A visionary initiative launched in 2024, the Hawai‘i Public Archives Project is reimagining how public memory and cultural heritage are preserved and shared across the islands. This innovative research and teaching project aims to design future spaces for the Hawai‘i Public Archives that integrate exhibition and educational components—creating dynamic places to engage with Hawai‘i’s histories and cultural legacies.
The project is led by Associate Professor Karla Sierralta in collaboration with renowned designer Kuha‘o Zane of SZ Kaiao, known for his expertise in Hawaiian Design Theory. Together, they are shaping a design approach rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems, bringing cultural values and community narratives to the forefront of spatial planning.
At the heart of the initiative is a course-integrated design studio involving nineteen third-year undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Environmental Design program. These students developed concepts for a hybrid archive and cultural center, supported by a network of cultural practitioners, subject-matter experts, and project assistants. Their work explores new possibilities for inclusive, place-based public memory and the stewardship of objects of enduring significance.
This multi-phase project is the result of a formal collaboration between the Hawai‘i State Archives, the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS), and the University of Hawai‘i Community Design Center (UHCDC) at the UHM School of Architecture.
With a foundation in Indigenous design thinking and a strong commitment to community partnership, the Hawai‘i Public Archives Project is not just imagining new buildings—it’s cultivating new ways to honor and share Hawai‘i’s rich cultural heritage.
