2026 Design Award Winners

AIA Honolulu is pleased to announce the winners of the 68th Annual Design Awards, recognizing architectural design excellence for 2026. This is Hawaii’s oldest design competition — held annually since 1958 — recognizing the year’s best in architectural projects.

View 2026 AIA Honolulu Design Awards Booklet HERE

All winners and entrants are featured in our special Design Awards insert included in the September issue of the Hawaii Business Magazine.

AIA Honolulu has maintained an excellent partnership with aio Media Group, publisher of Hawaii Business Magazine. This alliance positions our members within a core readership of business and professional leaders as well as potential private clients.

The following exemplary projects and architects were recognized as Design Award winners from the distinguished entrants.

View the Past Winners Since 1958

Congratulations to the 2026 Design Awards Recipients!

Award of Excellence

Kona Farm Distillery (Commercial/Industrial)

Firm: WRNS Studio

Additional Design Firms: Engineering Partners Inc. (Civil and Structural Engineer), Interface Engineering (Mechanical, Plumbing Engineer), Ronald N.S. Ho & Associates, Inc. (Electrical, Energy Engineer), Jordan Consultants, LLC (Specifications), Coffman Engineers, Inc. (Code and Fire Protection), Hirata & Associates (Geotechnical), Sherwood Design Engineers (Water Recycling), Umemoto Cassandro Design Corporation (Landscape Architect), Salter, Inc. (AV, Telecom, and Acoustic), Vitok Engineers (Distilling), Marshall Associates (Food Service)
Contractor: KPRS
Project Location: Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i Island, Hawai’i
Photo Credits: Jason O'Rear

Kona Farm Distillery transforms a former agricultural equipment building into a destination that celebrates Hawaiʻi-grown ingredients and the craft of distillation. Integrated with an active farm, the project connects cultivation, production, and hospitality through transparent views of roasting and spirit-making, creating an immersive visitor experience rooted in agriculture, craftsmanship, and place.

Award of Excellence &
Hawai‘i Energy Award for Excellence in Energy-Efficient Design

Hugh and Mary McCormick Innovation & Discovery Center (Institutional)

Firm: G70

Client: Hawaii Baptist Academy
Contractor: Allied Builders System
Project Location: Honolulu, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Photo Credits: Olivier Koning

Haleola‘ili‘āinapono (Residential)

Firm: Bowers+Kubota Consulting

Additional Design Firms: NOEI (Structural Engineer of Record for the Building), Buehler Engineering (Structural Engineer of Record for the PV Array), CADE Engineers LLC (Electrical Engineer of Record for the PV system), JPB Engineering (Geotechnical Engineer), S.S. Dannaway Assoc. (Fire Protection Engineer), Dennis Poma (Wastewater Engineer)
Client: Aaron & Jessica Ackerman
Contractor: Bryan Allen Construction
Project Location: Honolulu, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Photo Credits: Aaron Yoshino, Ijfke Ridgley

Mystical Rose Oratory Pavilion (Institutional)

Firms: Guerin Glass Architects and Geoffrey Lewis Architect, Inc

Additional Design Firm: Wolf Landscape Architecture (Landscape Architect)
Client: The Marianist Center of Hawaii
Contractor: Hanson Construction, LLC
Project Location: Honolulu, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Photo Credits: Mariko Reed (photographer), Hector Diez (renderer)

Hale Mau'u (Residential)

Firm: Walker Warner

Additional Design Firms: Catherine Kwong Design (Interior Designer), David Y. Tamura Associates (Landscape Architect)
Contractor: Metzler Contracting Co.
Project Location: Hawai’i Island, Hawai’i
Photo Credits: Matthew Millman / William Jess Laird

‘Iolani School Arrillaga Student Center (Institutional)

Firm: WCIT Architecture

Additional Design Firm: Gensler (Co-Design Architect)
Client: 'Iolani School
Contractor: Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc.
Project Location: Honolulu, O’ahu, Hawai’i
Photo Credits: Adam Taylor

Liliʻuokalani Center (Institutional)

Firm: Flansburgh Architects

Client: Lili'uokalani Trust
Contractor: Kiewit Corporation
Project Location: Honolulu, O’ahu, Hawai’i
Photo Credits: Matthew Millman

President Theodore Roosevelt High School Gymnasium (Institutional)

Firm: Ferraro Choi and Associates, Ltd.

Client: State of Hawaii Department of Education
Contractor: Nan, Inc.
Project Location: Honolulu, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Photo Credits: Anton Kisselgoff

Māhualauhīnano - Keaukaha Resiliency Center for Learning (Unbuilt)

Firm: Ferraro Choi and Associates, Ltd.

Commissioned Work to be Built
Client: Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo Public Charter School & Hui Hoʻoleimaluō
Project Location: Hilo, Hawaii, Hawaii
Photo Credits: Ferraro Choi and Associates, Ltd.

Māhualauhīnano-Keaukaha Resiliency Center for Learning is a community hub rooted in aloha ʻāina, cultural continuity, and collective care, providing a permanent home for Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo, a Hawaiian language immersion pre K-12 school that promotes ʻāina stewardship and cultural continuity. Anchored by a restored loko wai, the resilient campus integrates native landscapes, passive design, renewable energy, and flexible spaces to support learning, wellness, and community preparedness.

Honorable Mention

Kaiāulu o Kukuʻia (Residential)

Firm: Design Partners Incorporated

Additional Design Firm: D & T Designs (Interior & Non-architectural)
Client: Ikaika ʻOhana
Contractor: Maryl Group Construction Inc.; Goodfellows Bros
Project Location: Lahaina, Maui, Hawai‘i
Photo Credits: Ikaika Ohana, Design Partners Incorporated

The Park on Keʻeaumoku (Residential)

Firm: Design Partners Incorporated

Client: Keeaumoku Development Owner LLC
Contractor: Nan Inc
Project Location: Honolulu, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Photo Credits: Adam Taylor, Micah Roemmling, Design Partners Incorporated

Downtown Branch, American Savings Bank (Interior Architecture)

Firm: Dean Sakamoto Architects LLC

Additional Design Firm: Coffman Engineers Inc. (Mechanical Consultant), Nakamura, Oyama & Assoc Inc. (Electrical Consultant), Censeo AV+Acoustics (Acoustic Consultant), Albizia Project and Four Square Solutions (Millwork)
Client: American Savings Bank
Contractor: Ralph S. Inouye Co Ltd.
Project location: Honolulu, Oahu, Hawai‘i
Photo Credits: Andrea Brizzi Photography

Centennial Award Recipients

These special projects have been completed at least 25 years ago by an architect who was a former or current member of the AIA Honolulu Chapter or its predecessor organizations. This award is not just about survival; it’s about lasting significance.

Hawaii Kai Corporate Plaza

Firm Name: CDS International

Architect Name: Glenn Miura, AIA
Project location: Honolulu, Oahu, Hawai‘i
Project Completion Year: 1987
Photo Credits: CDS International, Andrea Brizzi

Hawaiʻi Kai Corporate Plaza redefined what a commercial office campus could be in Hawaiʻi, demonstrating that workplaces can be both highly functional and deeply connected to their environment. Organized around lush landscaped courtyards, open-air walkways, and shaded lanais, the complex embraces the island climate while framing views of the mountains and ocean.

Nearly four decades after its completion, it remains a remarkably intact example of contextual architecture—an enduring landmark that continues to serve its community with timeless design, thoughtful planning, and a strong sense of place.

Hawaii State Capitol

Firm Name: AHL

Architect Name: Dan Sullivan, AIA
Project location: Honolulu, Oahu, Hawai‘i
Project Completion Year: 1965
Photo Credits: Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaii State Archives, Andrea Brizzi

The Hawaiʻi State Capitol is more than an architectural icon—it is a lasting symbol of Hawaiʻi’s democracy, identity, and aloha spirit. Conceived as a modern expression of the islands, its open-air rotunda, reflecting pools, volcanic-inspired legislative chambers, and palm-like columns create a civic space that is both deeply rooted in place and welcoming to all.

For more than five decades, it has remained the heart of public life in Hawaiʻi, continuing to inspire civic engagement while thoughtfully evolving to meet the needs of future generations.

Honolulu Academy of Arts

Firm Name: John Hara Associates Inc.

Architect Name: John Hara, FAIA
Project location: Honolulu, Oahu, Hawai‘i
Project Completion Year: 1978 and 2001
Photo Credits: David Franzen Photography

The Honolulu Museum of Art has long been defined by its celebrated courtyards, and its thoughtfully designed additions have strengthened that legacy by seamlessly connecting history with contemporary museum life. Distinct yet respectful of the original architecture, the Clare Boothe Luce Wing and Luce Pavilion expanded gallery space, enhanced public gathering areas, and created a vibrant new courtyard that serves as a social heart of the campus. Decades later, these additions continue to support the Museum’s mission while exemplifying how new architecture can enrich an iconic cultural landmark.

Maui Arts & Cultural Center

Firm Name: John Hara Associates Inc.

Architect Name: John Hara, FAIA
Project location: Kahului, Maui, Hawai‘i
Project Completion Year: 1994
Photo Credits: David Franzen Photography

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center stands as a timeless home for creativity, community, and cultural expression. Thoughtfully composed to frame the natural beauty of Maui, its understated architecture provides an inspiring backdrop where performances, exhibitions, and Hawaiian traditions take center stage. Born from decades of community vision and collaboration, the Center continues to fulfill its original mission, seamlessly integrating world-class performance spaces with places for gathering, learning, and celebration.

Student Design Awards Recipients

The Student Design Awards were created to honor student achievements in the design studio and provide a forum for student design excellence to be celebrated beyond the academic setting.