Holistic Housing Design Toolkit

An inclusive collection of tools and resources intended to inspire future designs, inform redevelopment processes, and support community engagement activities in the planning of mixed-income / mixed-finance housing in Hawai‘i and the rest of the world.

Written in plain language and illustrated to be accessible to all, the toolkit is made up of three manuals, six sets of sorting cards, and a digital application that are organized in groups identified by color.

 
 

Blue Set

The Holistic Housing Design Framework presents five Guiding Principles, twelve Design Strategies, thirty-six Design Actions, and forty-four Case Studies for designing Holistic Housing in Hawai‘i and the rest of the world.

This design framework is based on foundational research conducted for the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority that began with conversations with thirty families on five islands and is rooted in learnings from the global pandemic.

The Holistic Housing Design Framework is intended to:

1. Inspire Good Design by informing the design and planning of future walkable, sustainable, and equitable housing.

2. Serve as a Generative and Evaluative Resource

Written in everyday language, it is accessible to a broad spectrum of users and has the potential of bridging conversations between citizens and their policymakers, architects, designers, and planners. The framework was developed to express the values and fundamental needs of our communities.

3. Support Forward-Thinking policy, zoning, code requirements, and other initiatives currently being developed and implemented.

 
 
 

Green Set

The Understanding Density Visualization Catalog shares an overarching approach for exploring comfortable density.

The manual is organized in two parts. Part one centers on measuring local density, including the analysis of existing neighborhoods and housing typologies. Part two presents a series of possibilities at multiple scales of engagement.

The Understanding Density Visualization Catalog is intended to:

1. Expand the understanding of density in a spectrum of communities.

2. Demonstrate possibilities for Comfortable Density ranging from low to mid to high rise conditions.

3. Inspire walkable, sustainable, and equitable communities in many shapes and sizes that can provide housing for more citizens without compromising vistas, parks, or farmlands.

 
 
 

Yellow Guide

The Holistic Housing Design Toolkit How-to Guide helps teams engage with citizens alongside a broad spectrum of stakeholders in envisioning, planning, and designing holistic housing.

This How-To Guide provides an overview of the toolkit, instructions, worksheets, checklists and use cases. It is intended as a starting point and invites readers to adapt, apply, share and add to this set of resources.

The hands-on tools and resources in the Holistic Housing Toolkit are designed to be used in:

• Highly public settings
• Community workshops
• Neighborhood pop-up events
• Team brainstorming sessions
• Educational activities
• Developing and reviewing Requests for Proposals (RFPs)
• Generating and evaluating design concepts