We know budgets have to be our guiding light when undertaking a commercial construction project, but just as critical are building code and preservation requirements. To achieve all of these goals, it’s imperative to us at Seacoast Construction that we spend the weeks leading up to a project hashing out every single detail and scenario. It is often before and during this process of pre-construction when new opportunities are given life and fresh ideas become a reality. One such example of bringing forth an innovative idea was in the 2018 renovation of Bhojwani Tower in Miami Beach, Florida.

Built to withstand and preserve

Given the location of Bhojwani Tower, this renovation project needed to meet both South Florida’s stringent building codes as well as the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board building requirements. In partnering with the architectural firm on this project, we were able to meet these requirements by choosing to innovate. Rather than heavy marble, we used porcelain tile panels bonded to a honeycomb composite panel to complete the tower’s exterior.

Not only did this combination prove capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions, it also was significantly lighter than marble. This made installation much safer, faster, and a whole lot lighter for our crew, which was even more important because of the high-traffic pedestrian zone in which we were working. This also allowed for the existing structure to remain with minor alterations which were strengthened to carry less weight of the porcelain. Had we gone with the marble it would have required the tower to be bulked up which was cost prohibitive. In order to keep neighboring retail stores open during construction, we installed scaffolding to allow for pedestrian access below, which minimized disruption to retail businesses and also allowed us to continue safely working above the scaffolding.

A boost to the budget

The choice to use porcelain tile and honeycomb composite panels proved also to be a boon for the budget. By changing some structural systems to restore this historic building, we saved the client more than $150,000.

Successful construction begins with successful pre-construction and allowing innovative ideas to come to life. Our work on Bhojwani Tower demonstrates just how important these measures can be, especially when restoring a historic building in South Florida.