Build & Design · Volcano, Hawai'i

Build and Design of a 5 Star Airbnb in Hawai'i

The project that changed everything.

The Beginning

In 2018 I started building something that was not just a rental. I wanted a place where people could slow down and be somewhere real.

That became Volcano House in Volcano, Hawai'i. Fully off-grid, solar power, rainwater catchment. I designed it and built it myself, from structure to the last detail.

Bedroom with hand-painted mural and rainforest view
Kitchen looking out to the rainforest

Building

I was on site from day one, working through structure, systems, and what the stay should feel like.

Early construction of Volcano House in the rainforest
Lanai framing under construction, open to the forest

From the rain catchment, solar, materials that looked and felt like it belonged in the Ohia forest, to rooms that had expansive outdoor views. Every decision came back to the land and the feeling.

What came out of it was proof that hospitality could be an experience that inspires connection to ourselves and the land by living regeneratively.

Designing the Experience

I thought about each room as a specific feeling. Light, cocoon, texture, quiet.

Walk-in shower with dark marble tile
Lanai open to the forest
Moody bathroom with stone and water

Reflection

Volcano House changed how I think about design. Spaces should shift how people feel, not just how they look. When someone walks in and exhales, that is the job.

Explore More Work

Volcano House is still the root of how I work: hospitality, interiors, land, and the story around all of it. More projects below.

View Interior Design Portfolio →