Secret Agent

07/03/2025

Love to see the Kailua Residence by HIOG - Hawaii Off Grid in Design Milk!

07/03/2025

"In the rain-rich beach town of Kailua – specifically Haiku, nestled in the lush Valley Isle of Maui – a new residence by HIOG - Hawaii Off Grid reimagines what it means to live sustainably in the islands. Located on Maui’s windward side, where misty trade winds and dense greenery define the landscape, the Kailua Residence is perfectly situated to engage with both the beauty and the intensity of the natural environment. With a striking roofline and a minimalist form, the home is a study in resilient, site-specific design—crafted not just to withstand the elements, but to work harmoniously with them."

Thank you for the great feature, Design Milk!

Full story: https://design-milk.com/a-maui-home-blends-modern-minimalism-with-climate-conscious-design/

05/12/2025

"The 179-unit Vista Woods Apartments, an affordable senior housing community in Pinole designed by Bell Design Group, is completed [...] The property’s design embraces the dramatically sloped 2-acre site, using vertical massing breaks and and open-air breezeway stair to bring airiness and movement to the four-story structure. The design is described as having 'a palette of deep greens, bay blues, and sunlit gold—echoing the local landscape—is complemented by wood-look metal siding to warm the façade.'"

Learn more about Bell Design Group's latest project via Richmond Standard.

The 179-unit Vista Woods Apartments, an affordable senior housing community in Pinole designed by Bell Design Group, is completed, representatives of the designers announced. According to its website, units appear […]

05/01/2025

Vista Woods Apartments is a new 179-unit affordable senior housing community in Pinole, CA. Designed by Bell Design Group, this four-story development prioritizes dignity, sustainability, and connection for aging residents.

Set on a challenging sloped site, Vista Woods takes advantage of the terrain to create dynamic massing and a breezeway stair that brings light and air into the building. The design draws inspiration from the natural landscape with color accents that reflect the bay, wooded hillsides, and golden California terrain.

Learn more: https://www.belldesigngroup.com/affordable-housing/vista-woods

05/01/2025

An elegant balance of architecture and nature 🌿

Ribera Road by Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects captures coastal living at its finest. From sweeping views to thoughtful materials, every detail is designed to connect the home to its surroundings.

Learn more about this beautiful residence via Architizer.

https://architizer.com/projects/ribera-road/

📷: Matthew Millman

04/25/2025

"The housing market across the country remains challenging for many Americans. Inflation, stagnant mortgage rates, low inventory, and high prices continue to make the road to homeownership tricky.

However, many states are starting to get creative to increase home construction and help affordability. Hawaii is among them, with an architectural firm proposing an innovative and sustainable solution: using surfboards to build houses.

David Sellers, principal architect at Maui-based architecture firm HIOG - Hawaii Off Grid and founder of Surf Block Maui—a construction material made from surfboards—tells Realtor.com that this material could tackle several issues that are causing such a severe housing crisis in the Aloha State."

Full story via SFGATE.

With a mountain of housing-related challenges plaguing Hawaii, one company has proposed a...

04/25/2025

Founder David Sellers explains how Surf Block Maui upcycles leftover insulation foam from surfboard manufacturers into construction material.

04/25/2025

A Maui company is creating a sustainable way to build homes by using surfboard scraps.

Surf Block Maui is located in the Lahaina Cannery. Founder David Sellers says he was inspired by nearby surfboard manufacturers.

“Ten years ago when we started our architecture firm and we had an office in this building, we would go out to the dumpster and we’d find dumpsters full of styrofoam, the scraps for making surfboards,” Sellers explained.

https://buff.ly/hFFWxRt

04/25/2025

"On Maui’s North Shore, inside an industrial building that was once a pineapple cannery, an architecture office sits across the hall from a surfboard manufacturer. When the architects first moved in, they noticed something: Every few days, the dumpsters in the back would fill up with scraps of foam from making the boards.

David Sellers, one of the architects, realized that the foam could be used in a building material—insulated blocks that are typically made from a mix of concrete and new polystyrene foam. “I was just like, ‘We shouldn’t be throwing this away,’” says Sellers, principal architect at the firm, Hawaii Off Grid. “We live on an island, with limited space. So how can we use this to make houses?""

HIOG - Hawaii Off Grid is using foam scraps to make insulated blocks for housing—a solution that’s actually stronger and more energy efficient than the original. Learn more via Fast Company.

Hawaii Off Grid is using foam scraps to make insulated blocks for housing—a solution that's actually stronger and more energy efficient than the original.

04/04/2025

Sharing highlights from today's World of Waterfronts (WoW) Symposium on our Stories. Follow along live on 's profile!

Hosted by and , this one-day gathering unites waterfront experts, urban planners, designers, policymakers, and community advocates to share insights and highlight successful waterfront revitalization efforts.

As Long Beach gears up for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the WoW Symposium presents a timely opportunity to explore innovative waterfront development strategies, showcase global best practices, and examine the transformative West Harbor redevelopment, which is turning industrial space at the Port of LA into a dynamic waterfront destination!

Thank you to The Port of Long Beach, Supervisor Janice Hahn's office, Studio One Eleven, Jerico Development Co., and Intertrend for making today's event possible.

03/27/2025

In response to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, Case Study: Adapt (CSA) was established to promote sustainable and resilient home designs. Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects is among ten prominent LA firms participating in this initiative, contributing their expertise to create innovative housing solutions for affected communities.

Learn more via Architectural Digest.

CSA PARTICIPANTS:
Marmol Radziner
Woods + Dangaran Architects
Walker Workshop
Montalba Architects
Bestor Architecture
Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects
Assembledge+
Geoffrey von Oeyen
Standard
Johnston Marklee

The nonprofit Case Study: Adapt is Leo Seigal and Dustin Bramell’s alternative to developer-driven models

03/20/2025

"Now is the time to think about a different approach to creating more housing. Our firm believes in 'Gentle Density' as a housing strategy that gradually increases the number of homes in an area without disrupting the neighborhood’s character, proving the old adage that a little change goes a long way."

Bell Design Group makes a powerful case for Gentle Density in this Common Edge Collaborative op-ed.

Read the full article:

In the wake of the L.A. fires, a different strategy is required.