Dave Weaver has been building jungle pads for several years on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. His clients include German rock stars, aging surfers, and other well-connected gringos.

Building in Central America requires extra ingenuity and imagination, as there is no Home Depot.

Dave's designs are works of art. Let's see what the process entails. First he and his trusty crew play in a sandbox which they then magically convert into a foundation.

Roofs are made of either tin or a local leaf called suita, culled from the inner jungle. Although tin lasts longer, it mildews, and generates a lot of heat.

The suita leaf is lashed by jungle craftsmen to long teak poles, from local plantations.