The Best Residential Architects in Hawaii

Last updated on August 7th, 2024 at 02:25 am

Finding the perfect residential architect in Hawaii can be daunting, especially with the many options available. Hawaii’s unique climate and environmental conditions, such as frequent rain, high humidity, and potential volcanic activity, require a contractor who understands how to select materials and construction techniques to withstand these challenges. It also has specific building codes and regulations that a knowledgeable contractor will navigate effectively, ensuring compliance and avoiding legal issues. The average residential project in Hawaii costs between $150,000 and $550,000, though luxury builds can soar to $1.05 million depending on the scope, design, and materials involved. These projects typically take up to 30 weeks to complete, assuming there are no unexpected issues—a common occurrence in construction. Therefore, selecting a reliable and skilled architect is crucial to ensure your dream home becomes a reality without unnecessary delays or costs.

Hawaii is home to approximately 1.44 million people, with a median home value of $754,800, reflecting its unique and desirable living conditions. The state’s picturesque landscapes and unique climate present opportunities and challenges for residential architecture, requiring a balance between aesthetic appeal and functional design. Despite these challenges, the allure of island living continues to attract homeowners who seek out top-notch architects capable of turning their vision into a stunning and enduring reality.

According to the latest permit data from Hawaii’s building department, there are 42 contractors specializing in residential projects across the islands. Navigating through this list to find a trustworthy architect is essential to avoid pitfalls and ensure a smooth building process. The difference between a reputable architect and an inadequate one can mean a stress-free project and a costly, time-consuming ordeal. In this article, we will guide you through some of the best home architects in Hawaii, each known for their exceptional expertise and ability to bring your architectural dreams to life.

Overview: The Best Residential Architects in Hawaii

See Ranking Methodology at the bottom of this article to learn more.

Paul M. Donoho, Architect

P.O. Box 1727, Honokaa, HI 96727

Paul M. Donoho, Architect conceptualized a 5,982-square-foot custom home in Kohala Ranch, an upland area with an unobstructed view of several miles of blue ocean. The home’s contemporary look accommodates the property’s complex topography. The same style offered a visual and structurally connection to the surrounding landscape. As a ranch-inspired design, the resulting hybrid home provides a more light, approachable, and familiar atmosphere for the client’s big and growing family.

Since its inception 19 years ago, it has produced projects that posed the same challenge with topography and customization. Principal architect Paul M. Donoho, AIA, solves these problems and creates client-focused design ideas. Donoho’s work has been recognized for years. Under his leadership, Pacific Business News named the firm among its Top Neighbor Island Architecture Firms from 2012 to 2021. 2018 the Historic Hawaii Foundation recognized the company with the Preservation Honor Award. 

Welch and Weeks Architects

4th Fl. Aloha Tower 155 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96813

Welch and Weeks Architects was the lead architect for the new construction of a Hawaiian home that later became a multi-awarded work. The Kahala Beach Residence earned the Building Industry Awards (BIA) Renaissance Building and Remodeling Overall Grand Award Winner. The transformation realigned the home’s architecture to the elements of the island’s signature beachside community architecture. The charms of Old Hawaiian Architecture are reignited through modern materials, including concrete, engineered wood flooring, and fiberglass windows. The home’s overall structure allows ample ventilation and was designed to direct trade winds around the interiors. 

This home architect in Hawaii has many years of experience and thousands of successful projects. Partner architects Darrell Welch, Jr. and Victor Weeks lead the firm’s 2+ decades of notable practice. 

Hawaii Island Architects, LLC

Keauhou, HI 96739

Hawaii Island Architects, LLC was the head architect for a luxury custom home that features luxury finishes and fixtures. The Keauhou Modern home is a blend of classic, traditional interiors and modern forms. The highlight of the home is an outdoor swimming pool that can be accessed through sliding glass doors from almost every part of the home. Blurring the line between indoors and outdoors allows an interesting mix of visuals: the island’s cool outdoor tropical atmosphere and the warmth of custom details and lighting throughout the home’s interior. 

The firm is also well-versed in other architectural styles, including contemporary, colonial, and Hawaiian vernacular architecture. For over 44 years, principal Roger Brasel, AIA, has developed a design practice that emphasizes details that represent each client’s dream home. 

Arquitectura, LLC

1325 Mo’ohele St., Waikapu, HI 96793

Arquitectura, LLC led the design efforts for the Felder Residence, a contemporary-inspired home that features interesting geometries and forms. The home’s half-arched structure makes its facade unforgettable. The other portions of its roofing mimic the same pattern. Breaking the curves are the angles of its thick walls set in a full white siding. Its interiors follow the same color theme and enjoy ample daylight through the home’s expansive windows and openings. Entryways are operable and can easily open to connect indoor spaces with the outdoor pool and seating. This architect in Hawaii was featured in a 2020 Maui Magazine article.

Principal architect Marc Taron, AIA, delivers projects with the same elegance and custom designs. Through Taron’s architecture and planning services and the level of expertise he has practiced for over 16 years, the firm is able to take on complex work for the luxury residential sector. 

Lapis Design Partners

1188 Bishop St. #2506, Honolulu, HI 96813

Lapis Design Partners designed a custom home in Kahala, an upscale neighborhood that enjoys the seaside calmness of secluded beaches. The home’s design is meant to take advantage of its location as a corner property and its visual openness. This factor also resulted in an interesting form: a circular kitchen that provides a place for food preparation and interaction. The overall design focused on its interior-exterior space connection, mimicking Hawaii’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle. 

For over two decades, the firm has delivered the same thoughtfully designed residential and commercial spaces under the guidance of principal architect John August Black, AIA. The company offers both architecture and interior design services.

WhiteSpace Architects

2051 Young St., Suite #200, Honolulu, HI 96826

WhiteSpace Architects incorporated Hawaiian architecture with the forms and functionality of contemporary design to produce the Diamond Head Residence. The home’s signature features include the warm palette for its interiors and its open-space layout that provides smooth navigation and access through the house. Massive, full-glass windows and sliding doors open up the indoor spaces to blend and connect with the lush landscaping outdoors. Wide eaves and lanai roofing provide shading and ample ventilation.

Modern, contemporary, colonial, and coastal-style residences dominate the firm’s four-decade-old portfolio. Heading the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and US Green Building Council (USGBC), recognized architecture and sustainable design practices are Philip “Pip” White, AIA and Laura Ayers, AIA, LEED AP. 

Peter Vincent Architects

1021 Smith St. Penthouse 4th Flr. Entrance, Honolulu, HI 96817

Peter Vincent Architects was commissioned to lead the redesign of a Kailua home. This work later won the Building Industry Association (BIA) Renaissance Building & Remodeling Awards Overall Grand Award. The home’s design centered on providing a coastal-inspired architecture for beachside living. Contemporary in form with its expansive, open-air layout, it features full-glass entryways and tall glass windows. Almost every part of the room receives ample daylight and a full view of its surrounding seascapes. Its outdoor seating and second-level balcony enhance the connection with nature. As one of the top architects in Hawaii, the firm won the 2020 American Society of Interior Designers’ Emerging Professional Award.

For almost three decades, the firm has produced homes that celebrate traditional regional architecture and contemporary designs. Peter N. Vincent, FAIA, NCARB, heads the firm’s multi-awarded practice. This practice has delivered projects that now grace the pages of Hawaii Home + Remodeling, Pacific Business News, Builder Magazine, and Building Industry Hawaii, among others.

Benjamin Woo Architects

600 Kapiolani Blvd. Suite #402B, Honolulu, HI 96813

Benjamin Woo Architects is a preferred residential architect for developers, custom home project owners, and speculative home builders. For instance, the firm worked with DR Horton to complete a planned community that features traditional-modern homes in recent years. The project involved the architecture and planning of single-family residences and duplex homes that follow the region’s most stringent housing standards. The firm’s comprehensive services also covered the project’s permitting process and construction administration. 

As an architect for the residential market, the firm has received multiple housing awards, including the IIDA Hawaii Pacific Chapter Ho’ohuli Awards and the Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Award. Many of its projects are featured in publications such as Metropolis Magazine and Dezeen. Principal architect Benjamin Woo, RA, LEED AP, founded the firm over 21 years ago.

de Reus Architects

65-1291 Kawaihae Road, Suite 105, Kamuela, ​HI 96743

de Reus Architects was tasked with designing the Kohanaiki Residence, a five-bedroom home blessed with \ majestic views of the region’s prime coastline and the famous Pine Trees surf break. Commissioned by Kohanaiki Development, the design provides shading and natural ventilation, thanks to the large lanais roofing and broad eaves perfect for the tropical climate. The choice of natural, low-maintenance materials also enhanced the room’s durability. 

Since its establishment over 16 years ago, the firm has focused on hospitality and high-end custom residential markets. Mark Edison de Reus, AIA, provides full-service design and planning services. Its most recent projects won accolades from the region’s design community. These include Ocean Home Magazine’s ranking for the Top 50 Coastal Architect and ASID Hawaii Design Excellence Awards, Award of Honor, and Hospitality category.

Weile Ltd.

6312 Pohoiki Pl., Honolulu, HI 96825

Weile Ltd. brought together the nostalgic appeal of traditional forms and the functionality of contemporary materials when it designed the Hawaii Kai Residence. The firm’s design-build nature allowed it to participate in every part of the process, from conceptualization to completion. This work showcased the firm’s signature contemporary style by connecting the main areas of the home to the landscape. The outbuilding is supported by tapered columns and base masonry, which are common in traditional craftsman architecture. This area is accessed through floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors. Natural light from the outside comes in through large windows and doors and illuminates the home’s interior spaces. 

Felix Lowell Weile, AIA, designed and built this featured project. Weile is also a American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) member. His hands-on practice has resulted in many highly commended homes across the region. He founded the firm over 30 years ago. 

Prowork Pacific Inc.

100 N Beretania Suite #114, Honolulu, HI 96817

Prowork Pacific Inc. completed the residential design work for a luxury residential property in Kai. The Continental Hale Residence included adding, altering, and transforming an existing family home. The firm incorporated modern details into the work, including full glass sliding doors, multiple outdoor seating, and a deck and observatory seating that wraps around the house. The flat roofing of the home and its asymmetrical geometry add character to the place and allow it to fit strategically into the terrain. The home has a full ocean view and displays a contemporary-traditional design. 

The company takes on mid-range and high-end residential spaces like this featured work. Under the direction of Jimmy Wu, AlA, LEED AP, the firm delivers high-quality architecture and sustainable design solutions.

Nishikawa Architects

2145 Wells St., Suite #301, Wailuku, HI 96793

Nishikawa Architects is a leading architectural company that has helped homeowners design the homes of their dreams. For a Maui home, for example, the firm worked with the project owners to deliver the Kapalua – Hale O Ikena Residence. This modern-inspired home draws inspiration from the beige stucco cladding, brick wall roofing, and thick walls of European architecture. The home was designed to be one with the landscape, with open spaces and entryways that fully embrace the seascapes in front of it while adding coziness and privacy through its large, expansive interiors splashed with warm color palettes. As one of the leading Hawaiian architects, the firm was featured in a 2018 Forbes article.

As an AIA-affiliated company, the firm is a highly commended designer in the architecture and building community. In recent years, its work has constantly earned the BIA Renaissance Building and Remodeling Awards. The Wall Street Journal also featured one of the firm’s works in its “House of the Day” section. 

G70 Design

111 S King St., Suite #170, Honolulu, HI 96813

G70 Design is one of the leading architects who has worked with developers and homeowners to produce custom homes in the region. For instance, the Maluhia at Wailea Hale Mohalu project is a multi-awarded architecture and interior design project that features fourteen beach homes. These residences are located along the coastline, with clear ocean views. Every home is inspired by how contemporary architectural elements allow open, expansive spaces that connect to the outdoors while maintaining privacy. The dining rooms have easy access and openness to the landscaping. To blend well with its surrounding environment, the firm chose coral as the main material hue and chose cladding for its exterior walls. 

The project won recognition at the ASID Hale Pu’u Hale and Hale Ola Hale Awards of Excellence. Hotel Management, Hawaii News Now, and Honolulu Magazine, among other names, featured many of the firm’s projects. The firm’s success as an architecture and design company can be attributed to the extensive background of its owner and founder, Francis S. Oda, D. Arch, FAIA, AICP, LEED AP.

Ranking Methodology

To evaluate the performance of architects, our methodology employs a systematic approach that considers various factors contributing to customer experience and satisfaction. We focused on assessing the residential architects in the Hawaii area. The methodology involves assigning weightings to specific categories based on their significance in determining customer service quality. Here’s the breakdown of the categories and their respective weightings:

• Average Customer Satisfaction (35%): This metric represents the average rating given by customers across the same review platforms as the Average Customer Satisfaction Score. A higher average rating indicates greater overall satisfaction with the service provided.
• Service Rating Score (25%): We analyze the ratio of high (4-5 stars) to low (1-2 stars) ratings for each business across multiple review platforms: Google, Houzz, and Yelp. A higher percentage of positive reviews contributes to a higher score, reflecting better customer satisfaction.
• Complaint Percentage (25%): We analyze the ratio of complaints to total reviews for each business. A lower complaints ratio indicates better service quality and results in a higher score.
• Business Hours and Availability (10%): The operating hours of each business are assessed to gauge accessibility. Companies with extended operating hours are awarded a higher score, as they offer greater convenience to customers.
• License Status (5%): We verify the licensing status of each contractor with their local licensing board to ensure legal compliance. Companies with valid licenses receive a higher score, reflecting professionalism and adherence to regulations.
• Total Score: We determined the overall rating for every contractor by calculating a weighted average, with the category weight determining the amount the subscore contributed to the total score 

Additional Note: Service Rating Score, Average Customer Satisfaction, and Complaint Percentage are calculated with a Bayesian estimate to account for if the contractor has a low number of total reviews. A Bayesian average is a statistical method used to calculate the average of a set of data points while taking into account prior information or beliefs about the distribution of the data. It combines the observed data with a prior distribution to generate a more accurate estimate of the true average.