At a Feb. 24 awards reception at The Pacific Club, the AIA Honolulu (American Institute of Architects, Honolulu Chapter) presented Dr. Carol S. Sakata with the 2023 Medal of Honor, AIA Honolulu’s highest achievement. The award recognizes individuals making significant contributions to the industry and who serve as an inspiration to their peers. Sakata, president at CDS International, is the 11th architect in Hawai‘i to receive the honor, presented in collaboration with the AIA Hawaii State Council and the Hawaii Architectural Foundation (HAF).

Also receiving an award at the reception was Lloyd Sueda, who was presented with the 2023 Gordon Bradley Humanitarian Award in recognition of an architect who has given their time and energy toward humanitarian efforts. Sueda was acknowledged for his work on Kahauiki Village, an affordable housing community for underserved families, for which he performed pro bono design work.

Francis (Palani) Sinenci was named winner of the 2023 Paepae I Ka Pōhaku Award, which spotlights an individual or organization who has helped promote the public’s appreciation of architectural design. Sinenci has built more than 200 traditional Hawaiian structures in his career and worked with the late Hans Riecke, FAIA, to develop the first building code for traditional Hawaiian structures.