Hi'ilani
The Hi'ilani Eco House Project
Grading and Site Preparation
June - September, 2009
The view above shows the area cut out for the main water catchment tank, down the hill from the living room. You can see a circular area that has been covered with compacted gravel which will serve as the base for the tank. The tank will be constructed from SCIP panels similar to those to be used for the house.
This view, taken on August 16, shows the site as the various levels for the house are being cut, and as the soil is being compacted. In the foreground you can see markers which lay out the floor plan as a guide for the leveling work. In the background are two water tanks that are currently being used to hold water required during construction. These will eventually be used as holding tanks for catchment water.
The photo above, taken on July 19, shows the back of the site with the newly graded driveway to the right. On the site itself, the orange compactor is parked in the area that will eventually be the garage.
This photo shows the state of work on he front side of the hill on July 13. A temporary road has been cut in to the area down the hill from the living room which will hold the water catchment tank.
Here is a photo taken on July 3. You can see that the flat portion at the top of the site has been lowered to roughly the level of the base of the small avocado tree in the center foreground. If you look closely, you can also see that the hill has been built out in front of that avocado tree to provide a new elevated seating area that will be just below and in front of the East bedroom wing.
Taken on June 25, the first day of grading, the bulldozer operator Bobby is just starting to clear the front of the hill.
This is a picture of the site taken on June 25, the day that grading started.
This photo, taken on May 23, shows the site before grading started.