Indigenous Polynesian, Japanese and African cultures were the first to build pole houses, but today's architects are looking back to this ancient technology to build modern homes. Hale Ke'ei Lani, our Kona Big Island Hawaii vacation rental, is a pole house. (See the pole in the photo below, just behind the couch.)
Pole houses stand up to hurricanes, flooding, and earthquakes better than traditional houses. Why? Because the base of the house sits on a platform of interlocking girders, joists, and beams that are bolted into one or more vertical poles. The walls of the house are not load-bearing, so a pole house is a very strong and flexible structure.
Here's more about pole houses: