Clemson Lam

Clemson Lam brings a host of Renaissance talents to our island community. With a degree in Architecture from the UH-Manoa in 1980, Lam moved to Waimea with his wife Janet “J.P.,” where she was the librarian for the Thelma Parker Library. After commuting to Kailua-Kona for six years, he established a one-person practice specializing in residential design that focused on the relationship of architectural design to the environment and enabled him to direct each building project from conception to completion. The landscape inspires his compositions, often informed by camping at the building site - (even marking off a home site with palm fronds!) 

Recently retired from his remarkable career, Lam is guiding his son Carl in the tenets of site-based design. At the heart of his work is a deep appreciation for our island landscape and the many unique places and cultures he has visited. Clem is not only a gifted designer but also an expressive actor, singer, and watercolor artist. 

After matting and framing watercolors for a Honolulu architect, Lam began painting watercolors, which created an opportunity to examine a body of paintings up close, thus started his love for the medium and the practice of painting outdoors. In addition to attending watercolor workshops in Hawai‘i, India, Sicily, and Italy, Clem carries a sketchbook to record the place and his connection to the landscape. “Once you sit in one spot for an extended time, you truly experience it.”