Vunilagi represents a sophisticated application of regenerative placemaking, which is a cutting edge field currently evolving to move urban development beyond the limitations of standard sustainability. While traditional development often focuses on harm reduction, this prototype project acts as a functional catalyst for net positive outcomes in Marou Village, Fiji.
The Yasawa Islands face significant ecological and structural challenges, including the “Modern Building Trap” where imported Western designs fail because they fight the environment rather than working with it. As leading placemaking consultants Australia, POMO identified that the community’s core aspiration was for a “place of the future” providing safety, water, and energy security.
The project is underpinned by a high level partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC). Dr Nicholas Stevens, an expert in sociotechnical systems, provided the academic framework to ensure the physical infrastructure serves as an “Institutional Guarantee” for the community. The energy generation aspect of this project was made possible through engineering carried out by Felipe Crisostomo, who specified a 150kW renewable energy utility to provide clean, consistent power. This collaboration transforms Vunilagi from a building into a validated humanitarian tool that bridges the gap between high level theory and the pragmatic delivery of essential services.
The foundation of Vunilagi is founded in a deep, respectful engagement process known as Talanoa. In April 2025, with the support of UniSC and Vinaka Fiji, POMO Director Stephen Burton visited Marou Village to begin a series of transparent dialogues with the Village Chief and local leaders. This approach ensures genuine community ownership, as the project was “pulled” by the residents to solve their specific needs rather than being “pushed” by external experts. During these sessions, the community identified a “Skills Void” as the single biggest threat to their sustainable economy. By asking what would make the biggest impact, we discovered the urgent need for a place to go during storms and a way to keep dry when homes flood. This collective insight became the definitive design brief, ensuring that every structural and technical decision responded directly to local lived experience.
Delivering Vunilagi: The Implementation Process
Vunilagi is a design for environmentally sustainable housing and community buildings which can be made by locals, from local materials. With the integration of a skills and training package and agribusiness, it lays the foundation for outcomes which are nature positive and socially positive. This is a regenerative model for social sustainability in remote villages.
The project serves as a powerful economic engine through a four stage circular agribusiness and economic model: strategic cultivation, sustainable harvesting, local construction, and systemic regeneration. This process begins with the planting of native bamboo species that reach maturity for construction in just two to four years. Rapid resource renewal then fuels the building phase, allowing for the expansion of infrastructure within the village and the export of the labour, materials, and skills to neighbouring communities facing similar challenges. This continuous cycle of maintenance and replanting drives economic return into the village and creates a permanent skills cycle, ensuring the village moves from a dependency on aid to a state of self governing independence.
Social benefits are realised through a university backed “Skills Dividend” that provides vocational training to residents across all age groups, from primary students to village elders. This inclusive approach ensures that the community does not just receive an asset but gains the collective capability to grow, build, and maintain their own future. Social cohesion is further strengthened through the creation of a multi purpose community hub designed to foster social interaction, educational programmes, and cultural celebrations. By integrating gender and inclusion strategies, the project ensures that women are active participants in the design, construction, and management of these vital assets. Vunilagi is currently a prototype looking for approximately $100,000 AUD in funding for further development and pilot deployment.
Supported by UniSC Australia, Vinaka Fiji, Pacific Islands Research Centre at UniSC. This concept was developed as part of a global design competition where it was judged a top 20 global entry. It was a collaboration between UniSC, Nicholas Stevens, Felipe Crisostomo, and POMO.
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