Cloward H2O, an expert in aquatic design, has reflected on a major project it undertook for The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, which required extra care in the topical areas of heritage and sustainability.
The company worked alongside a talented team to manage the engineering design for a renovation of the resort which has its origins in the late 19th-century.
Cloward H2O worked on the design of water features for an expansion of The Breakers’ Beach Club facilities, including the installation of a luxury relaxation swimming pool, activity swimming pool, three Jacuzzi spas and a fountain feature.
Unique and historic resort
Constructed in 1896, The Breakers is a luxury oceanfront hotel providing views across some of Florida’s most beautiful beachfront stretches.
As one of North America’s most iconic resorts, The Breakers is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. During the Second World War, The Breakers was temporarily converted into the US Army’s Ream General Hospital. Thousands of servicing individuals used the venue to recuperate from illnesses and wounds during the war.
Moving into the 21st century, The Breakers is now used for couples to escape the strains of everyday life, relaxing in upscale accommodation besides Palm Beach.
Some of the unique selling points of the resort include its contribution to minimising its impact on the environment, improving community wellbeing, and its premium status as an AAA Five Diamond property.
One of the key attractions however is the stunning seaside pool that sets the scene, provided by Cloward H2O.
Respecting the surroundings
One of project manager Rob Cloward‘s first projects at Cloward H2O was at The Breakers. In 2004, Rob worked with the resort team to design and plan a long-term amenity area that would complement the heritage and luxurious feel of the existing resort and buildings.
The pools were requested by the operators to create new intimate spaces from which guests would have spectacular views of the resort and the nearby ocean sands.
Respecting the resort history and ensuring future sustainability was a key priority, and due care was taken to prepare for this during the works. Measures including extensive added soil and rock layer undegrading as well as strong-form shotcrete and concrete would keep the structure free from the prospective dangers of environmental erosion, close to the coastline.
Essential components such as the mechanical room were located remotely from resort guests’ view lines, to ensure the luxury experience was not interrupted. This did lead to some piping challenges that had to be addressed (as the mechanical room was farther away than typical), meaning flow and pipe calculations were required to guarantee the length would not affect system hydraulics.
Ensuring sea turtle welfare
The beach which surrounds the resort is used by sea turtles as a nesting ground, so special considerations were implemented into the designs so that the turtles’ nesting patterns were not disrupted.
Sea turtles can be very sensitive to focused and bright lights, with artificial lights disorientating newborns as they travel from nests to the sea after hatching. With this knowledge, Cloward worked carefully to minimise light levels around the resort’s pools, ensuring turtles will be safe as well as hotel guests.
The resort reinvests approximately $30 million annually into revitalisation projects, including its pools, that help keep the resort’s history alive. Such projects have ensured that The Breakers could celebrate its 125th Anniversary last year. A Cloward H2O representative says “[We are] proud to have been a part of this historic hotel’s history to help keep it luxurious and alive for many years to come.”
Cloward H2O, recently announced it is working on the new Montgomery Whitewater Center project, a new outdoor recreation facility set to open in summer 2023.
