The Kānehili Community Association has a mission “to facilitate the provision of housing to ameliorate housing and socioeconomic needs as part of the government’s effort to improve the lives of native Hawaiians, strengthen cultural and social ties in the community and our youth through native Hawaiian culture and history, and promote and give direction to our local natural resources.” Through the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the Kānehili homestead development has provided homes for hundreds of native Hawaiian families, but residents currently lack a communal space for outdoor recreation and cultural activities. SHADE Institute and our collaborators at G70 and Ki Concepts are working with the Kānehili Community Association to design a community park that celebrates Hawaiian culture and history. The timeline below overviews our design process and on-going conversations with stakeholders.
SB 1549 passed the Hawai'i Senate!
Featured in photo defending Bill 1549, Dean Sakamoto (left), SHADE Executive Director and
Iwalani Laybon-McBrayer (left), Kaupe’a Homestead Association, President, and the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations (SCHHA), Oahu Mokupuni Council
SB 1549 is important because this bill will ensure the necessary funding from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to construct the Kānehili community hale and related infrastructure.
"Kānehili needs community spaces where our culture can be celebrated and practiced freely. Hawaiians need a place where we can connect as a community and be able to practice our culture authentically, not just in Waikiki. ... [This] vote today is a step in honoring our shared commitment of the Hawaiian people and our Heritage. This is our chance to protect Hawaiian culture and invest in the future and uphold the promise to the Native Hawaiian Lahui." -Iwalani Laybon-McBrayer
Kānehili Community Association Park: Phase 2 Schematic Design Progress Review Meeting
On Wednesday, July 13th, 2023, SHADE Fellows shared their progress for Phase 2 with Kānehili Homestead residents to receive feedback on schematic designs for the Kānehili Community Association Park project. Phase 2 incorporates the evolution of documentation, design, and material development of the park decided by Kānehili residents and stakeholders.
The updated designs were developed in collaboration with Kānehili Homestead residents who expressed their interests and concerns of the buildings’ designs, materials, and future planning for the park. The feedback will help guide the park’s ongoing designs and programmatic elements to completion.
The presentation below overviews the updated designs and on-going research to incorporate native design and sustainable practices throughout the park. Next steps include working with the Kānehili Community Association and consultants to finalize designs, raise funding, and begin construction!
Updated Site Plan
Aerial site view
Updated building plans
softscape and hardscape Plan
drainage Plan
planting Plan
Kānehili Community Association Park: Phase 2 Schematic Design Program Confirmation
On Wednesday, June 14, 2023, SHADE Fellows conducted a virtual workshop with Kānehili Homestead residents to receive feedback on building designs for Phase 2 of the Kānehili Community Association Park project. The Kānehili Homestead residents who attended expressed their essentials that influence building designs, which will help guide the ongoing park design and programmatic elements.
Kānehili Community Association Park: Site Visit and Surveying
On Monday, June 5th, 2023, the incoming Summer SHADE Fellows conducted their first site visit to Kānehili Community Association Park with Randy Akau. The SHADE Fellows mapped out the building imprints with cones and marked the corners with spray paint. They mapped out the existing conditions before jumping into Phase 2 Schematic Design.
Imagining the Buildings
Picture (left to right): Dean Sakamoto (SHADE Executive Director), Debby He (Summer 2023 Fellow), Yining Wang (Summer 2023 Fellow), Talitha Liu (Summer 2023 Program Coordinator), Randy Akau (President of Kanehili Community), Maddee Dailey (Summer 2023 Fellow), Matthew Goh (Spring/Summer 2023 Fellow)
