Ko ngā whare hōuka me ngā wharepaku he ara hou ki te noho ake i ngā wā kua tō, e whai ana i te whaihua, te āhua me te whakamahinga. Kua whanaketia kia noho pārekareka ai kātahi ka taea e kāhua katoa ngā taiao. Ko te tikanga hōu o te hōuka e āwhina ana i te māmā te huri i te kotiro iti ki te whare nui, nō reira he tino pai hoki ki ngā tāone, ki ngā kainga hoki. Ko te whai wharepaku ka whakapai ake i tōu wheako noho, e tuku ana i tētahi wāhi takotoranga nō waho hei noho whakapakari, hei mōhio ki te taiao, hei whakapāwhara hoki i ngā manuhiri.
Kāore ngā whare panuku a matou i te māmā noa iho i te āhua; kua hangaia ki te kounga, ki te roa hoki. Kua whai wāhi tēnā kotahi ki ngā whakamātau whakamutunga, ki ngā tirotiro kounga hoki kia whakaritea koa te tūhono ki ngā tātai tikangia. Ki ā matou rākau whakauru, ka taea e koe te kōwhiri i ētahi tauira, āhua hoki e tōia ana ki tōu āhua, ki ngā hiahia arataki anō hoki. Anō hoki, ko tā matou whakapono ki ngā taputapu e pai ana ki te taiao ka whakapumau i tō whiriwhiri e tika ana. Whai wāhi ki te whakarahi, ki te whirinakitanga o ngā whare panuku a matou ki ngā papa tuarangi, arā ko te āhua hou e noho tōtika ana ki ngā whakautu arataki.