Pacific Academy of Building Design

🌺 PBX 2025 was all about connection! 🌺

This week, Pacific Academy of Building Design (PABD) hit the PBX show floor to connect with vendors, friends, colleagues, and so many new faces across Hawai‘i’s design + construction ‘ohana. 🤝✨

We shared our mission: widening the gate for the next generation of designers and builders in Hawai‘i — making pathways into architecture + design more accessible, inclusive, and rooted in local community values.

From talking story with longtime industry friends to meeting future collaborators, the energy at PBX reminded us why we’re here: to build futures, not just buildings. 🏗️🌴

Big mahalo to everyone who took the time to chat with us, learn about PABD, and share your own journeys. This is just the beginning — and we can’t wait to keep growing together. 🌊

👉 Were you at PBX? Drop a 🌺 in the comments if we got to see you!

🎉 New Release on PABD’s YouTube! 🎉

Episode 1 of Architects Off the Beaten Path is now live. Join Jason Danielak, Program Director of Architecture at PABD, in conversation with Joseph Ferraro, FAIA (Ferraro Choi and Associates) — with insights from Dr. Liza Lockard, Academic Director at PABD.

From studying fine arts at Pratt, to building a sustainable practice in Hawai‘i, to designing research facilities in Antarctica 🌋❄️, Joe’s journey shows there is no single path to becoming an architect.

📺 Watch now ➡️ [https://youtu.be/NboVZWH9AnM?si=buoV2acrmzqOY2oI]

Joseph Ferraro: An Architect’s Journey from Hawai‘i to Antarctica | Architects Off the Beaten Path Welcome to the debut episode of Architects Off the Beaten Path, a podcast by the Pacific Academy of Building Design.In this episode, Program Director Jason D...

PACIFIC ACADEMY OF BUILDING DESIGN (PABD) AWARDS INAUGURAL HOʻOŪLU SCHOLARSHIP TO HŌKŪLEʻA DRAGOMANOVICH TO STUDY ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN

A secondary scholarship, the Kūlia Scholarship, was awarded to Kona student and craftsman Mackenzie Marbas.

Honolulu, HI (Wednesday, June 25, 2025) — The Pacific Academy of Building Design
(“PABD”) is proud to announce the recipient of its inaugural Ho'oūlu Scholarship —
Hōkūle'a Dragomanovich of Honolulu. A Castle High School and Honolulu
Community College alumna, Hōkūleʻa has been awarded a scholarship valued at
$16,500 to support her studies in Architecture and Interior Design at PABD, marking a
significant milestone in the academy’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of
innovative design professionals...

Meet Mackenzie “Mack” Marbas, recipient of PABD’s 2025 Kūlia Scholarship—an award created just for him.

Mack’s story inspired our judges so deeply that we created a secondary scholarship to recognize his unconventional, thoughtful path to design. Raised on the Oregon Coast, Mack studied fashion, worked on a farm-to-closet textile project, restored historic buildings, and now runs a wood workshop out of his home in Kailua-Kona.

✨ “I feel incredibly lucky to have received the Kūlia Scholarship—especially because they created it for me! I feel seen.”

At PABD, Mack is diving into foundational courses in architecture and interior design, soon to be followed by AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Revit. His goal: to work on unique, meaningful residential projects that reflect his values, craft, and creative perspective.

“Mack might not have flourished in a traditional academic setting,” shared Architecture Program Director Jason Danielak. “But his insight, passion, and mastery of craft embody the very essence of what this scholarship stands for.”

🌈 We’re proud to support Mack as he continues to chart his own course—building a design career grounded in curiosity, community, and care.

Donate to Break Barriers in Design Education: Support PABD Scholars, organized by Jason Danielak Support Local Talent. Fund a Future Designer. About Us W… Jason Danielak needs your support for Break Barriers in Design Education: Support PABD Scholars

Grateful for the opportunity to present to AIA Honolulu and share the vision behind PABD with their members.

Two of our Directors, Dr. Liza Lockard and Jason Danielak, AIA, spoke about PABD’s approach to architecture education: an approach that emphasizes hands-on learning, mentorship, cultural responsiveness, and accessibility.

Mahalo to everyone who joined us for this important conversation about creating a more inclusive and place-based future for design in Hawai‘i and beyond.

Jason Danielak, AIA — Program Director of Architecture at — recently attended a special event on Desert Modernism at (Taliesin West), hosted by , , and .

The evening featured thoughtful lectures from and , but the true lesson was found in the space between — in the way Taliesin revealed itself through light, material, and desert context.

Wandering the campus during a golden Sonoran sunset offered a fresh perspective on how built form and environment can truly collaborate.

It was a vivid reminder of what we teach at PABD:
Architecture should respond to its site.
It should speak with, not over, its context.

Mahalo to everyone who brought this evening to life.

Mentor Highlight: Aaron Shimizu, AIA
Co-Founder | Licensed Architect | Faculty Mentor at PABD

Aaron Shimizu didn’t follow the typical academic route into architecture — and that’s exactly why he co-founded PABD.

He transitioned into architecture from a different field entirely, and through real-world experience, technical mastery, and passion, he became a licensed architect. He knows what it means to build a career through practice, not just theory — and he’s living proof that there’s more than one way to become a design professional.

At PABD, Aaron leads by example — showing students that with dedication, discipline, and support, licensure is possible through nontraditional, experience-based paths.

He didn’t just help build PABD.
He lived its mission.

What does designing with place mean to you?

When architecture listens to the land, it becomes more than structure—it becomes story.
At PABD, we believe design in Hawai‘i must begin with understanding mauka to makai, people to place.

In one word, what should good architecture in Hawai‘i always honor?
🌿 Drop your word in the comments!

Designing with Story: What Aulani Can Teach Us

At first glance, Aulani is a resort.
But look closer—and it’s something more.

Its site planning reflects the ahupuaʻa system: an upland-to-ocean land division that shaped how Native Hawaiians lived, farmed, and thrived.
Walk from the entry through the lush gardens and pools, and you’ll trace that journey—from mauka (mountain) to makai (ocean)—just like an ahupuaʻa.

It’s not just a path. It’s a cultural map.

And along the way, you’ll see signs in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, names explained by staff trained in cultural protocol—not just hospitality.
This isn't decoration. It’s place-based storytelling—woven through the land, the layout, and the language.

Aulani didn’t just build on Hawaiian land. It listened to it.

At , this is what we teach:
Architecture carries responsibility. Every structure tells a story.
So we train designers to lead with humility, cultural understanding, and care.