ʻO Airom Kukui Papahele na Hiroto Nakamura he mea lanakila hanohano loa o ka 2026 A' Design Award Keleawe ma ka Māhele Hoʻokūkū Hoʻolālā Kukui a me Lako Kukui.

KeleaweKukui· 2026

Airom Kukui Papahele

na Hiroto Nakamura

Mea Kūʻai: H!roto_Factory

Mea Lanakila A' Design Award Keleawe ma ka Māhele Kukui

8,580

Mea Lanakila i Hōʻoia ʻIa

Hōʻoia i ke Kūlana Makana no #179950

Nānā ma A' Design Award Hoʻolaha Nūhou Hōʻailona Makana

Nā Waihoʻoluʻu

Ka Hoʻolālā

E Pili Ana iā Airom Kukui Papahele

He kukui papahele kūʻokoʻa ʻo Airom no loko o ka hale e hoʻohana ana i ka ea ma ke ʻano he mea hoʻokumu ikaika. Ua hana ʻia ka pale mālamalama me ka pepa aniani a loaʻa kona kino i ka wā e hoʻopiha ʻia ai me ka ea. Ua ʻuwiʻuwi ʻia ka pepa e hana i nā ʻōpaʻipaʻi liʻiliʻi e hāʻawi ana i ka hohonu a me ka palupalu i ka mālamalama e puka mai ana. Ua ʻoki ʻia nā ʻāpana me ka laser a hoʻohui ʻia me ʻelua mea hoʻopili no ka ikaika hou aku, ʻaʻole hoʻohana ʻia nā ʻōmole hoʻohālike, no laila he ʻano kūʻokoʻa kēlā me kēia mea hoʻokahi. I ka wā hoʻonohonoho, hoʻoponopono ʻia ka nui o ka ea a hana ʻia ke ʻano o ka pale me ka lima. He māmā ka hale kūkulu a peʻe pālahalaha no ka hoʻopili paʻa ʻana.

Ka Hoʻomaikai

E Pili Ana i ka A' Design Award Keleawe

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Airom Kukui Papahele i ka A' Design Award Keleawe, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kūʻokoʻa i ʻike ʻia ma o ka hana noʻeau, ka akamai a me ka makakoho. He mau hana mākaukau a hana noʻeau kupaianaha nā lanakila Keleawe e hōʻoia ana i ka ʻike nui, ka noʻonoʻo a me ka maʻalea o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Airom Kukui Papahele he mea i mahalo nui ʻia, hoʻohiwahiwa ʻia a aloha ʻia, he ʻoihana a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Keleawe e hoʻohui ana i nā hana maikaʻi loa o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana, a maikaʻi no kona nānā ʻana i nā kikoʻī. Hoʻokō maikaʻi ka hoʻolālā Airom Kukui Papahele i nā pono, hoʻopā i ka makemake, hoʻohiwahiwa i nā manaʻo a huki i ka makemake e ʻike.

Ma Hope o ka Hoʻolālā

ʻEke Nūhou

Nā hōʻoia, nā lālā hui a me nā kikoʻī ʻenehana i hāʻawi ʻia e ka mea hoʻolālā.

Nā ʻAno Kūʻokoʻa: Airom is a lighting product that treats air not as a passive volume but as an active element that gently shapes form. Made of tracing paper the shade gains its shape only when filled with air letting light softly reveal a temporary and changeable state. Formed without molds each unit is inherently unique. Subtle wrinkles in the material give depth and softness to the light while the act of shaping becomes part of the lighting experience.
Nā Ana a me ka Hoʻopili: Airom is an indoor freestanding lighting product composed of tracing paper adhesive and an integrated LED module powered by AC 100V. Its air shaped form creates a soft irregular volume rather than a fixed geometry. Airom is available in three sizes Small W 600mm x D 600mm x H 1000 mm. Medium W 800mm x D 800mm x H 1700 mm. Large W 1000 mm x D 1000mm x H 2000 mm. The structure is lightweight and foldable for compact packaging. Laser cut parts and dual adhesives ensure precision strength and flexibility while a low heat LED enables safe operation.
Nā Lepili: Lamp, Lighting, Light fixture, Paper, Paper Balloon,
ʻEnehana Hana: Airom uses tracing paper as its primary material for its balance of flexibility and soft light diffusion. The paper is first crumpled to create fine wrinkles that add depth and subtle variation to the emitted light. Parts are precisely cut using a laser cutting machine to ensure repeatable accuracy suitable for production. Two types of adhesive are applied to enhance structural strength. The shade is formed without molds by inflating air enabling a lightweight structure adaptable to variation and production.
Pilikia Hoʻolālā: The main challenge was translating air an invisible and unstable element into a controllable factor within a lighting product. Internally this required redefining the structure of traditional Japanese paper balloons as functional design logic. Externally challenges included material strength safety with an AC 100V light source and mold free production. These issues were addressed through material testing and iterative prototyping.
Noiʻi: This design research explores air as a formative element in lighting. The objective was to redefine air from an invisible condition into a controllable design parameter. Based on the structure of traditional Japanese paper balloons material experiments and iterative prototyping were conducted using tracing paper and internal light. User interaction determines form and light quality shifting lighting from a fixed object to a participatory spatial experience.
Hoʻoulu Manaʻo: We were inspired by clouds seen in Okinawa natural environment. Shaped by strong sunlight humidity and the surrounding sea clouds continuously change form while remaining suspended in the sky existing without clear outlines. To reinterpret this quality as lighting we focused on traditional Japanese paper balloons whose shape exists only through air and can be freely formed by hand. By combining these elements airom allows air to be perceived through light.
Ka Lōʻihi o ka Papahana: The project started in April 2025 and was completed in January 2026. Design development and prototyping were carried out in Okinawa, Japan. The project has not yet been exhibited.
Kaʻina Hana: Airom is completed through user interaction. During setup the user introduces air into the shade and shapes it by hand. The final form depends on air volume and gestures making each configuration unique. Even during use the form can be adjusted by changing the air volume allowing the lighting atmosphere to evolve over time.
Nā Kuleana Kiʻi: Image #1: Creator / Designer [Hiroto Nakamura], Airom, 2026.
Image #2: Creator / Designer [Hiroto Nakamura], Airom, 2026.
Image #3: Creator / Designer [Hiroto Nakamura], Airom, 2026.
Image #4: Creator / Designer [Hiroto Nakamura], Airom, 2026.
Image #5: Creator / Designer [Hiroto Nakamura], Airom, 2026.