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Leimana Pelton
Dean Johnston

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Dean Johnston >

Dean Johnston, (b. Elizabeth, N.J.’56, bs. Stetson University,’77), recently graduated with honors, from the University of Hawaii, with the Master of Architecture degree. Deans’ focus area is ecological design and his thesis research analyzed the structural qualities of timber bamboo, studying 4 Hawaiian species and 2 Vietnamese species. He will be presenting the results of this research at the San Francisco Institute of Architecture Conference, ‘Ecological Design: The Unstoppable Wave’ in Berkeley, July 4-7, 2002.
Prior to his return to school he had over 20 years experience in the design and construction of homes, cabinetry and furniture. His first residential design-build effort completed in 1983, was a 1,500 sq.ft. super insulated, passive solar home in upstate N.Y. From 1989 to 1998 Dean owned and operated The Woodworker’s Shop in Maui, Hawaii, where Dean and his team created a wide variety of custom furniture and architectural millwork specialties. Several of Dean’s furniture designs received national awards and were included in national and international exhibitions. A ‘recycled’ edition of Dean’s piece, Furniture as American Pastime, was included in the Rhode Island School of Design invitational exhibit, Conservation By Design, 1994.
Deans lifelong passion for organic gardening, growing awareness of permaculture and our need for sustainable building materials, were brought together by a small but healthy cutting of Bambusa vulgaris vittata (Golden Jade Bamboo), received as a gift in 1995. Amazed at the rate of growth compared to all of his other plants, Dean began his inquiry into things bamboo. The four day workshop ‘Designing and Building with Bamboo’ with Dr. Jules Janssen, hosted by the Hawaii Bamboo Society in July, 1997, was pivotal in cementing Dean’s commitment to bamboo.
The results of Dean’s recent research efforts, as well as the recent similar work of Deepak Shrestha of WSU, strongly support the inclusion of bamboo as a structural material in the national building codes. In affiliation with the University of Hawaii, College of Engineering and EcoTerrestrial Concepts, Dean plans to continue and expand the research into bamboo connections, construction systems, preservation, and propagation methods.
In a separate research endeavor, Dean is assisting, Bruce Etherington PhD. FAIA, develop soil/cement/ash/cinder ratios in preparation for the construction of the first U.S. residence to feature Dr. Ethrington’s LokBild system of interlocking soil cement blocks. Field trials are planned for Fall, 2002.
Dean is very impressed with the work of Leimana Pelton and integrity of EcoTerrestrial Concepts projects, and excited to be a member of the Bamboo Village Team.