It’s a new year and new leadership is at the helm of AIA Honolulu, the Honolulu chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Lance Hirai, an associate principal at G70, is serving as the 2026 president.
Hirai, who has served on the board for many years now, told Aloha State Daily that he’s lucky “to be a part of such a momentous time” for the organization, which marks it 100th anniversary this year. It’s “surreal just to be able to give back to our not just architectural community but our state, island home, in this way.”
Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Hirai went to school for architecture on the Mainland before finding his way back home in 2012. He’s been with G70 since.
ASD recently caught up with Hirai to find out more about his goals for the organization during this milestone year.
Mentorship is a priority
“Personally, for me, I carry a strong, strong commitment to our next generation,” Hirai says.
Mentorship has been a big passion of his for many years — through AIA Honolulu, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s School of Architecture, the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i and even internally at G70.
“That has really guided me and I look to carry my experiences from that and move that forward, hopefully for our membership,” Hirai says. “Through mentorship, I do see the opportunities to strengthen our profession by bringing together all levels of experience — learning from our fellows, our senior architects, and being able to connect them through forums and opportunities so that our emerging professionals can learn from them. We’re looking to create new programming around that effort.”
Hirai says that he’s learned that great leadership takes “just really deep listening.” To that end, he started an initiative called “Lattes with Lance,” where he and AIA Honolulu Executive Vice President Julia Fink bring coffee to members in their offices, offering a chance to hear directly from them.
As a whole, though, Hirai says goals for AIA Honolulu’s centennial year are simple.
“It’s reflective and forward-looking,” he told ASD. “We’re going to honor the legacy of our members and the great work that AIA Honolulu has done for our built environment. And as we look forward, we want to continue to grow our mentorships, our innovation, our advocacy so that we’re elevating the public’s understanding of the value of the architect.”
Workforce woes continue to challenge architecture in Hawai‘i
Lattes with Lance is already bringing some of the industry’s current challenges to light.
Through the effort, Hirai says the organization is hearing about “some of that missing middle level of experience.” Professionals with 5, 10 or 15 years of experience who are “the backbone to the project deliveries of our projects” are hard to come by, he says.
Hirai says mentorship can strengthen and retain this group, “in the same way that I had an opportunity, when a mentor trusted in me. It really changed the trajectory for my career. I hope that through mentorship, we bring that forward for our members to see the opportunities and space for them to grow into this profession for years to come.”
Additionally, Hirai notes that the industry is looking at artificial intelligence and how technology continues advancing in the profession, “and how do we work with it to support out workflows?”
Legacy and looking ahead
The organization got its start with a group of architects joining forces.
“That’s something I also wanted as a goal, was strengthening the unity across our memberships because that’s how we started,” Hirai says. “It was a group of architects coming together.”
It’s played out similarly in the past, he noted, with members coming together to offer design expertise and public testimony “on some of our significant public community developments.”
In addition to Hirai, AIA Honolulu’s 2026 Board of Directors Executive Committee also includes Vice President and President-elect Sheryl Seaman, of council at G70; Treasurer Andrea Aegerter, principal at MASON; and Secretary Jessica Shimazu, architect at HDR Inc.
“We continue to be advocates, not just for architects ourselves, but for the public, for the community, protecting the health, safety, the welfare of those who are occupying the spaces that we create for them and that allow them to thrive,” Hirai says. “… I think our organization will continue to be a steady, informed voice advocating for Hawai‘i.”
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Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
