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APRIL 2014.  BACK TO THE WINCH PROJECT.  PAEA TOVI AND HIS CREW OF TONGANS DID WHAT THEY DO BEST.   BUILD AWESOME THINGS OUT OF ROCKS.   FIRST THE LAVA ROCKS NEEDED TO BE COLLECTED FROM THE SITE.   FORTUNATELY THE SITE IS LITTERED WITH THEM.  BUT THAT DOESN'T EXACTLY MAKE THIS TASK EASY.   FOR ONE, THEY ARE VERY HEAVY ROCKS AND ITS NOT EXACTLY FLAT TERRAIN.   FOR TWO, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE 80 LB BAGS OF CONCRETE HAD TO BE HIKED 300' UPHILL FROM THE ROAD.   SO WITH THE MATERIALS ON DECK, SOME STRINGS AND THE PLUMB BOB AS HIS GUIDE, PAEA WENT TO WORK.   

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MARCH 18, 2014.  TODAY WAS A GLORIOUS DAY.   WE DID WHAT THE 3 PREVIOUS LAND OWNERS BEFORE US HAD ATTEMPTED BUT NEVER ACCOMPLISHED.   WE GOT A CITY CONNECTED POTABLE WATER SUPPLY METER INSTALLED TO OUR PROPERTY FROM THE BOARD OF WATER SUPPLY.   IT ONLY REQUIRED WE BUILD A RECEIVING TANK WITH A  2" AIR GAP, INSTALL AN AUTOMATED FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM FOR THE HOUSE, PUT IN A FIRE ACCESS STAIR AND FIRE TRUCK LANE, AND GROW THE FRONT DOOR OF THE HOUSE DOWNHILL TO BE WITHIN 150' OF THE FIRE ACCESS LANE.   SIMPLE RIGHT? WELL, WHILE I KNEW THESE LIFE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS WERE GOING TO  HIT OUR WALLET HARD, I COULDN'T ARGUE THE FACT THAT THEY WERE GOOD IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE CONSIDERING THE ACCESS CHALLENGES OF LIVING DEEP AMONG THE TREES.  IRONIC THAT WE HAVE TO DO ALL THIS TO GET A WATER CONNECTION THAT WE DON'T EVER INTEND TO USE.  LIVING BUILDINGS MUST BE 100% NET-ZERO WATER FROM CAPTURED PRECIPITATION OR CLOSED LOOP WATER SYSTEMS. IF WE SUCCEED IN OUR QUEST, THAT WATER METER WAS GOING TO REMAIN AT ZERO.  

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MARCH 17, 2014. DID I MENTION THAT BOBBY WATANABE IS ONE GNARLY DUDE WHEN IT COMES TO CLIMBING AND TRIMMING TREES.   HERE HE SCALES THIS MONSTER BANYAN TREE BEHIND THE HOUSE TO TAKE BACK THE CANOPY SO IT ISN'T DRAPED OVER THE BUILDING'S ROOF LINES.  THERE ARE TWO THINGS YOU MUST HAVE IF THIS IS YOUR OCCUPATION.  

1. A GOOD PAIR OF CLIMBING SHOES.  

2. A REALLY GOOD LIFE INSURANCE POLICY.   

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MARCH 6TH, 2014.  WE ONLY CUT ONE TREE DOWN IN THE BUILDING OF THIS HOUSE.  IT WAS AN INVASIVE SPECIE, A EUCALYPTUS TREE, BUT LARGE ENOUGH THAT WE WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED IT GRANDFATHERED IN.   THE DESIGN OF THE FLOOR PLAN ACTUALLY WORKED AROUND THIS TREE IN AN EFFORT TO PRESERVE IT, HOWEVER IN THE 2 YEARS BETWEEN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, THE TREE HAD STARTED LEANING INTO THE WALL LINES OF THE BUILDING. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CUT THE TREE DOWN WHICH PROVED TO BE A GOOD IDEA.   WHEN WE CUT IT WE DISCOVERED THAT A COLONY OF FORMOSAN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES HAD BEEN EATING THE TREE FROM THE INSIDE OUT.  I WAS GLAD WE TOOK THE TREE OUT BEFORE IT TOOK US OUT.   SINCE WE WERE CUTTING THE TREE DOWN, I BOUGHT A CHAINSAW THAT COULD CUT SLABS INTO THE TRUNK SO WE COULD DRY THEM TO BUILD FURNITURE AND MILLWORK.   EUCALYPTUS WOOD IS BEAUTIFUL. BOBBY WATANABE, A CERTIFIED ARBORIST AND OWNER OF THE TREE TRIMMING COMPANY HE FOUNDED CALLED "HAPPY TREES" IS SHOWN HERE TAKING DOWN THIS TREE LIKE A SURGEON.    NO OTHER TREES WERE INJURED IN THE PROCESS.  HENCE THE NAME, HAPPY TREES. 

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MARCH 17, 2015. THE WINCH SYSTEM WAS ONE OF THOSE DIY PROJECTS THAT STARTED OFF SMALL AND SIMPLE AND GREW TO BE BIG AND COMPLICATED.   AS I MENTIONED IN BLOG ENTRY .0005, WE HAD A MANGO TREE TO ANCHOR OUR ZIPLINE TO AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, BUT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING EQUIVALENT TO ANCHOR TO AT THE BOTTOM.    SO THE NEXT TASK FOR MY SPECIAL TEAMS CREW WAS TO MAKE OUR OWN MANGO TREE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL OUT OF CONCRETE AND STEEL.    I WAS GOING TO NEED SOME STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING ADVICE FROM DANNY FUJIOKA OF NAGAMINE OKAWA ENGINEERS INC.  (NOEI)

WHAT RESULTED WAS A 16" DIA CONCRETE COLUMN THAT WOULD STAND 14'-0" ABOVE GRADE, SUPPORTED BY A 3'-0" DEEP FOUNDATION APROXIMATELY 6'-0" SQUARE.   IT APPEARED I HAD BIT OFF MORE THAN I COULD CHEW WITH THIS PROJECT, BUT WE NEEDED THE WINCH TO PROCEED WITH CONSTRUCTION SO WE PUT OUR HEADS DOWN AND PROCEEDED.   WITH ALL THIS BLOOD AND SWEAT GOING INTO THE WINCH PROJECT, I DECIDED TO ENGINEER THE CONCRETE COLUMN TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT A VERTICAL AXIS DOUBLE HELICAL WIND TURBINE THAT I WANTED TO INCLUDE IN THE PROJECT IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING THE ZIP LINE CABLE FOR THE WINCH.   ITS A GOOD THING I HAD NOEI ON THE SPEED DIAL.   LITTLE DID I KNOW THIS WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING.  

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APRIL 2014. MEANWHILE ON THE OTHERSIDE OF THE HILL, THERE WAS ANOTHER SET OF STRINGS STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE.   FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW AND SEVERAL BOTTLES OF SCOTCH LATER,  I'VE BEEN DREAMING UP A WINCH SYSTEM THAT COULD TRANSPORT MATERIAL UP THE MOUNTAIN TO THE BUILD SITE.   IT WAS A LONG VERTICAL RUN TO PULL OFF WITHOUT ANY INTERMEDIATE SUPPORTS.   MY IDEA RELIED ON A HUGE MANGO TREE STUMP THAT WAS STILL GROWING NEXT TO THE HOUSE, SOME SALVAGED STEEL ARRESTOR CABLES, AN OLD BRASS PULLEY, SEVERAL ARM LENGTH STEEL TURNBUCKLES, A HANDFULL OF CHAINS, AN OLD POOL PUMP MOTOR,  A GEAR BOX AND A SPOOL THAT I FOUND ON CRAIGSLIST.   I HAD FIGURED IT OUT IN MY HEAD BUT COMMUNICATING IT TO EVERYONE ELSE, THAT WAS NOT SO EASY.   THIS WAS A SPECIAL PROJECT REQUIRING A SPECIAL TEAM OF MAD SCIENTIST.   PAUL LARSEN AND EVAN STEWART WOULD BECOME MY "SPECIAL-TEAMS" CREW FOR THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT.  THESE GUYS WILL DO ANYTHING AND ARE WILLING TO GO ANYWHERE AS LONG AS THERE'S COLD BEER WAITING FOR THEM WHEN THEY GET THERE.   

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APRIL 2014. THE HARD PART ABOUT BUILDING IN THE JUNGLE, THERE ARE NO REFERENCE POINTS.    TRANSFERING AN OFF AXIS BUILDING FLOOR PLAN ONTO A NATURALLY SLOPED HEAVILY WOODED LOT WITH NO FIXED POINTS OTHER THAN TREES AND ROCKS WAS NO SIMPLE TASK.   FORTUNATELY THIS WASN'T THE FIRST TIME AROUND THE BLOCK FOR BRYAN ALLEN CONSTRUCTION AND THEY GOT IT DONE.  SUDDENLY THE JUNGLE WAS INVADED BY STRINGS.    ALL WE WERE MISSING WAS CATHERINE ZETA-JONES IN A JUMP SUIT AND WE HAD THE SCREEN SET SEQUAL TO  THE MOVIE ENTRAPMENT?  

SIDENOTE 1: ALL OF OUR BATTER BOARDS AND FORM WOOD WAS CONSTRUCTED FROM RECLAIMED LUMBER.   NO NEW LUMBER WAS USED TO LAYOUT THIS LIVING BUILDING.  THIS IS A PERFECT USE FOR THOSE SHORT, CROOKED TERMITE EATEN BOARDS SITTING AROUND UNDER YOUR HOUSE.  

SIDENOTE 2: MY DILIGENT DOG HOLYFIELD (A.K.A. MUSHU) MADE SURE TO KEEP LEAD BAC CARPENTER, IAN SHEA, ON THIS TOES ON A DAILY BASIS.   I NEEDED A JOB SUPERINTENDENT TO  ENFORCE SOME QUALITY CONTROL MEASURES WHILE I WAS AT WORK.   AFTER ALL, WHILE ALL THIS IS GOING ON IN THE FOREST, I STILL HAVE  A DAY JOB TO ATTEND TO. AHH, THE LIFE OF AN ASPIRING ARCHITECT.  

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APRIL.2014 - OVER THE YEARS TREES HAD FALLEND AND BROKEN THE WALLS AND ERROSION HAD UNDERMIDED SOME OF THE ROCKS.   THESE DILAPIDATED ROCK WALLS WOULD BE RESTORED AND BECOME THE FOUDATION BASE FOR OUR NEW LIVING BUILDING.   ALL THE ROCKS USED ON THE PROJECT WERE COLLECTED FROM THE SITE.   NO ROCKS WERE BROUGHT IN TO BUILD HALEOLA'ILI'AINAPONO.   A HAWAIIAN KAHU RESEARCHED THE SITE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE ROCKS WERE NOT SACRED AND WERE AVAILABLE TO USE.  THE GUYS WHO REBUILT THE WALLS WERE AMAZING.    PAEA TOVI AND HIS CREW MADE IT HAPPEN DISPITE HAVING TO CARRY EACH AND EVERY 80LB BAG OF CONCRETE UP THE MOUNTAIN NEARLY 350FT (OVER A FOOTBALL FIELD) FROM THE DRIVEWAY.    THESE TONGANS ARE NOT HUMAN! I'LL HAVE WHATEVER THEY'RE EATTING FOR BREAKFAST PLEASE!

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MARCH.2014 - AFTER CLEARING THE INVASIVES OUT, THE SPACE WAS A LOT MORE OPEN.  THE ADDED SUNLIGHT DELIVERED FRESH NEW ENERGY TO THE AINA.   WHAT WE FOUND WAS A PLEASANT SURPRISE.   BENEATH THE LAYERS OF POTHOS VINES, FIDDLEWOOD, ALBEZIA & EUCALYPTUS TREEES, WE FOUND THE REMNANTS OF A SERIES OF OLD ROCK TERRACE WALLS.  IT WAS AS IF THE SITE WAS TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING.   IT HAD BEEN WAITING FOR US TO ARRIVE ALL THIS TIME. 

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FEBRUARY.2014 - THE PROJECT SITE WAS COVERED IN INVASIVE SPECIES.  LITTLE DID WE KNOW WE'D FIND A SURPRISE AFTER WE REMOVED THEM. ITS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT ALMOST EVERY TREE/PLANT YOU SEE IN THIS PHOTO GALLERY IS INVASIVE TO HAWAII.  THIS IS AN ALL TOO COMMON SIGHT FOUND IN OUR GREENFIELDS TODAY.   THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT OF HALEOLA'ILI'AINAPONO WAS DELIBERATELY PLACED WHERE THE INVASIVE SPECIES HAD ALREADY TAKEN OVER THE SITE.   ALL FRUIT BEARING LEGACY TREES WERE LEFT IN PLACE AND THE BUILDING PLAN LAYOUT WOULD SNAKE AROUND THEM.  THIS INCREASED THE CIRCULATION AREA NEEDED FOR THE BUILDING AS THE FORM BROKE FREE FROM THE CONVENTIONAL BOX LIKE LAYOUT.