Future of Hawai‘i’s Housing
Exploring Housing for All

Principal Investigators:
Karla Sierralta, AIA
Brian Strawn, AIA

The Future of Hawaii’s Housing report documents the findings of three closely related projects conducted for the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority including: “Future of Hawai‘i’s Public Housing,” “Understanding Density and Local Typologies,” and “Covid-19 Pandemic Analysis”. Together, these projects, referred to as “Future of Hawai‘i’s Housing: Exploring Housing for All,” aim to inform the design of future development and redevelopment projects by HPHA.  

The research took place in two parallel tracks: In the first track, our team interviewed 30 families in their homes across the Hawaiian Archipelago, met with topic experts, and analyzed local & global case studies to develop guiding principles and design guidelines that would serve as foundational knowledge for subsequent studies. The second track centered on density studies and visualizations, including local multifamily housing typologies and a survey of half-mile neighborhood samples spanning rural to urban contexts. These studies inform the development of strategies for comfortable density across the state.

Our team piloted and tested prototypes with a community engagement approach to refine key concepts and strategies during the process. Our academic setting provided additional opportunities to inform the research, including course integrations, interviews, conferences, and symposiums. In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic, the team re-examined research findings through the lens of the ongoing crisis. These efforts culminated in the development of the Holistic Housing Design Framework and Toolkit, intended to inspire future designs, inform redevelopment processes, and support community engagement activities in the planning of housing for all in Hawai‘i. The groundwork generated from this research serves as the basis of the Hawai‘i Housing Lab.