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MAUI MAY RESURRECT HAWAIIAN
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
AILUKU -- Some Maui residents are finding it's not easy to go back to living in that little grass shack -- or building one. BUILDING
GRASS SHACKS
with 21st century laws
By Gary T. Kubota
Star-BulletinWestern construction standards have made the native Hawaiian A-frame an alien in its own land.
Imported Douglas fir, nails and asphalt shingles are commonly used in construction, partially because they're recognized as acceptable materials in Maui's Uniform Building Code -- standards developed nationally by western builders.
But tropical koa poles, ropes and pili grass aren't recognized as acceptable, and they require a special county exemption.
Thatched roofs are allowed on hotel properties on Maui but mainly as a decoration on top of an existing roof.
An "Indigenous Architecture" bill introduced by Maui Councilman J. Kalani English seeks to give native architectural dwellings the legal foundation for more respect and equal opportunity.
"Helping to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture is the right thing to do for many reasons," English said. "This bill will help to spur economic development because indigenous architecture holds great appeal for visitors and residents alike."
The bill, scheduled to pass final reading tomorrow, requires the county public works department to begin developing standards for native architecture.
It requires the public works director to submit to the Council detailed technical standards on indigenous architecture within a year.
English said in the past, many projects involving thatched roofs have had to obtain an exemption through building appeals boards.
He said the new ordinance would enable public works to incorporate some native design standards approved by the boards into the regular building code.
The bill says some native woods that public works might consider for house timbers include ohia, kauila, and hamau.
The measure also lists a number of materials to be considered for thatched roofs, including pili and lauhala.
Architect Hans Riecke said he's been trying to get a building permit for a canoe house since August 1999.
Riecke said one of the biggest problems in establishing standards for native architecture is the way wood is fastened with rope, rather than nails.
"When you use twine or sennet, there are no standards. We have no idea how strong they are or how long they last," Riecke said. "The building code is designed for basically Western materials. In the building code, there is no mention of traditional materials like thatching or poles."
Another problem is that because there's no demand for traditional materials, the supply has sometimes dwindled.
"Originally we were going to use pili grass, but we couldn't find it here on Maui," Riecke said.
The group eventually settled for using louulu palm leaves.
Riecke said he's working as a volunteer because he's interested in advancing the use of native materials in architecture.
"I see the possibility of using local materials in the future, rather than importing everything," he said.
English said testing native materials for use in construction may be costly, but it needs to be done to lay to rest questions about whether native materials are suitable and safe for construction.
He said based on stories he's heard, some native buildings have withstood hurricanes better than western structures.
English said he remembered his grandfather, Murray English, had a grass house in Hamoa and the house was used for quite a few generations. The rock foundations still remain.
"He always wanted to rebuild it," English said.
English said without beginning to encourage indigenous architecture, Hawaii may lose the last generation who knows how to build thatched homes.
"We're going to lose the art if we don't tap it," English said.
