F E A T U R E S T O R Y rom the top of the moun- tains, all the way out into the ocean, every aspect of life in the Kingdom of Hawaii aims to be syn- ergistic and sustainable, including its residential communities. With the goal of becoming the largest LEED for Neighborhood Development Platinum (LEED-NP) certified com- munity in the country, building owner Howard Hughes Corporation hired James K.M. Cheng in col- laboration with Rob Iopa and WCIT Architecture to design Waiea Tower, the flagship building of what is to be Honolulu’s most distinguished neighborhood, Ward Village. The 60-acre coastal master planned community allows for up to 9.3 million square feet (approxi- mately 863,998 m2 ) of mixed-use development and offers numer- ous outdoor gathering spaces that embrace Hawaiian culture, the per- fect mix of urban and eco-friendly living. At completion, the commu- nity will include more than 4,000 residences and over one million square feet (92,903 m2 ) of retail shopping. To complete the con- struction of the 36-story tower, BMK Construction was enlisted to handle the tile and flooring installations for all of Waiea’s units and public Waiea Tower represents a new level of architectural sophistication rom the top of the moun- tains, all the way out into the ocean, every aspect of life in the F 34 TileLetter | August 2017