معرفی
Dr Charmaine 'Ilaiū Talei is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland's School of Architecture and Planning within the Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries. She is also Associate Dean Pacific and leads the Architecture Professional Studies Stream. With Tongan ancestry tracing to Tatakamōtonga, Houma, Ha'alalo, and Pukotala in Ha'apai, Kingdom of Tonga, and connections to Sāmoa, Uvea, and Fulaga in Fiji, she brings deep cultural understanding to her work.
Her research focuses on Pacific architecture, particularly Tongan and Fijian building traditions, with extensive fieldwork conducted since the early 2000s. She has examined the transformation of Tongan fale from the 1940s to 2000s, contributing to architectural anthropology, vernacular architecture, and Indigenous design knowledge. Her current research projects include Vunisei and Saione Motu'a (endangered wooden Fijian and Tongan buildings), Pacific housing wellbeing, and post-disaster architectural heritage in Tonga following the 2022 volcanic eruption and tsunami.
Dr Talei's work emphasizes culturally responsive design methodologies, cross-cultural co-design processes, and the relationship between architectural research and practice. She explores how Indigenous people form values about their lived spaces and how designers can create culturally appropriate environments that support users' cultural aspirations. Her approach combines storytelling, cultural narrative processes, and participant-based research methods.
With numerous funded projects including Health Research Council grants and industry partnerships with Guymer Bailey Architects, Dr Talei bridges academic research with practical application. Her work has significant implications for therapeutic institutional environments, sustainable design, and Pacific wellbeing.
As an educator, she coordinates courses including Pacific Architecture, Project Management, and the Tertiary Foundation Certificate in Architecture. She supervises multiple PhD candidates working on Oceanic architectural theory, Tongan architectural tectonics, and Pacific housing issues.
Dr Talei serves on various committees including the School of Architecture Accreditation Committee, Curriculum Framework Transformation Committee, and Faculty Equity Committee. She is also involved with MĀPIHI - Māori, Pacific Island and Indigenous Housing Research Centre and the Future Cities Research Hub.
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