Cultural Heritage
Recovery that ignores Lahaina’s cultural identity is not recovery. The ahupua’a system — traditional Hawaiian land management from mountain to sea — provides both a philosophical framework and practical strategies for the recovery plan. Historic sites including the Banyan Tree, Moku’ula, and the Lahaina Historic District must be protected and integrated into the rebuilt fabric, not treated as obstacles to development.
Sections
Cultural Heritage & Preservation
Lahaina's cultural significance, the Moku'ula restoration, and how Hawaiian identity shapes the recovery framework.
Design Interventions
Key sites including the elementary school, Banyan Tree civic space, and coastal promenade.
Key Terms & Definitions
Core terminology used throughout the thesis, including Hawaiian language terms.
History of Lahaina
From royal capital to tourism economy, key spatial events that shaped the town.
Module Assembly & Aggregation
How the 26x26-foot module connects, clusters, and grows, the architectural grammar of recovery.
The Module System
A 26x26-foot building module using Hawaiian construction traditions, water capture, and solar response.
Elementary School - Architecture & Program
The mat-building precedents, program requirements, floor plan logic, and emergency conversion design for the Lahaina elementary school.
Drawings
Hawaiian Ali'i Houses - Various Types
Illustrations of various Hawaiian ali'i house types including Princess Ruth's house in Kona, drying sheds, stone heiau with ceremonial tower, and grass house with plaited ridges, from the 1969 Lahaina Architectural Style Book, Sheet B3
Design Principles
Core design principles including residential rebuilding rights, public access, buffer edges, multi-functional spaces, and cultural preservation
Hale Foundation Detail
Cross-section showing kumu pohaku (base rock) foundation with pou kama (buried post) and dimensions table for foundation types at different hale sizes
Hale Halawai Framing Schematic
Structural framing diagram of a Hale Halawai showing labeled parts: pou kaha (wall post), lohelau (wall plate), o'a (rafters), kauhunu (main ridge pole), kua'iole (upper ridge pole), pouomanu (corner post), kalapau (mid collar beam)
Hale Halawai Hip Alternate and Dimensions
Hip roof alternate framing schematic for Hale Halawai with dimensions table showing minimum member sizes for structures from 12x20 to 30x60 feet
Hale Ka'a Framing Schematic
Gable roof framing schematic for Hale Ka'a showing kua'iole (upper ridge pole), kauhunu (main ridge pole), kupong (gable ridge pole), kukuna li'i (upper wall post), kalapau (gable end tie), and holo (diagonal brace)
Historical Mapping
Town-scale map locating Lahaina's key heritage sites and historic districts along the coast
Historical Timeline - 1795 to 2023
Visual timeline of major events in Lahaina from pre-contact era through the 2023 wildfire
Community Space - Interior View
Interior and community renderings showing classroom courtyards, covered circulation, and shared gathering space
Module Assembly
Module aggregation, runoff contribution, and repair scenarios showing how the kit of parts grows and adapts over time
Module Connection Details
Technical drawings showing roof connections, gutter details, and wall-column joinery
The Module - Core Principles
Core design principles of the 26x26-foot module shown with the base Hawaiian-inspired building unit
Module - Design Breakdown
Exploded isometric breakdown of the module showing roof, frame, columns, gutters, and wall assembly
Typical Hawaiian Pili Grass Hale
Illustration of a typical Hawaiian pili grass hale showing perspective, plan, section, and pole frame detail, from the 1969 Lahaina Architectural Style Book, Sheet B1
Sources
Architectural Style Book for Lahaina
County of Maui Historic Commission — Official design guidelines for Lahaina's historic district; establishes the architectural character the recovery must respect
Charles Correa
Correa, Charles — Correa's approach to climate-responsive architecture in tropical contexts; precedent for the module system design
Feathered Gods and Fishhooks: An Introduction to Hawaiian Archaeology and Prehistory
Kirch, Patrick Vinton — Pre-contact Hawaiian settlement patterns and land use; archaeological context for Lahaina's cultural landscape
The Hawaiian Kingdom, Volume 1: Foundation and Transformation, 1778-1854
Kuykendall, Ralph S. — Comprehensive history of early Hawaiian Kingdom including Lahaina as royal capital
Fragile Paradise: The Impact of Tourism on Maui, 1959-2000
Blackford, Mansel G. — Tourism-driven transformation of Maui; development versus preservation conflict
Rules Pertaining to Indigenous Hawaiian Architecture Structures
County of Maui Department of Public Works — Regulatory framework for building using traditional Hawaiian architectural methods; informs the module system's cultural legitimacy
Maui: The Last Hawaiian Place
Wenkam, Robert — Early conservation argument with historical landscape photography documenting Maui before mass tourism
Native Land and Foreign Desires: Pehea Lā E Pono Ai?
Kameʻeleihiwa, Lilikalā — Hawaiian perspectives on land ownership and colonial dispossession; foundational text for understanding land justice in Lahaina
New Architecture on Indigenous Lands
Malnar, Joy M. & Vodvarka, Frank — Cultural identity in contemporary architecture; models for Hawaiian cultural linkage in new construction
No Mākou Ka Mana: Liberating the Nation
Beamer, Kamanamaikalani — Hawaiian sovereignty and land governance; historical framework for indigenous land management
Stream Classification Analysis
Singh, Akhil — Cultural versus aquatic stream resources; LSB land classifications applied to Lahaina watersheds
Under a Maui Roof
Holmes, Kristin — Evolution of Maui's architectural styles from vernacular to modern
Reconnaissance Level Architectural Historic Resource Survey, Honoapi'ilani Highway
WSP USA Inc. — 40 architectural resources; 11 water structures; Olowalu Sugar Plantation Historic District
Terms
Ahupuaʻa
Traditional Hawaiian land division extending from mountains (mauka) to sea (makai), integrating natural water systems for agriculture, community sustenance, and ecological balance. The ahupuaʻa organized land as continuous hydrological and social unit, with resource management distributed across elevation zones.
Cultural Resilience
The capacity of a community to preserve and adapt its cultural identity, traditions, and social structures under adversity. In Lahaina, cultural resilience shapes recovery efforts honoring the town's significance as former royal capital and continuing center of Native Hawaiian life.
Hale
Traditional Hawaiian house. The module's structural hierarchy directly maps to traditional hale construction as defined in Maui County's Indigenous Hawaiian Architecture regulations.
Makai
Toward the ocean; the seaward direction.
Mauka
Toward the mountain; the inland direction.
Social Cohesion
The strength of relationships and solidarity within a community, fostered through inclusive planning, community-driven interventions, and spatial organization around shared civic spaces.