Prototropic 0.1: Honolulu and Rio

@prototropic 

X/I/MMXVI 

OCTOBER, 2016

October 2016 

Prototropic: Tales and Speculations Under the Sun ~ Issue 0.1 

Editor and Publisher: Dimitri Damiel Kim 

Prototropic 

231 Bowery 

2nd Floor 

New York, NY 10002 

917-279-1931 

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Publisher of this journal claims no responsibility for the opinion of its contributors. All Rights reserved. 

Reproduction in whole or part without prior permission is strictly prohibited. Every care has been taken 

during the production of the journal to ensure that all contents are correct at the time of printing. The 

publisher assumes no responsibility from any effects from error or omissions. 

Mitigating challenges and opportunities for emerging 

tropical cities in the 21st century 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ® / COPYRIGHT © 2016 XMANIFOLD A.D.R.L.

CONTENTS 

editorial 

Prologue, New Epicenter(s) | Dimitri Damiel Kim / [ Page 6~15 ] 

honolulu 

Hot Tropics | Lindsea K. Wilbur / [ Page 30~47 ] 

Metrophilia | Kazi Ashraf / [ Page 48~65 ] 

House is a Decorated Shack | Dimitri Damiel Kim / [ Page 66~77 ] 

Tropical Case Study House | David Rockwood / [ Page 78~99 ] 

rio 

Favela Que Saudade | Dimitri Damiel Kim / [ Page 102~115 ] 

Fluid City | Raul Correa-Smith / [ Page 116~133 ] 

AAA Forro | Steven Sanchez / [ Page 134~149]

Kakaakako skyline, Honolulu HI

Manhattan near Chrysler building, circa 1930s, NYC

Dimitri Damiel Kim | Introduction 

PROLOGUE 

NEW EPICENTER(S) 

Prototropic † Issue 0.1 | Tales and Speculations under the Sun | October 2016

New Epicenter(s) | Prototropic 0.1 / Dimitri Damiel Kim 8 

Old Epicenter, a prologue 

As globalization becomes normalized, the physical epicenters 1 of the old world: Rome, New York, London, 

Paris, and Tokyo, will wane its dominance and influence; like the end of an era, from empire to colonialism, 

from socialism to globalism; the mystique and glamorized fascinations of the wealthy, industrial, firstworld 

will be homogenized across a new boundaries and find new hosts. Rapidly shifting economy, uneasy 

geopolitical landscape, and superfluous public consent and perception (of the old first-world), will give rise to 

a new, global civilization under the fray of digital media, social currency, and ubiquitous technology. 

The Roman empire relied on shipments of grains from Egypt to feed the capitol; the ‘Empire of Tea’ (Great 

Britain) would not have its treasured past time without the import of Earl Grey from China; the resource 

stricken “epicenter” depended on resource-rich serfdom nation to feed, fuel, and maintain their hegemony. 

But in the era of intellectual-capitol based economy, emerging nations compete with their former imperial 

and colonial rulers, now rivals. With relative control of their own natural resources and economic agenda, the 

newly industrialized nations like Brazil and China are demanding their place at the table. 

The next evolution for these emerging cities will be towards the establishment of their own contemporary, 

global culture, and identity of their own; art, fashion, design, and consumerism will become the new status 

quo; an initiation ritual to baptize the new, first world; new epicenter. 

New Epicenters 

Old cities are perpetually in the state of flux; with decay and growth, boom and bust economics, mass 

migration, and inevitable conflicts, the physically landlocked cities can only divide and re-develop. Granted 

with precious resources (natural and intellectual) coveted by old epicenters, new cities in the emerging 

Emirate, South America, China, and tropical regions of Asia and the Pacific and are exploding and multiplying; 

like a teenager, kicking and screaming for their independence and place, the 21st century will be the age of 

emerging, global, resource-rich, and diverse cities. 

1. Common usage and term for center of human activity

The new Shenzhen Stock Exchange Building, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China

Downtown Honolulu, HI

New Epicenter(s) | Prototropic 0.1 / Dimitri Damiel Kim 

11 

Rapidly shifting economy, uneasy geopolitical 

landscape, and superfluous public consent 

and perception will give rise to a new, global 

civilizations under the fray of digital media, 

social currency, and ubiquitous technology 

From Island Kingdom To Metropolitan Islands 

From loose tribe of sea-faring mariners to unified island kingdom to colonial subject and statehood, the tiny 

archipelagos in the middle of the pacific ocean has gone through its share of trials and tribulations with all 

the spectacles and drama that included bloody naval battles to dynastic feud and political coup. 

Until recently, the island held a limited, global position and identity: an island tourist destination for 

honeymooners/vacationers and Hollywood’s tropical back lot for movies and TV shows. 

Then, little noticed, mostly ignored, and abandoned industrial district known as ‘Kaka’ako’, located between 

the downtown business district and Waikiki (the center of tourism in Hawaii), began stowing in street artists, 

hedge entrepreneurs, and hipsters, kick starting the all-too-familiar gentrification and urbanization. Soon, 

the buzz finally reached the owners (of Kakaako) and the inner sanctums of Hawaii’s echelons of power, 

including Kamehameha Estate, Castle & Cooke, and Howard Hughes Corp., forcing them to take notice of the 

big luau 1 on their backyard, prompting a real-estate and economic boom the likes of which never seen before 

in Hawaii. 

Fast forward a few years later, the news of tech moguls, Larry Ellison and Mark Zukerberg buying major 

pieces of real estate around Hawaii, made it to New York Times and Wall Street journal, making it official, the 

advent of new global position and identity for Honolulu as an emerging urban front and new epicenter. 

1. Traditional native Hawaiian term for a feast with music and hula dancing. The 

term dates back to reign of King Kamehameha II, when he ended the religious 

taboo of separating the women from enjoying the feast with men. Luau is now a 

common term for outdoor party


12 

...In Janeiro 

My first impression of Rio de Janeiro was through music; through smooth, blues filed ballads and roll of 

Antonios Carlos Jobim’s ‘Insensatez’ and the ‘Girl from Ipanema’ or the euphoric dance trope of Solid Session’s 

‘Janeiro’; together, these songs described to me, a place, somewhere far and never seen (except in dreams and 

fiction), but warm, beautiful, and timeless. 

The very first depiction of Rio came through the cinemas; through violent and bloody, coming of age stories of 

children and gangs of favelas in ‘City of God’ or the equally violent drama about corruption in “Elite Troops’. 

In spite of these contrasts, the latter visualization did not deter my idealized view of Bossa Nova 1 Rio; it was 

ever on my yearning desire to journey there. After all, it was like another Hawaii... 

More Samba, less Nova 

In 2012, I was finally able to travel and see the city for the first time as a grad student at Columbia University, 

researching on Rio for an architectural project. I visited both favelas (slums) in Tijucina to the affluent and 

gated neighborhood of Ipanema and Barra da Tijuca, and to my surprise, Rio was infinitely more exotic than I 

had ever envisioned and imagined, impenetrable and imperceptible to the outside world. 

Due to contrasts and contradictions, including sharp divide between the rich and the poor, the generosity 

of people, endemic violence, new high-rises, and slums, no single description can accurately describe the 

complexity that could untether the simple, postcard image of the sun and bikini soaked-Rio, the grand ‘Cristo 

Redentor’ (Christ the Redeemer) statue-Rio, and the auspicious warning siren of Favela and violent cinema-Rio. 

And to my dismay, no one in Rio played Bossa Nova, which many locals deemed, too bourgeois (working class 

people prefer Samba). 

1. Bos·sa no·va, in Portuguese, literally meaning,“new trend” is a popular genre 

of music originating from the beaches of Rio de Janeiro that combines samba 

percussion with classical guitar, fused with jazz and blues notes and ballads.

Central Financial District, Rio de Janeiro, BR

‘Hang Loose’ with children of Tijucina Favela, Rio de Janeiro.


15 

Prototropic, the journey 

Perhaps it was my experience sharing many rounds of Brahma beer with warm and friendly locals on the 

slopes of Santa Teresa 1 in Rio or it was my brief homecoming in Hawaii, where I met, friended, and worked 

with street artists and entrepreneurs of rapidly urbanizing Kakaako that struck a lasting impression… this 

journal or the ‘journey’, started as an aftermath of these unforgettable travels and encounters, exposing me 

to the complexity, contrasts, progress, and universal beauty of tropical cities around the world. 

Prototropic, the ‘journal’, will highlight the narrative of diversity, shared critical issues, new and 

contemporary culture, and creative outputs and innovations of emerging tropical cities (new epicenters) 

around the globe. 

Mahalo and obrigato. D.K. 

From Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY USA, October, 2016 

The 21st century will be the age of emerging, global, 

resource rich, and diverse cities... 

1. One of the most famous neighborhood in South Zone, known for its winding narrow 

streets, tram cars, and a historic gathering place for intellectuals and artists

KAZI 

ASHRAF 

METROPHILIA 

Architect, Dhaka, Bangladesh + Honolulu USA 

Ashraf is an architect, urbanist and architectural 

historian. Currently teaching history and theory, 

and urban design studios at the University of 

Hawaii at Manoa, he has taught at the University 

of Pennsylvania, Temple University and Pratt 

Institute. With a selected practice based in 

Dhaka, Ashraf has been engaged in an urban 

design activism in Dhaka and the Bengal delta. 

Ashraf has published widely. His publications 

include: The Hermit’s Hut: Architecture and 

Asceticism in India (UH Press, 2013); Designing 

Dhaka: A Manifesto for a Better City (LOKA, 

2012); special issue of Architectural Design 

“Made in India” (2007) that received the Pierre 

Vago Journalism Award from the International 

Committee of Architectural Critics; and, Louis 

Kahn’s National Capital in Bangladesh (GA Edita, 

CONTRIBUTORS

1994). His articles and essays have appeared in 

the Architectural Review, Architectural Design, 

Journal of Architectural Education, RES, MIMAR 

and Economic and Political Weekly, and various 

publications. He is also working on two new book 

projects: Architecture is a Landscape Event and 

Metrophilia: Love and Loathing in the City. 

Ashraf is the coordinator of the Urban Design 

Action Group (UDAG) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He 

was a member of the editorial board, “Journal 

of Architectural Education” (2008-10); editorial 

board, ARCC Journal of the Architecture Research 

Center Consortiums; and former advisory 

committee of The Doris Duke House, Honolulu. 

He has organized conferences for MIT, The 

Architectural League of New York, and the Doris 

Duke House. 

Ashraf received his Masters degree from 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PhD 

from the University of Pennsylvania. 

METROPHILIA BY KAZI K. ASHRAF

DIMITRI D. 

KIM 

XMANIFOLD A.D.R.L. 

Architect, New York + Honolulu USA 

Dimitri Damiel Kim is an architect, educator, 

publisher, and founding member and principal 

of XMANIFOLD A.D.R.L. (X-Lab), an independent 

and cross-disciplinary creative practice working at 

all scales of projects in architectural, interior, and 

product designs. 

His current projects include key art designs for a 

feature sci-fi film ‘Folding City’, prototype designs 

for Google’s Aura phone, and workforce/low 

income housing concepts for new urban center in 

Kakaako, Hawaii. 

Dimitri is the curator of the global young 

architecture exhibition, ‘Revenant: the Undeath 

of Avant-Garde Ideas in Architecture’ (Honolulu 

2013). His architectural work has been exhibited in 

CONTRIBUTORS

Los Angeles, Honolulu, and New York. 

Prior to running an independent practice, Dimitri 

has previously worked with Greg Lynn, Elena 

Manferdini, Eric Owen Moss, Testa/Weiser, LAR/ 

Fernando Romero in Los Angeles, KY International 

and Inform Design in Honolulu, and MD Lab and 

Schmidhuber+Partners in Germany. 

He has previously taught and lectured in Los 

Angeles, Honolulu, and New York and have been 

an invited juror at Woodbury University School 

of Architecture, SCI-Arc,University of Hawaii, 

Chaminade University, the New School in Parsons, 

Cooper Union, Pratt, SVA, FIT, and Columbia 

University in New York. 

Dimitri received a Master of Science in Advanced 

Architectural Design (M.Sc) from Columbia 

University, Master of Architecture (M.Arch) from 

SCI-Arc in Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts 

(BFA) in Design from University of Hawaii. He is 

currently a fellow of Columbia University GSAPP 

Incubator at the New Museum in New York and 

teaches design studios and visual studies at CUNY, 

NJIT, and FIT. 

HOUSE IS A DECORATED SHACK & FAVELA QUE SAUDADE BY 

DIMITRI DAMIEL KIM

DAVID 

ROCKWOOD 

ROCKWOOD ARCHITECTS 

Architect, Honolulu USA 

Rockwood established David Rockwood 

Architect in 1984. His professional work includes 

architecture, urban, industrial, interior, furniture, 

and invention projects, has been exhibited at 

venues including the Buenos Aires Biennial, 

Princeton University, The Storefront for Art and 

Architecture in New York, and The Smithsonian 

Institution’s Archives for American Art in 

Washington, D.C., and has been published in 

journals including The Architect – R.I.B.A Journal, 

Architectural Design, Civil Engineering, Concrete 

International, Domus, Engineering News Record, 

GA Houses, GA Houses - Project, Ottagono, and 

Progressive Architecture. 

Rockwood’s research is focused on building and 

transport materials, systems, and methods. He is 

CONTRIBUTORS

currently developing inventions for a continuously 

variable transmission, an accelerating moving 

walkway, and a method of permanent composite 

fabric forming for concrete. Other recent research 

included the design of an intelligent, adaptive 

building skin done in collaboration electrical, 

mechanical and computer science faculty. 

Rockwood served as the Principal Investigator 

for University of Hawaii’s U.S. Department of 

Energy’s 2011 Solar Decathlon competition. He 

was recently named a Fulbright Specialist by the 

Fulbright International Institute of Education, U.S. 

Department of State. 

David Rockwood was educated at the University of 

Oregon and Princeton University. He is currently 

Full Professor and Director of the Construction 

Process Innovations Lab at the University of Hawaii 

at Manoa School of Architecture. 

TROPICAL CASE STUDY HOUSE BY DAVID ROCKWOOD

STEVEN 

SANCHEZ 

EMERGING VOICE 

Architect, San Francisco USA 

Steven Sanchez is an architectural designer living 

and working in San Francisco. He previously 

worked for Perkins+Will, EFGH, Trachtenberg 

Architects, and currently a project designer for 

Stanley Saitowitz | Natoma Architects, Inc. 

Steven co-authored “6 Months After Graduation: 

Employment Status Report”, an attempt to capture 

the state of Columbia University’s 2012 Master of 

Architecture class in the first year of post-grad 

school life. 

CONTRIBUTORS

Steven obtained his Master of Architecture from 

Columbia University, where he received the 

Lucille Smyser Lowenfish Memorial Prize and 

holds a Bachelors of Art in Architecture from 

the University of California, Berkeley where he 

graduated with High Honors and received the 

Rosanna Luis Scholarship. 

AAA FORRO (FOR ALL!) BY STEVEN SANCHEZ

RAUL C. 

SMITH 

FAÍSCAS 

Architect, Rio, Brazil + New York USA 

Raul Correa-Smith is a Carioca who was born in 

New York, former coordinator of Studio-X Rio, 

Studio Critic of Architecture and Urbanism at PUC- 

Rio and co-founder of Faíscas (www.faiscas.org). 

Raul worked for six years at Studio Daniel 

Libeskind (2005-11) in various projects in Asia, 

Europe and more recently in the development 

and coordination of the Vitra project, residential 

building in São Paulo to be opened in 2014 and that 

came as a consultant. 

Since 2009 serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor 

at GSAPP through a series of workshops focused 

on design visions for the city of Rio and is based 

on the fundamental exchange of ideas through 

exhibitions and debates with people invested in the 

CONTRIBUTORS

future of the city. He is coordinator of Studio-X Rio 

since 2011, a research lab, debates and exhibitions 

in downtown Rio, an initiative of Columbia 

University. In 2009 he founded the ‘Faíscas’, an 

initiative that works at the intersection between 

art and architecture seeking new forms of 

collaboration and interaction with the public. 

The exhibitions and installations ‘Supernova’ in 

the 2nd Digital Culture Festival in ‘Circo Voador’ 

(June 2012), ‘Central Futuros’ in 1st Digital Culture 

Festival in ‘Circo Voador’ (August 2011), ‘Central 

Futuros’ at Studio-X Rio (June 2011), ´Feito Pro 

Rio’ at MAM-Rio (2010), ‘Imagination Vessels’ at 

Studio-X New York (2010), and ‘Faíscas Rio’ at the 

Cultural Center Maria Teresa Vieira, Rio (2009) to 

facilitate new imaginary space to the city. 

Raul Correa-Smith graduated in Architecture from 

the University of Michigan and holds a Master 

of Architecture from the Graduate School of 

Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), 

Columbia University with Honors for Excellence in 

Design. 

FLUID CITY BY RAUL CORREA-SMITH

LINDSEA K. 

WILBUR 

PLANETARY COLLECTIVE 

Futurist, Honolulu USA 

Lindsea K. Wilbur, born and raised in the 

countryside of Hawai’i, is in training to be 

a “Philosopher-in-outer space”. Currently 

working on Earth as a social investigator, she is 

professionally curious about storytelling, culture 

creation, the lived experience of governance, and 

emerging technology. 

Following her inquiries into alternative 

governance systems, she’s gone from a network of 

underground tunnels beneath Paris to New York 

City’s MacArthur and Knight Foundation-funded 

Governance Lab to the deep playa at the Burning 

Man Art and Music Festival. 

In August 2013, sponsored by the Institute for 

the Future, she took Governance Futures Lab’s 

CONTRIBUTORS

Social Inventors Toolkit across America with the 

Millennial Trains Project. Exploring what it means 

to do human-centered political design, she used 

this hands-on tool to explore citizen systems and 

futures thinking in 7 cities and regions: the Bay 

Area, Salt Lake City, Denver, Omaha, Chicago, 

Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. 

In 2014, she was invited to talk at TEDx event in 

Maui, where she presented her research on social 

invention and human-centered political design. 

She’s now a research affiliate at the Institute 

for the Future and the Hawaii Research Center 

for Futures Studies, in addition to serving as a 

Resident Futurist at the Planetary Collective. 

HOT TROPICS BY LINDSEA K. WILBUR

Punchbowl, Honolulu, HI circa 1890’s

Lindsea Kemp Wilbur | Honolulu 

HOT TROPICS 


Hot Tropics | Prototropic 0.1 / Lindsea Kemp Wilbur 32 

DON’T SPEAK 

HAWAIIAN TO ME 

LINDSEA WILBUR 

“You read about the 

Hawaiian Dream on 

an in-flight magazine. 

Immediately you were 

overcome, clutching 

at the glossy rag of a 

publication while longing 

to stand on the fertile 

land with bare feet...” 

...watch the sun undress behind the rolling hills 

extending into the sea, and wait for the moon 

to rise over the cliffs. You could sense the sand 

that feels only slightly warmer than the moist 

air, which, incidentally, smells like plumeria 

blossoms 1 . You felt you were destined to play in 

the Royal Coconut Grove 2 and drink the nectar of 

the gods. You yearned to get high on immortality, 

wake up alone at dawn to swim in a crystalline bay 

all to yourself and go to bed sandy, smoky, as if in a 

dream. A seduction took place a warm, fresh glow, 

making you hunger to know the secret of how this 

place exists. > 

1. Common flower used in Lei making; wearing Hawaiian Plumeria under the ear 

is popular accessory for women in Hawaii 

2. A picturesque courtyard on the front lawn of the ‘Royal Hawaiian Hotel’

Illustrations from Hawaii’s tourism brochure, 50’s era

‘OLELO 

MOE’ 

UHANE 

*Hawaiian Dream

This dream is for romantics and lovers. Certainly 

the dream isn’t the sum of the colorful patterns 

of Hawaiian shirts, coconut bras and grass skirts 

alone. It’s not in the Pina Colada, or the Surfer 

on Acid. The boutiques of Waikiki teeming with 

Japanese tourists, those we can ignore all together, 

laugh at their circumstance. The accoutrements of 

hustle and bustle, such as these have all been and 

will continue to be part of the Great Marketing 

image of a Paradise, and everyday life grows like 

fruit bearing vines in the cracks of the pavement; 

an American, homogenized culture sitting heavy 

like cheap fried food in the belly. But the dreamselling 

developers and real estate agents can sense 

it. The Hawaiian Dream was here (In the 80s, 

mostly, so was the real estate money). 

It overwhelms you, and you’re left to ask, how did 

this place come to be? How is it that some volcano 

in the middle of the Pacific ocean exploded on this 

exact spot? How did the birds survive, how did the 

soil get ground down from the spiky lava? How did 

the plants grow? This is paradise on Earth. This is 

the Hawaiian Dream. 

Hot damn, talk about freak volcanic eruptions and 

even freakier ornithological survival rates. 

Sitting on a jet plane to Waikiki, you read about 

Cook’s first impressions of Hawai’i, discovered 

tracking the course of Venus, goddess of love >

A view of ancient Hawaii, 16th century

Hot Tropics | Prototropic 0.1 / Lindsea Kemp Wilbur 

37 

while working as a surveyor for the Royal Navy: “On the first day of December [1778] ... he recognized that 

he was raising the greatest of all the islands he had discovered: what the natives appeared to call, and Cook 

wrote, “Owhyhee.” 1 

By the next morning they were close in to the spectacular shore of massive cliffs, spines of land piercing 

into headlands, white streaks of great waterfalls tumbling into the white surf, more rivers emerging from 

deep valleys. Once inland, they saw ravines with thundering torrents, a landscape of mixed barrenness and 

fruitfulness, a pocked landscape rising slowly and then higher and higher to the summits that were snowcapped. 

Snow in the tropics! 

Another new discovery, another new paradox. Here, it seemed, was another rich land, and far greater 

in extent than even Tahiti. Through a telescope, thousands of natives could be seen pouring from their 

dwellings and their places of work, and streaming towards the cliff tops to stare out and hold aloft white 

strips of cloth as if greeting a new messiah. 

Let me tell you a little something. When the ancient Hawaiians saw James Cook in the ‘HMS Endeavor’ 

pulling into Kealakekua Bay, they hailed him as the lost god of war and wordplay, ‘Lono’. This god, 

according to legend, sailed away from Hawai’i into the blue Pacific, a horizon as distant as the cosmos, 

wracked by self hatred for killing his wife. The comparison to the god probably rang true to Captain Cook, 

a man high as a damn kite of his own thrusts into the wild unknown. 

Tales tell of opportunistic sailors spreading venereal diseases and feasting on pig until one of them died. 

The Hawaiians, realizing the morality of the white man, knew the jig was up. History neglects to tell us of 

the mystical, perhaps Cook, channeling powers stronger than himself, had kava-induced visions of the 

future, he was creating, of Waikiki’s high rises and luxury hotels, of the Hawaiian Dream and where exactly 

it would go. Of your ass on a jet plane cushion. We’ll never know. The spear entered his pearly flesh, and 

writ in history, it appears as just another embarrassing mistake made by an ego-tripping business man. 

Meanwhile, driven by trade and economy, England methodically industrialized herself, and the New World 

colonies were in heated rebellion. Following Cook, came Captain Simon Metcalfe. 

1. Richard Hough, ‘The Last Voyage of Captain Cook’


38 

WHEN THE ANCIENT 

HAWAIIANS SAW JAMES 

COOK ON THE HMS 

ENDEAVOR PULLING 

INTO KEALAKEKUA BAY, 

THEY HAILED HIM AS THE 

LOST GOD OF WAR AND 

WORDPLAY, LONO... THIS 

GOD, THE COMPARISON TO 

THE GOD PROBABLY RANG 

TRUE TO CAPTAIN COOK, A 

MAN HIGH AS A DAMN KITE 

OFF HIS OWN THRUSTS INTO 

THE WILD UNKNOWN... 

RIGHT: Death of Captain James Cook


41 

He was an Englishman turned American, a mercenary willing to work for whoever or whatever would 

give him the highest profit. After taking the Eleanora and the more tender Fair American from the Pacific 

Northwest to China, a the while turning a decent profit on furs and exploring the fairness between Chinese 

thighs, he took a planned detour through the Pacific to stop in Hawai’i. 

Hawai’i was only beginning to take her first tastes of the West, forging the path that would cart missionaries, 

explorers, writers on giant treacherous ships, then cruise liners, and finally on jet planes. Half way over the 

Pacific, it’s a path you were well on your way to continue. 

To the Hawaiian tribe of Olowalu becoming acquainted with Metcalfe’s pale European skin, it tasted like 

cannon balls. In this day it tastes more like high fructose corn syrup. 

Do you believe in paradise? What if Captains James Cook and Simon Metcalfe contracted a nasty case of 

dysentery and while they were shitting over the edge of the boat missed the pristine beaches and naked hula 

girls? Would you still be sipping Mai Tais next to an overweight couple from Texas, on your way to Waikiki, a 

foreigner seduced yet again by musk of the Hawaiian dream? 

Once a sleepy village on the dry plains near the perfect surf break, Honolulu is what it is today because it 

possessed the only bay in the island chain that could bare entry to those deep hulled merchant ships. Thus 

was born Honolulu the City. Early Chinese immigrants built Chinatown soon after. Eventually you could buy 

a Hawaiian hooker there for a single nail Pay a visit to the Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu, you’ll find the 

only royal palace in America where monarchs lived and ruled, a humble structure that Marie Antoinette’s 

would’ve loved to play “peasant girl” in. 

You can gaze at the office of the last ruling monarch of Hawai’i, King Kalakaua, known as the Merry Monarch. 

It’s equipped with one of the first telephones, overflowing with books. The king spoke fluent English and was 

the first ruling monarch in the world’s history to travel around the world personally, discovering continents, 

convening with philosophers and kings alike. He was received with honor in the courts of England and met > 

LEFT: Crowned Princess Victoria Kaiulani, 1891


42 

King Kalakaua and his staff on the footsteps of Iolani Palace 

with the president of America often. A practical visionary, Iolani Palace was the first to boast electric lights 

and indoor plumbing. Six ancient kings ruled over a united Hawaiian people before the time of Kalakaua 

and his electric lights and Western philosophers. Long ago, when Hawaii was governed by many separate 

chiefs, it was written in the early Hawaiian legends a great warrior would unite the islands, and a light in 

the sky would indicate his birth. The prophecy was fulfilled: Hailey’s commit soared over the quiet beaches 

and coconut groves in 1758 and, coincidence or not, King Kamehameha (meaning “the lonely one”) was born. 

By the time both Cook and Metcalfe had arrived, 20 years old Kamehameha was in the process of conquering 

the 9 islands to replace the 9 separate warring chieftains. Thanks to western weapons 1 , Kamehameha, in 

1810, was able to conquer the islands. Was it a mistake now to have greeted Cook as the god of war? 

John Young and Isaac Davis, kidnapees from Metcalfe’s ship, joined Kamehameha as official advisors. Both 

from a small village outside of Leeds in the south of England, these advisors to the king were born worse 

than working class. With nothing better to do, they jumped on a ship leaving home without a look back, 

worked their way up to managerial positions, only to find themselves curiously kidnapped and made chief 

1. After Captain Cook’s visit to Hawaii in 1790, Kamehameha I discovered modern, western weapons 

such as rifles and cannons and the chieftain used those weapons to conquer all the islands

advisor by a leader of a nation only known to exist in the Western world a few years before. 

The going got weird. 

After the several generations of the Kamehameha dynasty, King Lunalilo, Kalakaua, and, finally, his sister, 

Queen Liliuokalani (meaning “flower of heaven”) ruled. 

The last princess of Hawaii set to take over the throne from Queen Liliuokalani was Kaiulani (meaning 

“last hope”). The first monarch given European education, she not only knew the customs and history of 

Hawaii, but read literature and philosophy in several languages and was familiar with the social graces of 

foreign courts. She was heralded for her exotic beauty. Her gentle spirit and cool grace won her Hawaiian 

and European admirers alike. Robert Louis Stevenson, during his many visits to Waikiki, would often sit 

with her under their favorite banyan tree, talking long into the night light while Kalakaua’s electric lights 

illuminated the palace grounds.


45 

THE AMERICAN 

PERPETRATED HAWAIIAN 

CULTURAL GENOCIDE. 

YOU COULD FIND 

GENERATIONS OLD 

STONE A POI POUNDERS 

IN PAWN SHOPS. HULA 

WAS OUTLAWED, AND 

SIGNS HUNG AROUND 

CHILDREN’S NECK 

READING “DON’T SPEAK 

HAWAIIAN TO ME” 

LEFT: Traditional Hawaiian Hula dancers, early 20th century


46 

Princess Kaiulani’s title taken, and Queen Liliuokalani’s reign cut short, the Hawaiian leaders were 

imprisoned in their own palace room by the American troops in the last years of the 19th century. Sugar 

cane plantation owners needed to lower tariffs and guaranteed stability. 

So the annexation of Hawaii began and to this day, you can find the quilt Liliuokalani sewed while American 

guards stood with bayonets by the door. 

The Hawaiian monarchs lost their people’s land, but saved their nation from the violence that surely would 

have occurred if they were to resist. The American military base was well established. Hawai’i was an asset 

America needed. The same year Hawai’i became a territory, a province in the American empire, Queens and 

Staten Island merge with New York City, voting machines were instituted in US federal elections, students 

at the UC Berkeley stole the Stanford Axe from Stanford University at the Big Game, the first woman was 

executed in an electric chair, Dreyfus got pardoned in Paris, and the paper clip was patented. Cue the 

American perpetrated Hawaiian cultural genocide. You could find generations old stone poi pounders in 

pawn shops. Hula was outlawed, and signs hung around children’s neck reading: 

“Don’t speak Hawaiian to me.” 

In 1959, 60 years after the death of the Princess “Last Hope”, Hawai’i became a state of America. In 1964, the 

U.S. business men cum politicians decided to pump up tourism in Hawai’i after the collapse of the sugar 

industry. 

Where is the Hawaiian dream now? You got off the plane and stepped out of the cab into Waikiki. The 

sun sets behind perfectly curling swells. There are high rises with glass balconies, homeless men and 

women sleeping on their backs, bloated stomachs, tourists with plastic leis, mai tais, banyon trees housing 

chattering birds, lions roaring at the zoo... A potent energy concentrated in the land yields high real 

estate prices and a spiritual inebriation. Half drunk on mystical revelations weaving through the mature 

landscaping, a prostitute approached you: 

“Hey baby.” 

You stopped to ask, “How long you been here?” 

Lobby of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel

“Born and raised,” she responded, twirling her bleach blond hair in her long nailed fingers. 

“Where you staying?” 

“The Royal Hawaiian.” 

“Great choice. Believe me. I know every hotel like the back of my hand.” 

You left her to attend to business and entered the lobby of the Royal Hawaiian. You lose your breath. High 

ceilings. Pink columns. Ocean view. Light fixtures that dropped your jaw. Upstairs in the bathroom you took 

a hot shower and gazed out at the royal coconut grove, visions of King Kamehameha sitting with advisors 

John Young and Isaac Davis in deep discussion as trade booms in Honolulu. Faded in the elegance of the 

atmosphere for a second you felt, truly, just like a Royal Hawaiian. 

Do you believe in paradise?… Would you still be 

sipping Mai Tais next to an overweight couple from 

Texas, on your way to Waikiki, a foreigner seduced 

yet again by musk of the Hawaiian dream? 

†. Hot Tropics by Lindsea Kemp Wilbur, 2016

Kazi Ashraf | Honolulu 

METROPHILIA 


Metrophilia | Prototropic 0.1 / Kazi Ashraf 

50 

LOVE OF THE 

HORIZON LINE 

KAZI ASHRAF 

“It is the year 2015. There 

is an unprecedented 

building boom in Hawaii. 

The construction of the 

new rail has just begun. 

The district of Kaka’ako † 

in Honolulu is brimming 

with youth, arts, new 

business, and chaos...” 

D. What is your perspective on all the changes 

that are taking place in Hawaii? 1 

K. I think this is a very interesting time. 

Some architects now describe it as a new 

Renaissance. The first time I came here some 12 

years ago, I saw different things. I read a piece 

in the weekly “City Paper” that was titled “10 

most ugly buildings in Honolulu” 

D. I think I do recall that article. 

†. In Hawaiian, means “dull or slow”; once heavily industrial and relatively 

unpopulated waterfront city, located between downtown Honolulu and Waikiki 

beach. The land is owned by various public and private interests, including 

Kamehameha School, Office of Hawiian Affairs, and the state 

1. As of 2015, 30 new high rise buildings are planned for Kakaako (with 

more on the horizon), including residential, commercial, and office towers 

according to Hawaii Community Development Authority, the agency in charge 

of planning and zoning in the area

High-rise construction in Kakaako, Honolulu HI


52 

K. I was kind of stunned, after having lived in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. I haven’t encountered 

media really taking a hard look at ugly buildings. The piece in the weekly made me think, is that the core of 

the conversation here? It was not a discourse, the conversation was about the ugliest building. And that was 

kind of a dark thing to think about. 

So I think the conversation is shifting with all the new things that are possibly happening right now, Kaka’ako 

especially, and other developments in town and with the rail projects slowly lumbering on. Whether it is a 

“Renaissance” and all that, I am not sure. But certainly, there is a new building momentum, but also along 

with it a conversation around it. I think interesting conversations are happening. 

I haven’t encountered media really taking a hard look 

at “ugly buildings”. Because that made me think, is 

that the center of the conversation here in Hawaii? 

Queen st., Kakaako, Honolulu HI

K. I am going to add something else. On the one hand, there is this conversation around the new 

developments, and as you know the rail projects have heated debates either way. Whatever the point of view 

is, it is a good debate, about the nature of the city, about the form of the rail projects and the stations, and 

the stations will be the new epicenter of developments and new loci of energy for the city. But before we cite 

Kaka’ako, or similar developments in town, especially the two towers of the Design Center that was completed 

6-7 years ago… before claiming them as new Renaissance of sorts, we need to talk about them a bit more. 

Because these sorts of tall buildings as representatives of a building boom, as a new urban energy, I have a 

little question about these. Unless we are careful, just tall buildings by themselves, no matter how stunning 

they are, I am not sure how deeply effective they will be in the urban environment. At the end, they might 

look like a lot of ‘Titanics’ drifting around aimlessly in a sea of unremarkable-ness. 

D. Yes, despite all the boom and what it has created (sea of tall buildings), they are more or less unremarkable 

and doesn’t necessarily add value to the city. Time will tell if much of these additional buildings would have 

any lasting, positive effect on the island. 

I suspect negative.


54 

‘Artwalk’, a popular monthly community event, Chinatown, Honolulu HI

Unless we are careful, just tall buildings by 

themselves, no matter how stunning they are, I am 

not sure how deeply effective they will be in the 

urban environment. At the end, they might look like a 

lot of ‘Titanics’ drifting around aimlessly in a sea of 

unremarkable-ness... 

K. Well by themselves there may be something. What I am saying is that the tall buildings by themselves, 

however stunning they are, cannot claim to be a measure of contribution to the urban environment. I will say 

this in a different way. The city is a relentless battle between private profit making and civic obligations. We 

know that. It’s not news. And tall buildings are clearly the type where the profit making manifest. Formally, it 

is a visible representation of profit making and I am not against that. That is how the economy operates. 

The tall building versus the city. It has come down to that. I see this as a conflict that has not really been 

resolved, not only in Honolulu, not even anywhere in the world. Maybe in some degree Hong Kong was able 

to deal with it in a more resolved way, maybe Manhattan in its own way has dealt better with the conflict 

between what I would call “Metrophilia”, my term, a love of a city, a horizontal experience of the city, how I 

walk the city, how I engage with civic and urban offering, versus what I called “Phallophilia”! Yes, the love 

of things erect and a stands alone. So Metrophilia versus Phallophilia, and that is how modern city has come 

down to and that is an old debate and has not been resolved.

K. In Honolulu, as you walk by these huge parking garages, they are 

totally dissociated from street life. The Metrophilia involves the street. 

Tall buildings, in its kind of most basic way, doesn’t care about street, 

you drive into your parking garage and you go to your unit. Unless this is 

resolved via design, we are going to see this as a conflict. 

So that is how modern city has come down to and that is an old debate 

and has not been resolved. 

D. I think much of the intensities going towards the real estate 

developments in high rises are driven by financial speculations and 

short term profit and immediate discussion is needed to determine the 

long term impacts of these developments. 

K. Well first of all, I am not quite sure the total ramifications of new 

developments, centered around high-rises, I don’t know any complex 

being built, or any integrated as a district have been built, I think the 

whole thing is about high rises, so its impacts haven’t been discussed 

much. So are high rises are going to be the only discussion regarding 

economy and urban development? 

Are there other models that doesn’t include high-rises right away and 

that is something we need to discuss and that leads us to another topic 

which you have laid out that as the tilt of your journal itself, the tropic, 

the “tropical city.” I think the whole question of tropical city is key… 

because the kind of model of the city being reproduced in Honolulu, 

have been built elsewhere, like Dubai or Shanghai, so that’s one kind of 

model and that mode is generated by economy, and not quite driven by 

civic obligations.


57 

“METROPHILIA”, 

A LOVE OF A CITY, 

A HORIZONTAL 

EXPERIENCE OF 

THE CITY; HOW I 

WALK THE CITY; 

HOW I ENGAGE 

WITH CIVIC AND 

URBAN OFFERING, 

VS, WHAT I CALLED 

“PHALLOPHILIA”, 

THE LOVE OF THINGS 

ERECT AND 

STANDS ALONE 

Kakaako Skyline, Honolulu HI


58 

Commissioned graffiti art in Cook St., Kakaako, Honolulu HI 

K. So going back, what kind of city Honolulu is, that is the question. 

D. Vladimir Ossipoff’s legacy played a significant role in the establishment of modern architecture authorship 

in Hawaii, do you feel that he’s work was an exception or has his influence crated a distinct imprint that is still 

relevant? 

K. Well definitely we have not encountered anyone of the stature of Ossipoff after Ossipoff. Although Ossipoff 

has designed mostly residences, and few civic and institutional buildings, he has produced a fantastic 

language in combining modern Hawaiian tropical and Asian traditions that have not been surpassed. So 

after Ossipoff, shall we say we have little to show? Well, there has been decent architecture, but they are not 

significant in the sense of Ossipoff nor have they taken on the challenges of our times. 

D. Its interesting because local architect David Rockwood’s ‘Tropical Case Study House’ and ‘Tropical CSH 

Program’ challenges architects to build within limitation and opportunities of a tropical environment.

D. It has always been my view that only real requirements for the design of a house in Hawaii is a roof and 

a floor, yet, the vast majority of architecture in Hawaii are built with the same tradition and construction 

techniques used in cities with seasonal weather conditions. Despite his sensitivity to regionalism, I don’t think 

Ossipoff embraced environment heartedly in his designs for Hawaii. 

K. Well Honolulu is not a small city. And it has many districts and neighborhoods and building types. I am 

sitting here in the neighborhood of Makiki, in a much older house, with a porch, lawn, lot of vegetation, 

lot like living in a pavilion. Which is what you want -- the pavilion type, as a building model for hot, humid, 

tropical places, because in a pavilion, you allow breezes to pass through, you have views, green vegetation. 

But that does not mean you can build a pavilion in all urban situations because of tighter lot sizes, parcels, and 

what have you, and therefore, its a challenge, which is what David is trying, which Ossipoff in a more sort of 

generous site and land was able to do in a beautiful way.

CAPTION 

HAWAII 1 

INSERT IMAGE OF A HULA 

GIRL IN GRASS SKIRT

CAPTION 

HAWAII 2 

INSERT IMAGE OF A SANDY 

BEACH WITH PALM TREES


62 

K. The challenge is when you are working on a tighter urban condition, how do you translate a pavilion in 

such situations, which has been the challenge and I don’t see any examples really that has taken that up. 

D. In regards to Honolulu within a global context, do you think that the perception of Hawaii gives an 

unrealistic or negative expectation about the city? 

K. Well that is an interesting question that could take different direction. 

D. The most common generalization about Hawaii is that it is an isolated island, beautiful, but devoid of any 

real city and lacks contemporary and modern conveniences. 

And these are some of the more milder speculations I have heard throughout the years. 

There was a recent, Chicago Tribune article 1 , stating a similar view about Hawaii’s bid for Obama’s 

presidential library: 

“With no insult to Hawaii’s respect for the life of the mind, it’s fair to say that very few people go there in fierce 

pursuit of book learning.” 

K. Well that opens up a big question, whether it is geopolitical if you will or geographic location of Hawaii, 

we are one of the most isolated spots on the planet, but does that matter in our present day nature of mobility 

and connectivity, why does it matter? 

I don’t know if that is a problem of isolation, but I wouldn’t call it a negative connotation of Hawaii, but how 

Hawaii has been imagined, invented, connected, and circulated for the last hundred years or so, the present 

perception of Hawaii falls into that pattern, and that is the view of a landscape of paradise, and paradise is 

translated immediately, architecturally speaking, with a coconut and palm trees, and all that stuff, you know 

the, ‘exoticization’ of the primitive. 

1. Editorial: “Where to put the Obama library” Chicago Tribune 11 July 2014

the present perception of Hawaii falls into 

that pattern, and that is the view of society of 

paradise, and paradise is translated immediately, 

architecturally speaking, with a coconut and 

palm trees, and all that stuff, you know the, 

‘exoticization’ of the primitive. 

Homeless man in Kalakaua ave, one of the most heavily populated st. in Hawaii 

and a favorite tourist spot

IBM building designed by Vladmir Ossipoff, Kakaako, Honolulu HI

K. That is a challenge. 

If you want Hawaii to be claiming a distinctive position in the community of cities, it is a dichotomy. Meaning 

that you want to be considered as another kind of a city, say like Singapore, that we are a major economic 

destination, etc. Whoever wants to deal with that city, whether planners, architects, or policy makers… how 

to make Honolulu distinctive and contemporary, and really understand city form, social equality, all that, no, 

that is missing in the conversation… not only missing in the conversation, but missing in the production. 

D. I think Hawaii should have a more diverse public image then the one used only for tourism. 

Mahalo. 

K. Thank you. 

I think the whole question of tropical city is 

key… because the kind of model of the city 

being reproduced in Honolulu, have been built 

elsewhere... 

†. Metrophilia by Kazi Ashraf, 2016

Dimitri Damiel Kim | Honolulu 

HOUSE IS A 

DECORATED SHACK 


House is a Decorated Shack | Prototropic 0.1 / Dimitri Damiel Kim 

68 

WOODSTOCK FOR 

MODERNITY 

DIMITRI DAMIEL KIM 

“Agreeing that the whole 

matter is surrounded by 

conditions over which 

few of us have any 

control, certainly we can 

develop a point of view 

and do some organized 

thinking, which might 

come to a practical end” † 

The original program for the ‘Case Study House’ 

(1945-1966) 1 , organized by the Art and Architecture 

magazine, was perhaps a single most important 

intervention that attributed to experimentation 

and realization of some of the 20th century’s 

treasured modernist architecture and architecture 

of housing. While this event/phenomenon is 

considered an exception within the history of 

modern and American architecture, CSH program 

has never-the-less, became a highly influential, 

educational model for design and research of 

contemporary architecture. > 

†. Case Study House Program, John Entenza, Art & Architecture 1949 

1. Out of 36 deigns that were proposed from the program, 26 were built, 

including Stahl House (pictured right), Eame’s House, and Chuey House

Case Study House No. XXII, Stahl House by Pierre Koenig, 1960


70 

Case Study House No. IX , Entenza House by Eero Saarinen & Charles Eames, 1949

“…Perhaps we will 

cling the longest to 

the symbol of house 

as we have know it, or 

perhaps we will realize 

that in accommodating 

ourselves to a new world 

the most important step 

in avoiding retrogression 

into the old” 

After nearly 65 years later, legacy of the Case 

Study House has become a mere fable; a history 

lesson told to the younger generation of architects 

of how good the Woodstock really was and that 

there will never be another one like it. However 

unprecedented and idealized the CSH appears 

to be today, the original program, the vision and 

execution was rather practical. 1 

The program outlined a set of rules for handful of 

select architects (friend and contemporaries of the 

editor John Entenza) to produce series of houses to 

be built in southern California for select > 

1. The program espoused the “measurement of the average man’s living 

standards”, hence, practicality was one of the main requisite for all designs

include sites beyond southern California to 

Arizona before finally ending in 1964. 

The project, whether built or not, was to be 

documented and published with full plans and 

details with the purpose of being built later 

or to be used as a model towards the design of 

other houses. The program also included the 

requirement for the housing to be affordable and 

the construction of the houses to be relatively 

easy and duplicable. At the end of the program, 36 

prototype houses were designed, with astounding 

26 of them being built. 1 

Whether it was the spirit of its time or perhaps 

it was mostly about collective expression of 

modernity, The CSH program did not include 

any specific consideration for climate as a 

requirement. At the time (or perhaps still is), 

the consensus among modernists’ and their 

proponent’s attitude toward climate and natural 

environment was primarily indifferent and if not, 

cold. 

However, did climate have any influence in the 

design of the case study houses? Was the moderate 

climate of Southern California a factor in the 

success (or ease) of the design? > 

1. Number of Houses in the series, including CSH No.17, 18, 20, 21 were followed 

by second variation of the previous house; the last 2 CSH houses were Apts.


73 

AFTER NEARLY 65 

YEARS LATER, LEGACY 

OF THE CASE STUDY 

HOUSE HAS BECOME 

A FABLE; A HISTORY 

LESSON TOLD TO THE 

YOUNGER GENERATION 

OF ARCHITECTS OF HOW 

GOOD THE WOODSTOCK 

REALLY WAS AND THAT 

THERE WILL NEVER BE 

ANOTHER ONE LIKE IT 

Case Study House No. VIII, Eames House by RAY AND Charles EAMES, 1949

MOD 

ERNITY 

TROPI 

CANA 

LEFT: Downtown Honolulu HI | RIGHT: Hawaii Kai HI

It is hard to argue that significance of the CSH 

program belongs to the modern discourse and 

history of modernity, but the bold attempt and 

sheer inventiveness of the program and its output, 

namely, the collectivization of design efforts and 

creation of projects as prototypes, crosses any 

traditions or pedagogy and deserves a further 

study and execution toward future discourse. 

Tropical Case Study House program and the design 

for Tropical Case Study House I (TCSH No. 1) by 

Rockwood, seeks a re-appraisal of the original CSH 

program, with expanded consideration towards 

local environment, culture, and climate. 

While the original CSH program focused 

on modernity as the determining factor for 

producing ideal architecture for the masses, 

Tropical Case Study House program is centered 

around unique living conditions of tropical 

residents. Accordingly, the TCSH No.I design seeks 

to adopt the design of indigenous tropical house 1 

as a model for directly addressing the issue of 

tropical climate. > 

1. The indigenous house by native Hawaiian people was built around sensitivity to 

local climate, environment, and culture, which included the use of open outdoor/ 

indoor space (wall-less) and use of native plants and wild life for building materials


76 

Tropical Case Study House No. 1, Elevation drawing by David Rockwood

Whether it was the spirit 

of its time or perhaps 

it was mostly about 

collective expression 

of modernity, The 

CSH program did not 

include any specific 

consideration for 

climate as a requirement 

Case Study House No. 1 is driven by the need to 

minimize necessary elements in the design of a 

typical housing that requires insulation, barrier 

for heat/cold, and mechanical systems for heating 

and cooling in the summer and winter. 

TCSH No.1 is a prototype for ideal built 

environment in tropical setting and TCSH 

program is more then just a different flavor of 

the original Case Study House program, but an 

impetus for further collectivization of avant-garde 

ideas in architecture of housing and its practical 

application towards the masses. > 

†. House is a Decorated Shack by D.K, 2016

David Rockwood | Honolulu 

TROPICAL CASE 

STUDY HOUSE I 


TCSH No. 1 Sketch Study 1 by David Rockwood

Tropical Case Study House I | Prototropic 0.1 / David Rockwood 

81 

TCSH 

THE PROGRAM 

DAVID ROCKWOOD 

The Tropical Case Study House Program is inspired by the Arts + Architecture magazine model. Houses will 

be designed by invited top architects, with each built by a client on a site of their choice. The indigenous 

tropical house provides a close fit with climate, culture, and environmentally friendly building practices. 

Unfortunately few indigenous houses remain, and most have been replaced by modern houses that use 

inappropriate materials, have high energy consumption, and do not fit cultural patterns. A properly 

designed tropical house can protect the occupants from the extremes of wind, sun, and rain, but at the same 

time connect them to the environment. One of the joys of tropical living are sitting in the shade, feeling the 

trade wind breeze, and contemplating the natural setting. 

The Tropical Case Study House Program seeks to provide the impetus for reinventing the tropical house, 

using lessons of indigenous architecture, and updating the designs to best fit the needs of contemporary 

life. Many desire some modern conveniences, and yet simultaneously to live more simply and with a closer 

connection to nature. This then is the challenge to the invited architects, to propose innovative design 

solutions best fitting contemporary cultural needs, exemplary building practices, and fit with the tropical 

climate. For the initial phase of the program, houses are proposed for construction in Hawaii. This will allow 

a tour program of the houses. Later houses may be built in other tropical locations. >


82 

The Tropical Case Study House program seeks to reinvent the tropical house, extending the pioneering 

work elaborated by Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry in their book Tropical Architecture of 1964. The authors cite 

specific strategies to provide comfort in dry and humid tropical zones, such as siting, typology, shading, and 

ventilation. Little research has since been conducted to extend these basic principles and finding solutions 

matching current needs for appropriate ways of living in relation to the tropical natural environment. Most 

contemporary tropical housing adapts designs used in other climate zones, resulting in the need to use 

mechanical space conditioning to provide basic comfort, thus isolating occupants from their surroundings. > 

TCSH No. 1 Sketch Study 2

Boettcher-estate’ residence by Vladimir Ossipoff, 1937; the house became a typical model for single family residence in Hawaii

In contrast, the indigenous tropical house provides 

a close fit with climate, culture, and ecologically 

sound building practices. A typical indigenous 

house uses a large overhanging roof to protect 

the occupants from the extremes of sun and 

rain, a narrow floor plate, unrestricted plan, and 

open frame structure to maximize ventilation, 

and a raised floor to protect the building and 

occupants from ground moisture and flooding. 1 At 

the same time, indigenous houses open up to the 

environment and bring about a closer connection 

to nature. 

The design of Tropical Case Study House No. I 

sought to incorporate and evolve key features 

identified by Drew and Frey and as seen in 

indigenous houses. The floor of the house is raised 

above the ground to protect from groundwater 

and increase ventilation. Concrete piers act as an 

extension of the terra firma, and reduce to linear 

elements adjustable to varying topography. > 

Indigenous Native Hawaiian Shack 

1. Tropical Architecture in the Dry and Humid Zones, Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, 

Batsford 1956


85 

TCSH No.1 Sketch Study 3


86 

Little research has since 

been conducted to extend 

these basic principles 

and finding solutions 

matching current needs for 

appropriate ways of living 

in relation to the tropical 

natural environment.

TROPICAL CASE STUDY HOUSE I 

David Rockwood | 2016 

Exploded Axo (Left) | Axonometric (Right)

1 Steel Tension Rod 

2 Central Mast 

3 Suspended Canopy Roof 

4 Steel Brace 

5 Movable/Removable Exterior Walls 

TCSH 1 No. 1 Longitudinal Section

The archetypal tropical house frame structure 

was minimized to erase the vertical boundary 

condition of the house, opening it to view, 

breezes, and nature. The structure is an 

“umbrella” form with a central mast and 

suspended canopy roof. Such a structure reduces 

the mass of vertical elements, and places the 

columns toward the center of the building. 

Stainless steel tension rod diagonal braces provide 

needed lateral load resistance while maintaining 

maximum transparency. > 

Most contemporary 

tropical housing 

adapts designs used 

in other climate zones, 

resulting in the need 

to use mechanical 

space conditioning 

to provide basic 

comfort, thus isolating 

occupants from their 

surroundings.


91 



Elevation Render I


92 



Exterior Render I

1 Master Bedroom 

2 Closet 

3 Master Bathroom 

4 Bedroom 

5 Bathroom 

6 Kitchen 

7 Dining Room 

8 Living Room 

9 Entry Platform 

TCSH No. 1 Floor Plan

The Tropical Case Study 

House Program seeks to 

provide the impetus for 

reinventing the tropical 

house, using lessons of 

indigenous architecture, 

and updating the designs 

to best fit the needs of 

contemporary life


97 



Interior Render I



Exterior Render II

The house is conceived as a modified pavilion type 

using a “porous” central core. Siding louvered 

doors allow the house to open for light and 

ventilation or be closed for security or during 

inclement weather. 

While many people desire some modern 

conveniences in their house, they will often 

wish to return to living modestly and simply. As 

a response, the house is made relatively small, 

and contains a limited number of spaces and 

technological devices. Overall, the design seeks to 

provide for a rich and connected, unfolding of life 

in the tropics using a minimum of means. Indeed, 

less may still be more. 

“A properly designed 

tropical house can 

connect occupants to the 

environment” 

†. Tropical Case Study House I and TCSH Program by David Rockwood, 2016

Botafogo beach with ‘Sugarloaf mountain’ in the backdrop, Rio de Janeiro BR, circa 1890’s

Dimitri Damiel Kim | Rio 

FAVELA QUE 

SAUDADE 


Favela que Saudade | Prototropic 0.1 / Dimitri Damiel Kim 

104 

OURS IS THE 

NEIGHBORHOOD 

Popular culture and mainstream media has not been kind to favelas; films such as ‘City of God’ and ‘Elite Troops’ have 

consistently portrayed the Brazilian slum as a place of perpetual poverty, crime, and violence. To combat this limited, 

but dominant portrayal, the government of Brazil has increased police raids and drug crack downs in slums, as well as 

making efforts to potentially demolish and raze favelas. Without questioning the political, social, and economic needs 

to fix the slum, including stopping of violence and raising the standard of living for the poor, one should not dismiss the 

organic and highly social edifice of favelas that are almost never seen from the outside; shops, businesses, children, 

pets, and even tourists… there is life and vibrant communities in favelas such as one found in Complexo da Alemão in 

the North Zone, Morro do Banco in the South, and others that contradicts the common, outsiders perspective of favelas. 

Legal and illegal wires and cables connecting favelas with electricity and cable TV in Morro do Banco, photo by D.K

Storefront shops in Morro do Banco, Rio

Barber shop in Morro do Banco


109 

Trampoline Parklet in Morro do Banco

Exterior view of decorated house in Complexo da Alemão

Interior view of typical domicile in Complexo da Alemão


112 

Workers in favela, Morro do Banco

Children in favela, Complexo da Alemão

Corridors and street levels, Morro do Banco

†. Favela Que Saudade by D.K, 2016

Raul Correa-Smith | Rio 

FLUID CITY 


Fluid City | Prototropic 0.1 / Raul Correa-Smith 118 

CONTRASTS & 

CONTRADICTIONS 

RAUL CORREA-SMITH 

From an outsider’s 

perspective, Rio de Janeiro 

is a city of contrast 

and contradiction: the 

picturesque paradise of 

sandy beaches, natural 

landscapes, and beautiful 

women, inscribed in 

songs of Bossa Nova 

and samba... 

...set against the backdrop of endemic poverty, 

violence, rising metropolis, and future home 

of summer Olympic 2016, inseparably nestled 

between growing favelas † . 

D. How accurate or inaccurate is this view of Rio? 

R. An accurate view of Rio cannot be properly 

described within a sentence or two. It is 

undoubtedly one the most beautiful cities in the 

world, home to three of the largest urban forests 1 

in the planet. I would also agree that Rio is indeed a 

city of incredible contrasts, both positive and > 

†. Favela, also spelled favella, a slum or shantytown located within or on the 

outskirts of the country’s large cities, especially Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. A 

favela typically comes into being when squatters occupy vacant land at the edge 

of a city and construct shanties of salvaged or stolen materials 

1.The Tijuca Forest (“Floresta da Tijuca” in Portuguese) is a tropical rainforest 

in the city of Rio de Janeiro, claimed to be the world’s largest urban forest. It 

is located in a mountainous region, which encompasses the Tijuca Massif. The 

word Tijuca from the Tupi language means “marsh”

‘Doca’ House in the affluent, gated neighborhood of Itanhangá in the West Zone, Rio de Janeiro

What has been happening in the past decade or so in 

Brazil is exactly a great shift towards more equality, 

while in the US it is going in the opposite direction, 

the gap between rich and poor is increasing

Fluid City | Prototropic 0.1 / Raul Correa-Smith 

121 

negative, but the positive outweigh greatly the negative. What always perseveres despite the hardships is 

people’s generosity. 

Rio suffered for decades with the loss of its status as capital and its economic importance to São Paulo, all 

of this while the military dictatorship’s greatest repression was in Rio, its cultural capital. It has only been a 

decade or so that Rio re-emerged from its slump. There is a lot of catching up to do, with major improvements 

to the city fabric and the need for a robust infrastructural system which can account for all residents equally, 

a nearly impossible task given the rate of growth the city has experienced during these stagnant decades, but 

that should be the goal ultimately. 

There are projects currently underway and mostly fueled by the upcoming Olympics that will greatly increase 

capillarity in our mass transportation system and will alleviate the commute times for the millions who 

live beyond the South Zone. The city should become more democratic as a result, more fluid. This fluidity 

of movement through the city is already happening in many of the favelas in the south zone, which have 

become destinations and have opened up new forms of exchange and dialog. So the city is moving in the right 

direction, becoming more accessible and healthy as a result. Of course the challenges are immense but it is a 

good start. 

D. Qualities such as apathy, indifference, and cynicism are boasted as trademarks of New Yorkers. You 

mentioned that in Rio, the people persevere through “generosity”. Is this the ideal, people’s trademark of Rio? 

And like New York, do you think the quality of the city of Rio (natural/built form, politics, opportunities, and 

etc) reflects directly to the qualities the people value? 

R. I don´t think there is a direct relationship to the qualities of the city, but surely there is a significant 

influence. I think the connection is more social and cultural. When people think of Rio de Janeiro the 

association which comes to mind is that of the postcard neighborhoods of the South Zone. But the population 

that lives in the South Zone is a small percentage of the total population who live in areas that are far from the 

beaches, nature and amenities of the South Zone, yet are kind and generous. 

Favela in North Zone near Complexo do Alemão

COMPLEXO DA ALEMÃO 

NORTH ZONE

D. What are some of the biggest challenges facing Rio today? 

R. Providing all residents the same rights to the city, proper infrastructure to allow for a healthy urban life. 

From quality of education and health care to generous public spaces and quality of infrastructure which can 

attend to all equally, independent of location (be it the suburbs, the city center, the post-card neighborhoods 

of the South Zone and the more than one thousand favelas spread throughout the city). 

D. I think the growing income inequality which often directly translates to inequality in many outlets of the 

city you mentioned, is the epitome of our age. Do you think these challenges can ever be resolved? 

R. Certainly. What has been happening in the past decade or so in Brazil is exactly a great shift towards more 

equality, while in the US it is going in the opposite direction, the gap between rich and poor is increasing. 

D. I remember hearing about a colleague who was working in Mexico and she mentioned that she would do 

most of her work at local Starbucks because it was the only place near her apartment that had access to the 

internet. That brought up an interesting instance of how large scale infrastructural need such as access to 

the internet is met through globalization. Do you see this effect of globalization happening in Rio and is it 

mitigating/effecting the challenges of infrastructure in any way? 

R. In Brazil, internet access is not associated with global chains such as Starbucks. Internet access is wide 

spread here (even though services are expensive and not that reliable) and the use of smart phones is a fast 

growing market with more and more people having internet access through their cellphone. 

Shores of Ipanema


I WOULD ALSO AGREE 

THAT RIO IS INDEED A 

CITY OF INCREDIBLE 

CONTRASTS, BOTH 

POSITIVE AND 

NEGATIVE, BUT THE 

POSITIVE OUTWEIGH 

GREATLY THE 

NEGATIVE. WHAT 

ALWAYS PERSEVERES 

DESPITE THE 

HARDSHIPS IS PEOPLE’S 

GENEROSITY 

Armed police officers guarding gondola stops, Complexo do Alemao

BARRA DA TIJUCA 

WEST ZONE

D. Will Rio ever be rid of favelas? 

R. Definitely and thankfully not. The mentality and attitude towards favelas has shifted positively towards an 

understanding that favelas are not bad in themselves. On the contrary, the social relations present in a favela 

are much more tightly knit than in the formal city. People know and help each other, their ties to the place are 

much more rooted. Favelas are places of rich cultural potency despite the organic and unplanned character of its 

urban infrastructure. 

D. So the word favelas, should really be used as term for type of community, rather than type of condition 

the people live in? 

R. That´s right. 

Favelas are places of rich cultural potency despite 

the organic and unplanned character of its urban 

infrastructure... word favelas, should really be used 

as term for type of community, rather then type of 

condition the people live in

Fluid City | Prototropic 0.1 / Raul Correa-Smith 

129 

D. Niemeyer played a role in establishment of architectural authorship in Rio. Do you feel that he’s work was 

an exception or has his -work had any lasting impact? 

R. Niemeyer did not help establish architectural authorship, other than his own. I think his influence is 

incredibly relevant and present but it does not translate into a formal language that has evolved out of it. He 

opened up a range of possibilities through his work as he is indeed one of Brazil’s most important architects, 

but his legacy to the profession has not been one to spring out of it new talents. Niemeyer never taught 

architecture and as such did not have a significant impact on the generations which followed him. 

I don´t think there is a specific thread of architectural authorship which can describe architecture in Rio. The 

issues at hand and their responses vary greatly. 

Street level view of favela in Complexo da Alemão


D. How would you describe the state of contemporary architecture in Rio in relations to your own work? 

R. We have been conducting a series of lectures called Nova Arquitetura Carioca (New Carioca Architecture) 

in an effort to map out some of the offices that are actively engaged and doing all kinds of projects throughout 

the city. These lectures help us to understand the diversity of work currently under way in the city, many 

projects which have not yet been completed but that will add a new layer to the urban character of the city. 

D. Columbia University have established their global ‘Studio-X’ program in Rio where you are an active 

member. Briefly describe their contribution to the discourse? 

When people think of Rio de Janeiro the association 

which comes to mind is that of the postcard 

neighborhoods of the South Zone. But the population 

that lives in the South Zone is a small percentage of 

the total population 

R. In Rio, it provides a progressive platform for collaboration and research through dialog between professionals, 

academics, students, citizens, entrepreneurs and decision makers from all over the world. Since 2011, it has been 

located in the heart of the city center, the historic Praça Tiradentes, next to the statue of King Pedro I. > 

Gondola view of favela in Complexo da Alemão

Lapa, a popular urban district in Centro Zone

D. What are some recent, notable activities at the Studio? 

R. Last year Studio-X Rio collaborated with ITDP Brazil (The Institute for Transportation and Development) 

and Transporte Ativo (a local NGO focused on non-motorized transportation) to develop a bicycle path 

network for downtown Rio, called Ciclorotas. We conducted several workshops with bicycle riders, and 

surveys counting the number and type of users on several streets in the downtown area, and measured 

street widths and vehicle speeds to determine the most appropriate implementation for this network of 33 

kilometers. This is project became and exhibition and a booklet which was presented and embraced by the 

mayor, and it is being implemented by the city. This is a crucial project to ensure more capillarity and safety 

for riders to commute to the city without having to resort to a congested vehicle network. Mobility and masstransportation 

are still among the most problematic issues in cities and I think it will continue to be a critical 

issue for Rio as it gears toward the future. 

D. Indeed, the future of Rio, lies with the mobility of masses. 

D. Obrigato. 

This fluidity of movement through the city is 

already happening in many of the favelas in the 

south zone, which have become destinations and 

have opened up new forms of exchange and dialog 

†. Fluid City, Raul Correa-Smith, 2016

Steven Sanchez | Rio 

AAA FORRÓ 


AAA Forró | Prototropic 0.1 / Steven Sanchez 

136 

TRIPLE A SPACE 

FOR ALL 

STEVEN SANCHEZ 

Currently in Rio, there is a large demand for AAA office spaces 1 for new and relocating companies moving to the 

city. Consequentially, Rio De Janeiro’s office space has become the most expensive in Americas and the fourth 

highest in the world. Access to AAA spaces has become a privileged mechanism for the few and limits accessibility 

and mobility for the rest of local inhabitants. But what would it mean to give access to AAA spaces for everyone? 

What forms would it take and how would it increase accessibility, effect culture, and seed an environment that 

provides mutual infrastructure and amenities. This project seeks to use the current real-estate boom as a point of 

departure to reclassify AAA space and allow their amenities to be accessible to the full population. 

1. Rating system created by ‘Building Owners and Managers Association’ and 

used by most commercial real estate brokers in US and some other countries 

to and list office buildings that have certain level of standards in amenities, 

value, and quality

Programmatic scale and amplitudes with informal strategy map by Steven Sanchez

PRE 

MIUM 

SPACE 

LEFT: Site charge plan | RIGHT: Organically intermixed programs in favelas

But in a city where space is always at a premium, 

what modes can we take and learn from within the 

existing culture. Looking at some of Rio’s existing 

spaces of business, leisure, and production, space 

is typically occupied to the max with overlapping 

program, infrastructure, and informal activity. 

The diversity of these overlapping conditions 

and relevant adjacency form an incredible 

cross section for vibrant communities, social 

interactions, and unique spatial conditions. 

Seeking to re-appropriate this phenomenon for 

the project site in Barra, AAA Forró implemented 

an algorithm to test and maximize program and 

density. New spatial hierarchies and diverse ideas 

for program emerged, using variables of access, 

work, and play. 

How would AAA space 

increase accessibility, 

effect culture, and 

seed an environment 

that provides mutual 

infrastructure and 

amenities?


140

AAA FORRÓ 

Steven Sanchez | 2016 

Diagram showing programmatic scale and amplitudes (Left) | Informal strategy maps (Right)

AAA Forró | Prototropic 0.1 / Steven Sanchez 142 

AAA FORRÓ 


Informal architectural solution for section model I

...diversity of these 

overlapping conditions and 

relevant adjacency form an 

incredible cross section for 

vibrant communities, social 

interactions, and unique 

spatial conditions.

The conditions, therefore emergent and diverse; 

at one point small and isolated and at another 

a mixture and range of working types, spatial 

orientations and secondary relationships form a 

complex arrangement of program and open space. 

The project seeks to take advantage of these spatial 

ranges to provided equal access and infrastructure 

for Rio and to create a new condition of use, scale, 

and interaction not typically found in current 

business typologies. 

The goal of the project is to provide infrastructure 

and amenities to all types of businesses, including 

corporations, small companies, restaurants, bars, 

and small farms; to informally mix all aspects of 

daily life to provide emergent, spatial conditions 

and micro-cultural situations; to foster an 

environment of mutual gain and development for 

all the inhabitants of Barra. 1 

1. “Barra”, short for Barra da Tijuca, a newly affluent, southern region that 

shares its borders with existing favelas or slum

AAA FORRÓ 


Site Charge Plan (Left) | Abstract spatial models showing overlap and connection conditions (This page)


146 

AAA FORRÓ 


Informal architectural solution for section model II

Informal architectural solution for section model III

†. AAA Forró by Steven Sanchez 2016

Acknowledgments 

The publisher and the editorial team at Prototropic would like to thank the following people and institutions 

for their support and contributions: 

Individuals 

Amale Andraos 

Kazi Ashraf 

David Benjamin 

Martin Despang 

Brandon Samuel Large 

Benjamin Lee 

Pedro Rivera 

David Rockwood 

Steven Sanchez 

Raul Correa-Smith 

Lindsea Kempf Wilbur 

Scott Wilson 

Institutions 

Columbia University GSAPP 

GSAPP Incubator 

GSAPP Studio-X Rio 

New Inc. 

New Museum 

AIA Honolulu 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ® / COPYRIGHT © 2016 XMANIFOLD A.D.R.L.

Prototropic 0.1: Honolulu and Rio

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