Campus Design Lab –

The Campus Design Lab (CDL) is a design and research platform created for the University of Hawai‘i as a neutral space where Administration and Academia collaborate on the future of its campuses. Both a convening hub and a mobile laboratory, it transforms public spaces into testing grounds for innovation. Grounded in user research, the CDL develops tools, full-scale mockups, and prototypes that inform RFPs, and partners with professional design teams to advance design excellence across the university.

Rooted in place, informed by research, and guided by student perspectives, the CDL helps shape campus planning and design in ways that reflect the values, needs, and everyday experiences of the University community. Bringing together people from different fields, the Lab supports design-build work that aligns with academic goals and campus priorities. It helps teams define ideas early, use real data to make decisions, and test solutions through prototypes and pilot projects.

Student voices and community input are central to the work, ensuring each project reflects how people actually use and move through spaces. The CDL also advances design that responds to Hawaiʻi’s unique environments and honors its cultural and social contexts—contributing to campuses that are more connected, resilient, and welcoming to all.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Campus Design Lab (CDL) is a design and research platform for the University of Hawai‘i, established as a neutral space for collaborative work that shapes the future of its campuses