This is the beautiful Ka'a'awa ('Ka-a-ava') valley on Oahu, Hawai'i. For the last six months, we have called this place home, and for Byron, its for real-- Byron was born and raised in that house on the left that is barely in view. We came here in December, 2016, to visit his family for a few weeks and work up some money to continue our travels. Our plans took a ninety degree turn around New Years when we decided that this year would be a perfect time to grow some roots instead of continuing our tumbleweed ways.

   Somehow, magically, Byron owns a small plot of land on the 'Big Island'- Hawai'i.
   The plot was purchased by his great grandfather in the early 1900's and has been passed down to him through the generations.  It has never been built on and has been inhabited only by old growth Ohia trees and native forest species.

    Seated on the border of Puna district in the southeast area of the island, Volcano City perches at 3,700 foot elevation. The village is the only one in the country that is on forest reserve land and the property itself backs onto the Kilauea forest reserve. Kilauea is the most active volcano on the planet... so we feel very lucky that our prospective home is NOT in a lava flow zone.
 
    Because of the high altitude, weather patterns bring in rain on a daily basis and temperatures are about ten to twenty degrees cooler than the tropical areas like Kona. In fact, Volcano City has historically been used by labor workers across all the islands as a place to retreat and cool off during the summer months-- similar to having a cabin on Lake Tahoe if you live in California.



   Once we put all the pieces together (the desire to start a home, the magical property that was just sitting there, waiting for us) we started to think up all sorts of crazy ideas. We drew up floor plans and raked through Pinterest like fiends. Our excitement and enthusiasm was a good indication that we were on the right track with this grand idea.
     The structure depicted here is one of the building ideas that has stuck with us the most. The shape is called a zonohedron or 'zome'.  It is similar to a geodesic dome, but in our opinion, its a bit more badass. Its unique shape and simple geometry and construction method make it stand out as a potential option.

    Beyond the concept of building a house, we began to envision all of the amazing benefits that this opportunity would grant us. We realized the feeling of having absolute freedom for creative expression in our environment. We imagined what it would be like to create a place where we could feel comfortable and supported and also share that retreat environment with friends and family. All of the passions that we practice through acupuncture, body work, tree climbing, cooking, music, and general monkey business, can be offered to anyone who visits.  This land is destined not only to be a private residence, but a place of learning, healing, and community enjoyment.












Comments

  1. well this is just darn exciting ... for many reasons lol. I'll look forward to watching this unfold and coming to visit :) much love and many blessings - from both of us.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Bro, it's Charlie Tree from Facebook!
    Love your story and experiences biulding.
    Hope to pick your vrain on my build!

    ReplyDelete

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