Works

OUTREACH

Lawn Loungers

Portable, handwoven micro-architectures designed to engage communities in shaping Hawai‘i’s future housing.
HIGHLIGHTS
2020 AIA Honolulu Award — Institutional Category

The project also contributed to the 2022 ACSA Collaborative Practice Award. Installed at SALT in Kaka‘ako for Parking Day 2019 and featured in the UIA 27th World Congress of Architects in Rio de Janeiro in 2021.

2019  /  HAWAI‘I
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Lawn Loungers are portable, handwoven micro-architectures designed to engage communities in shaping Hawai‘i’s future housing. Developed for the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority, they host conversations, workshops, and exhibits in approachable, collapsible structures. Serving as both furniture and display, they create welcoming spaces for residents to share ideas, fostering collaborative, place-based design across diverse island communities.

Inspired by the familiar lawn chair, the system uses lightweight aluminum frames, nylon webbing, and rope to create double-sided units that are easy to transport and reconfigure. Each piece supports multiple spatial arrangements—linear, inward, outward, and more—accommodating events in both compact urban sites and open community spaces while showcasing patterns that reflect Hawai‘i’s cultural diversity.

DATA

For: Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority

Related Research: Future of Hawai‘i’s Housing

Size / Scale / Area: Eight stands, three tables, four seats.

Status: Built

Type: System for Public Engagement Prototype

Production Team:
Research Associates — Glenn Grande, Jason Hashimoto, Chris Songvilay
Project Assistants — Keola Annino, Christina Holcom, Beau Nakamori, Griffin Ward, Hunter Wells

Photography & Drone:Tom Takata Photography

Drone at Parking Day 2019: Elias Dean

Lawn Loungers aerial installation
INSTALLATION / PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Lawn Loungers create flexible gathering spaces for community engagement and public events.
Lawn Loungers layout diagram
SYSTEM / CONFIGURATIONS
The modular system supports multiple spatial arrangements for different sites, audiences, and forms of engagement.
Lawn Loungers community engagement
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / KAKA‘AKO
The installations create approachable settings where residents can share priorities, ideas, and experiences related to housing.
Lawn Loungers product view
PROTOTYPE / MATERIAL SYSTEM
Lightweight aluminum frames, nylon webbing, and rope create portable, collapsible units that function as both furniture and display system.
Lawn Loungers experiential model
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT / EXPERIENTIAL MODEL
Experiential modeling explored scale, arrangement, visibility, and interaction before full-scale fabrication.
RESEARCH

Future of Hawai‘i’s Housing

Bottom-up research connecting the lived experiences of 30 Hawai‘i families across five islands to principles for future housing.
HIGHLIGHTS
2022 ACSA Collaborative Practice Award

Presented at the ACSA Annual Meeting, EPIC 2019 at RISD, and the Pacific Building Trade Expo in Honolulu. The research established the foundation for the Holistic Housing Design Framework and Toolkit.

2019–2023  /  HAWAI‘I
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Future of Hawai‘i’s Housing is a bottom-up research collaboration conducted for the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority that began with in-home interviews with 30 families across O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i, Maui, and Kaua‘i. Their experiences were studied alongside housing precedents, density and building typologies, public housing and development models, policy, funding, and other systems that shape how housing is planned, designed, built, and inhabited.

The research translated these findings into guiding principles and design tools for future housing and was developed alongside studies exploring density and new methods for public engagement. The work is documented in Future of Hawai‘i’s Housing: Exploring Housing for All and became the foundation for the Holistic Housing Design Framework and the broader work of the Holistic Housing Lab.

The project was part of the Re-imagining HPHA Series, an interdisciplinary initiative conducted for the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority by Principal Investigators at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa exploring public housing programs, policies, facilities, and future opportunities.

DATA

For: Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority

Type: Exploratory Research

Consultants:
Rebecca Buck — Ethnographer & Digital Strategist, Forge Studio
Jill Misawa — Graphic Design

Topic Experts:
Allison Arieff — Design and Architecture Writer
Phillip M.E. Garboden, PhD — Housing and Public Policy Expert

Advisors:
Alisa Weinstein — UX, Research & Strategy
Hyun Joo Lee — Design Research

Production Team:
Research Associates — Alison Chiu, John ‘Eiwa Colburn IX, Jason Hashimoto, Christina Holcom, Charles Palanza, Chris Songvilay, Sho Tetsutani, Griffin Ward, Hunter Wells
Project Assistants — Keola Annino, Micah Axalan, Airon Castaneda, Hunter-Bailey Kaimikaua, Keli‘i Kapali, Renz Laforteza, Beau Nakamori, Vivianne Nguyen, Rand Oshiro, Coby Shimabukuro Sanchez, Mackenzie Suess, Edwin Sun, Bryson Tabaniag, Areyn Undan, Kayla Watabu, Lisa Watanabe

In-home research for Future of Hawai‘i’s Housing
IN-HOME, FAMILY INTERVIEWS
Conversations with families documented how they use, adapt, understand, and experience the places they call home.
Map of 30 homes across five Hawaiian islands included in the research
FIELD RESEARCH / 30 FAMILIES / 5 ISLANDS
In-home research with 30 families across O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i, Maui, and Kaua‘i grounded the project in lived experience.
Holistic Housing Design Framework developed through Future of Hawai‘i’s Housing
HOLISTIC HOUSING DESIGN FRAMEWORK
Five guiding principles, twelve design strategies, and thirty-six design actions connect housing design to a broader set of well-being considerations. The framework forms the basis of the Holistic Housing Design Toolkit. Explore the Framework in the Blue Set.
Multiple stakeholders shaping housing in Hawai‘i
HOLISTIC HOUSING AGENTS
Designing better housing and communities takes many hands. Residents, students, design experts, builders, developers, nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies all have a role to play.
Future of Hawai‘i’s Housing community engagement pilot
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / FIRST PILOT
The first public pilot explored how people could engage with ideas about housing and communities through a mix of conversation, visual information, and interactive tools.
Custom entourage representing people and communities across Hawai‘i
DESIGNING WITH HAWAI‘I’S PEOPLE
A custom entourage was developed to reflect the diversity of Hawai‘i’s communities—different ages, cultures, households, abilities, activities, and ways of living.
Illustration of outdoor living spaces at multiple scales within a housing community
DESIGNING FOR OUTDOOR LIFE
Outdoor spaces ranging from private to shared to public support everyday life, with relationships that can be adapted across climates.
RESEARCH

Re-Imagining HPHA Series

Interdisciplinary research examining public housing in Hawai‘i through social, development, and design perspectives.
HIGHLIGHTS
Three-report interdisciplinary research series developed for the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority.

The series brought together architecture, sociology, and urban and regional planning to explore public housing through complementary perspectives.

2019–2023  /  HAWAI‘I
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The Re-Imagining HPHA Series is an interdisciplinary research initiative developed for the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority by Principal Investigators at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Bringing together architecture, sociology, and urban and regional planning, the series examined public housing through complementary social, development, and design perspectives.

Research included qualitative and quantitative studies, workshops, interviews, and other engagement activities intended to inform future operations, renovation, redevelopment, and capital improvement projects. The resulting three reports explore the experiences of public housing residents, the evolving role of public housing authorities in addressing the affordable housing crisis, and new approaches to designing housing for Hawai‘i.

DATA

For: Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority

Type: Interdisciplinary Research / Report Series

Participating Disciplines:
Architecture
Sociology
Urban & Regional Planning

Reports / Principal Investigators:
Future of Hawai‘i’s Housing — Karla Sierralta, Brian Strawn
Public Housing Authorities & the Affordable Housing Crisis — Phillip M.E. Garboden
Public Housing in Hawai‘i — Nathalie Rita, Jennifer Darrah-Okike, Phillip M.E. Garboden

Future of Hawai‘i’s Housing: Exploring Housing for All report cover
FUTURE OF HAWAI‘I’S HOUSING / DESIGN PERSPECTIVE
Explores housing design through lived experience, density, local typologies, and new approaches to community engagement. Explore the report.
Public Housing Authorities and the Affordable Housing Crisis report cover
PHAs & THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS / DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE
Examines the evolving role of public housing authorities in developing and expanding affordable housing. Explore the report.
Public Housing in Hawai‘i: Assessing the Needs of Public Housing Residents report cover
PUBLIC HOUSING IN HAWAI‘I / SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE
Examines public housing through the experiences of residents and the social dimensions of housing in Hawai‘i. Explore the report.
DESIGN

Temporary Housing

Benchmark analysis and three proof-of-concept proposals exploring compact, mobile shelter for Honolulu.
HIGHLIGHTS
Three proof-of-concept studies — Peak House, Nook House, and Breeze House

The design research reviewed more than 30 compact dwellings and shelters, identifying four recurring attributes—shade, indoor/outdoor relationships, roof form, and foundation—as a framework for the proposals.

2019  /  HONOLULU
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Temporary Housing for the Homeless in Hawai‘i combined local benchmarking with precedent research to explore how very small shelters might respond to Honolulu’s climate, mobility needs, and patterns of communal living. The study compared existing permanent, transitional, emergency, medical, and mobile shelter models in Hawai‘i, examining factors including unit type and size, private and shared facilities, length of stay, and managing organizations.

More than 30 small inhabitable spaces from Hawai‘i and elsewhere were reviewed for shared design strategies. Four recurring attributes emerged: shade, indoor/outdoor relationships, roof form, and foundation. The research emphasized deep overhangs and other shading devices for warm climates, strong connections between compact interiors and outdoor space, the spatial impact of roof form, and foundations ranging from fixed systems to mobile chassis.

These findings informed three 8-by-20-foot proof-of-concept proposals: Peak House, Nook House, and Breeze House. Each tests a different combination of shade, deck and indoor/outdoor relationships, roof geometry, and mobility. Peak House uses a steeply sloped roof and dual-axle chassis; Nook House pairs a deep overhang and full-width deck with a mobile chassis; and Breeze House uses a wraparound deck, deep shade, louvers, and small concrete piles to increase air circulation.

DATA

For: Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority

Type: Design Research / Proof-of-Concept Study

Deliverable: Research Report — October 2019

Student Research Assistants:
Chris Songvilay, Keli‘i Kapali, John Colburn IX, Hunter Wells, Keola Annino

Breeze House temporary housing proof-of-concept
BREEZE HOUSE / PROOF OF CONCEPT
A wraparound deck, deep overhangs, louvers, and an elevated foundation support shade, ventilation, and indoor/outdoor living.
Nook House temporary housing proof-of-concept
NOOK HOUSE / PROOF OF CONCEPT
A deep roof overhang and full-width deck extend the compact interior while a dual-axle chassis allows the unit to be moved.
Peak House temporary housing proof-of-concept
PEAK HOUSE / PROOF OF CONCEPT
A steeply sloped roof expands the experience of the compact interior while a small deck and mobile chassis support flexible use.
Temporary Housing proof-of-concept floor plans
DESIGN STUDY / 8 × 20 FT
Three compact proposals test different relationships among shade, indoor/outdoor space, roof form, and foundation within a common footprint.
DESIGN

Plan Your Neighborhood with KPF-UI

Interactive urban design tool developed with KPF Urban Interface to visualize neighborhood density, form, and performance in real time.
HIGHLIGHTS
Developed with KPF Urban Interface using its award-winning Scout platform

The collaboration tailored Scout to Hawai‘i’s rural, suburban, and urban contexts and introduced walkability as a new performance metric. The work also contributed to the 2022 ACSA Collaborative Practice Award.

2019  /  HAWAI‘I + NEW YORK
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Plan Your Neighborhood is an interactive urban design application developed through a collaboration between the Holistic Housing Lab and KPF Urban Interface in Kohn Pedersen Fox’s New York office. Built on KPF UI’s award-winning Scout platform, the application uses a proprietary computational design process to generate thousands of neighborhood massing possibilities in real time.

Working closely with KPF UI, the platform was tailored specifically to the range of contexts found across Hawai‘i—from rural and suburban environments to increasingly dense urban neighborhoods. Users adjust neighborhood attributes including density, clustering, street grid, street width, and transit, then immediately see how those choices affect urban form and performance characteristics including outdoor comfort, views to the ocean, solar energy, shade, and walkability.

The collaboration introduced walkability as a new metric within the software, connecting changes in neighborhood form to the amenities that become accessible on foot. In this way, abstract questions about density become visible and interactive, allowing residents and other participants to explore trade-offs among different neighborhood configurations rather than considering density as a single number.

Plan Your Neighborhood grew from HHL’s parallel research into density and became part of the Understanding Density Visualization Catalog and the broader Holistic Housing Design Toolkit.

DATA

For: Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority

Type: Interactive Urban Design Application / Design Research

Development Partner:
KPF Urban Interface, Kohn Pedersen Fox, New York

KPF Urban Interface:
Luc Wilson — Director
Snoweria Zhang — Urban Innovation Architect
Brandon M. Pachuca — Urban Data Analyst + Web Developer

HHL Production Team:
Research Associate — Christopher Songvilay

Plan Your Neighborhood digital application developed with KPF Urban Interface
DIGITAL APPLICATION / KPF-UI
Plan Your Neighborhood visualizes neighborhood massing and performance in real time using KPF Urban Interface’s Scout platform. Try the interactive tool: Plan Your Neighborhood.
Resident using the Plan Your Neighborhood application
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / HAWAI‘I
The application allows residents and other participants to explore the trade-offs between different neighborhood configurations.
Plan Your Neighborhood isometric system diagram
COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN / SYSTEM
Users adjust density, clustering, street grid, street width, and transit to generate neighborhood variations in real time.
Plan Your Neighborhood density variation options
DENSITY / NEIGHBORHOOD VARIATIONS
The tool makes density visible by comparing multiple neighborhood forms and their performance characteristics.