How about a place where science meets history? That’s the NOAA – Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center. It stands on Ford Island a National Historic Landmark at Pearl Harbor. Before it became a U.S. Navy base, this island held sacred significance for ancient Hawaiian fertility rites.
The NOAA – Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center now unites various NOAA entities. These include the National Weather Service Pacific Region Headquarters and the Tsunami Warning Center. You will also find national centers for environmental satellites data marine fisheries sanctuaries oceanic and atmospheric research here.
The NOAA – Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center design cleverly merges the old with the new. Two historic hangars built in 1939 by Albert Kahn anchor the center. These hangars narrowly avoided destruction during the Pearl Harbor attack. They were repurposed by linking them with a central entry structure of steel and glass. This echoes the industrial aesthetic of the original buildings.
Inside the NOAA – Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center themes of ocean and air welcome you. The new recessed entry bay offers views of the water where NOAA’s research vessels moor. The building’s interior is designed with communal spaces generous circulation routes and clear sight lines. This fosters collaboration among the 715 employees. The facility also includes an auditorium library an airy cafeteria and an outdoor deck. Marine-mammal and fisheries teams are located near each other. Research vessels dock near related labs. An aircraft shed now houses rehab tanks for endangered monk seals and Hawaiian sea turtles.
Sustainability is critical to NOAA’s mission. The NOAA – Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center is LEED Gold certified. Its cooling system draws on passive means to regulate temperature humidity and ventilation. Rooftop scoops capture trade winds channeling them across point-chilled coils of water from geothermal undersea wells. This creates downdrafts dropping cooled air into vertical supply chimneys. Warmer air rises to exhaust vents. The system reverses when outside temperatures drop below 65 degrees using heating coils. Condensation feeds a graywater system and the roof funnels rainfall into bioswales. No gray or stormwater leaves the site.
Native materials enhance the NOAA – Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center’s connection to its environment. The forecourt is paved in Hawaiian basalt. This extends into the soaring skylit lobby alongside ohia a local hardwood. The lobby serves as a gathering space and exhibition area displaying live NOAA satellite feeds. Ohia screens reminiscent of Hawaiian lanais veil the glassed-in work floors. Rooftop diffusers translucent partitions and multi-height spaces bring daylight deep inside the vast building.
The NOAA – Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center was named in honor of the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye. He was dedicated to educating children about the ocean. The center fulfills his aspirations by hosting science and ocean camps for students. It stands as a model for sustainable design adaptive reuse and consolidation. The NOAA – Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center is a testament to innovation preservation and commitment to environmental stewardship.