DEAN M. SHIBUYA, Architect
Registered Architect in the States of California and Hawaii
After receiving my Master of Architecture degree from the University of Washington, Seattle, I relocated to San Francisco in 1979 where I began a successful 11 year association with a design-build firm named PNI Omnitects. This company’s multi-disciplined organization provided architectural, interior design and construction services under one roof. I quickly rose to the position of Director of Architectural Design producing commercial buildings and interior environments for the company’s financial and corporate client base. I was also fortunate to be able to work closely with the staff interior designers and construction managers to acquire an unusually broad range of professional experience. Of particular note was my role as the Design Architect in charge of the total restoration and renovation of the historic Marines Memorial Club Hotel in downtown San Francisco. The scope of work included room and suite renovations, lobby and check-in areas, a theater, rooftop restaurant and bar and an indoor pool and gym area in the basement.
Due to an economic downturn in San Francisco from the Loma Prieta earthquake, I moved to my hometown Honolulu in 1990 and accepted a position with Lacayo Architects in Honolulu, Hawaii. At Lacayo, I further honed my architectural and interior design skills by work on custom residential and large scale hotel/resort projects. Considered one of the top design firms in the State of Hawaii, I gained experience in construction management duties of a low-rise, 300 unit luxury resort/condominium development called The Palms at Wailea, Phases I & II on the island of Maui. Phase II was completed in 1991.
I was then promoted to Project Manager in charge of the completion of Construction Documents for a 40 story, $95 million dollar mixed use highrise on the waterfront in downtown Honolulu. I managed a team of architects to meet a permit deadline imposed by the Japanese lender to insure the financing during the perilous times of the rapidly deflating Japanese "bubble". The submittal deadline and requirements were met, permits issued and the financing was secured. The resulting iconic Harbor Court project is comprised of a section of luxury condominium units with retail and restaurant spaces at the lower levels, and an attached commercial office tower and potentially, a hotel component complete with a recreation pool deck on top of the parking structure. The project was completed in 1993.
After Norman Lacayo retired in 1994, Mr. Shibuya founded Pacific Atelier, Inc. with several members of Lacayo Architects as President. Within two years, his firm designed two phases of a 15 story affordable, senior rental housing development and successfully negotiated unprecedented floor areas with the Planning Department to allow this much needed facility to become financially feasible. Shortly thereafter, Pacific Atelier was selected as the Architect of Record for the proposed Maui Ocean Center project. When completed in 1996, this campus of five buildings became the largest marine visitor attraction and research facility in the state of Hawaii and has been named as the “Best Attraction” on the Island of Maui.
Pacific Atelier, Inc. was also instrumental in producing the basic design concepts and philosophies of a large master development along the southwest shores of the Island of Oahu, 20 miles from Honolulu. This development, which has just broken ground, will accommodate hotel resorts (Disney and Marriot), luxury waterfront homes, a marina, wellness center and recreation club, multi-family condominiums and championship golf courses.
In 1997, Mr. Shibuya relocated back to San Francisco and developed a small practice as a branch of Pacific Atelier, Inc. in Honolulu. He realized that running the company from San Francisco was limiting his ability to dedicate enough time to the design work he enjoyed and sold his share of the company to his partner. After the completion of a couple of residential projects in San Francisco, Mr. Shibuya joined the Tiburon firm of Mahoney Architects in 1999 as a consultant and has enjoyed honing his design skills on the firm’s variety of luxury residential and multi-family loft projects. Presently, I am involved in the restoration and rehabilitation of the Tea House and Gift Shop structures in the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. I was part of the successful team, bidding on the contract to become the new operators of the Tea Garden's Tea House and Gift Shop. I also recruited master craftspeople trained in Japan in traditional woodworking construction to accomplish my designs.
EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Design, University of Washington, Seattle. 1976.
Master of Architecture, University of Washington, Seattle, 1989.
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION:
State of California since 1983
State of Hawaii since 1990