PMNM Main Office Moves to the Inouye Regional Center

NOAA’s Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center (IRC) on Ford Island. Credit: NOAA

On January 23, 2014, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument moved its main offices from Hawaiʻi Kai to the Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center (IRC) on Ford Island. Built on a national historic landmark site, the main facility repurposes two World War II-era aircraft hangars and links them with a newly constructed third edifice to create a single 310,000 square foot building.

The ground floor of the main entrance boasts a three-story high central atrium containing a comprehensive exhibit area with pictures, videos, signage and artifacts depicting various NOAA programs, as well as a library, auditorium, media room and cafeteria.

Displays in the main entrance foyer include stunning pictures from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands featured in the book Archipelago by Susan Middleton and David Liittschwager. Credit: Stephanie Fisher/NOAA

The facility’s design, inspired by Hawaiʻi’s climate and culture to feature wind, water and sun, utilizes natural lighting, the absence of mechanical fans, and passive cooling and ventilation systems supported by a seawater well. It also captures renewable energy through solar photovoltaic and solar thermal systems. The facility is Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) Gold Certified.

In January 2013, the center was named in honor of Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaiʻi), the nation's longest-serving senator and a decorated World War II combat veteran who died in December 2012, in recognition of his significant contribution to ocean and environmental issues and his steadfast support for the construction of the campus. On December 16, 2013, an official blessing ceremony was held to dedicate the facility.

NOAA’s Science on a Sphere projection system hangs seemingly in midair in the lobby of the main building. Credit: Craig T. Kojima/Star Advertiser

A star compass is inlaid in the courtyard near the waterfront, surrounded by native plants. Credit: Jason Leonard/NOAA

The campus will house more than 700 staff from 15 NOAA offices on Oʻahu, including the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the National Marine Fisheries Service, two of the seven co-managers of the Monument. Co-managers from the State of Hawaiʻi, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs retain their existing office locations on Oʻahu.

For more information about the center, see the IRC brochure here.

For more information about the facility’s design, see the article “How Biomimicry Inspired the Design of NOAA’s New Pacific Regional Center in Hawaiʻi” at http://www.hoklife.com/2013/07/16/paul-woolford-on-noaas-new-pacific-regional-center-campus-in-hawaii/.