Aloha kākou,

I am certain that all of you are as profoundly saddened as I am by the plight of our Maui
neighbors in Lāhainā and upcountry Maui. The loss of family and friends and the
displacement of thousands of Maui residents are indeed heartbreaking as is the
devasting impact on the historic town and former capital of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i. The
School of Architecture will do all possible to assist our Maui students in making their
lives more at ease during this difficult transitional period. I hope that each of them will
reach out to us when they need help.

In the meantime, the school and faculty will be considering ways to assist in the
rebuilding of Lāhainā and in providing research and applied design ideas for the
recovery. Already, at least three studio instructors intend to focus their projects on
aspects of disaster mitigation and the reconstruction of historic properties. I believe
other projects will be forthcoming as well.

I encourage everyone to assist in any way possible through donations and
opportunities for volunteer service. I know we all want to help in any way possible.
On Aug. 10, 2023, UH News provided a list sites of how to help and where to seek help.

How to help Maui ʻohana affected by wildfires

(Caution: Beware of scammers and fake media posts. Be vigilant. Participate with
trustworthy partners.)

Ke aloha,
Bill Chapman