BYU Married Student's Quarters

The new student housing building on the Brigham Young University of Hawaii Campus utilized cost effective building materials to create a unique Hawaiian plantation style architecture. The concrete masonry units that are used to construct the exterior walls were selected for these projects for their inherent durability and cost effectiveness as well as their structural capabilities. The CMU exterior walls become major structural components for the building both vertically and laterally serving the dual purpose of exterior wall and structure. An applied elastomeric paint finish to the exterior of the CMU adds color and warmth to the buildings as well as providing a moisture barrier that is important to tropical architecture. Overall, these simple yet elegant buildings show the pleasing possibilities one can arrive at with the use of basic concrete masonry units.