Building my dream Bamboo home in Hawai’i

A friend told me she thought that my bungalow would be a beautiful place to fall in love…

I returned to Hawaii knowing that I wanted to live simply and love greatly. I longed for a small abode I could call my own. The nature surrounding me would be the focus; the house would be secondary. Little did I know that I would find a way to create my dream living environment: a dwelling that mirrors the beauty and elegance of nature nestled within the tropical landscape of my youth; a home that fosters love in all its forms.

THE BACKSTORY

In 2015, I returned home to the Big Island of Hawaii after nearly twelve years away. I had left initially to attend college in Portland, OR, then stayed on the mainland to live and work in other parts of the country (Wisconsin, Texas, DC, California) with Latin American and European travel and a cross-country road trip thrown in. A few months before my thirtieth birthday, I felt a distinct awakening of self and a sudden yearning for home – not just to return to where I was from, but to create a home of my own, and I wanted to do it in Hawaii.

Once I had made the move, I explored my options. I considered building a tiny house on a trailer. Then I purchased an acre of land and figured I could go ahead and build on a permanent foundation. I thought of building something as inexpensive as possible then upgrading down the road. I thought hard about my goals. It was important for me to decide if I wanted a) a fun building project and place to live for a couple of years or b) a home that would stand the test of time and add value to my property. That led to questions regarding my desired investment level – how much did I want to spend and how much time did I want to dedicate to this endeavor?

ALONG COMES BAMBOO LIVING

During this time of contemplation, I joined the team at Bamboo Living and discovered the most serene buildings I had ever experienced. The homes were somehow both simple and elaborate simultaneously. As I learned about the sustainability of bamboo construction, I realized that the homes fit my style and my values. As I continued on my journey of home creation, deciding that I wanted a longer-term solution (a place where I’d want to keep living and an investment in my future), a Bamboo Living home emerged as the answer to my dream.

David Sands, Bamboo Living’s Co-Founder and Chief Architect, also my friend and colleague, took the floor plan that I had sketched and miraculously transformed it into a bamboo bungalow with a flying gable roofline, a high ceiling with exposed bamboo trusses, and a lanai with bamboo poles and pickets that blended into the outdoors. We designed it to be the smallest dwelling that could be permitted in Hawaii, according to local building code. The Puna 352 was born (https://bambooliving.com/index.php/home-styles/bungalows/puna-352). To see the architectural drawings on paper was a thrill, but it was nothing compared to seeing the photos of my home being constructed at Bamboo Living’s factory in Vietnam. First, I saw the bamboo wall framing, then the roof system, the lanai panels, and the exterior split bamboo siding; I marveled at my house taking form. Once just an idea, then a pencil sketch, and then a blueprint, my home now blossomed into existence.

BUILDING MY PARADISE

On a Friday in January 2017, my bamboo home package arrived in a 20-foot shipping container on my land in Hawaiian Paradise Park. The site preparation had already been completed – the cesspool had been dug, the preliminary plumbing was in, and the foundation was poured and polished (to create a stained concrete floor). In addition to the home delivery, a TV production crew also arrived on site that day. Over the next three months, the crew filmed my adventures in home building for an episode of Tiny Paradise, which aired on HGTV in July 2017 (https://youtu.be/jOWcxBl5ixQ).

In just one day, a construction crew of six assembled my 352 square foot home. I helped lift up the pre-built wall panels, and the experienced builders joined them together with steel bolts. It was quite a sight to behold; neighbors would drive by slowly, amazed that there could be a house where there wasn’t one the day before!

Over the following weeks, the crew installed the metal roofing, the fascia, the windows, and the doors. Then Luckey, my lead builder and a complete lifesaver for a first-time owner builder like myself, framed and drywalled the interior walls, built the kitchen counters and a mobile island, installed hanging hammock chairs, created loft storage compartments, and manufactured a built-in daybed. I coordinated with the plumber, electrician, gutter installer, water catchment company, tiler, and solar installer. I did some work myself, covering the tasks that didn’t require advanced skills. I painted the fascia, painted interior walls and doors, added a coat of stain to the exterior, screened the air vents, covered electric wires with bamboo trim, created a kitchen backsplash, and crafted rain chains (https://bambooliving.com/index.php/about-us/blog/301-diy-with-bamboo-living-make-your-own-rain-chain). I also hosted two “bolt cover parties” where I offered food to my amazing aunties, uncles, and friends in exchange for helping me install hundreds of little bamboo cups that conceal the metal bolts throughout the house.

The homebuilding process was one of the most exciting and most stressful experiences of my life. There were so many balls in the air and so many decisions to be made every day. Along with the challenges, however, came the victories, the problems solved, the tasks completed, and the boxes checked. I was continually filled with a sense of accomplishment at every milestone achieved and a feeling of gratitude for everyone that contributed to my build.

A SUSTAINABLE FOUNDATION

I never imagined I’d be able to fight climate change by building a house. By choosing to build a bamboo home, I was able to do just that. I learned that every acre of bamboo that’s put into production saves ten acres of trees from being cut down. (My house may be small, but I was happy to know that I’d saved some trees.) Structural bamboo can be harvested every two to three years, and the bamboo grows right back (it’s a grass!). Bamboo also offers one of the quickest natural ways of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. (The carbon is locked up in the bamboo fiber itself so when it’s used for construction, the carbon is stored for the lifetime of the building.) If we can remove enough carbon dioxide from the air, we can begin to reverse climate change.

There are so many components to a house. For me, the bamboo set the tone for the rest of the build. Everyone who set foot on the construction site was blown away by the unique sanctuary created by the natural bamboo materials. This was not your average house. It was evident that the structure had been built with love and care for every detail, and I felt that reflected back by those who contributed on site. Starting with bamboo as the base, I felt personally inspired to add to its beauty by including other natural materials like mango and koa hardwoods for my kitchen countertops; choosing paint, tiles, and flooring with earthy hues; and displaying nature-centric art.

Since bamboo got me off to a great start sustainability-wise, it made me want to take my home to the next level, to operate fully off-grid. Water catchment was a given in my area so all I needed was off-grid power generation and storage. I had eight solar panels installed on my roof and chose Blue Ion lithium iron phosphate batteries after a visit to Blue Planet Energy’s research lab at Pu’u Wa’awa’a Ranch (more on that here – https://bambooliving.com/index.php/about-us/blog/295-a-glimpse-of-the-future-at-blue-planet-energy). I am proud to say that my little home has a carbon-negative footprint, both in its construction phase as well as in its built state, generating more power than it consumes.

LIVING IN MY VALUES

Three months after the home package assembly day, my bamboo bungalow, the Puna 352, was move-in ready. The end of the homebuilding journey was the beginning of a new chapter of my life. I settled in. I planted fruit trees. I adopted kittens. I had a housewarming party. And two and a half months later, I got to relive the build by watching myself on TV. It was strange and fun. I delighted in sharing with others the joy I felt from creating my tiny abode.

One year later, I feel full of gratitude for my home and the process of creating it. I treasure the calm, tranquil space, and the artisan-quality bamboo joinery makes me feel like I’m living inside a handmade piece of furniture. It is simple and stunning. With bamboo’s beauty, strength, and sustainability, I found exactly what I was looking for. Combining the bamboo elements with my own creativity and sweat has produced a home in which I take great pride. I appreciate knowing that the choices I made when building my house align with my values, and I work every day to continue to live my life with constant concern and affection for our planet.

A friend told me she thought that my bungalow would be a beautiful place to fall in love. And as it so happens, I did fall in love this year, and our first words of love were shared in my home under the canopy of bamboo poles and surrounded by the result of vision, artistry, and hard work.

 

“Quick Facts”

 

Model: Puna 352

Size: 352 SF Interior |  96 SF Porch  |  81 SF Storage Loft

Architect: David Sands, Bamboo Living

Tagline: Smallest permit-able dwelling in Hawaii

Timeline: 9 months from permit submittal to move-in date

Total build cost: $85,000 for the house ($200 per interior SF), $25,000 for solar system, $14,000 for site infrastructure

Location: Hawaiian Paradise Park, Kea’au, Big Island aka “Hawaii Island”

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