Aloha Philip "Pip White, AIA

Philip “Pip” White – renowned architect, mentor, family man, founder of WhiteSpace Architects and former president of AIA Honolulu – died of cancer Aug. 25, 2022, at the age of 74.

A seventh-generation kama‘aina, Pip infused a Hawaiian sense of place into all his designs and believed that architecture should be inherently sustainable and environmentally sensitive.

All who knew him can certainly picture Pip in his trademark Aloha shirt with slacks and slippahs – which made heading out to surf that much easier. His easygoing personal style and devotion to the natural world combined with his immense talent and work ethic to inspire wonderful achievements over a nearly 40-year career.

He designed Wai‘anae High School: Searider Productions’ media-education center, Molokai Ranch & Camps, and many educational and commercial projects, in addition to countless gracious dream homes for island families statewide. Punahou School will soon break ground on Pip’s transformation of the former Cooke Library into the Academy Learning Commons, a state-of-the-art center for collaborative and individual learning for its high-school students.

Laura Ayers, WhiteSpace principal, and his entire office ‘ohana are devastated by the loss but continue to live and work by Pip’s example. As Laura explains, “Pip’s warmth and humble nature was appreciated by everyone he met. He carried a love in his heart for our team and strongly believed that professional development was essential for every architect. Pip taught me more lessons than I can count; he was my business partner and mentor, but most importantly my dear friend. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities he gave me and our time working together for the past 20 years.”

Pip was an early adopter of the flexible workweek for his office ‘ohana, believing that people are most creative in a relaxed environment. Kahea and Hina, his beloved Irish setters, greeted all who visited the WhiteSpace office, setting the friendly workplace tone. He was a thoughtful mentor to architects now practicing across Hawai‘i and the world, sharing not only his technical expertise and design ethos, but also his encouraging leadership.

Devoted to making a difference outside the workplace realm, Pip actively engaged in community service throughout his life; among other efforts, he served on the boards of Hale Kipa, HUGS, Hawai‘i Architectural Foundation and the Asia-Pacific Center for Architecture. Those and many other organizations also will miss him.

Of course, the loss is most profound for Pip’s family, as well as for his broader ‘ohana of friends and colleagues. We ask to keep a special thought for Pip’s wife, Franny, their sons and extended family, as well as the WhiteSpace team.

Please join them to celebrate Pip’s life at a service at Punahou School’s Thurston Memorial Chapel on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, starting at 2 p.m.

The White ‘ohana requests that in lieu of flowers, if desired, donations be made in Pip’s name to Hale Kipa (halekipa.org) or the Searider Productions Foundation (seariderproductions.com).

For additional information on Pip’s service, please contact office@whitespacearchitects.com.

Pip embodied aloha. His family, friends and industry colleagues will miss him always.