The mythos of dwelling : a settlement at Kalaupapa, Molokai

Abstract

This thesis is the exploration of the physical and metaphorical potential of one of the most beautiful and poignant places in the world. It is Kalaupapa, a peninsula on the North Shore of Molokai, Hawaii, and the site of the infamous Leper colony run by Father Damien at the end of the last century. Here is explored the social issues of compassion to our fellow man and the importance of that compassion in reinforcing an emerging attitude towards life today. The issue of relevancy to this age i s further reinforced with the· analogy of people with leprosy to people with AIDS and the similar societal treatment they have each received. The physical manifestation of this social charge is a place - a settlement run by the National Park Service- where we learn about illness, about dealing with the metaphors attached to illness, about life and death. It is a place that must relate to the strength of the landscape and the technological constraints prescribed by the location. Here, the physical manifestation has the explicit charge of helping, rather than hindering, our ability to dwell. J?welling has been defined as the physical and existential participation in our life-world. We dwell by gathering a world to us, a world that reflects our underlying beliefs. These beliefs are myths and they are the basis for our lives and for the act of dwelling. I suspect that the myths of today do not allow us to fully participate in our world, but there is hope that a planetary myth is emerging that will make this participation possible. This project tries, with every ounce of strength, to help this myth emerge in the minds of the readers.