recovery Dedication
This dissertation is done with utmost care and respect dedicated to the people of Maui.
For the 102 who did not survive August 8, 2023.
For the families still searching for answers.
For the 6,000 displaced from Lahaina, scattered across Maui, across the islands, across the mainland, who have not stopped fighting to return.
For the teachers, firefighters, nurses, and neighbors who stayed when the roads failed and the water stopped.
For the organizations holding the community together while the agencies deliberate.
For everyone who remembers what Lahaina was and refuses to let that memory be erased by what comes next.
Acknowledgements
I want to express my deep appreciation to my directors, Iñaki Alday and Sean Fowler, for their guidance, rigor, patience and trust throughout this process. Their influence has shaped me into the designer and academic that I am today. I am so thankful for their support. It is an honor to have been able to know them both and learn a little bit about how they help the world through their craft.
To the Tulane School of Architecture, who have given me the opportunity to learn and grow in a nurturing environment. I look up to the many people here with utmost admiration and respect.
I also want to thank Yasushi Ishida, and Madeline Shade for their assistance and collaboration as the project developed.
To the community of Maui and those who hold the town together while recovery unfolds: mahalo. This thesis exists in relation to your efforts.
Finally, to my Parents, sister Ariana and family. You have taught me from a young age that it is crucial to extend a hand to help first before asking any questions. I carry that philosophy with me wherever I go in this life.