Namahana School taps Kīlauea-based firm to lead campus construction

Namahana School recently announced that Kīlauea-based architecture firm Noho Workshop will oversee buildout for the new campus of the tuition-free North Shore public charter middle and high school — and first public post-primary school for the remote rural communities of Koʻolau and Haleleʻa.

Construction also will be in partnership with locally and internationally respected planner Gordon Karau as facilities project manager.

Led by Kīlauea born-and-raised Kanoa Chung and Nathan Teixeira, Noho represents a pivot to a locally driven campus design and construction process — a move applauded by key stakeholders for its alignment with the school’s commitment to be from and for Kaua‘i’s North Shore community.

“Namahana is a community-driven initiative decades in the making, and reconnecting the campus buildout to Kīlauea brings us back to our roots in such a meaningful way,” said Namahana School Leader Kapua Chandler in an announcement about Noho’s selection. “The Noho team truly understands the nuances and needs of our community, and partnering with Gordon’s expertise gives us so much confidence in the spaces we’ll be creating together for our youth.”

Namahana welcomed its inaugural cohort of students in grades 7 and 8 in August 2025 at the temporarily leased Kula School in nearby Waipakē. The school in 2023 purchased 11.3 acres of land in Kīlauea to develop a campus that reflects its ‘āina-based learning model.

It previously planned to use prefabricated units produced internationally, but recent geopolitical changes, including tariffs, resulted in higher construction costs and longer lead times, with fewer local contractors willing to take on the project.

By contrast, Noho Workshop’s solid relationships with local builders and suppliers will make the bidding and construction process faster and more cost effective.

“Engaging Noho means that our hard-won resources are supporting the local economy and community as much as possible,” said Namahana Education Foundation Chairperson Kau‘i Fu in the announcement. “They represent locally integrated and ʻāina-based architecture that will honor the design principles we worked so hard to develop.”

Fu added that this Noho’s selection was a more fiscally responsible decision that also reinforces the school and foundation’s commitment to making Namahana a locally led initiative from the ground up.

“I remember being promised a North Shore high school when I was a kid. So to now be a part of this all-hands-on-deck effort to make a community dream come true feels very fulfilling,” said Noho Workshop founder Chung in the announcement.

Chung created the architecture and design firm in 2012 after working in Los Angeles, Singapore and Hawai‘i.

“Our ethos at Noho comes from a strong appreciation for the value of place, which resonates with Namahana School’s ‘āina-based learning,” he added. “We didn’t think twice about taking on a project to honor Kaua‘i’s roots and uplift its future.”

Karau will work closely with the Noho team as director of planning and capital projects. This is a key role that oversees the building process through completion to ensure it is delivered on time, within budget and up to quality and safety standards.

His background is in the development of sustainable communities with a focus on resort-residential real estate. Karau’s international portfolio — with projects in Hawai‘i, Mexico, Costa Rica and British Columbia — is distinguished by its integration of ecological, energetic and economic systems.

He has strong ties to Kaua‘i, where he oversaw the development of Common Ground in Kīlauea, among other projects.

“As we move into this next phase of our campus buildout, we are humbled for the dedication and expertise this local team brings to execute our community’s vision,” said Namahana Education Foundation Interim Co-Executive Director Sarah Wright.

Namahana Education Foundation, the nonprofit organization overseeing campus construction and fundraising, already received water rights from Kaua‘i County and will be updating the construction plans with Noho.

This process will maintain the design principles Namahana originally articulated in partnership with community stakeholders and G70 in 2020.

Students in grades 7 to 9 will continue to learn at the temporary Kula School campus in the meantime.

“We are tremendously grateful to Jeff Lindner and his ʻohana for granting Namahana temporary use of their site. Thanks to their support, our founding families were given a home that sets the stage for generations to come,” said Namahana Education Foundation Interim Co-Executive Director Bridget Thorpe in the Noho announcement.

Thorpe previously served as the foundation’s chief development officer. She and Wright, who previously served as the foundation’s chief administrative officer, became leadership for the foundation after Melanie Parker stepped down from the executive director role to attend to family matters.

“The Kula campus has also given us much-needed space to refocus our construction planning and our new partnership with Noho is the dream outcome,” Thorpe added.

It also isn’t the first time the school and foundation pivoted to align more closely with their values.

“Thanks to the agility and support of our community, we shifted our original plan to develop a campus on leased land in Wai Koa to purchasing a forever campus in the heart of Kīlauea,” Thorpe said. “With the community as our compass, every step forward has enabled us to better serve the North Shore.”

Namahana Education Foundation continues with its ambitious fundraising campaign to complete essential middle school classrooms, which will be followed by high school facilities and other learning spaces.

“Everything is truly coming together — from the construction budget and timeline to the vision we’ve held for so long,” Chandler said.

Visit the Namahana School website to learn more about the school, foundation and how you can help make the longstanding North Shore dream a reality.