1 00:00:01,970 --> 00:00:05,230 MARK INGRAHAM: The Bahamas is a beautiful chain of islands. 2 00:00:06,730 --> 00:00:08,100 This particular part of the island 3 00:00:08,130 --> 00:00:10,330 is special because of the cliffs. 4 00:00:13,130 --> 00:00:14,500 Looking straight out to sea, there's 5 00:00:14,530 --> 00:00:16,500 nothing until you hit Morocco. 6 00:00:16,530 --> 00:00:20,600 So you're looking at 4,000 miles of open ocean. 7 00:00:20,630 --> 00:00:23,870 So I just had this yearning for a long time 8 00:00:23,900 --> 00:00:26,930 to just completely create something of my own, 9 00:00:26,970 --> 00:00:29,370 to build something, to swing a hammer 10 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,870 for really-- for the first time and be part of the process. 11 00:00:33,900 --> 00:00:35,270 You know, it wasn't my intent necessarily 12 00:00:35,300 --> 00:00:38,300 to build an off-the-grid home. 13 00:00:38,330 --> 00:00:42,370 That's only a response to the need to have to do it. 14 00:00:44,370 --> 00:00:46,500 They say that these cliffs are formed over, 15 00:00:46,530 --> 00:00:49,230 you know, hundreds of thousands of years. 16 00:00:49,270 --> 00:00:53,570 Just coming from the Sahara has helped build up the cliffs. 17 00:00:55,970 --> 00:00:58,100 And it's really amazing to be sitting 18 00:00:58,130 --> 00:01:00,400 on something that's hundreds of thousands of years old. 19 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:08,030 There's a spirituality that it evokes. 20 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:12,030 It's a special place. 21 00:01:20,700 --> 00:01:22,770 [waves crashing] 22 00:01:41,070 --> 00:01:42,200 Slow it down, Cecil. 23 00:01:43,530 --> 00:01:44,430 Slow it down. 24 00:01:46,900 --> 00:01:48,270 So we're at the thatch house. 25 00:01:48,300 --> 00:01:50,830 The thatch house was conceived about five years 26 00:01:50,870 --> 00:01:53,470 ago, actually, on a bar napkin. 27 00:01:53,500 --> 00:01:57,630 My buddy and I were out sailing and came in 28 00:01:57,670 --> 00:01:59,970 and had some ideas for-- 29 00:02:00,070 --> 00:02:04,100 for a small, you know, eco-friendly surf camp kind 30 00:02:04,130 --> 00:02:07,730 of house, tiny footprint in an area 31 00:02:07,770 --> 00:02:09,600 on Eleuthera in the Bahamas. 32 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:19,300 Cecil is a second-generation Bahamian builder, 33 00:02:19,329 --> 00:02:22,600 and he's built some beautiful homes on the island. 34 00:02:22,630 --> 00:02:25,400 But I really wanted to push Cecil to the limits, 35 00:02:25,430 --> 00:02:28,770 so I came up with this-- the thatch house idea. 36 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:30,570 CECIL MCCARDY: [chuckles] 37 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,970 I said to Cecil, like, I want a thatch house, 38 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,130 like, actual thatch. 39 00:02:35,170 --> 00:02:37,000 He's like, Mark, that's going to catch on fire. 40 00:02:37,030 --> 00:02:39,600 [both laugh]m 41 00:02:39,630 --> 00:02:41,500 Yeah, man. 42 00:02:41,530 --> 00:02:43,300 MARK INGRAHAM: The site was challenging 43 00:02:43,329 --> 00:02:47,130 because there is no power, no utilities, no water. 44 00:02:47,170 --> 00:02:49,900 To find this actual location, it's 45 00:02:49,930 --> 00:02:52,770 literally a machete in your hand and cutting 46 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:54,570 your way through the mangroves. 47 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,000 And I can't tell you what a magical feeling 48 00:02:58,030 --> 00:03:04,870 it was to land at this little cove of a sandy beach wedged 49 00:03:04,900 --> 00:03:07,930 between two rising cliffs. 50 00:03:10,270 --> 00:03:12,930 The thatch house is an eco-friendly surf 51 00:03:12,970 --> 00:03:17,170 camp which consists of one bedroom, one bath, 52 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:19,270 under 600 square feet. 53 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,970 The entrance to the thatch house starts here off the road. 54 00:03:28,170 --> 00:03:30,070 This house is built over huge holes, 55 00:03:30,100 --> 00:03:31,870 and we actually had to strategically 56 00:03:31,900 --> 00:03:34,700 place all the pilings for the home 57 00:03:34,730 --> 00:03:35,930 where there wouldn't be a hole. 58 00:03:35,970 --> 00:03:38,600 Partially where the house sits is because we could find 59 00:03:38,630 --> 00:03:40,600 rock to put the pilings in. 60 00:03:40,630 --> 00:03:43,829 So this actual catwalk goes over one of the holes 61 00:03:43,870 --> 00:03:45,600 that's at least 20 feet deep. 62 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:50,570 So it kind of is a fun feeling that you're walking over, 63 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,970 you know, these big voids of space, 64 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,370 and we're kind of cantilevered above the ground. 65 00:03:58,530 --> 00:04:01,170 Another element that was important 66 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,300 was to bring in the thatch. 67 00:04:03,330 --> 00:04:05,500 Thatch is something that you see a lot in the Bahamas. 68 00:04:05,530 --> 00:04:08,500 And we thought it'd be fun just to put it on the vertical, 69 00:04:08,530 --> 00:04:10,630 you know, walls of the house, which 70 00:04:10,670 --> 00:04:13,000 is a place you don't normally see something like that. 71 00:04:13,030 --> 00:04:16,899 So we found a recycled and sustainable product 72 00:04:16,930 --> 00:04:18,570 that is working really great. 73 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,570 It's an imitation thatch. 74 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,000 It's probably the one element of the house that 75 00:04:24,030 --> 00:04:25,530 requires the least maintenance. 76 00:04:25,570 --> 00:04:26,900 It's just-- it's good to go. 77 00:04:30,130 --> 00:04:33,830 The courtyard also serves as an entryway 78 00:04:33,870 --> 00:04:35,900 to both of the pavilions. 79 00:04:35,930 --> 00:04:37,900 And what's nice about the courtyard is 80 00:04:37,930 --> 00:04:41,970 it also provides you shelter from the elements. 81 00:04:44,830 --> 00:04:48,500 The living space, the primary living space, is here. 82 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,300 As you can see, we wanted it to be 83 00:04:52,330 --> 00:04:56,830 as open and close to be blurring the lines 84 00:04:56,870 --> 00:04:58,070 between inside and out. 85 00:04:58,100 --> 00:05:02,570 So it's all open air, and we're facing a picture 86 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:04,700 window to capture the view. 87 00:05:04,730 --> 00:05:08,870 And this room was intended to be as much that you 88 00:05:08,900 --> 00:05:10,830 could be outside as possible. 89 00:05:10,870 --> 00:05:13,500 There's a lot of mid-century architecture, which, you know, 90 00:05:13,530 --> 00:05:17,170 embraces the outdoors and brings it in. 91 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:20,300 We wanted to incorporate that here. 92 00:05:20,330 --> 00:05:24,430 This is a chair that was designed just 93 00:05:24,470 --> 00:05:26,730 after the Second World War. 94 00:05:26,770 --> 00:05:27,900 So when they designed this chair, 95 00:05:27,930 --> 00:05:31,870 they actually reused parachute webbing. 96 00:05:31,900 --> 00:05:33,830 Something about the older furniture, too, 97 00:05:33,870 --> 00:05:38,500 is really well-made and I feel works really good in this space. 98 00:05:43,230 --> 00:05:44,470 I grew up sailing. 99 00:05:44,500 --> 00:05:46,770 Primarily, my dad taught me to sail when 100 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,070 I was around eight years old. 101 00:05:49,100 --> 00:05:52,530 I took everything that we know from boating and brought it in. 102 00:05:52,570 --> 00:05:55,030 Essentially, you're building a boat on land. 103 00:05:55,070 --> 00:05:57,770 For example, the countertops are all varnished 104 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,370 with marine-grade varnish. 105 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:04,170 Also, the copper sink is fun because the salt and the air 106 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:09,000 turns it these beautiful colors, and it gets a beautiful patina. 107 00:06:09,030 --> 00:06:11,900 So Dad always had us, you know-- 108 00:06:11,930 --> 00:06:15,070 he taught us the magic of the sea early on. 109 00:06:17,370 --> 00:06:20,270 When I was an early teenager, I got into surfing. 110 00:06:20,300 --> 00:06:23,070 I had always heard about this place in the Bahamas 111 00:06:23,100 --> 00:06:25,730 that was just known for its surfing, 112 00:06:25,770 --> 00:06:28,030 and it was just always stuck in the back of my mind. 113 00:06:29,930 --> 00:06:31,700 My dad practiced law for 60 years. 114 00:06:31,730 --> 00:06:33,300 I had the privilege to work with him. 115 00:06:33,330 --> 00:06:36,970 When he saw me so interested in the Bahamas and these projects, 116 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:41,470 he saw what joy it brought me, and he encouraged it. 117 00:06:41,500 --> 00:06:44,470 What he really says, Mark, screw law. 118 00:06:44,500 --> 00:06:45,630 Go do your thing in the Bahamas. 119 00:06:47,700 --> 00:06:49,700 Dad-- dad never got to see this house. 120 00:06:49,730 --> 00:06:51,100 I wish he had. 121 00:06:51,130 --> 00:06:54,230 And I hear his voice telling me, you know, follow your passion, 122 00:06:54,270 --> 00:06:55,170 Mark. 123 00:06:57,830 --> 00:06:59,870 [waves crashing] 124 00:07:05,700 --> 00:07:06,830 You guys want to go first? 125 00:07:08,130 --> 00:07:09,870 And so we have a small family-- my wife, Kate, 126 00:07:09,900 --> 00:07:11,330 and my daughter, Lucy. 127 00:07:11,370 --> 00:07:15,230 So we do live in Miami full-time, where we have careers 128 00:07:15,270 --> 00:07:17,100 that are pretty demanding. 129 00:07:17,130 --> 00:07:19,570 So, you know, this was built as a surf camp, 130 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,530 you know, for our family to come down just for a few days. 131 00:07:23,570 --> 00:07:25,170 Really, this was all intended so you 132 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:29,830 could walk down in your backyard and jump in the ocean and surf. 133 00:07:31,130 --> 00:07:34,730 Well, we feel very fortunate to be able to have this experience, 134 00:07:34,770 --> 00:07:37,400 and it brings us closer as a family. 135 00:07:39,970 --> 00:07:43,870 I also wanted it to be something that 136 00:07:43,900 --> 00:07:46,030 faded away into the landscape. 137 00:07:46,070 --> 00:07:48,630 The bedroom, for example, doesn't have 138 00:07:48,670 --> 00:07:51,070 an ocean view like the kitchen. 139 00:07:51,100 --> 00:07:53,430 The bedroom has a beautiful view of the sea 140 00:07:53,470 --> 00:07:55,300 grapes and the cliffside. 141 00:07:56,470 --> 00:07:58,800 When you walk into the bedroom, you can really-- 142 00:07:58,830 --> 00:08:03,370 you can smell the cedar that we use to build the structure. 143 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:07,330 We clad the house in cedar so that it would get this patina 144 00:08:07,370 --> 00:08:09,400 and over time just improve. 145 00:08:11,430 --> 00:08:13,800 You know, we were just far away enough 146 00:08:13,830 --> 00:08:16,770 from the ocean to still hear it, but you're 147 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:18,300 not being shaken out of bed. 148 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,230 So we also wanted to keep the bathroom really simple. 149 00:08:24,270 --> 00:08:28,130 And I'm of Cuban heritage, on my mom's side. 150 00:08:28,170 --> 00:08:31,300 And something that they really do beautifully in Cuba 151 00:08:31,330 --> 00:08:32,700 are the Cuban tiles. 152 00:08:32,730 --> 00:08:36,400 So although it's very unusual and not really in keeping with 153 00:08:36,429 --> 00:08:39,169 the architecture of the house or the time period, 154 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:41,970 these tiles were typically made more popular 155 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,230 in the '30s and '40s, but they're still 156 00:08:44,270 --> 00:08:45,870 being made even in Miami. 157 00:08:50,230 --> 00:08:52,900 Instead of windows, we put in screens, 158 00:08:52,930 --> 00:08:55,970 enable us to capture all the breeze that comes through. 159 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:57,930 It's really nice to open up the screen 160 00:08:57,970 --> 00:09:01,870 and have the breeze coming off the ocean and lay in bed. 161 00:09:01,900 --> 00:09:04,000 And it's a nice garden view. 162 00:09:04,030 --> 00:09:08,570 And just beyond the sea grapes is our solar panel array. 163 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:10,870 I wanted to keep hidden and separate from the house. 164 00:09:19,470 --> 00:09:22,570 The house has these interesting what 165 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:24,500 we like to call spider legs. 166 00:09:24,530 --> 00:09:26,770 The spider legs are basically served 167 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:30,700 to harness the pulley system, which 168 00:09:30,730 --> 00:09:33,530 raises and lowers the flaps. 169 00:09:33,570 --> 00:09:37,430 We wanted to figure out how we can cool the living space. 170 00:09:37,470 --> 00:09:41,930 We conceived this idea that was inspired by a group 171 00:09:41,970 --> 00:09:45,370 of architects in the 1950s. 172 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,200 One particular structure that they built 173 00:09:47,230 --> 00:09:51,000 had these maneuverable flaps, which enabled the structure 174 00:09:51,030 --> 00:09:54,030 to open up to the elements and give 175 00:09:54,070 --> 00:09:58,000 you a real indoor-outdoor feel and also enable airflow. 176 00:09:58,030 --> 00:10:00,530 So this is just before the advent of air conditioning. 177 00:10:00,570 --> 00:10:04,530 They were raising up heavy wooden flaps. 178 00:10:04,570 --> 00:10:08,530 They even used bowling balls as a counterweight. 179 00:10:08,570 --> 00:10:11,870 Well, I didn't have any bowling balls in the Bahamas, 180 00:10:11,900 --> 00:10:16,130 so we devised a cleat-and-pulley system, which is 181 00:10:16,170 --> 00:10:18,770 easy for one person to operate. 182 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,470 I figured, let's find a material that will be equally 183 00:10:22,500 --> 00:10:24,230 as strong and much lighter. 184 00:10:24,270 --> 00:10:26,170 So we came-- we found these panels. 185 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:28,670 They have a fiberglass skin. 186 00:10:28,700 --> 00:10:31,470 They're actually hurricane-rated and also fireproof. 187 00:10:31,500 --> 00:10:32,830 So they make a lot of sense. 188 00:10:41,430 --> 00:10:44,400 This is like a lab, a research and development lab, 189 00:10:44,430 --> 00:10:46,170 for what works and what doesn't work. 190 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:47,670 This is an example of something that works. 191 00:10:47,700 --> 00:10:50,730 This is a cleat that came from a marine salvage. 192 00:10:50,770 --> 00:10:53,970 It's probably from the '50s or '60s. 193 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:55,170 It looks beautiful. 194 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:58,970 It has a patina to it, and will never corrode. 195 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:04,270 That's exhibit A. Let me show you exhibit B. 196 00:11:04,300 --> 00:11:06,370 This is a brand-new modern cleat, 197 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,930 and you can see the heavy level of corrosion. 198 00:11:09,970 --> 00:11:13,530 That demonstrates, like, how strong the elements are 199 00:11:13,570 --> 00:11:14,730 and what we're dealing with. 200 00:11:21,700 --> 00:11:22,700 Welcome to my kitchen. 201 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:29,700 Sometimes in the Bahamas, you've got to use what you can get. 202 00:11:29,730 --> 00:11:31,270 So we're just using the house hammer. 203 00:11:35,830 --> 00:11:36,770 Like this? 204 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:37,600 Yeah, yeah. 205 00:11:37,630 --> 00:11:38,400 Just a little light tap. 206 00:11:38,430 --> 00:11:39,330 Yeah. 207 00:11:40,300 --> 00:11:41,470 - It's not working. - One more. 208 00:11:41,500 --> 00:11:42,830 One more. There you go. 209 00:11:42,870 --> 00:11:43,630 One more. 210 00:11:43,670 --> 00:11:45,030 [exclaims] 211 00:11:45,070 --> 00:11:45,930 OK, that's good. 212 00:11:49,370 --> 00:11:54,930 So it's really wonderful when I'm in the space with my family 213 00:11:54,970 --> 00:12:02,730 and we could sit down and enjoy a meal and watching the sea 214 00:12:02,770 --> 00:12:08,100 and having that special moment with your family 215 00:12:08,130 --> 00:12:12,070 where there's no distractions and everything is simple 216 00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:13,000 for a moment. 217 00:12:15,700 --> 00:12:17,730 But it turned out beautifully, I got to say. 218 00:12:17,770 --> 00:12:20,070 And, I mean, the view is-- the view is the house, right? 219 00:12:20,100 --> 00:12:24,100 So, I mean, that's kind of what you're building around. 220 00:12:25,500 --> 00:12:28,470 We first started coming here, I would say, 17 years ago. 221 00:12:28,500 --> 00:12:29,830 Lucy was just born. 222 00:12:29,870 --> 00:12:33,570 But it's been special to see Lucy kind of grow up with this, 223 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,170 and she has amazing memories. 224 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,330 It's been a really rewarding. 225 00:12:39,370 --> 00:12:43,630 Something hypnotic about being here is a rhythm. 226 00:12:43,670 --> 00:12:46,430 It's the ocean and the sound of the ocean. 227 00:12:46,470 --> 00:12:47,870 It's the wind. 228 00:12:47,900 --> 00:12:49,570 It's the light. 229 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,070 It's the greenery all around you. 230 00:12:52,100 --> 00:12:56,070 It's the blue of the sea and how it changes colors all day. 231 00:12:57,330 --> 00:12:59,070 It makes you think about, what are 232 00:12:59,100 --> 00:13:00,870 the important things in life? 233 00:13:00,900 --> 00:13:03,470 Hopefully you could take those things home 234 00:13:03,500 --> 00:13:06,270 and maybe even be a better person.