BACKGROUND:
Because of an expiring lease, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honolulu Chapter decided it was time to search for a more centralized location in downtown Honolulu that could better serve its AIA members. Not far from its present location on Nuuanu Street, a smaller but "right-sized" office space was discovered on the fourth floor of the historic Stangenwald Building on Merchant Street. Designed by C.W. Dickey in 1901, the Stangenwald Building was one of Hawaii's first high-rise buildings at six stories and claimed to be "fireproof." It also featured a library and the first electric elevator in the islands.

PROBLEM:
The AIA Honolulu Chapter desired a new office that was modeled after its professional tenets and principles: an aesthetically-pleasing space that was functional yet sensitive to the environment through sustainable design practices. Other specific program requirements included:

• An open work area for employees and visitor reception.
• A private conference room and a multipurpose room for meetings, seminars, presentations, etc.
• Separate spaces for a reference library, computer station, copy/fax area, and an employee break area.
• Areas throughout the office to display members' work as well as an area to display AIA publications, brochures, etc.

Along with these physical requirements, the project had a limited construction budget with a fairly short time schedule.

APPROACH:
The design approach for the new AIA Honolulu Chapter office was to provide a modern but sustainably designed LEED® (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) rated interior environment within the context of a historic structural envelope. The design would attempt to take advantage of any sustainable opportunities afforded by the infrastructure of the 1901 C. W. Dickey designed building while incorporating "green" materials and high technology whenever and wherever possible. To help reduce construction costs, the project would seek the help of vendor donations and volunteer help from its members, a "helping-hand" practice/option that seems to have been long forgotten in our modern world.

SOLUTION:
To increase natural daylighting and to re-establish the original architectural design proportions, dropped acoustical ceilings were removed to restore the original 12' high ceilings. To allow for natural ventilation on cool days, the original operable windows were cleaned, repaired, and restored. To establish full length view planes, separate the new construction from the historic envelope, and to allow maximum natural daylight penetration, walking circulation for the new space was provided at the two perimeter walls. Full height pocketed door enclosures to the conference and multipurpose rooms were also used to maintain open view planes while still providing privacy when needed.

Sustainable design practices were employed throughout the project, which included:

• Specifying all new furniture for its sustainable material content and sustainable manufacturing processes;
• Reusing existing materials, furniture, and fixtures from the former office whenever possible in the project;
• Specifying energy efficient light fixtures with occupancy sensors.

Sustainable "green" materials were specified as much as possible:

• Drywall made out of 100% recyclable ash;
• Carpeting made out of recycled products that can again be recycled;
• Carpet adhesive and paints that contains low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC);
• Cork flooring, which is a sustainable and renewable material;
• Wood shelves and counters that were manufactured from certified or renewable forested products;
• Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) shelves that contain no formaldehyde.

To help reduce project costs, AIA members assisted in the demolition, painting, and salvaging of materials from the former Nuuanu street office. Along with AIA members, suppliers, contractors, and the building owner, the whole process was used as an educational project for designing, constructing, and sponsoring sustainable interiors.

CONCLUSION:
As a reward for its sustainable design practices, the project was recognized as the first LEED/CI® (Commercial Interiors) accredited project in Hawaii and received a GOLD rating from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Today, this space is a living model that serves to educate its members and the visiting public on sustainability issues and practices.

Refer also to Sustainable Architecture.

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