Hawaii Architecture: High-Rise Residential Towers and Cultural Landmarks

JH2 Architects has helped shape Hawaii's architectural landscape through large-scale residential developments and culturally significant public spaces. Our Hawaii portfolio spans high-rise condominium towers in Honolulu's urban core to resort communities on Maui's Wailea coast, alongside landmark civic projects like Hilo's Imiloa Astronomy Center.

With projects totaling over 800 residential units and 40,000 square feet of public educational space, we bring sophisticated design thinking to Hawaii's unique climate, culture, and building requirements.

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Keola La’i Condominium Tower

  • Low angle view of a tall modern glass skyscraper against a blue sky with some clouds reflected in the windows.

    Honolulu, Hawaii
    6,740 sf. Completed 2008
    42 Floors, Residential, Hospitality

  • All units feature high grade fixtures, furnishings, and equipment designed to complement a quality residential environment.

    The Ko’olani community features extensive business, recreation and private club amenities including a spa. The recreation deck offers pool, tennis, barbeque, and landscaped walking areas. This building also features a multi-level parking garage.

  • The Ko’olani community features extensive business, recreation and private club amenities including a spa. The recreation deck offers pool, tennis, barbeque, and landscaped walking areas. This building also features a multi-level parking garage.

  • The name Keola La’i means “the content life” in Hawaiian.

Koolani Condominium Tower

  • Honolulu, Hawaii
    Residential, Condominium
    Completed 2006
    48 Floors

  • In Hawaiian, Ko’olani is the balance that upholds the heavens. Completed in 2007, this 46 floor, 370 unit residential condominium in downtown Honolulu is designed with individual units ranging from 815 to 3,089 square feet, accommodating a variety of resident family sizes.

    Wall to wall and floor to ceiling glazing provide panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Penthouses have outdoor roof decks for casual living and entertainment.

  • All units feature high grade fixtures, furnishings, and equipment designed to complement a quality residential environment.

  • Modern hotel lobby seating area with chairs, a mirror, artwork, and wooden accents.

    The Ko’olani community features extensive business, recreation and private club amenities including a spa. The recreation deck offers pool, tennis, barbeque, and landscaped walking areas. This building also features a multi-level parking garage.

Imiloa Astronomy Center

  • Modern white building with cone-shaped roofs in a landscaped area with grass, bushes, and rocks, under a cloudy sky.

    Hilo, Hawaii
    40,000 sf. Completed 2006
    Public Office, Museum

  • Imiloa Astronomy Center serves as a locus of public education about the world-class astronomy research that takes place on the Island of Hawaii, as well as the island’s rich history of astronomical and oceangoing navigation.

  • Designed this premier facility as a distillation and abstraction of the mountain form. The educational complex consists of three conical shapes that depict the mountainous landscape while reflecting the sky above. The center includes more than 300 exhibits, a world-class planetarium, cafe, gift shop and offices.

  • As one measure in achieving LEED certification, Proposed the use of titanium roofing: although relatively expensive, the material is waste-free during construction, is 100% recyclable, and is virtually unaffected by Hilo’s highly acidic rain providing a very long-lived roofing solution.

  • Modern building with a unique architectural roof structure and large glass entrance, surrounded by greenery and a few people standing outside.

Ho’olei Resort

  • Wailea, Hawaii
    Residential, Condominium
    Completed 2008
    120 Units, 12 Floors

  • The Ho’olei condominiums are located in Wailea on the Island of Maui. They feature spacious two story town homes with finely appointed interiors, private elevators, and attached garages.

    This exclusive property offers broad, west-facing ocean views and is surrounded on three sides by the Wailea Blue Golf Course. A recreation area includes swimming pool, water feature, barbecue area, covered lanai, freestanding gymnasium and office spaces.

  • This character is reflected in basic, durable building materials such as stone, brick and cast iron, with strong vertical structural expression. Abundant natural light floods interior spaces, and the interior design overall reflects a “swanky, soulful” mood, with eclectic furnishings that soften the industrial feel of the structure itself.

  • Living area with a sofa, armchair, coffee table, and open kitchen with a bar, all overlooking a balcony with outdoor furniture and a mountain view.

    The resort also provided individual unit entries, bestowing a sense of intimacy to each unit not typically provided in a large dense residential complex. The design also inverted the living area over the private bedroom areas to allow for more use of the wide open ocean views during the day.