Located on a densely developed, 25- acre campus in central Honolulu, Hawaii, Iolani School instructs students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Approximately 1,780 students now attend classes and enjoy access to a wide range of academic, athletic, social, and art-related programs. Separated from Waikiki and the Ala Wai golf course by the Manoa-Palolo drainage canal, the campus is located on a nearly flat, low-lying site that is usually hot and dry. Despite its current crowded conditions, the privately-owned school wanted several new facilities and more open space, and so undertook a long-range master plan to meet these goals. Although architectural guidelines were developed to produce a more consistent built environment, it is the relationship between built and open space that creates a sense of order and continuity throughout the campus. Landscaped courtyards and plazas are linked together by pedestrian walkways to aesthetically and functionally produce a coherent design theme. Under the direction of Principal-in-Charge Richard Van Horn, AIA, AICP, Planners and Landscape Architects at the Honolulu-based firm of Belt Collins Hawaii worked closely with a broad range of actors on the Iolani School campus to achieve a plan that meets an equally broad range of needs. The campus is divided into four primary components: Upper School (grades 7-12), Lower School (grades K-6), athletic complex and fields, and faculty housing. The Upper School occupies the western portion of the site, while the Lower School is located on the school's eastern edge. Nearly a third of Iolani School's total land area is occupied by athletic facilities, which form the makai portion (toward the ocean) of the campus. Although the school's primary ambition is molding its facilities to support its educational needs, its secondary mission is being a good neighbor within the surrounding community-- by improving boundary conditions and resolving traffic and parking problems associated with school activities. The team's design-oriented goals include: to create a campus scaled for children; to clarify the pedestrian network; to expand campus open space, views, and landscape; and to create a focal point for student gatherings and special school events. Creating space for new facilities on a crowded campus was accomplished by moving most faculty housing off campus, building a garage to replace surface parking lots, and locating tennis courts on the roof of a building. Moving the Student Center to the periphery of campus allowed the development of a shared open space with views to Diamond Head and Waikiki. Centralized new facilities - a Student Center and Performing Arts complex and an educational resource center - form functional and symbolic focal points for the campus. At the Lower School, rearrangement of existing facilities create additional classrooms and playgrounds. Another challenge for the team, led by Project Designer/Planner Rosemary Rowan, AIA, AICP, was finding a way to resolve a complex and sometimes confusing circulation system that mixed vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The school will now be developed as a pedestrian-friendly environment by relocating parking and facilities requiring vehicular access to the edge of campus. Belt Collins Landscape Architect Michael Terry and Landscape Designer Aaron Akau created the landscape master plan for the new campus. A palette of landscape materials is consistently applied throughout the campus to create a sense of continuity and to reinforce the chosen architectural layout and style. Plant materials in courtyards and along walkways reflect the school's tropical setting; plant choices have large leaves, an abundance of flowers, and exotic shapes. Masses of tropical planting will soften building edges and define open space. Large shade trees, especially Monkeypods and Banyans, are placed in playgrounds to create shelter from the sun. Other tropical species such as Royal Palms, Narra, and Allspice are sited at school entries, along walkways, and within courtyards. The most heavily used open spaces on campus are courtyards defined by building edges. These courtyards consist of a series of outdoor spaces connected by walkways that have multipurpose pedestrian circulation, aesthetic, and recreational functions. The building facades, uses, and points of entry around the courtyard perimeter are all important considerations in the landscape design. Planned future projects, such as a plaza surrounded by the proposed performing arts/student center and existing chapel, have a strong urban character. The new master plan creates a clearly defined pedestrian network that eliminates conflicts between cars and pedestrians. The future campus will be made accessible for handicapped persons by extending a second level system of open-air corridors and bridges, connected to the ground by elevators at selected points. Major pedestrian pathways are sized and built to meet requirements for maintenance and/or emergency vehicles. Open-air walkways merge with courtyard buildings and enclosed exterior spaces to provide an indoor-outdoor environment that is appropriate for Hawaii's lifestyle and its tropical and occasionally wet climate. Pathways travel through plazas, courtyards, or open spaces designed as outdoor gathering areas for students or staff. Walkways are further defined by paving patterns, rain enclosures, seating, and a palette of landscape materials. Campus open space is primarily used for active recreation or for social gatherings. Broad trees such as Monkeypods and Banyans provide shade and create a cooler outdoor environment. Although a substantial amount of open space is utilized for the athletic program, both new and renovated plazas, courtyards, and landscaped areas are modified for general campus use. Primary open space features include: a Campus Green, that serves as a general gathering space; a Student Center Plaza with decorative paving, seating, and tables set within a canopy of trees; a grove of mature Monkeypods and banyans that form the central feature of an open space located mauka (toward the mountain) of the Lower School; and courtyards and lanais that are used as social spaces and gathering areas for students. These are equipped with colorful paved surfaces, benches, and tree canopies to create visually pleasant places for children to sit, read, eat, or talk. In addition, two new playgrounds equipped with age-specific equipment are added to the Lower School, and covered hard court sports provide recreation space during rain days. Landscape treatments along the campus boundary include gateways, a wrought iron fence, and the planting of shade trees along public streets. These changes will improve the public edge of campus and help to define the school boundaries in a densely developed urban neighborhood. Landscape buffers and setbacks are used where major buildings are located close to the edge of campus. As a long-range master plan that includes four major construction projects, this design could take anywhere from 10 to 20 years to reach completion. Yet already, Iolani School's master plan has acted as a catalyst for other private schools in Hawaii to develop long range plans that integrate facility and landscape planning. The school's commitment to improve its traffic system, increase parking, and invest in landscape improvements along its public edge will benefit the nearby community. By developing design guidelines for both architectural and landscape development, the plan improves public views from Waikiki, one of Hawaii's most densely developed urban areas. lasn Site plan for Iolani School Campus which is bordered by the Manoa-Palolo Drainage to the Southeast and Kamoku Street to the West - Northwest. The parking lot will be a one-way lot, with the entrance from Laau Street from the East, paralleled by a public jogging path. View of the new classroom building and athletic facilities located on the southeastern quadrant of the campus. The open space allows children several opportunities for creative play The campus resource center, located at the center of the project. The center is adjacent to large areas of open space for play and organized sports. Renderings by Jim Hayes