[ 1 ]

March 11, 2011 was a tragic day for Japan and the rest of the world. The magnitude 8.9 earthquake devastated a nation and threatened many others. As a result of the quake, tsunami ocean surges powered through the Pacific Ocean and swept out portions of Hawaii’s western-facing coastline.

Among the damage was the Four SeasonsHualalai Resort in Kailua-Kona. This Big Island hotel’s paradise was left in ruins—that is until ValleyCrest got to work.

OVERVIEW ValleyCrest was contracted to perform emergency landscape design-build repair work throughout the resort’s half-mile-long beachfront, four landscaped crescents (large courtyards), natural lagoons, swimming pools and amenity areas. Beginning March 21, 2011, ValleyCrest designers, management,

In just six weeks, ValleyCrest restored the Four Seasons Hualalai landscape back to its pre-tsunami beauty

field crews and subcontractors worked around the clock to complete the work in just six weeks in an effort to meet the resort’s re-opening deadline of April 30, 2011.

This extremely short schedule required a fast-tracked approach. Once designs were created in freehand sketches or CAD drawings, materials were sourced, procured and installed, sometimes all within the sameday. The design to build sequencing would not have been successful without a tireless work ethic and open communication, integrated teamwork and attention to field safety measures.

It doesn’t end there—in addition to the damage at the Four Seasons, the neighboring resort of Kona Village sustained substantial damage. Repair work by ValleyCrest is still ongoing.

DESIGN-BUILD While not the original designer of the resort’s landscaped areas, Jim Hyatt, Principal Designer at VCDG/JamesHyatt Studio has provided several design updates for Four Seasons Hualalai over the years. He was the natural choice to lead emergency design operations with assistance from ValleyCrest Design Group studios out of Denver and Orange County. In addition, VCDG designed an entirely new Swimming Pool & Bar in the Palm Grove crescent (outside emergency repair scope).

VCLD is uniquely qualified to pull off such a fast-tracked project of this scope because of its network of national resources in place. Construction crews were brought in from six branches across the country,most arriving with a couple of day’s notice, to repair, restore and reconstruct the resort.

Collaboration, open dialogue & attention to detail established the pattern for success for this fast-tracked project.

EMERGENCY DESIGN-BUILD AT FOUR SEASONS HUALALAI RESORTPARADISE NOT LOST

Design-build scope included:

• Demolition• Trash & Debris Removal• BeachSandCleanup&Restoration• LandscapePlanting• IrrigationSystems• LandscapeLighting• Hardscape• TikiTorches&PropaneGasSystem• SiteCarpentry• Architecture&BuildingConstruction

ValleyCrest collaborated with Hualalai Resort ownership, Four Seasons management and staff, and several insurance adjusters to ensure the five-star, five-diamond resort was restored to its pre-tsunami luster. The collaborative effort of all parties combined with an open dialogue and attention to the smallest details established the pattern for success. Four Seasons Hualalai re-opened as planned on April 30, 2011. Forty days of hard work by the ValleyCrest team is what got it done! Guests are back enjoying the resort and employees are back to work. The finished results are receiving rave reviews and many say that the resort has never looked better!

The devastation of the quake will not be forgotten. What was learned through this experience is that every tragedy does have an upside. As landscape architects and contractors, our team has developed a unique way to design and build at the highest levels of quality with a talented workforce to get things done fast.

It’s certainly safe to say paradise wasn’t lost— it became even more beautiful.

A rough sketch of the repair work areas at Four Seasons Hualalai including the beachfront and the resort’s four landscaped crescent areas: King’s Pond, Sea Shell, Beach Tree, Palm Grove and Beach House

[ 2 ]

Paradise Not Lost continued from page 1

pieces of equipment were required to construct the site improvements,

including dump trailers, forklifts, excavators, skid steers, lawn mowers, buggies & backhoes

ValleyCrest rescue teams were called in from:

VCDG JamesHyatt Studio

VCDG Orange County

VCLD Pre-Construction Services

VCLD San Diego

VCLD OC/LA

VCLD Phoenix

VCLD Las Vegas

VCLD Dallas

VCLM San Diego

hours for VCDG team to design new resort-worthy swimming pool

Pesky Coqui frogs (small little frogs with a really loud, contagious croak) introduced to the property by ValleyCrest, as a result of plant quarantine efforts

minimum number of days all new plant material was quarantined at remote nursery to ensure removal of Coqui frogs before entering resort

number of 40’ refrigerated containers required to barge

sodded turf from Oahu

number of American Football Fields that could be sodded with the 95,000 square feet

of turf replaced at resort.

44,700trees, shrubs &

groundcover were installed

tiki torches were replaced

9-inch butcher knives

found during sand

cleaning operations

—don’t ask, we don’t

know why!

648

weeks it took to design, procure, install & re-open hotel

ValleyCrest field crew

ValleyCrest design, administrative &

management staff

14

Total contract value:

$5 million+

hours ValleyCrest employees worked

on average per week (6.5 days/week @ 12 hrs/day)

78

30

243

3

7 112

3

120

O

Scope throughout 2,600 feet of beachfront: cleaning, grading, new concrete path, sand dune plantings, lighting and irrigation

14,000 feet of new irrigation pipe, 4,000 new spray heads, 1,000 new rotors and 75 new automatic valves

LED landscape lights mounted in select palm trees

3,500 square feet of new lava stone pavers

Zip, Zero, Zilch established ValleyCrest resources (tools, equipment, office supplies,

material) on the island prior to March 21, 2011, when work began

guests at resort on April 29, 2011

Percentage increase incapacity at hotel (according to hotel manager) from April

29 to May 2, 2011

85%

KEY PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Such a fast faced projectcouldn't have been accomplished alone. Special thanks goes out to our commendable subcontractors, who were integral to the seamless and efficient Four Seasons resurgence.

CARPENTRY Ali'i Builders

EQUIPMENT & CONCRETEGoodfellow Bros.

TIKI TORCH REPAIRBig Island Mechanical

RETAINING WALLSBlue Rock Masonry

0