| Venturing Beyond
the Islands: The Future of Hawaii Architects
As the economic recession that hit the country several years ago continues to reverberate, U.S. architectural firms poise steadfast as they set their eyes in the Asia-Pacific region. Lately, this trend has upsurged due to the booming construction activities in the region, especially with the newly industrialized countries. The drastic economic changes in China as well as Vietnam’s catch-up political attitude have also not gone unnoticed by enterprising U.S. and other international architects. Newly industrialized countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, have been racing one another in translating their economic power into monumental architecture. Indeed, the future of architectural work in this part of the world seems to be very promising. The question now is: As the crossroads of the East and the West, how can we, in the architectural business in Hawaii, jump into the new globalized market economy and become lead competitors? Is there something unique found only in Hawaii that local architects can draw upon in their quest for international work? If current economic growth in the Asia Pacific region continues in the next century, do Hawaii architects stand at an advantage position over their U.S. mainland counterparts because of the islands’ geographic location? And as architecture students, how do we prepare ourselves for this globalized trend? What type of work. Hawaii is renown all over the world as a tourist destination. People come here because they want to experience the notion of what is like “living in a paradise” in the middle of the pacific. Certainly, part of their experience in Hawaii also occurs in the many resort hotels that abound in the islands. In the realms of the architectural practice, one local architectural firm, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo, recognized the potentiality of leisure resort design and developed an expertise that has catapulted the firm in international work. The pioneering marketing effort of WAT&G in the leisure and hospitality business stands hand in hand with the development of resort design here in Hawaii. Today, both foreign and local architects consider Hawaii as a living laboratory when it comes to resort design. Although there is an enormous number of other types of work possible, Hawaii architects stand the greatest chance as the “experts” in foreign leisure and hospitality projects. It is conceivable that foreign clients can easily associate to such expertise because of the given fact that Hawaii itself thrives in a tourist-oriented economy. By marketing a specific expertise, such as leisure design, Hawaii architects stand a good chance of obtaining other types of work in the international market. In the long haul, an exposure to foreign market, coupled with a healthy relationship with clients and other professionals in the field, will become very beneficial for the architectural firms’ continued growth. |
If current economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region continues in the next century, do Hawaii architects stand at an advantage position over their U.S. mainland counterparts because of the islands' geographic location? Hawaii’s geographic location. Hawaii architects must promote the idea that good architecture means a good understanding of the clients’ culture, climate, place, and needs. This sobering notion is never more evident than in PA’s March 1995 article, “Asia Bound,” where it explores the fallible and irresponsible design solutions that have been implemented in countries and how imported architecture has created aberrations in their local contexts. There is no doubt that the need for responsible design is a paramount duty of the architect: “If Asian cities are to be distinctive, coherent places, globally commuting designers-and the individuals and institutions they work for-will have to adopt a more disciplined approach, one that takes seriously the history, culture, or other defining characteristics of each locality.” To be able to compete globally, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, Hawaii architects must continually reinforce the notion that Hawaii has strong cultural ties with the clients’ countries. Hawaii, a place where different cultures converge, has the most credible position in claiming this sentiment. Hence, part of the marketing effort must also have to do with how Hawaii architects are capable in adapting to the local business practices, fulfilling the implicit needs of foreign clients, and collaborating well with local professionals. Preparing for the future. As the only architectural school in this part of the world, how do we prepare ourselves to the changing global market? The dean of the School of Architecture, W. H. Raymond Yeh, FAIA, has been invariably addressing this by establishing relationships with other leading architectural schools in the Asia-Pacific region and by developing student exchange programs. As he states in an interview, “Architecture education in the Pacific Region,” that was recently published in Architecture California, “This will promote an exchange of ideas relevant in cross-cultural practice today and prepare students for doing projects internationally.” He also addresses the growing notion that architecture, as a transient commodity, is slowly regressing and that the meaning of architecture to its context is slowly being recognized as the precursor to a successful building. As Hawaii architects pull their time-tested practices in the next century, as fresh new graduates from the School of Architecture venture into their chosen paths, they will be continually faced with changes in much larger arenas, such as global market trends. To compete effectively, they must continually evaluate their positions, not losing sight of their responsibilities of defining architecture around the premises of the clients’ needs, identity, and context. |