WhiteSpace Architects

What WhiteSpace Architects does

WhiteSpace Architects is a privately held, woman-owned architecture firm headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, with a branch office in Waimea on the Big Island. Founded in 1984 as Philip White Architects and rebranded in 2016, the firm is now led by principals Laura Ayers and Laurel Swan. It operates across five Hawaiian islands (Oahu, Big Island, Maui, Molokai, Kauai) and serves three primary customer segments: residential homeowners seeking custom homes and renovations, commercial clients (banks, restaurants, retail, offices), and K-12 educational institutions (public schools and private academies such as Punahou School). Notable projects include the Punahou Mary Kawena Pukui Learning Commons, Helemano Elementary School's $16M library facility, the Hamakua-Kohala Health Rural Health Center ($15M), and the Ka'uluokaha'i DHHL 700-home development in Kapolei.

The firm delivers architectural services using industry-standard design tools including 3D modeling, rendering, and BIM, with a documented emphasis on LEED-certified and sustainable design. Its design methodology emphasizes a "Hawaiian sense of place" — blending contemporary, plantation-era, and local island aesthetics — supported by over 40 years of accumulated knowledge of Hawaii-specific permitting, climate, and material logistics. Recent contracts such as the October 2025 Ka'uluokaha'i DHHL partnership with Gentry Homes and the 2023 partnership announcement with Laurel Swan indicate measured expansion.

WhiteSpace Architects operates a traditional professional-services business model. Revenue is generated through project-based architectural fees quoted per engagement based on scope and complexity, with multi-year contract cadences typical for institutional and educational projects. The firm employs roughly 8-10 architects and designers plus an office manager, uses a relationship-driven sales motion (referrals, direct consultations, website inquiries), and supplements lead generation with community involvement (e.g., Canstruction), earned media, and Instagram-driven portfolio marketing. It does not use external investment, resellers, or digital marketplaces, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

WhiteSpace Architects

Legal name

WhiteSpace Architects

Website

https://whitespacearchitects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WhiteSpace Architects is a Hawaii-based, woman-owned architecture firm providing residential, commercial, and K-12 educational design services across the Hawaiian islands, with offices on Oahu and the Big Island.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141), Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Residential architecture
• Commercial architecture
• Educational facility design
• Sustainable architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: WhiteSpace Architects generates revenue through professional architectural design services billed on a per-project basis. Services include residential, commercial, and educational architecture projects with fees determined by project scope, complexity, and requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WhiteSpace Architects is a Hawaii-based architecture firm providing professional architectural design services for residential, commercial, and K-12 educational projects across the Hawaiian islands. The firm delivers custom home design, renovations, commercial space architecture, educational facility design, interior design, and sustainable design consulting, with a project-based fee structure determined by scope and complexity.

Product overview

WhiteSpace Architects is a Hawaii-based architecture firm offering residential, commercial, and educational architecture services. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of design services including custom home design and renovations, commercial architecture, K-12 educational facility design, interior design, and sustainable design consulting. With offices on Oahu and the Big Island, the firm has completed over 40 years of projects across Hawaii's islands, ranging from luxury single-family residences to school libraries and community facilities. The company operates as a single unified practice rather than a platform with modular components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Selected from over 20,000 firms nationwide for Forbes America's Best-In-State Residential Architects 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, pro bono / community, community, project and vendor.

• Gentry HomesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2025WhiteSpace Architects partnered with Gentry Homes on Ka'uluokaha'i, a transformative Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL) residential development in Kapolei. This master-planned community will bring 700 thoughtfully designed homes to Hawaiian families, with 130 lots already underway.
• Albert C. Kobayashi General Contractor (ACK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025WhiteSpace Architects teamed up with ACK to create 'Beat of Unity' for the AIA Honolulu Canstruction Competition 2025. The collaboration won Best Original Design. This partnership combines architectural design expertise with general contracting capabilities.
• HOPE Services Hawai'ipro bono / communityStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhiteSpace Architects partnered with HOPE Services Hawai'i to offer pro bono design services for a new housing community for low-income and houseless residents on Hawai'i Island. This master plan symbolizes a shared vision for community, belonging, and opportunity.
• Aloha Animal SanctuarycommunityStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhiteSpace Architects supports Aloha Animal Sanctuary through donations and design services. They designed a chicken aviary and provided renderings that helped secure a $20,000 grant from Home Depot Hawaii. Team members also volunteered at the sanctuary.
• Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Centerpro bono / communityStrategic or Co-development PartnerTo celebrate the 35th anniversary of the firm's founding, WhiteSpace Architects provided 35 hours of pro bono architectural services to the Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center. The services included developing a framework for a strategic master plan with recommended actions, priorities, and budgets.
• PBR Hawaii (Tommy Witten)projectStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhiteSpace enlisted Tommy Witten of PBR Hawaii for landscape and master planning services for the Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center project, donating hours to the nonprofit organization.
• Hayes Structural Design (Clayton Hayes)projectStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhiteSpace enlisted Clayton Hayes of Hayes Structural Design for structural engineering services for the Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center project, donating hours to the nonprofit organization.
• Constructors Hawaii (Colin Yoshiyama)projectStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhiteSpace enlisted Colin Yoshiyama of Constructors Hawaii as general contractor for the Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center project, donating hours to the nonprofit organization.
• Welcome StrangervendorTechnology or IntegrationWelcome Stranger is the branding and web design agency that developed and maintains WhiteSpace Architects' website and brand identity.
• Hawaii Department of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhiteSpace Architects works with DOE on school facility projects including Helemano Elementary School's $16 million library facility and Kanoelani Elementary School's cafeteria and pavilion expansion.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ferraro Choi and Associates: Honolulu-based boutique architecture firm with a comparable portfolio of residential, commercial, and institutional work in Hawaii. Directly comparable in scale, geographic focus, and design-led approach to WhiteSpace.
• G70: Honolulu-headquartered design and planning firm doing architecture, planning, and interior design across Hawaii. Closely comparable in Hawaii market focus and multi-disciplinary practice, though broader in planning services.
• Mark de Reus Architects: Hawaii- and Asia-based boutique firm specializing in luxury residential and resort architecture with a strong sense-of-place design philosophy. Closely comparable to WhiteSpace's high-end residential and place-based approach.
• WCIT Architecture: Hawaii-based architecture firm with deep institutional and K-12 educational facility experience, including work for the Hawaii DOE. Directly comparable for school and public-sector project portfolios.
• Hart Howerton: Place-based design firm with a comparable philosophy of timeless, context-driven design across residential, hospitality, and master planning. Closely comparable in design methodology and high-end residential orientation.
• Arden Pouratian Architects: Hawaii boutique architecture firm with a residential and small commercial portfolio. Comparable in firm size, island focus, and residential design orientation, though with a narrower project mix.
• Peter Vincent Architects: Hawaii-based boutique firm focused on custom luxury residential architecture. Comparable to WhiteSpace's premium residential segment and small-firm design-led model.

Broad incumbents

• Architects Hawaii Ltd. (AHL): One of Hawaii's largest and longest-established architectural practices, with broad institutional, commercial, and residential work across the islands. Comparable in Hawaii-only focus and sector mix, but substantially larger and more diversified than WhiteSpace.
• WATG (Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo): Global hospitality and resort architecture firm with deep Hawaii roots and significant island project portfolio. Comparable on hospitality and high-end residential work, but at substantially greater scale and global reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whitespacearchitects
• Instagraminstagram.com/whitespace_architects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WhiteSpace Architects