Fostering a sustainable campus and educating students to work toward a sustainable future are core Punahou values that the School encourages inside and outside the classroom. The School has invested significantly to reduce its carbon footprint and become an educational model for green building design and sustainable practices, and aims to have a completely net-zero campus in the coming years.

The Academy Learning Commons will meet LEED Gold Certification or higher. Sustainability features of the project include:

• Water efficient landscaping via a series of bioswales, elevated walkways and local plants, designed to protect and restore the natural habitat.
• Covered, perimeter lanais provide naturally lit and ventilated learning spaces, with internet and power access in areas that enhance interaction with nature and student wellbeing.
• On-site renewable energy through full roof PV array.
• Efforts taken to maximize permeable surfaces and reduce heat island effect.
• Emphasis placed on environmental quality, including indoor and outdoor thermal comfort, daylight and views.
• Conscious use of local and recycled content in materiality and finishes.
• Optimized energy performance through design of transparency to maximize natural daylight, energy, and efficient mechanical systems to reduce energy.
• Design intent of this project has been “transparency” from the early stages. Transparency in context, history, and materiality.