NOAA Inouye regional center
Perpetuating science, service, and stewardship with Hawaii’s cultural traditions and ecology.
Built: 2013
Project Location: Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Size: 23.5 acres
Typology: Stormwater Conservation, Ecological Rehabilitation, Native Plantings, Campus, Historic Preservation, Institutional, Federal
This extensive adaptive reuse project designed in collaboration with HOK will serve National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center as a research laboratory and administrative headquarters. The projected located on Ford Island, Pearl Harbor on Oahu creatively features approximately 203,000 GSF of historic hangers and 107,000 GSF of new construction on a 23.5 acre historic landmark site. The diverse program includes marine biology laboratories, national data center, dive center, International Tsunami Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, National Weather Service and administrative functions.
Landscape design for this new facility reconfigured a historic airfield for parking with bio-swales for drainage and storm water management. Key landscape elements include a multi-purpose amphitheater and terrace overlooking Pearl Harbor and historic and cultural interpretive features. Sustainable design practices included rainwater harvesting, gray water reuse for irrigation, native and drought-tolerant planting, high efficiency irrigation, and repurposed concrete paving.