Page 38 - Islands Business October 2023 edition

Building and Construction Building and Construction

Caukin Studio’s designs are based on respect for indigenous and traditional buildings and skills.

BUILDING A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

By Samantha Magick because they are used in skyscrapers in London,” notes
Peasley. “Often, part of our conversation or argument, I
A London-based design and construction social enterprise guess, is that the local vernacular designs and materials are
responsible for innovative community-based buildings in Fiji the best and that we should go back to those roots because,
and Vanuatu, is looking to expand its regional footprint. you know, traditional Fijian bures actually are some of the
In Fiji, Caukin Studio has partnered with the Savusavu- best structures for standing up to cyclones in the way that
based Naqaqa Giving Foundation to build community halls and they’re built and perform and there’s lots of things about
kindergartens in villages affected by Cyclone Winston. Other them that are actually far better than any concrete or steel
buildings in Fiji include the Urata Lookout Café and a coconut building could be.”
oil processing facility on Batiki island. In Vanuatu, it has Caukin’s Pacific projects are funded by international donors
constructed a school on Pentecost Island. and grants, local charities and the communities they are
Caukin co-founder, Joshua Peasley says much of their work serving, through labour and some construction materials.
has been post-disaster, mid-to-long-term recovery projects: On the building sites, Caukin runs construction workshops,
“[We’re] trying to use the designs and local materials to offering locals and international volunteers (often
create buildings that are more resilient to future natural architecture students), the opportunity to learn new skills,
disasters. We’re working with networks of structural and pathways to employment, as well as “a nice social and
engineers, globally, environmental design specialists, as cultural exchange”.
well as local engineers and local architects to come up with Peasley says they hope to eventually design themselves out
solutions that can use materials like timber, that a typical of the process.
house or community hall might be built from, but try to “It’s hoping that in a way we’re not needed anymore and
further strengthen the designs, and hopefully make them that people can use the buildings that we’ve designed and
lighter, just nicer spaces to be in.” the projects that they’ve worked on in constructing their own
Caukin relies on local and international expertise to ensure houses or community facilities using some of those details,
their designs are appropriate to the communities in which using those local natural materials, so that buildings are being
they are building. For example, for the Ranwas School project built in a more resilient way and that breaks the cycle of
in Vanuatu, they worked with experts at Cardiff University, cyclones destroying people’s houses, rebuilding from the ruins
who as Peasley says, “specialise in low energy solutions for and then the same thing happening all over again in the next
things like reducing humidity within buildings and increasing cyclone.”
internal comfort. So, some of those design solutions were Peasely reflects: “We’ve seen details—foundations,
from conversations we have with them, but also through connections and materials have been used and replicated
understanding what materials are available locally within the across some of the villages we worked in, on houses and
community, and trying to merge those two things together to community kitchens and other things that communities then
come up with solutions that actually work and don’t require go on to build themselves. I think that’s what we hope to
air conditioning units.” achieve.”
The designs are also based on respect for indigenous and Caukin has more community halls, and a prototype of an
traditional buildings and skills. affordable home in the works. The social enterprise is also
“I do think that there’s a bit of a perception that materials looking at potential projects in Tonga and Solomon Islands.
like steel and concrete are stronger and therefore better

38 Islands Business, October 2023