
Spearheaded by the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the $3.5-million visitor center is the first phase of what is to develop into a campus for renewable energy and related high-technology research. The architect designed the entire building as a thermal chimney, pulling hot air out and replacing it with air cooled by sea water. Thanks to photovoltaic panels and an impressive list of ultra-efficient features, the facility exports twice the energy it consumes.
Jury comment: The architectural form is the system. There is purity in the architectural solution, with nothing superfluous to its mission. Photo © Bill Brooks, AIA.

Awards of Merit

New Dental Office, Ewa Beach, Oahu, by John Ida, AIA, and Kyle H. Hamada, Assoc. AIA, Urban Works Inc.
The clean lines in Benson Araki’s dental office make the most of a small space. Strong design elements, such as the arc of the reception area, give the entire office a clear and efficient flow. The project’s Modern expression reflects a free-flowing sense of movement through space and function.
Jury comment: Photographs don’t do this project justice. The interior design leads patients through the compact office space with spatial gestures that are at once playful, temporary, and efficient. Photo © Augie Salbosa.

Diamond Head Residence, Diamond Head, Oahu, by John M. Hara, FAIA
Although this 1930 Diamond Head residence, originally designed by Charles Dickey, had fallen into disrepair, client and architect agreed that it would have been a shame to completely replace it. A judicious renovation manages to preserve the charm of Dickey’s trademark design elements, such as the pitched roof, while expanding the structure to meet the new owner’s lifestyle.
Jury comment: The careful renovation of the Charles W. Dickey beachfront home adds new life without injuring or diminishing the fine Hawaiian qualities of the original architecture. Photo © David Frazen.

Cydneybrooks Café and Bar, Waikiki, Oahu, by Peter N. Vincent, AIA
The new Cydneybrooks Café and Bar catches the eye of passing pedestrians with the blue and white glow of its iconic design elements. Once inside, a long sleek bar invites patrons into the intimate lounge area in the back. Warm, natural wood flooring balances the color palette and adds to the cozy ambiance.
Jury comment: This interior is a slash of innovative freshness. The well-orchestrated design is a one-liner, but what a one-liner!
Photo © Klaus Knoll.

Kumulani at One Palauea Bay, Wailea, Maui, by Kurt H. Mitchell, AIA, Kober Hanssen Mitchell Architects Inc.
Multiple structures arranged around a central courtyard give this Wailea residence the feel of a tropical village. The architect has blurred distinction between indoor and out; each space flows into the next using a variety of levels and finishes as transitions. Steeply sloped roofs with deep overhangs evoke traditional forms, yet give the subtle appearance of floating.
Jury comment: The home maintains a human scale and a sense of freshness that relaxes and never overwhelms. Few custom residences achieve this delicate balance well. Photo © The Image Group Inc.

Jack C. Lipman, AIA, Members’ Choice Award

Punahou School Luke Center for Public Service, Honolulu, by T.E. Garduque, FAIA, Garduque Architects/Nate Smith Studios LLC
The Luke Center design is based on three basic principles: accessibility, spirituality, and a sense of being inviting. The design concept is an adaptive reuse of a 1969 AIA Honor Award-winning design of the Thurston Memorial Chapel complex by Vladimir Ossipoff, FAIA. The Luke Center’s design philosophy is committed to establishing links to the chapel, the rest of the school, and the community. The solution involved creating a hierarchy of spaces and multiple entries to create a link between old and new. Photo © T.E. Garduque, FAIA. The Jack C. Lipman, AIA, Members’ Choice Award recognizes a project that has achieved an outstanding level of design, appropriate to Hawaii, as determined by a ballot vote of AIA Honolulu members.

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