government doc

Rules Pertaining to Indigenous Hawaiian Architecture Structures

County of Maui Department of Public Works

County of Maui, 2004

cultural heritage housing policy data
Regulatory framework for building using traditional Hawaiian architectural methods; informs the module system's cultural legitimacy

The County’s “Rules Pertaining to Indigenous Hawaiian Architecture Structures” (HAR Chapter 15-110) permits traditional construction methods that would otherwise conflict with modern building codes. The thesis discusses how the school module’s structural hierarchy directly maps to traditional hale construction: the wood ridge (kauhuhu) as main ridgepole; hipped rafters (o’a) spanning the module; top edge beam (lohelau kua) as upper wall plate; bottom edge beam (lohelau) as lower wall plate; and 8-inch columns (pou kihi) as corner posts. The module exceeds IHA structural minimums for Hale Halawai (assembly hall, 30’ x 60’) while maintaining the same hierarchical logic.

The thesis also notes the regulatory precedent demonstrates that vernacular practice can be integrated into contemporary development, though the rules apply primarily to ceremonial and cultural structures rather than housing. Expanding this framework to residential construction — fire-resistant materials, natural ventilation, rainwater harvesting, modular assembly derived from traditional building logic — offers alternatives to standard construction that proved vulnerable in 2023.