Kapolei Lofts is a small-scale affordable housing development in Oahu, Hawaii. Although building in Hawaii was never something Forest City had planned to do, the team couldn’t turn down the opportunity to convert neglected, government-owned military housing into high-quality, affordable, privately-owned units for Army, Navy and Air Force families.

Drawing on what they had already accomplished with Stapleton/Central Park Denver, the Forest City team endeavored to give this community in Oahu the same comfortable, close-knit feel. Prioritizing street entrance into homes, limiting buildings to four stories, creating front facades and alley-loaded access to buildings—all of these aspects lend themselves to the intimacy of the neighborhood. KTGY Architecture & Planning helped to bring the 499 multifamily units to life, while PBR Hawaii provided creative landscape architecture for the myriad public spaces.

In addition to setting up Kapolei Lofts as a lower-density community, Forest City strove to exceed sustainability standards and create “green” buildings. Thanks to over 6,000 solar panels placed among the buildings, solar energy provides more than half of residents’ electricity. The neighborhood remains known for its walkability and agreeable location nearby public transit, grocery, retail and a local high school.