| july 2018 7
Old School Hawaii offers workshops in
tiny homebuilding 101. The non-profit
center operates under the umbrella of
North Kohala Resource Center.
to his property, transforming it into a
woodworking shop.
He also rescued and transported a 110-yearold,
plantation-worker cottage in Kapa‘au,
paying the owner $1 for the deed transfer
and saving the owner at least $3,000 in
demolition fees.
“Saving these old buildings from demolition
is a way of recycling useful structures and
keeping them out of the landfill,” he said.
“Moving them is a no brainer; it’s easy.
Along with the tiny home movement, this is
another way to address affordable housing
problems in Hawai‘i.”
Hap believes that the average person with
some woodworking skills can easily build
their own tiny house. Tiny homes can
function as housing for displaced residents
in Puna, for example, or to tide a person
over until they are able to move into an
actual house.
To that end, Hap is reviving his Old School
Hawai‘i vocational arts school located at
the old Sunshine Hardware Store building
in Kapa‘au. Anyone who wants to get
hands-on experience building a tiny home
can join. A 501(c)3 non-profit, Old School
Hawai‘i provides educational workshops
and classes in woodworking, artisan design,
craftsmanship, metal-smithing and more.
“You don’t have to be a carpenter or cabinet
maker to take a class,” said Hap. “It’s a really
good way for people to learn tiny home
building 101 or watch a home being made.
And because the school is under the wing of
North Kohala Community Resource Center,
donations of materials can be made through
the center.”
For information, visit OldSchoolHawaii.org.