Our
Process
Firm Methodology
Our approach is one based in our methodology Tomorrow’s Ahupua‘a. Tomorrow‘s Ahupua‘a is built upon the fundamental relationship between ‘āina (land) and kānaka (man). With every new project, WCIT approaches design individually as we seek to explore each project’s unique opportunities and possibilities. Research is an important first step in this process.
A thorough investigation in the past and present conditions (yesterday and today) will provide the basis for which we will begin to formulate our master plan and design proposals (tomorrow). This methodology and its unique approach further allows for the implementation of Hawaiian history, culture and practices. WCIT traces the genealogy of the project site and its’ ahupua‘a in three significant time periods: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
For Native Hawaiians the importance of this relationship is told in one of the oldest and most widely acknowledged cosmogonic genealogies recounting the birth of the islands, chiefs, and people. This genealogy further denotes the familial and interdependence of the three and their importance in land management systems such as the ahupua‘a. We use this tradition as the foundation of our design practice endeavoring to bring back the balance between ‘āina and kānaka. This structure is the basis for the methodology of Tomorrow’s Ahupua‘a and provides us the historical framework for new and contemporary interpretations.
NĀNĀ I MUA, NĀNĀ I HOPE
Looking Forward, Looking Back.
In ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, “mua” signifies the past and “hope” points to the future—not the other way around like in English expressions. Traditionally, Hawaiians face the past (mua) to learn from it, and view the future (hope) as what lies behind them — secondary and to be honored through actions grounded in history. WCIT’s design ethos embraces exactly this orientation: We root their creativity in history, genealogies, and place-based meaning, then carry forward that understanding into future-building. WCIT’s process is anchored in our signature Tomorrow’s Ahupua‘a model, informed by Hawaiian cosmogony and land‑people interdependence. Thus, Nānā i Mua, Nānā i Hope becomes both a worldview and active process: the past informs the present, which then guides a culturally grounded future.
Tomorrows Urban Ahupuaʻa
WCIT traces the genealogy of the project site and its’ ahupua‘a in three significant time periods: yesterday, today and tomorrow.
YESTERDAY
Yesterday starts at the
beginning of Hawaiian time.
Tracing back to the creation story until the ideas of Western contact start to influence Native Hawaiian social and cultural stories and historical events.
TODAY
Today starts at the Māhele of 1848, the first privatization of land, and tells the rich history of the people and cultures that have built upon the Hawaiian values, each area of the pae ʻāina having a unique in history.
TOMORROW
Tomorrow engages the vision of the project site for generations. Collectively the cultural assets of yesterday and today shepherd the vision and design of any project consistent with our methodology, Tomorrow‘s Ahupua‘a.
The value of Tomorrow's Ahupua‘a is expressed by weaving together the built environment, history and art, and site and community functions, in a cohesive manner. Its design solutions will honor and tell the story of the rich history of the area while providing a canvas for Hawaiian and Hawai‘i’s people to express and define the Hawaiian sense of place for tomorrow's users and generations to come.
Moʻo Methodology
Acknowledging our connection to the past, grounding us in the present and guiding our future.
Artwork by native hawaiian artist solomon enos.
NĀNĀ I MUA, NĀNĀ I HOPE
Looking Forward, Looking Back
A native Hawaiian born and raised in Hilo, Rob continues to discover and embrace the depths and traditions of the island’s heritage.
Through this appreciation and passion for culture and a keen understanding of the nuances of local sensibilities, Rob has developed into one of the most sought-after designers in the islands and one of the leading and most successful planning and entitlement professionals in Hawai'i.
EXAMPLES in PRACTICE
Hale 'Ōlelo | UH Hilo College of Hawaiian Language
KEʻELIKOLANI
August 1881, a small, short-lived eruption at Mauna Loa’s summit heralded the beginning of an eruptive sequence that was to be followed six months later by the voluminous flank eruption which would soon threaten the then-small town of Hilo. The people asked Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani to intercede. Keʻelikōlani offered traditional oli (chants) and hoʻokupu (tribute) to Pele and later reportedly camped at the foot of the flow. She approached the flow somewhere within what is now the Alenaio gulch, chanted and made her offering, to stop the flow and save Hilo town from burning. The flow stopped.
artwork by solomon enos.