The Ideal "Puna" House Design

[Hotzcatz]

Frequently, folks have entire walls which open. There will be sliding doors which vanish into pockets leaving one wall entirely open to the outside.

Each house is different since generally no two lots and no two owners are the same. For a Hawaii house, the huge eaves are also to keep the sun off the sides of the house so it will be cool inside. Five feet is not too large of an overhang. Having a huge lanai blends the interior living with the outdoor living especially if one edge of the lanai is on grade. If one has a hillside, then a two story house can become wheelchair accessible but it will need some design work to get it that way.

Raising the ceilings also cools off the house as well as vents in the closet floor with louvered closet doors. I generally prefer post and pier, light wood framing with huge roof overhangs and loads of openable windows and fixed glass windows as well. Framing in sheets of glass is an inexpensive way to increase the light and views. If the wood is kept dry and is of a species with some termite resistance, then the house should be expected to last well over 100 years.

Each house will be different.

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"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson