Cyclone resistant housing in Fiji: The forgotten features of traditional housing
This study investigates Navala traditional houses, their constructability, and the apparent ability of its houses to resist cyclone hazards. Fiji housing stock suffers extensive damage during the annual cyclone season, leading to high costs in repairing and reconstructing the damaged properties. Historically Fijian houses were resilient, and the communities could self-recover from natural hazards.
The study's main findings show that traditional knowledge of building traditional houses still exists. Also, traditional houses, especially those with central posts, performed well during the cyclone and complied with the internationally recommended cyclone-resistant structural features.