The Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences, Kapalua Bay exemplifies tropical luxury living. Located in Maui on a spectacular 24-acre oceanfront property, it boasts one of the finest beaches in the world and a diverse, vibrant community.

The community consists of six mid-rise residential buildings constructed out of cast-in-place, post-tensioned concrete. Included are two timeshare buildings that host 62 units and 84 private residences. The overall development also comprises an arrivals building with a grand entry, a spa building, a gatehouse, an outdoor bar and grill, a beach club and a 30,000-square-foot European spa with prefabricated huts, lush landscaping and an 8,500-square-foot pool and water feature area.

After the project was found to be substantially over budget, Ritz-Carlton hired Nordic PCL for preconstruction services to reevaluate the cost of building the project. Nordic PCL ended up saving the client more than $22 million by providing over one hundred value-engineering ideas, such as:

• Using steel-stud roof trusses instead of structural steel
• Providing alternate window, door and trim manufacturers
• Offering an alternate light-fixture package
• Installing vertical closet heat pumps instead of outside air units
• Locating the electrical room centrally to minimize conduit runs

With Nordic PCL’s involvement, the project was fast-tracked and the project team was able to begin work even before 100% of the construction drawings were issued. Civil and foundation work began while interior design was still being completed.

Additionally, during civil work, an electrical line, not depicted in the drawings, was found underground. The line interfered with the planned 30-foot foundations of two of the six buildings and delivered power to surrounding residential communities. With the local utility company backlogged by eight months, Nordic PCL needed to come up with a solution.

In response to this challenge, the team developed a shoring system in which strong cables tied the lines back to posts drilled into the ground. By implementing this design, Nordic PCL was able to complete the foundations, averting a potentially costly eight-month delay.