kokomo studio llc.

a tropical design collective

Kokomo was founded in 2018. We work in the fields of residential architecture, furniture design, commercial interiors, and architectural research for the tropics.

Little is needed in terms of shelter for the tropics. A simple roof to give shade, and a raised floor to keep your feet dry – everything else is superfluous. We take that minimalist mindset and extend it to all of our design work for the tropics. Adding too much to any project can take away from the natural setting, the pleasant climate, and the lifestyle engendered by environmental living. Any architecture added is then a response to the built environment, finding ways to shield and protect from the context, but carving out places that let you feel like you’re living in Hawai’i.

Located in the Makiki neighborhood of O‘ahu, we respect the context of our tropical urbanist location and build off traditions of the vernacular architecture around us. From open-air apartments, to nature-centric bungalows, the work of Kokomo reinterprets the region’s architectural language and uses it to communicate site, climate and lifestyle. What we do is idealistic, and perhaps a bit Utopian, but there’s a place we all want to go, way down in Kokomo.