The Holistic Housing Lab is a design-centered research platform dedicated to exploring housing as an interconnected system shaped by people and place.
The Holistic Housing Lab grew from the Future of Hawai‘i’s Housing research project, conducted by Karla Sierralta and Brian Strawn as independent Principal Investigators at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in collaboration with the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority.
This foundational research was made possible by the generosity of 30 families across the archipelago who shared their homes, experiences, and perspectives, together with the support and engagement of the HPHA Executive Director and Leadership Team. Initially developed in Hawai‘i, the resulting framework has since been tested and further developed through academic partnerships with architecture and design schools in California, Illinois, and Maryland, as well as undergraduate and graduate design studios at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. This ongoing work explores its adaptability across different communities, cultures, climates, and housing contexts in the United States and beyond.
Holistic Housing Lab, Co-Founders
Karla Sierralta, AIA, Director
Brian Strawn, AIA