James and Tennille Bruggeman
Tiny Homes Offer Lahaina Residents New Beginnings As Maui wildfire victims assess losses, landowners innovate with temporary living solutions BY PAULA BENDER Offer Lāhainā
A s historic Lāhainā is now a minefield of chemical waste, cinder and ash, thoughts about restarting life and rebuilding homes and businesses can be overwhelming. As victims of the fire have been forced into a minimalist life- style, a tiny home can be the first step toward a new life on Maui. Between FEMA, affluent island resi- dents — including Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — and numerous local non-profit organiza- tions, victims of the Valley Isle wild- fires in August are slowly getting the resources needed to rebuild their lives. Maui residents and long-time small- dwelling proponents Tennille and James Bruggeman, owners of AAA Tiny Homes Consultants, say they
have a solution when it comes to shel- ter. Tiny homes are their passion and they say putting people before profits is their motto as they build projects to code and by the book. In 2018, the International Residential Code added Appendix Q, specifically defining a tiny house on a foundation and relaxing most build- ing code regulations preventing their construction. Appendix Q legalizes lofts, lowers the minimum ceiling height for traditional dwellings, creates egress requirements specifically for lofts and allows the building of stairs and ladders in small spaces. In Hawai‘i, tiny houses on wheels are classified as house trailers through- out the entire state, and the trailer must be registered and licensed by the
These 400-square-foot homes feature two bed - rooms and one bathroom. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY AAA TINY HOMES CONSULTANTS
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