the HLC
A Campus Within
a Campus
Phase 2a: Pūnana
Leo o Hilo
Phase 2b: Hale Kuamoʻo
Phase 3: Grad Center
& Mokuola Honua
Timeline
The Development of the Hawaiian Language Campus
Phase 0
‘Imiloa
40,000 sf
Completed in 2006
Home to ‘Ilimoa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i, this space contains an exhibition hall, planetarium, event hall, classroom, and restaurant.
Phase 1
Haleʻōlelo
36,760 sf
Completed in 2014
Home to the Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language, this space consists of classrooms, offices, a library, kitchen & lounge, and event spaces.
Phase 2a
Pūnana Leo o Hilo
8,010 sf conditioned space
Home to ‘Aha Pūnana Leo’s Hilo location, this space will consist of open classrooms, kitchen and laundry facilities, and office spaces.
Phase 2b
Hale Kuamo‘o
13,000 sf conditioned space
Focusing on content production and development, this space will consist of print production facilities, a lobby & exhibition space, offices, and design & research studios.
Phase 3
Graduate Center
& Mokuola Honua
12,100 sf total conditioned space
Serving graduate students as well as visitors from around the world, this space will consist of classrooms and offices, visitor center and event spaces, communal cafe and kitchen, and short & long term housing.
The Hawaiian Language Campus represents a key goal of the Ku‘ikahi, by “bringing the language home” and enabling the fulfillment of the consortium’s vision. The development of the campus is taking place in several phases, with Phases 0 and 1 completed in 2006 and 2014, respectively. Phases 2a, 2b, and 3 will round out the vision of a unified campus, each sustaining independent operations that support the larger mission.
The driving question: How might our physical environments best support, forward, and embody an ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi P-25 Indigenous Language Cycle, while furthering our capacity as leaders in global indigenous language revitalization?
Protocol-Centered: Comfortable spaces for daily protocols and cultural practices are provided both at the level of the campus and within each facility.
Connected Learning: The cluster of closely spaced buildings share plazas and outdoor spaces in an effort to invite and facilitate communication between programs.
Aligned Green: Buildings are centered around a green space that is aligned along a ma uka to ma kai axis that was established by Haleʻōlelo.
Shared Commons: Key spaces, like conference and meeting rooms, are shared across the campus to keep the overall square feet of built space to a minimum.
Phase 2a: Pūnana Leo o Hilo
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.
Lānai Play: Large lānais, pergolas, and awnings provide access to play and learning spaces in all types of weather.
Ohana-Oriented: Classrooms can open onto one another to accommodate teaching and community events, covered outdoor spaces allow for protected drop-offs, and generous cleaning/maintenance rooms simplify self-directed make parent/community volunteering.
Safe Shape: The simple, shed roofed structure embraces a central, piko space that allows teachers, parents, and aides to keep an eye on the keiki from almost every space in the building.
'Āina-Connected: Classrooms have direct visual and physical connection to the outdoors, creating a sense of calm and providing for planned and spontaneous teaching moments.
Phase 2b: Hale Kuamo‘o
Housing the Hale Kuamo‘o Hawaiian Language Center, this structure is composed of production facilities, exhibition and event space, content development and research space, and private offices.
Full Cycle: The research-development-production-distribution cycle is supported by a series of stacked and easily accessible spaces.
Design-Led: A collaborative design studio environment sits on the top floor. The open plan allows for responsive mentorship between staff and students while highlighting the multi-disciplinary nature of the work.
In Process: A flexible, second floor gallery/event/exhibition space, invites inhabitants and guests to see behind the scenes.
Mixed Media: The facility supports traditional print-based work and accomodates settings for increasing efforts for video-based work and digital development.
Phase 3: Grad Center & Mokuola Honua
This structure houses the Graduate and Ph.D programs for the Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language, as well as the Mokuola Honua Global Center for Indigenous Language Excellence. It is composed of a visitor center, lanai, kitchen and cafe, learning and research facilities, as well as short and long term housing.
Light Touch: Minimal excavation for the simple pier system reduces disruption to the soil, while allowing the natural flow of water through the ecosystem.
Open Platform: Decks, floating on prefabricated trusses, step down the hillside following the existing topography. Lightweight structures, sitting on and adjacent to the deck system, are connected by photovoltaic awnings.
Global View: A viewing tower invites visitors up to witness views of the larger landscape while a ground level visitor center shares information about indigenous language and culture.
Radically Responsible: Classrooms, work pods, and short-term housing are designed to be taken offline when not in use, completely eliminating the waste of energy for air conditioning and "vampire load" at receptacles and other electric devices.
Timeline
While the origins of the Kuʻikahi begin the early 1980’s, most of the organizations operated without dedicated and purpose-built structures for decades. ‘Aha Pūnana Leo has utilized a number of rental spaces throughout the decades, while Hale Kuamo‘o has been housed in temporary, repurposed structures on the UH Hilo campus. The fulfillment of phases 2a, 2b, and 3 will finally provide the purpose-built structures that have been sorely needed by the consortium for decades.
