Dream House and Barn in Maui
Building a Barn in Maui
Building a Barn in Maui
by Eric Newman

I love my Barn.  It's really a workshop with an attached greenhouse, but since we're on agricultural land, and since it was made to look like a barn, it's called a barn.  These days it's fashionable to call such a retreat a Man Cave.

Building a Multi-Use Barn: For Garage, Animals, Workshop, or StudioBuilding a Multi-Use Barn, by John D. Wagner cover
Click Book Cover for More Info.
  The first house design actually had a 160 sq. ft. indoor workshop.  Why design a custom home and not do some crazy crap?  But 160 sq. ft. would be a little sissy workshop, so I designed a 1,440 sq. ft. two-story workshop with a second office, french doors opening onto a balcony with a great view, and a 360 sq. ft. greenhouse, for a total of 1,800 sq. ft.  Since the barn/workshop cost 1/8 the price per square foot of the house, it made sense to move the workshop outside the house.

The barn was a pleasure to design and build, and was based largely on designs in the book Building a Multi-Use Barn, by John D. Wagner.  In the first pages of his book, Wagner mentions that he's seen a lot of barns, and a 24 ft. by 30 ft. barn is the ideal size, so that's the only size he'll discuss.  I laid out a 24 ft. by 30 ft. outline on the ground using ordinary baking flour, and I had to agree, that was a good size.  After the barn was completed, I e-mailed some pictures to the author and we exchanged a few e-mails.


I didn't want the barn close to the house so I built it on a hill above the house and hugged the property line.  The CC&Rs require a 30 ft. set back but I got a variance to build it 15 ft. from the property line.

The intention for the barn was to have distinct areas downstairs for wood working tools and metal working tools.  Upstairs would mainly be for storage and exercise equipment, with a dormer roof for a 10 ft. by 12 ft. office.  Toward the end of the design a small balcony was added with french doors.  Only the center 2/3 of upstairs, plus the dormer, has standing head room.  The perimeter of the long sides would be used for storage.

3D Builders, who built the house, was supposed to build the barn.  As the house was being finished, there was specific exact budget set aside to build a barn.  Dozens of times, Don Roth, president of 3D Builders, assured us that they could build the barn for that price.  We were skeptical so every week we'd ask if he was sure.  "If we can't, I'll build it myself." 
Where Workshop Goes
Where Workshop Goes

When it came down to it, 3D Builders either wouldn't or couldn't build the barn for the previous agreed-upon price, and not by a fair margin.  While we bickered about price, I paid my own subcontractor to pour the foundation and build two retaining walls.  We never came to an agreement on price, and by that time the grading for the foundation was complete, so something was damn-well gonna be built.  I proceeded as an owner-builder and contracted the work to be done.

Maui Barn Balcony under Construction and French Doors Balcony under Construction and French Doors

  The front barn door was custom made with an eight foot opening, so a vehicle could be brought inside.  An overhead electric wench allowed a pickup truck to be easily loaded or unloaded.  Aside from this custom front barn door, none of the doors or windows that were installed were the ones called out on the plans.  During a visit to the local Lowes Hardware, their double-paned grid-patterned vinyl windows were being discontinued and were heavily discounted.  Because we bought so many, and because none were the size we were asking for, Lowes offered an additional 15% discount to their close-out price.  Although none of the window and door sizes were correct, they all looked perfect.  The plans called for a 5 ft. set of double french doors upstairs, but the 6 ft. set at Lowes was half the price.  Since the framing hadn't started, the framer John Weiland offered to use the larger doors and windows with no additional cost to the framing.  This allowed us to use better quality doors and windows with several thousands of dollars in savings.

By this time we were under budget, a concept I'd heard of but thought to be a myth.  The framing went quickly — Less than a month from pouring the slab to the completed framing dried in.  John made other impromptu changes as he built:  A larger balcony for the larger french doors, stronger floor joists, double anchoring the sill plates to the slab, and 2 x 6 framing on 16-inch centers rather than the required 24-inch centers.

It was time to pick a color for the barn.  What was initially to be a workshop was looking more barn-like every day.  If you Google barns, you'll see that they're almost always red.  The color of the metal barn roof matched the house's Monier tile, but the architecture was very different.  This was agricultural land, and the County of Maui actually required an agricultural endeavor, so it seemed appropriate to portray the barn as a barn, and not to camouflage it.

I took a picture of the barn and Photoshopped it with the house color.  It looked ridiculous.  I Photoshopped it red and it looked great.  Photoshopped green, it looked less great.

I didn't think our gated community would accept a red barn so we picked a red-brown color which we liked.  The Architectural Committee said no.  To be more precise, they said hell no.  They wanted the house color.

At this point there was no turning back.  We'd visualized the barn in both red-brown and the house colors and it had to be red-brown.  I just wanted a barn that looked like a barn, and not an apology for a barn.

There was an attractive brownish-red structure in our sub-development, so we politely asked again.  The answer was still no.

I read the CC&Rs for the third time.  The only sections that mentioned colors were:  "Muted colors which allow the natural colors of the landscape to predominate"  and "The color of external materials must generally be subdued to enhance the colors of the natural landscape."  Time to parse some sentences.

What's a muted color?  Muted colors are primary or secondary colors mixed with their compliment (the color opposite on the color wheel).  Red is a primary color, and it's compliment is green.  What happens when you add some green to red?  You get brownish-red.  That's good news, eh?  In fact, a color chart of muted colors had my exact brownish-red.

How do you enhance the colors of the natural landscape, or allow the natural colors of the landscape to predominate?  The color of the natural landscape is definitely green.  So how do you enhance something that's green?  You don't put something green or drab next to it to enhance it.  You introduce a contrasting color to enhance it, or allow it to predominate.  The contrasting color would be opposite green on the color wheel, so that's red.  But it has to be a muted red, so that's brownish-red.  Holy shit, they wrote these CC&Rs just for my barn!

Color Wheel
Color Wheel
These folks on the Architectural Committee weren't my enemies, they were my neighbors.  They're good folks with nice houses in a hoity-toity neighborhood just trying to protect their interests.  They hadn't seen the Photoshopped picture of how ridiculous the barn looked painted with the house color.  They weren't emotionally invested in the barn looking great, they just weren't trusting that it wouldn't be an eyesore.  Luckily, the CC&Rs have a paragraph for that too: "In the event of question as to interpretation of, or application for waiver from, the foregoing Architectural Design Standards, the same shall be resolved by vote of a majority of the Directors."  Let's bring on the Board of Directors.

We had a meeting and I made my case.  They convened, and an hour later we received a phone call.  We got our brownish-red color, but we'd have to give a pound of flesh.  Specifically, planting trees to shield the view in a specific direction.  No problem.  I was planting giant Cook Pine trees that same week.

As it turned out, the neighbors who were the most concerned about the color told us that they really liked the color and look of the barn.  Another neighbor is enlarging his barn and wants to paint it literally the exact same color.

Maui Barn Wind Vane and Cupola Wind Vane and Cupola
  A barn needs a cupola on the roof.  It is functional, but really more for looks.  There are kits available, but a cupola is easily made and the side vents are available at Home Depot.  A brass and copper pineapple wind vane was mounted on top of the cupola, and a heavy four gauge copper wire was run to a copper grounding stake outside.  This isn't required by code, but seemed like a reasonable precaution.   Maui Barn Church Bell in Cupola Church Bell in Cupola
One of the four security system electronic sirens was also mounted in the cupola.  A friend in India gave us an old church bell as a housewarming gift (yes, really) so the cupola became a belfry.  A cupola-belfry with a lightning rod.

I planned on painting the upstairs plywood floor but decided to epoxy coat both floors and stairs.  The garage of the house was epoxy coated and was beautiful and indestructible.  Lowes had the do-it-yourself epoxy kits and clear epoxy sealer.  There are never enough flakes in the kits so if you want decent coverage you need to buy more.  I found a company on the internet that custom blended epoxy flakes and bought 50 pounds of a custom red/brown/tan blend.

Greenhouse Interior and Redwood Benches Greenhouse and Benches

  A 12 ft. by 30 ft. greenhouse was built against the lower side of the barn and retaining wall.  It's built like an enclosed patio, with a 30 ft. long french drain built into the slab.

I saw some very cool windows at Mama's Fish House on Maui that hinged from the top and had ropes to open and close them.  I wanted to copy the idea for the greenhouse windows, but the design was complicated by screens, which Mama's Fish House didn't have.  The rope and the latch would have to be on the inside, but since the windows opened outward, the screens would have to be on the inside.  John was up to the challenge and came up with a custom triple-ply polycarbonate greenhouse windows with a pin latch and pulley arrangement that allowed screens on the windows.

  Greenhouse Windows Open Greenhouse Windows Open

I intended on building redwood benches for the greenhouse by myself, but after seeing how quickly John was working with his automatic screw gun, I decided to pay John to build the benches with the leftover barn window windfall.

Hoisting a NordicTrack Elliptical Upstairs Hoisting an Elliptical Upstairs

  Old fashion barns had hay lofts with a large exterior door upstairs.  A simple block and tackle system was then used to manually hoist up the hay.  While I didn't need hay, I figured that would be a useful method of taking heavy or awkward items upstairs by myself.  When I saw that the laminated ridge beam was longer than necessary, I asked that it be cut with a four feet length running wild outside.  We through-bolted galvanized steel straps, and I found a large selection of old antique wood block and tackle sets on ebay.  An old fashion barn-style lamp was fitted to the end of the beam.  Another custom door was made with lockable clasps for safety, and a standard vinyl window was installed within the door.  From outside, you wouldn't even notice there's a door there.

The plans called for single-wall construction because I originally planned on leaving the interior walls open, but the barn was starting to look too nice.  Also, inexpensive Romex electrical wiring must be covered, otherwise more expensive EMT or flexible conduit must be used.  Drywall wouldn't be appropriate for a barn or a workshop, so I decided to have 3/8 inch plywood installed on the interior surfaces.  Since I may need to add future wiring, the plywood was screwed to the 2x6s with finish screws.  The result looked great and the plywood could be easily removed.

I brought 100 Amp, 220V electrical service to the barn, but I didn't bring water, phone, or internet.  The steel roof on the barn, and the polycarbonate roof on the greenhouse were perfect for catchment, so I added gutters and a 6,000 gallon water tank behind the greenhouse.  A variable speed 12 volt RV demand pump brought rain water to three hose bibs, a large sink in the greenhouse, a stainless steel sink downstairs, and a porcelain sink upstairs.

The wireless internet from the house didn't quite reach the barn, due to the thick row of beautiful but invasive strawberry guava trees (called waiawi in Hawaii) in the signal path.  Even using a high-gain directional wifi antenna in the barn didn't help.  The corner of the greenhouse below the trees received a healthy signal, so I decided to put a wireless bridge there.  I bought an EnGenius wireless bridge with a 600 mW radio and internal directional antenna in a weatherproof enclosure.  It works like a champ and provides flawless zippy internet to the barn.

In 2010 and 2011, the combined federal and Hawaii state tax credits for photovoltaic solar totaled 65% of the installed cost (up to a certain cap).  The dormer of the barn roof was a perfect location for solar panels because they couldn't be seen, and the orientation was reasonably good.  Ten 210 Watt Kyocera photovoltaic solar panels were installed on the dormer roof and connected to a Sunny Boy grid-tie inverter.  During the daylight hours, 220V AC power is generated and synced to the grid.  The power can either be used by us in the house or barn, or the excess power is put onto the grid for others to use.  In the later case, the electric meter effectively runs backwards, crediting us for the excess electricity generated.  At the present time we generate half the power we use, and plan on expanding the system in late 2012.

 
Solar Panels on Dormer Roof
Solar Panels on Dormer Roof
The barn project was an absolute pleasure and a memorable experience.  Building the custom house was serious business, and it was fun to take an informal (and much less expensive) approach to the barn.  Even more fun was decorating the barn with tacky crap.  The barn's foundation was poured on January 19, 2010, and the final inspection on the barn was signed off on May 10, 2010, less than four months later.

There are a lot of pictures, sketches, and videos, so please take a look below:

Maui Barn with Cupola and Wind Vane, June 8, 2010
Barn with Cupola and Wind Vane
June 8, 2010

My Early Maui Barn Workshop Sketch
My Early Barn Workshop Sketch

Click Thumbnail for Larger Image
Area Grubbed for Workshop.  January 24, 2009
Area Grubbed for
Workshop Area
Area Grubbed for Workshop.  January 24, 2009
Area Grubbed for
Workshop Area
Workshop and Greenhouse Grubbed and Staked
Workshop and Greenhouse
Grubbed and Staked
Ground Breaking on Barn/Workshop 6/24/09
Ground Breaking on
Barn/Workshop 6/24/09

Fence Structure Around Second Water Tank, Oct. 23, 2009
Fence Structure Around
Second Water Tank
Workshop Slab Formed, January 13, 2010
Workshop Slab Formed
January 13, 2010
Workshop Slab Poured, January 19, 2010
Workshop Slab Poured
January 19, 2010
Barn Workshop Framing, February 1, 2010
Barn Workshop Framing
February 1, 2010

Barn Raising, February 1, 2010
Barn Raising
February 1, 2010
Third Wall Up, February 1, 2010
Third Wall Up
February 1, 2010
Greenhouse Framing, February 1, 2010
Greenhouse Framing
February 1, 2010
Fourth Wall Up, Floor Joists Started, February 3, 2010
Fourth Wall Up
Floor Joists Started

Floor Joists Started, Center Beam up, February 3, 2010
Center Beam Up
Floor Joists Started
Floor Joists Started, Center Beam up, February 3, 2010
Center Beam Up
Floor Joists Started
Floor Joists Started, Center Beam and Lally Column, February 3, 2010
Center Beam and
Lally Column
Second Floor Sheeted and View, February 4, 2010
Second Floor Sheeted
and View

Barn as Seen from Next Street Over, February 4, 2010
Barn as Seen from
Next Street Over
Barn as Seen from Next Street Over, February 4, 2010
Barn as Seen from
Next Street Over
Rafters Up, Back Side of Barn, February 5, 2010
Rafters Up
Back Side of Barn
Second Floor of Barn. Hole is for Dormer, February 6, 2010
Second Floor of Barn
Hole is for Dormer

Dormer Up and Roof Sheeted, February 8, 2010
Dormer Up and Roof Sheeted
February 8, 2010
Barn Roof Sheeted, February 8, 2010
Barn Roof Sheeted
February 8, 2010
Barn Dormer from Inside, February 8, 2010
Barn Dormer from Inside
February 8, 2010
Barn Dormer from Upstairs, February 8, 2010
Barn Dormer from Upstairs
February 8, 2010

Barn Roof Sheeted, February 9, 2010
Barn Roof Sheeted
Ridge Beam Not Trimmed Yet
Windows and Siding Being Installed, February 10, 2010
Windows and Siding
Being Installed
Greenhouse Framed, February 10, 2010
Greenhouse / Lath House
Framed
Barn Stairs Installed, February 10, 2010
Barn Stairs
Installed

Barn Upstairs and Dormer, February 10, 2010
Barn Upstairs
and Dormer
Barn Upstairs and Stairwell, February 10, 2010
Barn Upstairs
and Stairwell
Barn with Siding Installed and Scaffolding Still Up, February 16, 2010
Barn with Siding Installed
and Scaffolding Still Up
Barn Dormer on Second Floor and Balcony, February 16, 2010
Barn Dormer on Second
Floor and Balcony

Barn Loft Door and Window, February 16, 2010
Barn Loft Door
and Window
Barn Loft Door and Window, February 16, 2010
Barn Loft Door
and Window
Barn Loft Upstairs with French Doors Installed, February 17, 2010
Barn Loft Upstairs with
French Doors Installed
GreenHouse Viewed from Barn, February 817, 2010
GreenHouse Viewed
from Barn

24-inch Deep Trench Dug to Barn for Electrical Power, February 19, 2010
24-inch Deep Trench Dug to
Barn for Electrical Power
Cupola Installed on Barn Roof, February 19, 2010
Cupola Installed
on Barn Roof
First Workbench with Compound Miter Saw, February 22, 2010
First Workbench with
Compound Miter Saw
Concrete Poured Behind Workshop, February 23, 2010
Concrete Poured
Behind Workshop

Concrete Poured Around Workshop, February 23, 2010
Concrete Poured
Around Workshop
Balcony Railing Installed in Barn, March 12, 2010
Balcony Railing Installed
in Barn
Primer Color on Barn not so bueno, March 13, 2010
Primer Color on
Barn not so bueno
First Coat on Barn Wet and Red, March 14, 2010
First Coat on Barn
Wet and Red

Second Tank Fence Repainted, March 26, 2010
Second Tank Fence Repainted
March 26, 2010
Barn Standing Seam Roofing Installation, March 26, 2010
Barn Standing Seam
Roofing Installation
Greenhouse Interior with Benches, March 26, 2010
Greenhouse Interior
with Benches
Painting Greenhouse Interior Trim, March 26, 2010
Painting Greenhouse
Interior Trim

Table Saw and Electrical Rough In, March 26, 2010
Table Saw and
Electrical Rough In
Barn Upstairs and Electrical Rough In, March 26, 2010
Barn Upstairs and
Electrical Rough In
Balcony Railing and Greenhouse Roof, March 26, 2010
Balcony Railing and
Greenhouse Roof
Greenhouse Roof Viewed from Balcony, March 26, 2010
Greenhouse Roof Viewed
from Balcony

Electrical Panel in Barn, March 26, 2010
Electrical Panel
in Barn
Water Pump for Second Water Tank, March 26, 2010
Water Pump for
Second Water Tank
Greenhouse and Solar Panel on Pump Shed, March 26, 2010
Greenhouse and Solar
Panel on Pump Shed
Barn with Metal Roofing Installation, March 26, 2010
Barn with Metal
Roofing Installation

House and Barn with Greenhouse, March 26, 2010
House and Barn
with Greenhouse
Barn and Greenhouse from Other Street, March 27, 2010
Barn and Greenhouse
from Other Street
House and Barn with Driveway, March 28, 2010
House and Barn
with Driveway
Greenhouse Interior with Redwood Benches, March 28, 2010
Greenhouse Interior
with Redwood Benches

Greenhouse Interior with Redwood Benches, March 28, 2010
Greenhouse Interior
with Redwood Benches
Greenhouse with Stairs Under Construction, March 28, 2010
Greenhouse with Stairs
Under Construction
Stairs Down to Greenhouse, April 5, 2010
Stairs Down to
Greenhouse
Painting Barn, April 5, 2010
Painting Barn
April 5, 2010

Barn Dormer and Balcony, April 5, 2010
Barn Dormer
and Balcony
Barn Balcony with Decking, April 5, 2010
Barn Balcony
with Decking
Barn Loft Door and Block and Tackle for Ridge Beam Outside, April 5, 2010
Barn Loft Door and
Block and Tackle
Greenhouse Interior with First Plants, April 5, 2010
Greenhouse Interior
with First Plants

Greenhouse Interior with First Plants, April 5, 2010
Greenhouse Interior
with First Plants
Greenhouse Interior with First Plants, April 5, 2010
Greenhouse Interior
with First Plants
Plywood on Walls Downstairs, April 29, 2010
Plywood on Walls
Downstairs
Plywood on Walls Upstairs, April 29, 2010
Plywood on Walls
Upstairs

Barn Balcony with Decking, April 29, 2010
Barn Balcony
with Decking
Greenhouse Interior with Lettuce, April 29, 2010
Greenhouse Interior
with Lettuce
Carved Stone Buddha in Greenhouse, April 29, 2010
Carved Stone Buddha
in Greenhouse
Barn Viewed from Hill Above, May 10, 2010
Barn Viewed from Hill Above
May 10, 2010

Barn with Front Doors Open, May 10, 2010
Barn with
Front Doors Open
Greenhouse with Plants, May 10, 2010
Greenhouse with Plants
May 10, 2010
Greenhouse with All Eight Windows Open, May 10, 2010
Greenhouse with All
Eight Windows Open
Easter Island Dudes in Greenhouse, May 4, 2010
Easter Island Dudes
in Greenhouse

Easter Island Dudes in Greenhouse, May 4, 2010
Koi Banner
in Greenhouse
Bud Vases and Thermometer in Greenhouse, May 6, 2010
Bud Vases and Thermometer
in Greenhouse
Lotsa Lettuce in Greenhouse, May 9, 2010
Lotsa Lettuce
in Greenhouse
Backside of Barn, May 10, 2010
Backside of Barn
May 10, 2010

Upstairs Vanity and Mirror in Barn, May 11, 2010
Upstairs Vanity and
Mirror in Barn
Water Heater Being Installed Under Downstairs Sink, May 11, 2010
Water Heater Being Installed
Under Downstairs Sink
Large Sink in Greenhouse, May 11, 2010
Large Sink
in Greenhouse
Catchment Water to Second Water Tank, May 11, 2010
Catchment Water to
Second Water Tank

House and Barn at Night, May 11, 2010
House and Barn at Night
May 11, 2010
Barn at Night, May 11, 2010
Barn at Night
May 11, 2010
Common Barn Wall Inside Greenhouse, June 2, 2010
Common Barn Wall
Inside Greenhouse
Old Working Rockwell Parking Meter Installed in Front of Barn, June 2, 2010
Old Working Rockwell Parking
Meter in Front of Barn

Front Half of Barn, June 2, 2010
Front Half of Barn
June 2, 2010
Cabinets Installed in Barn, June 2, 2010
Cabinets Installed
in Barn
Old Church Bell Installed in Cupola, June 2, 2010
Old Church Bell
Installed in Cupola
Old Lahaina Scrimshaw Sign in Barn, June 2, 2010
Old Lahaina Scrimshaw
Sign in Barn

Brass and Copper Wind Vane On Cupola, June 2, 2010
Brass and Copper Wind
Vane On Cupola
John Taking a Break After Installing Wind Vane On Cupola, June 2, 2010
John Taking a Break
After Installing Wind Vane
Gutter Catchment in Back of Barn, June 2, 2010
Gutter Catchment
in Back of Barn
Gutter Catchment in Back of Barn, June 2, 2010
Gutter Catchment
in Back of Barn

Sink and Stereo Downstairs in Barn, July 24, 2010
Sink and Stereo
Downstairs in Barn
Wall Mounted Air Compressor, June 4, 2010
Wall Mounted Air
Compressor in Barn
Epoxy Coating Barn Floor, June 5, 2010
Epoxy Coating
Barn Floor
Epoxy Coating Barn Floor, June 5, 2010
Epoxy Coating
Barn Floor

Epoxy Coating on Barn Floor, June 5, 2010
Epoxy Coating
on Barn Floor
Epoxy Coating on Barn Floor, June 5, 2010
Epoxy Coating
on Barn Floor
Epoxy Coating on Barn Floor, June 5, 2010
Epoxy Coating
on Barn Floor
Barn with Cupola and Wind Vane, June 8, 2010
Barn with Cupola
and Wind Vane

Barn Floor with Epoxy Clear Coat, June 9, 2010
Barn Floor with
Epoxy Clear Coat
Rolling Waterproof Membrane on Upstairs Floor, June 14, 2010
Rolling Waterproof Membrane
on Upstairs Floor
Epoxy Flakes Around Perimeter of Downstairs Floor, June 15, 2010
Epoxy Flakes Around
Perimeter of Downstairs Floor
Epoxy Flakes Around Perimeter of Downstairs Floor, June 15, 2010
Epoxy Flakes Around
Perimeter of Downstairs Floor

Travis Applying Epoxy Flakes to Stair Faces, June 15, 2010
Travis Applying Epoxy
Flakes to Stair Faces
Travis Applying Epoxy Flakes Upstairs, June 16, 2010
Travis Applying Epoxy
Flakes Upstairs
Completed Epoxy Floor Upstairs, June 22, 2010
Completed Epoxy
Floor Upstairs
Completed Epoxy Floor Upstairs, June 22, 2010
Completed Epoxy
Floor Downstairs

Moving Elliptical Trainer Upstairs, June 23, 2010
Moving Elliptical
Trainer Upstairs
Moving Elliptical Trainer Upstairs, June 23, 2010
Moving Elliptical
Trainer Upstairs
Moving Elliptical Trainer Upstairs, June 23, 2010
Moving Elliptical
Trainer Upstairs
Moving Elliptical Trainer Upstairs, June 23, 2010
Moving Elliptical
Trainer Upstairs

Moving Elliptical Trainer Upstairs, June 23, 2010
Moving Elliptical
Trainer Upstairs
Elliptical Trainer Moved Upstairs, June 23, 2010
Elliptical Trainer
Moved Upstairs
Compressed Air Plumbing and Hose Reel, June 25, 2010
Compressed Air Plumbing
and Hose Reel
Electric Hoist Downstairs, June 25, 2010
Electric Hoist
Downstairs

Potting Area in Greenhouse, August 10, 2010
Potting Area
in Greenhouse
Sink, Potting Area, and Seed Starting Area in Greenhouse, August 10, 2010
Sink, Potting Area,
and Seed Starting Area
Seed Starting Area in Greenhouse, August 10, 2010
Seed Starting Area
in Greenhouse
Waterbed Heater for Germinating Seeds, August 10, 2010
Waterbed Heater for
Germinating Seeds

Thermostatically Controlled Waterbed Heater for Germinating Seeds, August 10, 2010
Thermostatically Controlled
Waterbed Heater
Barn Viewed From Street, August 12, 2010
Barn Viewed
From Street
Stainless Steel Workbench in Barn, August 19, 2010
Stainless Steel
Workbench in Barn
Tool Chest and Small Lathe in Barn, August 19, 2010
Tool Chest and Small
Lathe in Barn

Downstairs Workshop in Barn, August 23, 2010
Downstairs Workshop
in Barn
Downstairs Workshop in Barn, August 23, 2010
Downstairs Workshop
in Barn
Downstairs Workshop in Barn, August 23, 2010
Downstairs Workshop
in Barn
Wireless Bridge for Internet in Barn, September 8, 2010
Wireless Bridge for
Internet in Barn

Ten 210W Solar Panels on Barn Dormer Roof, September 15, 2010
Ten 210W Solar Panels
on Barn Dormer Roof
Grid-Tie Inverter Disconnect on Barn, September 15, 2010
Grid-Tie Inverter
Disconnect on Barn
Sunny Boy 3000W Grid-Tie Inverter and Solar Panel Disconnect with Covers Off, September 14, 2010
Sunny Boy 3000W Grid-Tie
Inverter and Solar Disconnect
Sunny Boy 3000W Grid-Tie Inverter and Solar Panel Disconnect Inside Barn, September 15, 2010
Grid-Tie Inverter
Inside Barn

2427 Watts Generated (Over Rated Power).  Under Certain Partial Cloud Conditions, Solar Output Can be Over Rated Power, September 17, 2010
2427 Watts Generated
(Over Rated Power)
Solar Panels on Barn Dormer, November 3, 2010
Solar Panels
on Barn Dormer
Barn Viewed from Street, November 3, 2010
Barn Viewed from Street
November 3, 2010
Welcome to Eric's Red Barn Sign
Welcome to Eric's
Red Barn Sign

Eric's Red Barn Neon Sign Upstairs
Eric's Red Barn
Neon Sign Upstairs


Click Thumbnail to Watch Video
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Video of Workshop Location and Koa Trees
Workshop Location & Koa
Video of Area Grubbed for Workshop, Jan. 24, 2009
Area Grubbed for Workshop
Video of Workshop Staking.  Viewed from front driveway, Feb. 20, 2009
Workshop Staking
Video of Workshop Staking.  Viewed from front, Feb. 20, 2009
Workshop Staking from Front

Video of Workshop Staking.  Viewed from above, Feb. 20, 2009
Workshop Staking from Above
Video of Workshop Staking.  Viewed from back, Feb. 20, 2009
Workshop Staking from Back
Workshop Ground Breaking.  Digging Bottom Greenhouse Footing. July 24, 2009
Workshop Ground Breaking
Troweling Workshop Slab.  January 19, 2010
Troweling Workshop Slab

Troweling Workshop Slab.  February 10, 2010
Barn Walkthrough 2/10/10
Completed Barn.  July 7, 2010
Completed Barn 7/7/10
Greenhouse Walkthrough.  July 7, 2010
Greenhouse Walkthrough 7/7/10
Meter Running Backward with Grid-Tie Solar.  September 15, 2010
Meter Running Backward

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Click Thumbnail to Watch Video

Preliminary Cad Rendering of Workshop and Greenhouse
Preliminary Cad Rendering of Workshop and Greenhouse

Preliminary Cad Rendering of Workshop and Greenhouse
Preliminary Cad Rendering of Workshop and Greenhouse

Preliminary Cad Rendering of Workshop and Greenhouse
Preliminary Cad Rendering of Workshop and Greenhouse

Preliminary Cad Rendering of Workshop
Preliminary Cad Rendering of Workshop

Preliminary Cross Section of Workshop
Preliminary Cross Section of Workshop


Topographic Map with Workshop - Each Contour Line is Five Feet
Topographic Map with Workshop
Each Contour Line is Five Feet

Topographic Map with Workshop - Each Contour Line is Two Feet
Topographic Map with Workshop
Each Contour Line is Two Feet

Workshop and 6000 Gallon Water Tank
Workshop and 6000 Gallon Water Tank


Barn / Workshop Landscaping
Barn / Workshop Landscaping

Elevation Data for Workshop Site
Elevation Data for Workshop Site

Workshop Sketch
Workshop Sketch

Workshop Elevation Sketch
Workshop Elevation Sketch

Workshop Sketch
Workshop Sketch

Workshop Elevations and Floorplan
Workshop Elevations and Floorplan




In memory I see the barn
Faded red and weather warn
Inside the hayloft ladder stands
It's rungs worn down from countless hands

From cracks between the sagging walls
The sun slants to the dusty stalls
I hear the barn doors rusty rasp
The summer breeze, the broken clasp

Sweet fragrance of the new moan hay
Still lingers with me yet today
The nail I drove next to the door
Where hung my old rope hackamore

O stay the youthful memory
The barn returns the boy in me
So when I sleep I dream I play
Inside the barn, upon the hay

— Marlin Pine



Copyright © 2011 - 2013 Eric Newman *All rights reserved


Introduction

The Bare Lot

The Initial Planning

The House Never Built

The Building of the House

Catchment Water Design

The Farm Plan

Terraced Walls

Outrigger Canoe

Canoe Hut

The Building of the Barn

Things to do on Maui

Notable People

Eric Newman Home














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