NEW NEWS >

February 1, 2008

Winged Gothic Arch Construction Workshop

My focus has always been to develop ways of building with bamboo in it's natural form that would make it practical as an alternative to conventional lumber. Joinery is the key. The metal brackets that I have produced have evolved to fewer, more versatile designs that are proving themselves more with each structure I build.

We are planning a workshop to build a new research "Winged Arch" structure at the villageland that will utilize the joinery system. The overall dimensions will be 80' long, 60' wide, and 30' high, making it the largest bamboo structure in the Pacific and North America. Anyone who is interested in being a participant of this workshop should email us to request to be added to the signup list. We will notify all at the time when the dates and details are set. At that time we will accept payments for workshop fees.

We are planning 3 to 4 separate sessions of one week each. Each session will be to construct a complete section of the building from the ground to the clear story top, including the roofing material cover; most likely a poly carbonate corrugated sheeting. We will accept only 10 participants for each session. On site accommodations will be covered camping platforms. Toilet and shower facilities will be rustic and improvisational but adequate. We will prepare our own meals collectively. When the registration information is sent out we will also list some nearby offsite accommodations.

In the meantime here is the latest little screenhouse winged arch built using the joinery system.

PUNA HALE **** For plants and people ****

The bamboo frame arches up from the custom concrete footings to the 6" pvc ridge pipe forming a gothic arch with rafters that extend out five feet on either side to the cantilevered eves. In the rainy district of Puna, on the Big Island of Hawaii, interior protection from wind and rain is a must. The double pitch of the tarp covering maintains tension and stability with no wind flapping. As an open structure the interior stays cool and breezy. Adding the suspended monofilament screen fabric transforms the enclosure to a cozy and bright, bug free environment. The footprint of this first prototype is 12 feet wide and 16 feet long. The overall roof coverage is 18feet wide by 24 feet long. The recycled lumber front and rear inner frame and door connected by full length base boards and weed mat floor acilitate ease of entry and a very secure interior.


In the rear overhang of the arch, on either side of the ridge, are cpvc pipe solar hot water collectors coupled to the black ridge pipe that serves as the storage tank. Together with the demand heater in the front, the water system consistently produces the 115 degree F. water that we need to eliminate coqui frogs and eggs from our potted bamboo plants in our nursery sales.


The design utilizes my steel joinery system. Once it is put together it can easily be dismantled and reassembled at any other suitable location. As with other canvas covered structure designs using this joinery, they are considered "temporary" by the building department, but can last indefinitely. I intend to conduct workshops for prospective owners, and others i nterested in the possibilities of building bamboo structures with this system. At this early phase of development the cost of the system is higher than I would want due to small scale production, but that will hopefully change in the near future.







OLD NEWS >

April 26, 2007

Bamboo Homestead for Sale

After 27 years of loving care, Leimana Pelton (sculptor and structural bamboo designer) is selling his 6 acre off grid homestead 10 miles from Hilo in Kurtistown (Orchidland Estates) Puna, Big Island of Hawaii.

The homestead has a 20 year old owner built 2bd/1bth 600 sq. ft. second story post & beam house with a carport, laundry room, shower, mechanical room, and utility area downstairs.

An attached office, and 12 foot high storage room are the first part of the 2,000 sq. ft. main house built to engineer specs but no final building permits. In addition there is a 224 sq. ft. guest cabin, and 3 prepared future building sites.

There is a 20 X 20 bamboo pavilion with a double pitched ferro cement roof with an adjoining solar drying room with solar hot water. In addition there is a mushroom shaped ferro cement outdoor bathroom across from a 5 person stone hot tub.

The electrical system is a 240/120 AC and 12 VDC, powered by a 30 amp solar P.V. array, 2 kw inverter and 8 kw diesel generator backup. A new 6,000 gallon ferrocement water catchment tank with deck roof was installed in February of 2006. And the telephone lines are underground.

With a natural open network it is landscaped with most of the existing native Ohia trees, an abundant assortment of mature fruit trees, and lots of other tropical plants. Additionally there is a garden and 2 acres of pasture surrounded by various timber trees.

Most of the land has natural contours. Only the building site, gravel driveway, pasture perimeter, and orchard plantings were bulldozer ripped for practical reasons.

There is a wide variety of mostly tropical clumping timber and edible bamboos planted from 1996 to the present throughout the 6acres.

Looking for a new owner who loves to spend time at home caring for the abundant surroundings and who wants to live sustainable and is capable of continuing with this work in progress.

Owner will provide financing and will need time to move into my future v illage.

For more information email info@bamboovillagehawaii.org and enter homestead as the subject.
November 2, 2006

This past year has left me with little time for writing entries for the Bamboo Village Hawaii Website so I will summarize this time gone by and the present day.

It has been sad to turn away eager students during the past year who have requested bamboo training. There is much work (on accommodations, staffing and administration) that needs to be worked out preceding the training programs that we would like to provide.

We have needed funding for all of this but our time has been consumed with income oriented work.

We are currently seeking a volunteer(s) to help us with grant writing and fundraising. If you are interested in volunteering your services please e-mail info@bamboovillagehawaii.org.

There were several interns here who helped out with the work at the Village land and at the headquarters. The last of our interns; Gordon, Eric, and my own grandson Shaine left the Big Island at the end of summer 2005, to pursue their personal futures.

In February of this year the Home and Garden Television Network came to Hawaii out to film for a new program called "Look What I Did". The "Parahut" structure that we set up in April of 2003 will be featured in one of the episodes of this program, which premiere's Sunday November 5th, 2006 on HGTV.

Recently I have completed the Jungalow™ 9S-13 and set it up at the Village site with the help of Chris Costa, my construction assistant. This is a 130 square foot - 9 sided structure made with bamboo wall panels and a composite roof (photo at right). On September 30, 2006 Bamboo Village Hawaii had an open house for this structure.

And on October 19, 2006 Bamboo Village Hawaii hosted a tour for the American Bamboo Society's Annual Conference, which was in Hilo Hawaii this year. This tour featured the Parahut and the Jungalow™ in addition to the several varieties of bamboo that are at Bamboo Village Hawaii village land.

All of this activity that has been occurring at Bamboo Village Hawaii village site has made me quite aware that in order to achieve the goals of BVH, I need to live at the village. So I have decided to sell my home and headquarters in Kurtistown, Hawaii and move the village site.

Once the infrastructure and staff are in place we plan to accept individuals for workshops and intern training on a fee and work trade basis. Until then we will try to keep our website more up to date as we move forward.

I want to acknowledge the following people who have given so much time and effort to help me with the past, present and future goals of our "Bamboo Way":

Sunnye Newport has a BA of Arts from the University of Hartford. She is the Administrative Assistant for BVH and a Master Gardener. Without Sunnye and her computer and administrative skills no one would know about BVH. She maintains our website, vegetable gardens and cares for our bamboo nursery. In addition she provides me with essential linear organization and me and the animal critters with a loving care friendship.

Chris Costa has attended the Coastal North Carolina University. He is my construction assistant and has brought alternative building skills to BVH. He has an extensive background of compassionate sincere psychological support training. I see him as a great teacher, co - worker, villager and close loving friend.

Shawn "Mo'o" James - weaves thru our community of volunteers a commitment to bamboo construction skills, as well as being a talented musician who will perhaps enhance our village from time to time with his unique personality and uplifting harmonious sprit.


Interns that visited in 2005

Ross Anderson is a Yale University architecture graduate. He not only embraced bamboo as a important addition to his design goals but share his enthusiastic commitment to extend his knowledge to others less fortunate around the world. He simultaneously trained with local professionals here in acrobatics and learned how to surf.

Michelle Lee is a Yale University Environmental/Biology graduate. She combined her biology background with enthusiastic s bamboo skills to increase her ability to provide humanity with a better appreciation and co existence with nature. In general one of the most interesting and hard working people I've ever met.

Gordon Karau is an architecture graduate student from Nova Scotia. This young man lives to design and was exceptionally attentive to learning learner of all training offered him He also produced exceptionally beautiful CAD drawings with his masterful computer generated imagery. Gordon is considering a position with the engineering department of University of Hawaii at Manoa upon graduation.

Eric Reid came from Costa Rica where he pursued alternative building techniques. He also had a background in music which he enjoyed sharing with all who would listen and even taught guitar. Eric went to Brazil from here to continue his studies in permaculture, bamboo and music.

Olivia Kany is a Yale University graduate, with masters from UK in Asian culture. She is an avid photographer dedicated to applying her full attention to the people of Burma, who are rich in culture and co exist peacefully with nature. She hopes to coordinate contemporary utilization of bamboo to these people who have a deep understanding of bamboo traditions.

Shaine Ray, besides being my grandson he was immersed with the interns in all of our projects as the youngest to explore bamboo building techniques. After leaving her he entered college at the University of North Carolina.

WEB LOG


April 2, 2005

Currently we have three people here working with Bamboo Village Hawaii as interns and have decided to post a Web Log of their experiences. Ross Anderson writes this first log.

Today marks the end of a productive week with the newest Intern ("Terrestrial/Villager"), all the way from British Columbia, Canada, Gordon Karau. We have new projects planned as we near the end of a few large endeavors. Firstly, the model for the Hana High school Pavilion on Maui has been a great collaborative effort between Leimana, Ross, and Michelle, the two interns who arrived in February, and now Gordon. After a month of working with Leimana's original design, we have been able to understand the components of his inspirations, Antonio Gaudi, and master bamboo architect, Simon Velez.

The roof will cantilever ten feet from the support log beams and posts with a truss system that meets at a center ring welded together with steel plates for the chords and trusses to join. The model shows the wonders of geometry from different perspectives inside the pavilion, especially the star pattern at the center. At one point in building the model's final roof purlins, we decided that skylights would add to the central tower details to bring light into the interior with an effect like the oculus in the Roman Pantheon. Twelve sided and built into a slope, the capped walls will also gradually descend, becoming perfect benches for gatherings with a natural sloping stage at the back. The completed model allows us to envision the structure as a lasting community and ceremonial center piece- something to bring pride and hands-on experience to the Hana high school. In time, there will be the opportunity to train and educate the youth and families in the Hana community to build with the greatest natural building material humans have ever used--bamboo. This experience is at the heart of Bamboo Village Hawaii's mission- spread the seed of bamboo wisdom to the next generation.

In the spirit of Antonio Gaudi; the tower, retaining walls, and cement floor will offer a great canvas to tile and sculpt giving personality and adventure to the intricacies of the building and the experience of the youth becoming craftsman. In building the model from the smallest detail on up, the most ambitious plans can be imagined and worked through. The actual assembly procedure becomes clearer and presents the major design challenges before construction begins. From the spiraling center piece tower, the model endeavor led us to plan spiraling waves of rebar under the plaster layers of ferro-cement applied to the roof. These waves will bring the movement of the oceans, the skies, and the land into the visual and tangible textures of the structure. They will sit like the spines of gecko lizards basking in the Pacific sun on lava rocks.

With four minds working on the details, the manufacturing instructions for the 9S Jungalow ™ design have clarified and become more logically defined. We have now assembled the three final walls for the prototype making fine, custom cuts with the band saw, chop saw, skill saw, and chisels. Though lengthening the work time at this point, this experience introduced new woodworking skills in the context of a very demanding material-Bamboo. As interns, we newly appreciate the value of workshop etiquette, which we hope has improved. We remind one another to write down notes clearly, double-checking constantly to make the process more strategic and easily repeated. The final product will display the use of bamboo with locally salvaged hardwood. The 9S Jungalow™ custom wall panels express the beauty of Bamboo's idiosyncratic curves and individual uniqueness. Hidden electric and catch water systems make the Jungalow an accessible, aesthetic, and efficient living machine.

Yesterday as a team of four, we harvested ten poles of Guadua Angustifolia from seven-year-old clumps on the Village land. We returned them to the treatment center, prepared them for the table, and had them pumping out sap and solution in under three hours. This is an exciting new level of efficiency and skill for this crew of Terrestrials. In the field, Leimana talks us through his thought processes, instructing us all with a thorough analysis of clump management. At the Village land, a great garden is under way with eight-foot tall tomato, Lilikoi, and snow pea swirling and undulating bamboo trellises, next to beds of organic greens and vegetables. A hedge of corn will confine the sprawling pumpkin patch to the new Hapu'u tree fern thicket area adjoining the fruit tree orchard. In three months time, the garden should feed us well.

The projects on the horizon include some small design and craft with bamboo, including stools and a kitchen table at the land. On the side, Michelle and Ross are going to experiment with poles of strictus from a neighbors clump to build a studio/living space to practice acrobatics, Yoga, and newly acquired circus tricks from local groups. The structure will apply the u-bolt bracket system they devised for a relief housing design competition two months ago. Also exciting, the bathhouse and a Gothic arch workshop structure are on the map for the next few months. Each day seems to bring new lessons and opportunities for improving our teamwork and creative innovations. It seems that Terrestrials have a lot in common. We all seem to have crafty, magical hands, an appreciation for the ocean, a deep love for dirt, and a serious case of the "strictus sickness"-the modern bamboo epidemic.

Ross

Upcoming Event: On Saturday April 24, 2004 we will be dividing and propagating/planting a Guadua Angustifolia Bamboo Clump at the Village site.


For those of you who asked to be included in our next event, as well as any other bamboo and rainforest lovers we will be having a little different agenda for April.


We will start the day by taking an approximately 1 hour walk thru an area of an old Kipuka, where we will remove invasive seedlings that are sprouting in the rich soil.


Next we will create small fertile soil beds where the culm cuttings and rhizome divisions will establish themselves free of competition.


Once we have the planting beds prepared we will be dividing a clump of guadua. The culm cuttings and rhizome divisions will go directly into the ground in these newly prepared beds. Please know that guadua is quite a thorny bamboo and that dividing a clump can be quite laborious. If you would like to participate in this event you will need to have appropriate clothing and bring pruners.


Each participant will get a Guadua cutting to plant at home.


Schedule for April 24,2004


9 am - 12 noon .......... Walk & pull seedlings and create planting beds


12 noon - 1 pm .......... Potluck lunch


1 pm - till ? ................ Division of Guadua clump and planting of culm cuttings and rhizomes


If you are interested please e-mail us at info@bamboovillagehawaii.org.


Please RSVP by 04/12/04 and directions to the Village site will be sent to you. If you have already been to the Village site we still need you to RSVP so we know how many participants we are going to have at this event. Mahalo



Forest Clean Up and Demonstration/Lecture Tour


February 7, 2004 was a high-energy enjoyable experience for all. Morning clouds kept us cool and yet spared us form rain; nature seemed to applaud our efforts to reclaim the space surrounding the majestic old ohias from the choking crowds of invading plants.


Twenty-two people from all around the Big Island and 2 people from Maui arrived dressed and equipped for serious hand pulling, hauling and cutting of forest intruders. The selected area was cleaned out so quickly that well before lunch we had to select another forest area for swift eco action.


The Hapu'u ferns can now flourish, spreading their fronds. Underneath them on the shaded ground will soon be many native varieties of grass, potatoes and yam vines along with orchids and other beautiful low growing endemic plants.


Lots of delicious food and bamboo stories were shared at lunch. Mahalo nui all of you for making this experience so sweet!

Success of Parahut "Work Days" event:


This is old but very worthy news of our "Work Days" event. We did manage to display the photos before, now here is the story to accompany them.


Like days of old when communities would come together to build structures, around 20 people came to reassemble our little "Parahut" atop the ten-foot tall platform at our Village site (this was the first time this structure was completely assembled).


The first day the walls were fitted together, and on the second and third day the parabolic arch roof frame and the rubberized polyethylene canvas challenged us with the inevitable difficulties of a prototype design.


It was fun for all including the children and parents who watched the parts transform into the lofty cottage amongst the tall Ohia trees and the Hapu'u tree ferns. With the combined enthusiasm and cooperative energies of the local and international volunteers we have nearly completed another of the many steps towards building our bamboo village.


Details on the roof and the lower level are still in progress. The ferro-bamboo cement bathhouse slab beckons to be the next community creation at our Village site. (At least the toilet works!)

LINKS > Bamboo Village Hawaii is pleased to announce its new affiliation with A.W.I.S.H. foundation, A World Institute for Sustainable Humanity, www.awish.net Much Mahalo goes out to C.E.O., Michael Karp, for his help in bringing our organizations closer together as we work toward eco-ethical solutions for the future.

International Network of Bamboo and Rattan or INBAR
www.inbar.int

American Bamboo Society
www.americanbamboo.org

Hawaiian Chapter of the American Bamboo Society www.hawaiibamboosociety.org