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Grand Geneva Resort & Spa
Award of Merit: Small Projects
The Grand Geneva Resort & Spa is one of only three AAA
Four Diamond resorts in Wisconsin.
The facility amid rolling hills and pristine views features
355 guest rooms, three dining options, 50,000 sq. ft. of event
space, two championship golf courses, spa, fitness center, indoor/outdoor
water park and high-tech amenities.
The resort is seeking the Five Diamond rating to achieve an
ultra upscale impression.
The decision was made to close the facility for an eight-month
renovation of the guest rooms, the lobby and pro shop, and a
pool was added.
Craftsmanship was sought for the exterior finishes and detailed
concrete work.
Other elements included an entrance monument on Highway 50,
substantial entry towers, garden walking paths to connect existing
resort buildings, a porte cochere car port and water feature
at the main guest lodging entrance.
Clean lines and natural materials were used to blend with the
existing architecture. Heavy timber framing, decorative stamped
concrete and earth-toned masonry were selected as the primary
materials.
The project involved nine loads of precast, more than 14,000
sq. ft. of decorative concrete and 17,000 sq. ft. of cultured
stone.
Mindful of Guests
Ensuring guest satisfaction was key because work was taking
place where guests developed their first impressions.
As a result, noise control, safety, traffic flow and site
maintenance were critical.
The schedule, which was originally 12 weeks, was reduced to
six weeks because the resort needed to meet a previously scheduled
event and anticipated a busy Memorial Day weekend. The timeframe
meant that work began before the frost had melted.
The owners wanted a high-end decorative look for the walkways,
but each of the buildings needed to remain open during construction,
eliminating the option to reconstruction the walkways at once.
Walkway construction was phased. The walkways were created
by pouring integral colored stamped concrete borders, infilled
with a second integral colored concrete and finished with
a broomed texture.
Jury Comments: "It was a nice landscaping project. It's
very fitting. It clearly tells you you're at a resort. Everything
ties together."
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