The Royal Floridian is a seven story vacation resort that is a major economic driver in the small coastal town of Ormond Beach, Fla. Originally built in 1973, the building had received several alterations over the years but the progressive deterioration caused by the harsh salt water environment had never been addressed.
The restoration team, led by ConTech Construction, was hired 1½ years before construction started, which allowed for extensive planning. The engineer performed both non-destructive and limited destructive testing to determine the extent and cause of structural deficiencies. These explorations uncovered severe corrosion of the structural steel support columns and beams under the north and south cantilevered ends of the building. Other findings were chloride content in the concrete balconies of over 5 lbs per cubic yard, hundreds of top and bottom spalls, and large areas of cracked and disbonded stucco. Water intrusion was causing deterioration inside the living areas.
The extent of concrete deterioration was so severe that the balconies and walkways were completely removed and replaced with new concrete containing a corrosion inhibitor admixture. Other concrete areas were selectively repaired with pre-packaged structural repair mortars.
The team also executed an architectural aesthetic make over that transformed the worn out, drab facility into a gorgeous, modern destination resort. The entire east face of the building was reconstructed, including new balconies, new insulated windows and doors and 15 BASF products, including Sonoguard waterproofing membranes and Thorocoat, Thorolastic and Thorosheen acrylic exterior coatings.
New pavers were installed over the waterproofing membrane on the pool deck over the parking garage, and new concrete swimming pools completed the transformation of this landmark resort.
To learn more about the Royal Floridian project, click here to watch the video. BD+C
Related Stories
Building Owners | Jul 12, 2023
Building movement: When is it a problem?
As buildings age, their structural conditions can deteriorate, causing damage and safety concerns. In order to mitigate this, it’s important to engage in the regular inspection and condition assessment of buildings for diagnosis.
Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023
5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings
For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 11, 2023
Converting downtown office into multifamily residential: Let’s stop and think about this
Is the office-to-residential conversion really what’s best for our downtowns from a cultural, urban, economic perspective? Or is this silver bullet really a poison pill?
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 10, 2023
California updates building code for adaptive reuse of office, retail structures for housing
The California Building Standards Commission recently voted to make it easier to convert commercial properties to residential use. The commission adopted provisions of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) that allow developers more flexibility for adaptive reuse of retail and office structures.
Laboratories | Jul 10, 2023
U.S. Department of Agriculture opens nation’s first biosafety level 4 containment facility for animal disease research
Replacing a seven-decade-old animal disease center, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility includes the nation’s first facility with biosafety containment capable of housing large livestock.
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 6, 2023
The responsibility of adapting historic university buildings
Shepley Bulfinch's David Whitehill, AIA, believes the adaptive reuse of historic university buildings is not a matter of sentimentality but of practicality, progress, and preservation.
Market Data | Jul 5, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending decreased in May, its first drop in nearly a year
National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.2% in May, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.06 trillion.
Architects | Jul 5, 2023
Niles Bolton Associates promotes Jeffrey Smith, AIA, to President and C. Cannon Reynolds, AIA, to Managing Director
Niles Bolton Associates (NBA), a leading architecture, planning and design firm, announces leadership changes as a part of its ongoing commitment to future growth. Current Executive Vice President, Jeffrey Smith, AIA, has been named President and C. Cannon Reynolds, AIA, has been named Managing Director effective June 30, 2023.
Mixed-Use | Jun 29, 2023
Massive work-live-play development opens in LA's new Cumulus District
VOX at Cumulus, a 14-acre work-live-play development in Los Angeles, offers 910 housing units and 100,000 sf of retail space anchored by a Whole Foods outlet. VOX, one of the largest mixed-use communities to open in the Los Angeles area, features apartments and townhomes with more than one dozen floorplans.
Office Buildings | Jun 28, 2023
When office-to-residential conversion works
The cost and design challenges involved with office-to-residential conversions can be daunting; designers need to devise creative uses to fully utilize the space.
