Building with Vā: A Disaster Relief Centre for Poutasi, Samoa

In 2009, a Tsunami caused significant damage to several island nations in the South Pacific. Samoa was one of the countries most affected by this catastrophic event. The earthquake which triggered the tsunami happened within the Tongan trench line, about 200 km south of the capital Apia. In Samoa, the areas affected most strongly were located along the southern coastline of the main islands, Upolu and Savai’i. The village of Poutasi is located on the South coast of Upolu. Having been devastated by the tsunami, the village has taken the initiative to develop and improve their community to be better prepared for such a disaster. This is where the project Tutū Fa’atasi sets in. Aiming to design a disaster relief centre for Poutasi, the project investigates how vernacular building and design techniques can be utilised for the benefit of a contemporary indigenous community. Making use of work by the UNESCO on International Disaster Resilient Architecture (INDRA). UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/disaster-risk-reduction/built-environment/indra (INDRA), the project identifies design techniques for building houses to withstand high winds. These techniques were connected to elements that already exist within the Samoan customary architecture. Taking the project Tutū Fa’atasi as its starting point, this paper investigates approaches to designing climate-resistant architecture in Moana Nui through exploring ways of combining the architecture of the past with the technology of today. Taking the notion of the vā as its centre, the paper propagates to connect exterior help with utilising knowledge and materials that already exist within indigenous communities. Such an approach may assist the communities that face the effects of climate change.