Architecture

Samoan architecture is defined by openness, with the design reflecting the culture and life of the Samoan people who inhabit the Samoan Islands. Architectural concepts are incorporated into Samoan proverbs, oratory, and metaphors, as well as being linked to other Samoan art forms such as boat building and tattooing. Traditional Samoan architecture's exterior and interior spaces are part of cultural form, ceremony, and ritual.

Fale is the Samoan word for all types of houses, large and small. The fale is lashed and tied together with 'afa, a plaited sennit rope made from dried coconut fiber. The 'afa is tightly woven in complex patterns around the wooden frame, tying the entire structure together. 'Afa is made from the husk of certain coconut varieties with long fibers, particularly the niuafa ('afa palm). Plaiting is a task typically performed by elderly men or matai at their leisure to turn the fibers into sennit. These long, thin strands are then woven into a three-ply plait, often in long lengths, to create the finished sennit. Sennit is then coiled into bundles or tightly wound into very neat cylindrical rolls. Making enough 'afa lengths for an entire house can take months. It can be considered as one of the Unique Cultural Characteristics In Samoa.

Traditional Samoan architecture is generally oval or circular in shape, with wooden posts supporting a domed roof. There are no barriers. A skeleton frame serves as the architecture's foundation. A Samoan fale did not use any metal in its construction prior to European arrival and the availability of Western materials.