CIPA 2003 XIX th International Symposium, 30 September-04 October, 2003, Antalya, Turkey 
Fig.2: Mbure, Fiji 
The wooden skeleton structure that build the base for buildings 
on both islands show high skills in handy craft and a good 
knowledge about materials. But these traditions are declining. 
The hot and damp climate limits the durability of the buildings 
to approximately 20 years. Steady and complex renovation 
work extends the life span of the fragile architecture. But the 
number of people who can afford costly and work intensive 
procedure is inclining steadily. As there is no direct need, also 
the knowledge about the building process, the static features and 
the handy craft is sinking into oblivion. 
It is a matter of generations that the unique architectural 
heritage of Samoa and Fiji is lost forever. 
For a comparative recording of the traditional architecture, from 
purely technical point of view to its cultural value and the 
influence and relation to the social structures an 
interdisciplinary approach is needed. 
This paper shows a possible solution for a discipline 
overlapping research work. 
2. INTERDISCIPLINARY DOCUMENTATION 
A good co-operation with local institutions enabled the group to 
visit different villages. By living with the people, staying in 
their house and in long intensive discussions, a lot of 
information could be gathered. 
2.1 Anthropological research 
The anthropologists, who have knowledge about the customs, 
introduced the group to the people. 
Both in Samoa and in Fiji for the admission to a village one has 
to follow special welcome ceremonies. The central part of this 
is the preparation and the drinking of “Cava”. Cava is a drink, 
made of the pulverised root of a pepper shrub and water. In 
former days the village virgins performed the making of the 
cava. Today the chief consigns young untitled men with this 
task. After the welcome ceremony people may walk free around 
the village. As all villagers took part at the welcome ceremony 
they knew the intention and invited the scientists into their 
houses. In interviews a lot of traditional ceremonies around the 
building of a house were explained. 
Often young people functioned as translators as many of the 
elder don’t speak English. In that way they also learned about 
traditions that are not performed any more. Many young ones 
were astonished about the value and importance historic 
buildings still have in the lives of their grandparents. 
Fig.3: Interview with a carpenter 
From builders and construction workers the anthropologists 
learned to know why the traditional style of housing and 
building is declining. A very important reason is the fact that 
young people who look for higher education have to go 
overseas. Influenced by the life style of the countries they are 
living in for quite a while their every day life is changing and 
with it also their standards and values are different from the 
ancestors. The importance of property and privacy is rising, 
which makes the traditional open structure of the Samoan Fale 
unpractical. Nowadays people like to close their rooms and lock 
their belongings. Nevertheless the traditional way of living 
together in extended families is still kept up high. Students 
returning from USA, Australia or New Zealand come back 
home and follow the rules of the traditional way of life, obey 
the elders and take on even painful rituals like the traditional 
tattooing. 
The interest of the young generation in their cultural heritage 
may be a chance also for a survival of the interesting vernacular 
architecture in the Pacific Region. 
2.2 Architectural Research 
The building types of the Samoan and the Fijian are unique in 
their art and style. Wooden skeleton structures are the base of 
the architecture in both countries. Fetched palm leaves build the 
walls of the Fijian “Mbure” whereas the Samoan “Fale” is 
characterised by its openness. 
At first the architects concentrated on the different types of 
Fale. The simplest form is the Fale o’o. 
Fig.4: Fale o’o 
Its ground plan is small and composed of a rectangle with two 
adjoining half circles. A wooden platform is fixed on poles 
above the ground. On top a simple fetched roof protects against 
sun and rain. Fale o’o are used for storage and cooking. More 
detailed and complex structured are the “Fale afolau". the 
“Long House”. These houses are used as residential and 
guesthouses and for meetings of the family. A platform is build 
at the finish of the construction work functions as a protection 
against bugs and humidity. Its height represents the status of its 
owner. Eye catching are the bindings, which fix the wooden