Visions of the Past, Conceptions of the Future: Creating a Cook Island Vernacular for the 21st Century

Abstract

The romantic image of the coconut leaf hut set on the white sandy beaches and one being greeted by the warmth of the ocean breeze has all but gone in the Cook Islands today, more specifically on the main island, Rarotonga. Many foreign influences throughout our history have whitewashed our cultural customs, traditions, and architecture. The arrival of the first missionaries' saw the introduction of coral walls and timber roofs. Later, heavy concrete-filled, aluminium framed, glazed monolith structures began to shape our built landscape today. The Cook Islands has all but lost its true architectural identity and style. This thesis explores our traditional architecture. It also explores our traditional practices and ways of life. Lessons learned from the research shall be explored in a real-world design proposal set out by the Cook Islands Government in the National Infrastructure Investment Plan (NIIP). This speculative design will eventuate in a set of classrooms situated at Tereora College (National College of the Cook Islands). Guided by principles oflnnovative Learning Environments (ILE), this proposal will further develop the ground-breaking pedagogical outcomes set out by the Ministry of Education. The research proposes to bridge the hypothetical void between our youth and their culture through architecture devices. Ultimately, it is the hope that this architectural research will form the basis of a broader and more critical argument. The subject of which is the loss of our tradition due to depopulation and the collective loss of our language.