If you think your jobsite is problematic, wait until you hear what the Building Team for the 380,800-sf Ritz-Carlton Highlands resort in Lake Tahoe, Calif., had to contend with.
The project started off in mid-2006 on the wrong foot. Q&D/Swinerton, the joint venture general contractor, came in with an initial budget that was 10% higher than expected, a result of construction prices being driven up dramatically by a shortage of skilled carpenters and materials shortages, especially for concrete. These issues weighed heavily on the Building Team throughout the project.
To address the issue of the limited availability of concrete supplies and skilled carpentry trades, the general contractor ran estimates comparing the number of carpenters and the amount of material needed to build the project using concrete versus steel frame construction. Steel came out on top in this calculation, and the scales tipped for good in steel's favor when it was determined that the steel framing could be erected in a single season. Concrete construction was used for the four-level underground parking garage and the conference center above it.
Then there were the sheer physical demands of building seven thousand feet up in the Sierra Nevada. Access to the site was so limited that the team had to build a new four-and-a-half-mile access road-at an average grade of 10%-plus six bridges and tunnels before construction could begin on the hotel itself. Water mains and conduit for phones and cable were being laid at the same time, further complicating the roadwork.
In the summer, with the road only partially completed, construction crews found themselves sharing the right-of-way with mountain bikers, outdoor adventurers, trailside workers, and ski-resort repair and safety crews.
Getting 500 trade workers a day to the remote site over a three-year period meant that general contractor Q&D/Swinerton had to rent parking at nearby Truckee Tahoe Airport in the winter and at the Northstar-at-Tahoe resort in the summer and bus everyone up and down the mountain in all kinds of weather. This turned the task of scheduling and coordinating subcontractors into an intricate exercise.
The Building Team found itself working on the sensitive issue of erosion control with a community that's ultra-protective of their lake-these are the same people who bring you the "Keep Tahoe Blue" bumper stickers. The team consulted with local environmentalists and the Lahontan Conservation District on a runoff prevention plan that went well beyond the usual silt fences and waddles: the entire building site perimeter was temporarily paved to prevent soil disruption. Local regulations further stipulated that no soil could be moved from October 15 to April 15, so the team had to work around that restriction as well.
The Lake Tahoe region is blessed with an average 16 feet of snow each season, which can put the freeze on construction projects. To allow crews and materials to move around the site during winter months, snow was trucked away rather than stockpiled on the grounds.
As the building went up, it was encapsulated in plastic and heated so that construction could go on year-round. Unfortunately, this cozy environment also attracted black bears, which occasionally used the space for rent-free accommodation. Construction crews would find beds made of torn-up building insulation when they arrived in the morning.
Serving as inspiration for the five-star resort's architecture were such great historic lodges as the Ahwahnee (Yosemite National Park), the Timberline Lodge (Mt. Hood National Forest), and the Tahoe Tavern (Lake Tahoe). The new Ritz-Carlton has a steeply pitched roof, shallow eaves, shiplap siding, and a rustic base of locally sourced granite.
Inside, a modern take on the traditional lodge fireplace is constructed of weathered granite with a chimney that rises 55 feet above the hotel lobby. The massive four-sided fireplace-with its eight-sided chimney-serves as the focal point of the lobby and head-house. The chimney is not merely decorative: it is the central support column for both the head-house roof and the spiral entry staircase. The fireboxes alone took two months to build due to the intricate herringbone pattern used to lay the 200 tons of stone from which it was fashioned.
A BIM model was used to help coordinate design and construction processes. This cut down the need for frequent visits to the remote site which, along with savings on printing and mail, saved an estimated $285,000. Another $8 million in savings came from the detection of 450 design discrepancies, which the team estimates greatly reduced the number of change orders.
The Building Team of Q&D/Swinerton; East West Partners (owner); Hornberger + Worstell (architect); OZ Architects (architect of record); BraytonHughes Design Studio (interior architect); and S.A. Miro Inc. Consulting Engineers (structural engineers) and many other dedicated professionals surmounted all these challenges to create a 170-room luxury hotel and spa with 23 private residences and a 14,000-sf convention center that earned the project a Silver Award from our judging panel. The project is also awaiting LEED certification from the Green Building Certification Institute.
Although the initial cost estimate came in 10% over budget, the Building Team reworked every facet of the building, shaving almost $22 million from the price tag and bringing the project in at a construction cost of $226 million. The Ritz-Carlton Highlands opened on schedule last December, just in time for the winter ski season.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Silver Award
The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe
Truckee, Calif.
Building Team
Submitting firm: Q&D/Swinerton (joint venture GC)
Owner: East West Partners
Architect: Hornberger + Worstell
Architect of record: OZ Architects
Interior architect: BraytonHughes Design Studio
Structural engineer: S.A. Miro Inc. Consulting Engineers
MEP engineer: Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers
General Information
Project size: 380,800 sf
Construction cost: $226 million
Construction time: July 2006 to December 2009
Delivery method: CM at risk
Related Stories
| Jun 12, 2014
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects' design selected for new UCSC facility
The planned site is a natural landscape among redwood trees with views over Monterey Bay, a site that the architects have called “one of the most beautiful they have ever worked on.”
| Jun 12, 2014
Austrian university develops 'inflatable' concrete dome method
Constructing a concrete dome is a costly process, but this may change soon. A team from the Vienna University of Technology has developed a method that allows concrete domes to form with the use of air and steel cables instead of expensive, timber supporting structures.
| Jun 11, 2014
David Adjaye’s housing project in Sugar Hill nears completion
A new development in New York's historic Sugar Hill district nears completion, designed to be an icon for the neighborhood's rich history.
| Jun 11, 2014
Bill signing signals approval to revitalize New Orleans’ convention center corridor
A plan to revitalize New Orleans' Convention Center moves forward after Louisiana governor signs bill.
| Jun 11, 2014
5 ways Herman Miller's new office concept rethinks the traditional workplace
Today's technologies allow us to work anywhere. So why come to an office at all? Herman Miller has an answer.
| Jun 11, 2014
Koolhaas’ OMA teams with chemical company to study link between color and economy
Dutch company AkzoNobel is partnering with Rem Koolhaas' firm OMA to study how the application of colorful paints and coatings can affect a city's economic development.
| Jun 11, 2014
Oceanic oases: Two new luxury condominiums under construction in South Beach
Slated for completion in 2015, both the seven-story, 275,141 square-foot One Ocean and six-story, 190,654 square-foot Marea will offer landscapes by Enzo Enea and interiors by Yabu Pushelberg.
| Jun 11, 2014
Esri’s interactive guide to 2014 World Cup Stadiums
California-based Esri, a supplier of GIS software, created a nifty interactive map that gives viewers a satellite perspective of Brazil’s many new stadiums.
| Jun 10, 2014
Site optimization: Paving the way for smoother land development projects
The biggest cost differential when dealing in site development from one site to another is the earthwork. So, when selecting a site, it is critical to not only take into account the initial purchase price of the property, but also what sort of investment it will take to prep the site for development.
| Jun 10, 2014
Gaudi’s famed cathedral on ice: Dutch students to construct 132-foot ice replica of Sagrada Familia
"Sagrada Familia in Ice" will be built with a mixture of wooden fibers and plain ice that is three times stronger than ice.