The Sidney and Minnie Kosasa Community for Grades 2 – 5 was among those recognized as part of the 2020 Kukulu Hale Awards, which singles out excellence in Hawaiʻi’s commercial real estate industry. The award by NAIOP Hawai‘i – the state’s leading association of development industry leaders – honors individuals and organizations that have enriched our community through their projects, professional achievements and civic service.
Nordic PCL Construction Inc. entered the competition in the New Project category (40,000 square feet or less), with Punahou named as the developer, to showcase the Kosasa Community, a stunning learning environment with state-of-the-art classrooms, a Learning Commons and expansive outdoor spaces. Nordic served as the general contractor, with Design Partners as the lead design firm.
Here’s what the NAIOP said in recognizing the facility:
“In 2019, Nordic PCL Construction completed the two-story, 71,678 square-foot multi-building Sidney and Minnie Kosasa Community for Grades 2 – 5. Each facility provides an ‘intimate’ community for students and faculty. Striving for LEED Platinum and Hi-CHPS, the buildings maximize open/ green spaces while providing private learning ‘gardens.’ Phase 1B includes a new Music/Art building and three additional studio buildings. Due to the active campus, the team phased the various building construction to coincide with the school’s academic calendar.”
Junior School Principal Paris Priore-Kim ’76 said every element of the design in the Kosasa Community supports the School’s vision for “student-centered and deeply personalized learning experiences, from the flexible studio spaces that adjust to learners’ needs and cultivate ownership of learning; to the array of outdoor environments and activities that invite and encourage exploration; to the specialized classrooms for Art, Music, Hawaiian Culture, Theater, and Design Technology that awaken interest and inspire children towards a variety of pathways.”
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the ways in which the architectural program has so brilliantly brought our instructional vision to life,” she said.