Post #254511 by Bwana Tiki on Thu, Sep 14, 2006 7:34 PM

Well it appears as though I was somewhat too brief in my explanation as I see over 50 views and no replies. So I’m guessing you all would like a more in depth explanation of who I am and what I might do with these leads on information I seek. So here we go…
First up is the subject of tiki and me. My story is pretty much the same as many others, as a small kid I spent many summers hanging around my grandparents pool. Grandpa was a WWII Pacific Vet and like many of his fellow servicemen came home from the war and set up a backyard paradise with a large game room addition complete with a fairly large tiki bar. Grenadine rickies in tiki mugs and other sweet kid drinks were the order of the day, for years. Cut to Hollywood… actually we’ll skip most of that and pick up as I’m leaving. So after around 12 years in show biz I decide it’s not for me and set off to school for four years to study landscape architecture. After this stint I begin working on water based projects such as commercial pools and large fountains. Throughout all this I somehow remain enthusiastic about tiki, (just ask anyone who knows me). Eventually this all leads me to waterpark attractions. Now mind you since beginning school I have been possessed with the idea of designing tropical rivers and lagoons with pacific themes, (as an avid racing sailor and tiki culture fan it seem almost unavoidable). And now I have a modest project with this goal. As such I have been assembling photo reference and articles on the subject of traditional pacific island architectural styles. I already have quite a bit but the fact is that I could always use a bit more. I use this material to spark design ideas. For instance I might use ideas from foundations of Micronesian falwas as a base for a swim up bar and perhaps I may stray towards a Samoan round house as the structure upon this raised stone foundation. In any case as I design these spaces I always have traditional forms and layouts in mind I’m not one to just make stuff up from whole cloth. It seem the projects get more involved every time I turn around, and the scope and budget grows, and we get nicer environments. With so much tiki being ripped down I feel good being a part of seeing it go up. Waterparks have provided a unique opportunity for the commercial expression of the Polynesian Pop culture, and it looks as though they will continue this trend for some time to come. So this is where I’m at professionally, 7 years into the task and determined see to it that these types of themes are executed with a genuine
Knowledge base and a passion for the form.
Right at this moment I’m working on what would resemble a small fishing village with the boathouse acting as a swim up bar, and the round house as a food concession, and groups of smaller huts acting as dining pavilions, as well as a few outbuildings.
What I’m looking for could be as simple as the address of a website or some cool photos of large thatch buildings, or an article about traditional construction methods. I know that Tiki Central is a vast knowledge base and if you can’t get a lead on good tiki info here you’re in pretty rough shape. So with that in mind… any help you all could offer would not only be appreciated but put to good use.

Thanks,