Charmaine 'Ilaiū Talei

Charmaine 'Ilaiū Talei is an academic and registered architect from Aotearoa New Zealand. She teaches at the University of Auckland, and as an architect has worked on many buildings within the Pacific region including the refurbishment of the Fua'amotu International Airport in Tonga. She started working in the architectural profession in 2009.

Early life and education ‘Ilaiū Talei grew up in Ōtara, Auckland, and is one of eight children. She has Tongan heritage - her parents are Falakika Lose and ‘Ahoia ‘Ilaiū, both from Tonga. Her mother's Tongan heritage is from Houma, Tongatapu, and she also has links to other places in the Pacific, such as Uvea (Wallis and Futuna) and Samoa. Her father's Tongan heritage is from Tatakamōtonga village in Mu’a, Tongatapu and he also has family links to Ha’apai and Fulaga, Lau Islands, Fiji. and went on to masters study there too finishing in 2008. It is stated she was the first Pacifika person at the University of Auckland to graduate with a research-based Master of Architecture. Professor Deidre Brown was her masters supervisor. In 2016 'Ilaiū Talei graduated with a PhD from the Aboriginal research Centre at the School of Architecture and Planning University of Queensland. Her thesis is titled From thatch to concrete block: architectural transformations of Tongan fale (2016).

In an interview with Karamia Muller in the book Making Space 'Ilaiū Talei acknowledges her parents especially her father in their support of her studies, she said: "My Dad has been such a key role in terms of research and education". which included commercial, educational, healthcare and residential projects in the Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. Part of her work is specialising in co-design and the process of community engagement. Also in Brisbane she worked for the architectural practice Guymer Bailey. She lived in Brisbane for 11 years.

One building project of ‘Ilaiū Talei's was lead project architect for the refurbishment of the Fua'amotu International Airport in Tonga in 2019. It is an interdisciplinary approach, and other members include Sam Manuela (Psychology), Kilisimasi Latu (Engineering), Lena Henry (Urban Planning), Claire Charters (Law), Sereana Naepi (Sociology) and Tia Reihana (Dance Studies). The commissioning organisation the New Zealand Ministry of Justice said of the project: "This design will reflect Te Ao Māori values and concepts including ‘Hohou te Rongo’, which is about resolution and restoration of balance". (Ministry of Justice, 2023)

Publications ‘Ilaiū Talei wrote two chapters in the book Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Planet (2019). The chapters are called, ‘Timber and Palm Vernacular of Tonga’ and ‘Navala and Lau Bure of Fiji’. The topics are about architecture resilient against climate change and 'celebrates Indigenous ingenuity from around the globe' including local natural materials 'sustainable and culturally-imbued vernacular architecture'.