Spotlight on Staff – Todd Larner

Todd has nearly 30 years of experience in master planning and the implementation of new communities. As a principal and studio director, Todd has focused his practice to include the integration of planning, architecture, and landscape design to create memorable places within the built environment. Join us as we learn more about Todd’s decorated career and the insight he has gained being in the architectural industry.

What do you enjoy most about working for WHA?

I appreciate how the office is structured to be entrepreneurial in that if you have an idea, we have the creative freedom from individuals like Bill, Lorrie, and Fernando to branch out and think outside the box, encouraging a confident learning environment. Another unique aspect I love is how architecture and planning work hand in hand. Both teams push each other to produce work that is technical and precise which is valued by our clients.

Congratulations on The Waiehu Master Plan winning 2022 Gold Nugget award for best On-the-Boards Site Plan. Tell us about it.

Thank you! Waiehu was brought to us by a friend of a friend within our industry. This 250-acre investment originally was intended to grow white pineapples – the most flavorful of pineapples and considered to be a lucrative business. Instead, the owner decided to try to get the land entitled first. Hawaii is very near and dear to my heart, making sure this project was enhancing the built environment without sacrificing the intrinsic qualities of Maui was crucial. During the entitlement process, our main objective was to design a sustainable community that would improve the area and make it function effectively. Good design creates value. We paid attention to every detail ensuring the project could be cost sensitive, not only to deliver to the market but to the people living in the community. For example, we wanted the basins to be utilized as park space, ensuring the central drainage system could also function as a trail. While our original approach was not fully focused on affordable housing, new directives from the city, the pandemic, and other factors ultimately shifted us in that direction. Working closely with our incredible client, Genova, and the local engineer was my favorite aspect of this project, as well as being able to create affordable housing in Maui.

What inspires you?

Creating places and communities people can call home, where individuals can raise a family, gather for holidays, and create memories inspires me. Lackluster design by others inspires me as it pushes me to think broader and be a better designer. Being the visionary behind these developments, coming up with big concepts and big ideas is what drew me to this profession and what motivates me.

Where did you attend school?

I graduated from the University of Southern California. Initially, I attended Washington State University on an athletic scholarship for rugby. After I sustained an injury, I transferred to USC entering the Urban Architecture and Planning program and now I teach there! I’ve always wanted to be an architect but after taking an urban planning class my junior year, I was in awe at the idea of designing small cities. Interesting fact, growing up in Orange County, one of my biggest dreams was to work at an architectural firm in Fashion Island.

Being a professor at USC, what would you say the biggest piece of advice you give your students entering our industry?

Its not just one thing, it’s a few. We do a very noble thing in our industry in that we provide housing. I always tell my students to make sure to look at the big picture, try not to focus so intensely on one aspect because you might miss something else. Always pull yourself back and make yourself aware of all details. An additional piece of advice I give is, when you are in a room with a client, always be a value add. They are depending on you to be that expert. If it takes you staying a couple extra hours a day to become that expert, the value added not only benefits the client but you in the long run. And most importantly, never stop being a student and continue to ask questions.

What achievements are you most proud of personally and professionally?

Personally, being a husband and father is what I am most proud of. My daughter recently graduated from the University of Tennessee and my son is attending a film school in Savannah, Georgia. Professionally, I am most proud of being distinguished at a national level. I’m grateful to be a part of ULI and recognized as a leader in the design community. I have had the fortune of being a part of firms that elevated me in my skill set and have aided me in my journey.

What do you do in your free time?

What I like to do in my free time is Jujutsu. I am hoping to get my brown belt within the next two years and my black belt by the time I’m 55. Don’t get me wrong, I love surfing! But it can be overcrowded in the summer months. I am also passionate about cooking and traveling with my family.