Lalaga: Building resilience for rural Samoa

Abstract

Samoa’s most recent natural disaster in 2012, tropical cyclone Evan, offered a tragic reminder of Samoa’s exposure to natural hazards. It also came three years after the earthquake and tsunami of 2009, which caused devastating damage and loss of life to the Samoan people, particularly in the villages situated in rural areas of the south-east coast of Upolu. Affected by the tragedy of such disasters; many villagers chose to migrate further inland, closer to the city or alternatively immigrated abroad - abandoning their homes, land and family heritage. Although still in danger, and with many villages having relocated from the sea shores to safer ground others have remained; rebuilding their homes to stay connected with their ancestors. Today many of the original villages in Upolu along the south-east coast are left in ruins whilst other villages continue to recover. There have been major post-disaster relief developments from foreign aid to rebuild the affected villages whilst incorporating western influences with Samoan traditions. The distance of Apia, Samoa’s capital city, from the rural villages of Upolu places rural communities at risk and increases their vulnerability particularly to natural disasters. These rural communities depend on Apia for crucial resources and aid as Apia is the economic centre for all trading, export and imports for the entire island. Access for rural villagers to Apia is limited by transportation options, long travelling distances, unsecure roads, and little to no financial aid. To encourage its independence from Apia, this design research argues for a contemporary multifunctional community centre that is easily accessible for these rural communities. It also provides essential resources and opportunities for employment and income. Not only will this communal centre provide opportunities and support for these rural communities, it will become a temporary place of refuge from potential disasters due to climate change. This thesis interprets and explores the various Samoan mats by focusing on tectonics, materiality, and customs to develop architectural forms to rebuild resilient communal structures for those in the rural areas of Upolu. It also argues that consideration of traditional adapted design is vital to rebuilding these affected rural communities.