The emphasis of the design for the Ho’okipa Cottage Renovation is on rich Hawaiian culture and the indoor-outdoor nature of the islands.  The project budget was used to focus on the users, not the buildings. With aspirations of providing autonomy and safe privacy for the women, the design team provides comfortable spaces that provided refuge, including special attention to acoustics, passive ventilation, and daylighting.

The planning and design team spent three days of immersive charretting in the vacant cottage to kick-off the design process. During this charrette we spoke with women representative of those who will occupy the buildings as well as program and security staff working with those women. This opportunity allowed the design team to create a funding package for the state in just six days that immersed leadership and legislators in what the facility could become. Once funding was secured, additional design meetings focused on site integration with the main women’s facility as well as educating staff on the new management style that would be implemented when the cottage came online.