Traditional hale were constructed of native woods lashed together with cordage. Materials for thatching were provided by the renewable resource of plant leaves and grasses.   
The grass cabins are of a grayish color, are shaped much like our cottages, only with higher and steeper roofs usually, and are made of some kind of weed strongly bound together in bundles. The roofs are very thick, and so are the walls; the latter have square holes in them for windows. At a distance these cabins have a furry appearance, as if they might be made of bearskins. They are very cool and pleasant inside.
Thatch shelters were not all family homes. They served many purposes. A hale like this could have been used at a fish camp for a few days visit. A Hawaiian village consisted of many different types of hale. Different hale provided places for different kinds of work and rest.