Portfolio
Hainan Baolian Resort Master PlanQuionghai, Hainan, China
WATG was founded in 1945 in Honolulu, Hawaii. After outgrowing its space in Waikiki, WATG relocated to downtown Honolulu in 1997, where it now occupies a floor and a half in the Topa Financial Center on Bishop Street. Windows all around offer uplifting views to the waterfront and/or the mountains. The staff is organized into "project families," and the work spans the Hawaiian Islands and the entire Asia Pacific region. During each Chinese New Year, the office welcomes Lion Dancers in search of lucky dollar bills. With aloha attire as the norm, who knows what casual dress days would look like?
Managing Director
Deborah Rosenblum
Contact Info
700 Bishop Street, #1800
Honolulu, HI 96813 USA
Tel +1 (808) 521-8888
Fax +1 (808) 521-3888
How To Get Here
FROM HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Exit airport onto the H1 Eastbound
Freeway entrance (right fork). We are 4 miles from the airport.
Stay in the right lane which goes to NIMITZ HIGHWAY (92).
Follow NIMITZ HIGHWAY and make a U-turn at traffic light on the corner of ALAKEA STREET and NIMITZ HIGHWAY.
This will take you westbound on NIMITZ HIGHWAY.
Go past BISHOP STREET, and turn right into the TOPA FINANCIAL CENTER parking garage.
Our office is located on the 18th floor of the BISHOP STREET TOWER.
FROM WAIKIKI
Take ALA MOANA BOULEVARD westbound to Downtown Honolulu. ALA MOANA BOULEVARD turns into NIMITZ HIGHWAY.
Go past MILILANI, RICHARDS, ALAKEA and BISHOP STREETS. Our office is located on the corner of BISHOP STREET and NIMITZ HIGHWAY.
Turn right into the TOPA FINANCIAL CENTER parking garage.
Our office is located on the 18th floor of the BISHOP STREET TOWER.
VIA TAXI
$12.00 to $15.00 (US$) from the airport to WATG.
$23.00 to $26.00 (US$) from the airport to WAIKIKI. Operated by SIDA Taxis which has the contract concession at the Honolulu International Airport.
$12.00 to $15.00 (US$) from WAIKIKI to WATG, depending on which taxicab you use.
The Topa Financial Center, which has a white vertical facade, consists of two towers (Bishop Street and Fort Street), and is serviced by three different elevator banks (one for each tower, and another for the parking garage).
Contact This Office
01.13.10 /
Tiantong Temple
Mary Suenaga
,
Associate Vice President, Senior Interior Designer
For our next project inspiration, Mrs. Feng Lin and Mr. Wang Feng of the New Century Real Estate Group escorted me to the Tiantong Temple (the temple of the heavenly child), which is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of Taibai Mountain in Ningbo, China.
08.13.09 /
Canstruction this Saturday!
Sean Sih-Young Jeon
,
Vice President
We have our design ready.
Our cans were just delivered to Pearlridge Center.
Our build team has been practicing all week.
We're all set to go!
If you're in the area, please stop by Pearlridge this Saturday, 15 August, with cans of food and “vote” for our entry by filling our shopping cart. I can’t reveal what we’re building, but I can promise that it will be uniquely Hawaiian.
04.13.09 /
2009 Canstruction Kick-off
Sean Sih-Young Jeon
,
Vice President
As we assemble our fourth CANstruction team and begin planning for the annual competition sponsored by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in support of the Hawaii Food Bank, I would like to pause and reflect on why it's more important than ever to support those in need. Like many other firms, we were forced to tighten our belts and make some difficult decisions. But we all agreed that despite the swirling negativity surrounding our economy, we would remain committed to the charitable organizations we supported in the past. There is a different feel to this competition that is very different than in previous years. It's difficult to explain in words, but I believe we aren't focused so much on winning this year as we are focused on making this competition a success.
02.06.09 /
Career Day at Niu Valley Middle School
Tiffany Lee
,
Designer
Salli Morita and I visited Niu Valley Middle School for their annual career day. We shared with them the different aspects of architecture, master planning, interior design, and landscape architecture, and the various types of projects we do globally. They were impressed... “Have you really designed a house on the water?”
02.02.09 /
Gong Shi Fa Tsai!
Mary Suenaga
,
Associate Vice President, Senior Interior Designer
The Lunar New Year in China kicks off with a week of festivities. In Hangzhou, brightly lit lanterns adorn He Fang Street (nicknamed “Old Town”) along shops and street vendors. You can step in to any shop to taste the delicacies of the region. The shop pictured below featured spicy duck-head and fish-head stew.
11.26.08 /
Hotels in the Sky
James G. Freeman
,
AIA, Vice President
Located in KPF’s Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC), the Park Hyatt Shanghai is the world’s newest highest hotel. It is across the street from the famous Jin Mao Tower and location of the Grand Hyatt (the former world’s highest hotel). It felt strange looking down onto the roof of the Jin Mao Tower where I have stayed many times over the years, but even more strange is to be eye level with the pollution line – look up for blue sky, look down at all the pollution.
10.17.08 /
"Happy Birthday to Us!" (working with the best clients in the world)
Janice Li
,
Architect
On a recent client meeting in China, our Raffles Qingshui Bay and Jumeirah Rocky Point clients stopped the meeting and surprised Ruoyun and I with birthday cakes!
09.03.08 /
The SOHO of Seoul
Mary Suenaga
,
Associate Vice President, Senior Interior Designer
On a recent client trip to Korea, we were able to take a breather and visit some of the interesting places in Seoul. I was struck by the diversity of the different neighborhoods, and how they seem to connect seamlessly.
08.15.08 /
Architecture Blog: SK Apelbaum
Sean Sih-Young Jeon
,
Vice President
While on a break after a master plan presentation in Korea, we had the chance to visit a recently completed WATG project that was close by: SK Apelbaum. The scope of the project was the design of the building façade and public space.
07.31.08 /
Architecture Photoblog: Kyowon Training Center
Sean Sih-Young Jeon
,
Vice President
I recently had a chance to visit The Kyowon Training Center (Dream Center) which was completed in 2006.
06.25.08 /
WATG at HD2008
Stella Bok
,
Interior Designer
In May, a group of interior designers from the Honolulu, Seattle and Irvine offices attended the HD Show in Vegas.
11.27.07 /
Charrette in Vietnam
Tiffany Lee
,
Designer
Discoveries on the beach.
10.19.07 /
Site visit, Doumen, China
Tiffany Lee
,
Designer
Baby. A site visit through a working fishing village in Doumen, China.
10.17.07 /
Jim Freeman on a site visit in Shangri-La
Janice Li
,
Architect
Jim Freeman with a Shangri-La project manager and the local architect on a site visit. The team went to set out the land and water villas on site after coordination meetings in Hong Kong and Singapore.
