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‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i Campus –
Supporting Hawaiian language revitalization and normalization 2020 – 2023
The Ōlelo Hawai‘i Campus proposes a dedicated educational environment to support the revitalization and normalization of the Hawaiian language. Co-developed with the Hawai‘i ‘Imiloa Institute—a statewide coalition of six Native Hawaiian language organizations, schools, and nonprofits—the project sustains a complete P–25 Indigenous Language Cycle, from preschool through Ph.D., taught entirely in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. Planned as a “campus-within-a-campus” at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, the multi-phase initiative began with a master planning effort and includes three new buildings integrated into a topography shaped by lava flows. Ceremonial protocol spaces are aligned with Hilo Bay and the sacred Mauna Kea, grounding the campus in cultural orientation and ancestral knowledge.
Envisioned as the most comprehensive Indigenous language campus in the world, the project builds on the four-decade legacy of the Hawaiian Renaissance, which reignited language revitalization after ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i had nearly vanished following its ban in schools after the overthrow of the monarchy. By the mid-twentieth century, only a few hundred native speakers remained. Today, through the work of pioneering educators, community leaders, and language organizations, Hawai‘i has become a global model for Indigenous language recovery. This campus, developed in collaboration with those leaders, represents the architectural culmination of their movement—an enduring cultural, educational, and civic platform for the future of the Hawaiian language.
AWARDS
2025 Architizer Vision Awards Vision for Education - Finalist
2024 Architect’s Newspaper Best of the Best Award
2024 ACSA Collaborative Practice Award
2023 Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards
2023 AIA Honolulu Award of Excellence - Unbuilt
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This project was supported by a legislative appropriation secured by Senator Kaiali'i Kahele, the second Native Hawaiian ever elected to congress.
Presented at the 112th ACSA Annual Meeting: Disrupters on the Edge, “Society+Community: Practices of Decolonization,” Vancouver, Canada, March 15, 2024.
Presented at the AIA International Virtual Meeting, December 4, 2023.
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For: University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Office of the Vice President of Administration
Type: User Research & Architectural Design Proof of Concepts
Hawaiian Language Partner Organizations: Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani (KH‘UOK, College of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo), ‘Aha Pūnana Leo (Hawaiian language preschools), Hale Kuamo‘o (Hawaiian language curriculum development and research), Mokuola Honua (Global Center for Indigenous Language Excellence),‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i (a part of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo), Ke Kula ‘o Nāwahīokalani‘ōpu‘u (Nawahi, Hawaiian language immersion charter school).
Keiki Kawai‘ae‘a, Associate Professor and UH Hilo Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Ka‘iu Kimura, Interim Director of UH Hilo’s KH‘UOK College of Hawaiian Language and Executive Director at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center
Consultants: Hyunjoo Lee, User Research & UX
Production Team: 'Eiwa Colburn, Glenn Grande, Jason Hashimoto, Isaac Jang, Charles Palanza, Griffin Ward, Hunter Wells. Project Assistants: Keola Annino, Micah Axalan, Airon Castaneda, Christina Holcom, Keli‘i Kapali, Vivianne Nguyen, Coby Shimabukuro Sanchez, Bryson Tabaniag.
Photography: Tom Takata Photography
MASTER PLAN: Cultural Alignments & Protocol Spaces defining a Campus-within-a-Campus
Planned as a “campus-within-a-campus”, the multi-phase project began with a master planning effort and features three new buildings integrated into a topography shaped by lava flows. The site is organized around a series of physical alignments, responding to the nine cultural pathways of Nā Honua Mauli Ola, developed by members of the Hawaiʻi ʻImiloa Institute.
On the campus grounds, spatial orientation is further supported by the Hawaiian Star Compass. Interpreted by Native Hawaiian navigator Nainoa Thompson, the compass is defined by thirty-two star houses that map the positions and movements of celestial bodies. This system, grounded in Hawaiian traditions, integrates with the understanding of wind directions and ocean wave patterns to aid navigation both on land and at sea.
USER RESEARCH: Defining the P-25 Hawaiian Indigenous Language Cycle
Kanaka ‘ōiwi, people of Native Hawaiian ancestry, founded and lead all six programs that complete the P-25 HILC.
Multiple phases of user research, including one-on-one interviews, co-creation workshops, and “talk story” sessions, were held with over fifty Hawaiian language education founders and senior leaders. A similar number of students, parents, program graduates, and community members generously shared their knowledge and experiences during this phase.
The concept and definition for the P-25 Hawaiian Indigenous Language Cycle emerged from these conversations.
PŪNANA LEO: Pre-School
Housing the Preschool and the Hi‘ipēpē Infant Program, the Pūnana Leo o Hilo structure is home to ‘Aha Pūnana Leo’s main Hilo location. It is composed of classrooms, administrative and meeting spaces, a kitchen, and a laundry facility.
A protected courtyard embraces the central piko. Bounded by the thirty-two houses of the Hawaiian Star Compass, the space serves as a focal point for the entire ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Campus. The courtyard piko aligns the learning process with land, sea, stars, and ancestral knowledge. Marking the origin point of the education journey, the preschool is surrounded and supported by generations of learners and educators.
HALE KUAMO‘O: Production Facility
Operating as a teaching practice, student workers will learn alongside professional graphic designers, specialized researchers, curriculum designers, audio/visual experts, and language specialists to build the next generation of Hawaiian language education.
Hale Kuamo‘o operates as a connector between the upper and lower campus and as the physical embodiment of Hale Kuamo‘o’s unique Research-Development-Production-Distribution cycle. The compact, stacked floors open onto one another through a communal exhibition/bookstore/ prototyping lobby and plaza. Each level is visually connected to the surrounding natural landscape and simultaneously provides privacy with a thatch of dynamic sunshades.
