Kalihi Valley Homes undergoing a rebirth

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Staff Writer

One of Hawai'i's oldest public housing projects, Kalihi Valley Homes, is being transformed into a contemporary community of individual homes where the architecture encourages residents to be proud of their neighborhood. Upgraded buildings, foreground, shine in sharp contrast to the barracks-like structures awaiting improvement. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

"Suave, eh?" she said. "They're taking the old barracks and turning them into beautiful new homes."

A quintessential 1950s low-cost government housing project rife with social problems, Kalihi Valley Homes is being transformed into a contemporary community of individual homes where the architecture encourages residents to discover and develop a sense of pride in their neighborhood.

"Already people are saying it looks like Kapolei," said Sharon Salvador, sergeant-at-arms for the Kalihi Valley Homes Residents Association. "People who left before are asking now if they can come back."

The changes in the 400-unit complex, built in 1953 on a hillside along Kamehameha IV Road and Likelike Highway, are the result of a collaboration between residents, the state's public housing agency and the architectural firm Group 70.

In a series of design "charettes" —æarchitectural brainstorming sessions — residents were encouraged to voice their wildest dreams for the community, and the architects responded with a number of physical changes to make many of the dreams real.

The project is an example of a nationwide movement known as "new urbanism," which uses architectural techniques to get people together and talking, as they did in old city neighborhoods and plantation communities years ago. It's the first time the ideas have been applied on a wide scale to a public housing project in Hawai'i.

Among the most striking aspects of the project is that it's being done without tearing down the buildings, but by putting new faces on the existing boxy concrete-block structures, inside and out.

Inside, the homes are being gutted. Plans call for new kitchens, appliances, bathrooms, fresh paint, wiring, plumbing and light fixtures. For the first time, many of the homes will get linoleum floors instead of bare concrete.

Kitchens, bathrooms and entire floor plans are being redrawn to make existing space more useful. Window space is being more than doubled to make interiors much brighter.

Outside, the changes are even more striking.

New individual entryways, defined by pillars and small porches, are being added. Each flat-roofed, nine-unit barracks building is being capped with four separately pitched metal roofs, complete with decorated gables, creating a townhouse effect.

The peeling, industrial gray paint is being replaced with a tri-color combination of greens and browns. Huge spotlights mounted on concrete walls have been replaced with old-fashioned looking street lamps. The rubbish-filled green walkways will be divided with fences to give each family a semi-private back yard.

"Now you won't have to worry about someone coming by and stealing your laundry while it's drying on a line," Salvador said.

All of the changes are designed to respond to community desires to improve the area's security, neighborhood relationships, pride, economic opportunity and beauty, said Roy Nihe, the Group 70 lead architect for the renovation project.

"I don't think the residents expected anything this big when we started," Nihe said. "But when we began to show them what this is really about, you could see the enthusiasm start to build. They really bought into it."

Sister Rose, who has lived in the complex for 15 years, agreed that many residents who had become accustomed to the barracks-style living didn't believe the changes would become reality.

"But then the architects started listening to what we were saying and started drawing flowers and plants; well, pretty soon you could see they were giving us a chance to shape the place the way we always wanted it," she said.

As the give-and-take between residents and the planners continued, the residents began to see ways the whole community could be reshaped at the same time individual homes were renovated.

To accommodate a community demand for more green space, planners agreed to demolish 99 of the 400 units in the complex and turn them into five mini-parks surrounded by homes. That will lower the density of the entire 24-acre complex from 17.7 dwelling units per acre to 12.5 units per acre.

No one will be displaced by the reduction, Salvador said. Homes have been left vacant for the past several years as residents left for several years in anticipation of the changes, she said.

New plantings, including Loulu fan palm, mango, breadfruit, hala, plumeria and monkeypod trees are planned throughout the area.

"Now people will be able to look out their door and keep an eye on their children playing in the area; or they can go outside themselves and barbecue," Salvador said.

The $6 million first phase of the project will include renovation of five buildings and 45 units. The first residents are scheduled to move back into the overhauled units by the end of summer. Renovation of the rest of the units could take up to 10 years, depending on federal financing.

In the final phase of the project, a new community center, with classrooms, meeting and office space, will be built near the heart of the project.

Mike Leidemann writes regularly about architecture for The Advertiser. He can be reached at 525-5460 or e-mail, mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com