We are pleased to announce the newest addition to our leadership team:

Warren W.K. Lau has been elevated to Associate! “This is a long overdue recognition of Mr. Lau’s contributions to the firm”, said Glenn Mason, president.  Mr. Lau first joined the firm in 1987 and is the project manager for key renovation projects, focused recently on several projects for Kamehameha Schools.

Mr. Lau is responsible for coordinating all project effort, handling the most complex projects of the largest magnitude, in order to ensure effective execution, prepares strategic plans, and serves as primary client liaison. He helps define project scope of work and guides other project managers.

GETTING TO KNOW WARREN - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

MASON: What inspires you? 

Warren: My parents inspire me. They worked hard and long hours after moving from Hong Kong to Hawaii so my brother and I will have a better future.    

MASON: What did you want to be when you grew up? 

Warren: Growing up I did not know what I wanted to be but enjoy drawing magazine characters.

MASON: Why did you go into architecture? 

Warren: I took a lot of art classes in my first year of college and found my passion. I decided to declare my major in Commercial Art.  However, I discovered early on after getting into my major that it is difficult to find a job in this field in Hawaii and will need to relocate to the mainland for more opportunities. At that time, my girlfriend’s (and now wife) brother and cousin were both into architecture. I decided to give architecture a try since it involved drawing, which is something I can spend hours doing, similar to artwork.    

MASON: What do you love the most about architecture, the company, the job, and/or the projects? 

Warren: What I love most about architecture is it has power to bring beauty, functionality, and organization to a project. What I love most about the firm is the support and trust from the partners. The partners always have time to share ideas and guidance. The partners placed their trust in me regardless of the magnitude of the project.  

MASON: What is your favorite architectural building/house? 

Warren: The Dillingham Transportation Building.

MASON: What is your point of view/how you approach your projects? 

Warren: My approach to projects is to make sure we meet client’s every need and provide a quality set of bid documents so the design can be easily interpreted. 

MASON: What would you most like to see in the industry and/or projects? 

Warren: I would like to see more projects to include renewable energy such as solar energy.

MASON: Which projects you are most proud of and why? 

Warren: The USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center. It was a great privilege to be part of the design team to create a new visitor center for the National Park Service to commemorate the history of World War II in the Pacific.

MASON: What is one thing that most people do not know about you? 

Warren: My cardio workout includes hitting the heavy bag and double end bag.