Laurel Swan named partner of WhiteSpace Architects

Laurel Swan was named a partner in WhiteSpace Architects, said Laura Ayers, president of the firm.

“Laurel’s elevation to partner is a transition that was already underway before our beloved founder, Pip White, passed away last year,” Ayers said. “Pip long envisioned Laurel as part of our leadership team, and we are thrilled that she will help guide us as we continue to operate as we believe he would have wanted.”

Swan lives in North Kohala and heads the Waimea branch of WhiteSpace Architects, which is designing projects that include the new $15 million, 24,000-square-foot Hāmākua-Kohala Health’s Rural Health, Wellness and Teaching Center.

From Waimea, Swan leads residential, educational and commercial projects across Hawai‘i County and the state. On the Big Island, the firm has designed more than a dozen custom residences and the Carter Professional Center, a class A commercial building in Waimea.

Swan served as a project architect at WhiteSpace’s O‘ahu headquarters from 2013 to 2016, then rejoined the firm to head the Big Island branch when it opened in 2020. She first arrived on the island in 2005 and spent the next four years working in the construction industry, gaining experience before beginning her graduate study in architecture at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

She received a Doctor of Architecture degree from the UH Mānoa and a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre design from Haverford College. She is also a published author. “Environmental Product Guide for Hawai‘i” is a resource that she co-authored with the State of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.