Stuart Thomson from the Rotary Club of Pakuranga, a design engineer, has international reputation in designing roof structures for hurricane force winds and has been the main driving force behind the project from its inception.

Stuart has won first prize in an European design contest for his Stressed Skin Design concept. Stuart is tile current consultant to: BHP-NZ.. New Metal Cladding and Roofing Manufacturers Association; Member of Join Australia NZ Metal Cladding and Roofing Manufacturers' Association and many other relevant Professional bodies.

His aim and design parameters were to produce a low cost house, maximising local materials and labour that will withstand high wind loads of 65 metres a second (not yet experienced In Fiji and insurance requirement being only 45 metres per second using soil, an abundant local resource available free for soil/cement interlocking bricks with working compression strength of 2,000 Wa.40 kg. of soil was shipped to NOW Zealand where a sample bricks were made from Cinva Ram machine and the bricks tested for strength, water erosion, load bearing capabilities, etc.

After an independent evaluation and certification by a Registered Civil Engineer Tony S. Laird of Auckland, New Zealand, Stuart went ahead and designed the Rotacottages. The plans were lodged and approved. Since there were no building codes for mud brick technology, care was taken to lodge a very detailed plans and specification enclosing the Engineer's certificate, all the calculations.

Close monitoring and cooperation was called for in the application as it was felt that this scheme shall have wider application in Fiji The answer of Low income housing, Village Housing and alleviation of squatter problem was seen in this project.