Ki Concepts

Ki Concepts Landscape Architecture | Urban Design | Site Planning Great Design is evocative; it is experiential; and while not always understood, it is felt.

At Ki Concepts, we seek to explore, reveal and express the concept of “Ki” in how we work, collaborate and give form to our designs. Ki Concepts believes that Great Design should be the foundation of all we create and we strive for design excellence. Another driving force for Ki Concepts is the importance of leaving this world a better place for future generations. Not content to just simply mitig

ate and maintain, we develop solutions and relationships through our projects that enhance, improve and ultimately regenerate a place. We seek to use the design process as a tool to create healthy, sustainable outcomes for the short and long term. In order to create an unforgettable landscape, there is a sequence of actions to conceptualize and build an environment that meets our client’s vision and needs. At its best, it transcends function and the problem solving of site. Through thorough analysis and intuitive response to our client and site, a “Great Design” emerges, revealing and celebrating the spirit of place. Design is part art and part science, it is the act of creation and the creation itself; it is process and the product. At Ki Concepts the idea and practice of team is a crucial one. Particularly as a small firm, it comes down to people: who is doing the work and how we do it. The Ki Concepts team is comprised of a core group of individuals whose diverse expertise and passion includes landscape architecture, architecture, horticulture, arboriculture, planning, graphic design, business, and financial management. What binds us is our passion and commitment to Hawai`i, the `aina and its people. Together we pride ourselves on our collaborative approach utilizing our skills and talents which allows us to connect with our clients, other design professionals and key stakeholders, to identify, define and give form to each project’s unique vision. We believe in the power of synergy created by combining passion, knowledge and focus in an open exchange of ideas and possibilities while seeking creative, innovative yet practical solutions. We are led by two principals with experience from around the Pacific including Japan, Seattle, San Francisco and, for many years, the Hawaiian Islands. Ki Concepts team members are firmly rooted in Hawai`i but our experience hails from many places including Canada, San Francisco and Seattle. Our skills and expertise cover a broad spectrum of landscape planning and design and each member brings with them new and exciting design ideas. Our internal team rallies behind service, serving our clients and community with excellence. From listening and “reading between the lines”, our strong ability to communicate to the detailed management of our projects, Ki Concepts strives to provide exceptional service and innovation that continuously exceeds expectations.

Malaki 2026Office ViewsOffice StretchesOffice Visits (  )Site Visits (At Mid-Pacific)RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN SO MUCH RAINSit...
03/31/2026

Malaki 2026

Office Views
Office Stretches
Office Visits ( )
Site Visits (At Mid-Pacific)
RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN SO MUCH RAIN
Site Visits (Checking in on Stormwater Management Projects, at Honouliuli Middle School)
Primo Conference with
Floof McPufferson (Office name for our Manu o Ku chicklet neighbor)
Luncheon with some alumni currently working and .studio

And that’s March!

Χρόνια Πολλά, Zoe and Brandon! Both of you bring λόγος (logos), αρμονία (harmonia), ήθος (ethos), and αισθητική (aisthit...
02/27/2026

Χρόνια Πολλά, Zoe and Brandon! 
Both of you bring λόγος (logos), αρμονία (harmonia), ήθος (ethos), and αισθητική (aisthitikí) to the office — clarity, balance, character, and beautiful design thinking in everything you do.

Studio Kīpuka gathered with family and friends to ring in the holiday season. Happy Holidays to you all!We ate at  —so d...
12/13/2025

Studio Kīpuka gathered with family and friends to ring in the holiday season. Happy Holidays to you all!

We ate at —so delicious, with locally sourced ingredients that were beautifully crafted into ono plates. Full stomachs and full hearts tonight. 🌿😄

Wishing you all a warm, joyful season—rooted in good company and great food!

Things are heating up here at Studio Kipuka! Our team braved the Hot Ones challenge, and let’s just say it was no walk i...
09/17/2025

Things are heating up here at Studio Kipuka! Our team braved the Hot Ones challenge, and let’s just say it was no walk in the park. 
 
Big mahalo to Zoe for supplying the spice, kept us rooted in the moment! From mild to wild, a few of us were left wilting. But we all made it to the end! Coconut milk please!
 
Here’s to forehead sweating together! 😅

Our founding principal, Joel Kurokawa, will be speaking at the IFLA 2025 Conference in Nantes, France 🇫🇷 in his role as ...
09/12/2025

Our founding principal, Joel Kurokawa, will be speaking at the IFLA 2025 Conference in Nantes, France 🇫🇷 in his role as CLARB National President.

Joel highlighted the importance of recognizing landscape architecture as a legally defined profession — one that plays a critical role in shaping spaces that protect public health, safety, and welfare.

He joins leaders from around the world to exchange ideas, strengthen professional standards, and share best practices in landscape architecture. This global dialogue is an important step toward building more resilient, inclusive, and inspiring spaces together 🌱.

International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA)
Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB)

Ki Concepts FoodVENTURE Friday 🍇🍑🍓🍬Today’s sweet experiment: Japanese jiggly gummies—CORORO! These little bursts of flav...
08/01/2025

Ki Concepts FoodVENTURE Friday 🍇🍑🍓🍬
Today’s sweet experiment: Japanese jiggly gummies—CORORO! These little bursts of flavor come in Peach, Strawberry, Cola, Muscat Grape, Ramune, and classic Grape.
🗳️ The verdict is in:
🥇 Muscat Grape stole the show—juicy and fragrant!
🥈 Peach followed closely behind with its soft, mellow sweetness.
🥉 Strawberry and Grape tied for third, keeping it classic.
🥤 Cola brought the fizz, but couldn’t quite compete.
💧 And Ramune… well, let’s just say it had a very acquired taste.
Stay tuned for our next FoodVENTURE—we snack so you don’t have to (but you totally should). 😋

Hey everyone! I’m Rhapsody Espiritu, Ki Concepts’ newest intern!I’m heading into my fourth year in the LARP (Landscape A...
06/27/2025

Hey everyone! I’m Rhapsody Espiritu, Ki Concepts’ newest intern!

I’m heading into my fourth year in the LARP (Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning) program at UMass Amherst. I’m originally from the lush Kalihi Valley, and I stumbled into landscape architecture while searching for a career that combined my love for plants and design—getting the best of both worlds!

As an aspiring landscape architect, I’m passionate about exploring adaptive and regenerative landscapes—spaces that can heal not only the environment but also our minds, bodies, and spirits. I get excited about landscapes that tell stories, spark curiosity, and feel good to be in.

Some of my favorite projects so far?
🌿 A Discovery Center that reimagined a neglected historic farm lot into an endangered species habitat that’s interactable and open to the public.
🌧️ A residential design featuring a dreamy rain garden and sensory space inspired by the Japanese idea of Shinrin-yoku(“forest bathing”). 
🏞️ An institutional design at UMass Amherst’s Campus Pond, where I carved out little moments for people to pause, breathe, and decompress.

I’m super excited to be here, learn from the team, and grow alongside everyone here. Can’t wait to create beautiful, meaningful spaces together!

Joel is in  ! with CLARB.We are so lucky to have Joel be one of those voices for our community as the 2024-2025 CLARB Pr...
09/25/2024

Joel is in ! with CLARB.

We are so lucky to have Joel be one of those voices for our community as the 2024-2025 CLARB President.

The first step in advocating for the is connecting with fellow designers and people alike. By sharing our stories and experiences, we create a foundation for a collaborative and meaningful design that works to protect the public’s health, safety and welfare.

Big Mahalo to Joel and CLARB for your and !

Hi everyone! I’m Brandon and am thrilled to introduce myself as an incoming   at Ki Concepts. I graduated from the Unive...
09/04/2024

Hi everyone! I’m Brandon and am thrilled to introduce myself as an incoming at Ki Concepts. I graduated from the University of Washington with an MLA and cannot wait to continue my growth with the Ki Concepts Team.  I’m mostly excited to work in and learn from the shared systems between Hawai’i and my home, The 🐚 🏴‍☠️ 🍹 🌴 . Permaculture projects and restorative and educational landscapes really capture my attention because they focus on the benefits of being mentally and physically close to plants, something that is super important to me. When I’m not looking at plants ( which takes up a lot of my time) I’m either skating around, collaging my mood of the day or diving into my new hobby…paper making!! XD

"Every site is a microcosm of the broader watershed or ahupuaa - We try to think, what are the characteristics of that a...
04/11/2024

"Every site is a microcosm of the broader watershed or ahupuaa - We try to think, what are the characteristics of that ahupuaa that we are responsible for?"

Joel Kurokawa, founding Principal, speaks to the class about Ki Concept's landscape project for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Headquarters on Moku'ume'ume (Ford Island), in Wai Momi (Pearl Harbor).

The landscape design celebrates the site's layered history, indigenous spaces, native and culturally sensitive plantings, and rainwater harvesting and management.

A well-researched and written article is in the November 2017 issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine (LAM) Hawaii ASLA . Written by

Hola! Christina here! I have recently joined Ki (In January,  took long to post this!) as a landscape design intern whil...
04/09/2024

Hola! Christina here! I have recently joined Ki (In January, took long to post this!) as a landscape design intern while wrapping up my final semester in the MLA program at University of Hawai’i @ Manoa.

My passion lies in exploring practical solutions for , , and .

Beyond my internship at Ki, I've been serving as a graduate assistant for the Hawai'inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge since Spring 2023. I have had the incredible experience of collaborating with a fantastic group of kumu and wahine on diverse projects related to Hawai'i.

I have an undergraduate degree in Cultural Anthropology from SFSU and a master’s in fine arts from the California College of the Arts (formerly CCAC). Originally from Southern California, I ventured to San Francisco for college and even spent a year studying abroad in Zimbabwe.

My capstone thesis will be exploring habitat reclaimation for the Native Hawaiian Yellow-Faced Bee, a critical for many of Hawaii's threatened and endangered native Hawaiian plants.

Outside of school and work, I enjoy quality time with my two beautiful dogs, exploring new destinations, hiking, and engaging in my personal design/ build projects.

Travel, passion and creativity fuel my pursuits, making each day a new opportunity for inspiration!

Address

1311 Kapiolani Boulevard #600
Honolulu, HI
96814

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 6pm

Telephone

+18089427061

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