District
At the district scale, the thesis tests redensification scenarios within the buffer framework, calculating how many units can occupy the protected zone between riparian and peri-urban edges at densities compatible with walkable urbanism. The 2,200-unit target matches structures destroyed, supporting 6,000 to 7,000 residents across 84 acres organized into three district typologies capped at four stories. Community hubs anchor each district at intersections of the proposed boulevard with major cross-streets, ensuring essential services remain within walking distance of all housing.
Drawings at this Scale
Buffer Framework Base Plan
Base plan showing the coastal, riparian, and peri-urban buffer extents with the primary circulation framework
Peri-Urban Buffer
Agricultural transition zone between the proposed boulevard and highway serving as firebreak
Water Collection Hinterland
Map showing water capture zones above the highway reinforcing the historic ditch system
Buffer Framework - Mauka to Makai
Conceptual section showing four buffer zones from hinterland to nearshore: coastal, peri-urban, riparian, and hinterland catchment
Complete Buffer System
All four buffer zones overlaid — coastal, riparian, peri-urban, and water collection — in one comprehensive plan
Peri-Urban Buffer Map
Plan showing the peri-urban firebreak and agricultural transition zone between the rebuilt town and the highway
Proposed Recovery Framework
Hypothesis diagram showing four-buffer framework with coastal, peri-urban, riparian, and hinterland zones surrounding a protected urban core
Streams & Ditch Systems
Map of natural stream network overlaid with historic plantation ditch infrastructure
Water Capture Network
Proposed water capture network showing collection zones, channels, and directional flow from the hinterland toward town
Water Capture Ponds
Axonometric rendering of terraced water capture ponds and retention basins integrated with the upland landscape
Water Collection Strategy
Diagram showing water collection pond system and distribution from mountain hinterland to town
Water Collection Infrastructure
Perspective section of elevated agricultural terraces with water capture ponds and retention basins
Water Zones — Mauka to Makai
Diagram showing water capture and distribution zones from mountain to coast
Sections
The Four-Buffer Framework
Coastal, riparian, peri-urban, and water collection zones forming the backbone of the recovery plan.
Community Anchors - Node-Based Urbanism
How distributing essential functions across multiple nodes prevents simultaneous loss and serves both daily life and crisis response.
Environmental Analysis
Water systems, rainfall patterns, streams, and sea level rise projections for West Maui.
Pioneer Mill Water Infrastructure
Historic ditch systems, aquifer designation, and the water crisis blocking Lahaina's recovery.
Multi-Scalar Diagnostic
A framework analyzing Lahaina from regional to neighborhood scale to identify intervention points.
The Water Crisis
Stage 2 water shortage, aquifer designation, and the infrastructure blocking Lahaina's recovery.
Proposed Systems - Water, Green Infrastructure, and Mobility
Integrated urban systems connecting water capture, green corridors, and a new mobility network.
Water System - Zone by Zone
The five water capture and distribution zones from mountain hinterland to coast, with specific strategies for each.