MAI architects Barbara Shideler and Glenn Mason worked with architectural conservators and a specialty painting studio to determine the best solution for the rehabilitation of the decorative stencil work on the Playhouse at Shangri-La, Doris Duke's Foundation for Islamic Art (see Projects: Museum Houses). The Playhouse was built by Doris Duke in 1938. Its design is based on the Chihil Sutun, a royal pavilion built in Isfahan, Iran in 1647. In an earlier restoration, the original painted surfaces were covered with decorated masonite panels and sealed with fiberglass. MAI's restoration team removed the masonite panels, applied an interlayer to preserve the original painted surfaces, and replicated the original designs in a paint that "breathes" to let the inevitable moisture escape from the wood beneath.

Located above Kealakekua on the Island of Hawaii, the house is sited on a large parcel surrounded by coffee farms and former ranch lands. Built as a wedding present for the owner's mother, the structure incorporates design features of 1930s kama'aina architecture, including spacious rooms with high ceilings, wood floors, screened porches, board-and-batten siding, and a corrugated metal roof. The goal of the renovation is to enlarge the floor plan and completely upgrade the structure, yet retain the character of the original home. A new garage and gymnasium will be connected to the main house by a covered walkway, the master bedroom suite will be enlarged to include a study and dressing area, and the rear porch will be expanded for use as a breakfast room. Past attempts to "modernize" the kitchen and bathrooms will be reversed by installing new period-appropriate cabinets, appliances, and fixtures.

MAI's design for the new Visitor Center now under con-struction at the Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site is a low-profile structure sited to maximize views of the heiau yet minimize its own visibility from the hill on which the heiau stands. Behind the Visitor Center's open viewing area are spaces for audio/visual presenta-tions, exhibits by designer Daniel Quon, paintings by noted Hawaii artist Herb Kane, sales and information areas, offices, and storage. The adjacent comfort station is partially built into the hillside. The lava rock and rusti-cated concrete structures blend into the surroundings, and grading and filling have been kept to a minimum by utilizing the natural topgraphy of the site, which is near Kawaihae on the Island of Hawaii.

Here in 1790-91 Kamehameha I built the heiau for the war god Kuka'ilimoku. He invited Keoua, his cousin and chief rival, to meet him there. As Keoua beached his canoe, Kamehameha's warriors killed him and placed his body on the heiau's altar. In this move Kamehameha took dominion over the island and furthered his drive to unite all the Hawaiian Islands under his rule.

MAI architects Katie Slocumb and Mike Zagorski, with their friend Gail Grabrowsky, were the fastest Relay team to finish the JAL Honolulu Triathlon on Sunday, April 17. The winning time of their "Huikau" team was 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 2 seconds.

Gail swam 1500 meters in the first leg of the relay, completing two loops between the Kapahulu Groin and Natatorium in 21 minutes and 22 seconds, ranking first among the mixed teams. She passed the timer chip to Mike, who then cycled the 40-km route from Kapiolani Park to the Hawaii Kai Golf Course and back in 57 minutes and 23 seconds, passing the finish line 3 minutes and 45 seconds ahead of his closest competitor and clocking the fastest time of all cyclists. Then Katie ran the last 10-km leg of the race, two laps from Queen's Beach around Kapiolani Park and in and out of Waikiki, sprinting to the finish line in 46 minutes and 27 seconds.

Each leg of the relay started and finished at Queen's Beach, where "all of the relay teams were looking at each other, calculating their advantage," said Katie, whose women's team finished second in last year's Triathlon. It was the first relay for Mike, who has raced on the US mainland, Mexico and the UK. How did he like sharing the race with two women? "The pressure was definitely on. We all gave it 110% and in the end had the winning combination," said Mike.