Culture as Keystone: Robust Public Housing Communities Through Culturally Appropriate Designs

Abstract

This Doctorate Project proposes a new approach towards the creation of robust subsidized housing communities through the use of culturally appropriate design. An overview of the state of the nation’s housing and its impact on public housing communities in Hawaii provide context and is supported by an analysis of challenges faced both by creators and residents of two public housing complexes on Oahu. Utilizing tools developed for this project, this paper concludes with a design project for the rehabilitation of a public housing site in Honolulu, Hawaii. The design embodies a new vision of public housing where culture becomes the keystone of robust communities.