Photo courtesy of Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.
Reimagining King Kalakaua Plaza
By Jennifer Kling
KEY TAKEAWAYS
➤ Innovation and the complex scope of the project contributed to the King Kalākaua Plaza project winning the Build Hawaii Grand Award in 2025.
➤ Early planning and collaboration enable complex adaptive-reuse projects to succeed in constrained environments.
➤ Strong partnerships and BIM-driven coordination are essential for delivering high-risk projects on time and on budget.
This article appeared in the Hawaii Contractor magazine, 2026, volume 25, issue 1.
Read the digital version here.
If you would like to be added to the mailing list for the next issue, please fill out this form.
On August 23, 2025, GCA of Hawaii gathered at the Sheraton Waikiki for its annual signature event, the Build Hawaii Awards, to recognize 16 outstanding GCA member projects that were completed in 2024.
Each entry was reviewed and scored based on the following criteria: meeting the challenge of a difficult job; excellence in project management; contractor’s innovation in construction techniques, materials and value engineering; quality; contractor’s sensitivity to the environment and surroundings; excellence in client service; contractor’s contributions to the community; and safety. The 2025 Grand Award Winner, Nordic PCL Construction, Inc., has won a total of three times. And, given the innovation and complexity of their winning project, it’s easy to see why.
The Nordic PCL Construction team accepts the Build Hawaii Grand Award for King Kalakaua Plaza.
Special Projects Manager for Nordic PCL Nathan Ramler described the redevelopment of King Kalākaua Plaza as “one of Waikiki’s most ambitious adaptive-reuse transformations,” a project that turned the former Nike Town retail building into a flagship Marriott Vacation Club property in the heart of Hawaii’s busiest tourism district. Originally constructed in 1996, the building featured four levels of retail above two subterranean parking floors on a tight urban parcel along Kalākaua Avenue. After years of vacancy, Marriott set out to reinvent the property as a hospitality-grade resort, and Nordic PCL Construction was brought in to lead the effort.
The team essentially had to reimagine the entire structure. The work began with full interior and exterior demolition, including the partial removal of upper floors. Because the original structure was never designed to support additional vertical loads, the team had to conduct extensive structural analysis before any expansion could occur. Ultimately, Nordic PCL added four new floors, transforming the former retail facility into an eight-story, mixed-use destination featuring two levels of street-front retail, 110 Marriott Vacation Club villas, a sales center, a swimming pool, and a commercial kitchen.
Converting a commercial building into a hospitality grade resort required close coordination between design and construction teams, along with a highly strategic approach to reinforcing the existing foundation and superstructure. Ramler noted that nearly every aspect of the building had to be reconsidered to meet the demands of its new use – an effort that showcased the team’s technical expertise and collaborative problem-solving.
Turning Constraints into Construction Solutions
This project had some truly unique obstacles to overcome. Ramler emphasized that the depth and duration of preconstruction were crucial to the success of the project.
Photos courtesy of Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.
“This project didn’t simply benefit from early planning,” he said. “It required years of it. Nordic PCL had been engaged long before demolition began, working hand in hand with the design team to study existing conditions, test ideas and refine solutions until every major challenge had a clear, coordinated path forward. That level of preparation is what allowed the job to move forward at all.”
The biggest risk and challenge involved ballasting the basement — a “reverse” bathtub — against buoyancy uplift, especially as the superstructure’s dead loads decreased during demolition, Ramler described. After evaluating several ballasting methods, the team determined that flooding the basement with over a million gallons of fresh water would counteract the buoyant forces. This essentially turned the basement into an underground swimming pool, with treated water to prevent algae and bacteria growth throughout construction. A work crew monitored the water levels daily, moving around the space on paddleboards equipped with headlamps.
Photos courtesy of Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.
As the building was strengthened, Nordic PCL continued to make strategic choices to reduce load and streamline construction. The team used lightweight concrete to ease pressure on the existing foundation and brought in a tower crane with luffing jib shipped from the mainland. Mounted directly to the existing mat foundation and anchored into the steel structure, the crane eliminated the need for new exterior foundations and saved the project roughly $1 million.
“Every step required meticulous planning, precise sequencing, and constant coordination among engineers, architects, and construction teams,” said Ramler.
Procurement posed another major challenge, particularly the long lead times and limited availability of structural steel. Rather than wait for demolition to conclude, Nordic PCL conducted an early, detailed as-built survey of the existing structure. This proactive step allowed the team to release steel orders months ahead of schedule. Every piece was fabricated to exact dimensions and ready for installation the moment demolition and tie-ins were complete. By removing what could have been a significant bottleneck, the team kept the project on its tight timeline, avoided costly delays, and kept construction moving on a project where every day counted, explained Ramler.
A Unified Team Driving a Complex Transformation
Collaboration was the backbone of the King Kalākaua Plaza redevelopment, shaping the project from its earliest planning stages through final turnover. Ramler emphasized that Nordic PCL built an integrated team culture from day one, launching a two-year preconstruction effort grounded in transparency, early engagement, and shared problem-solving. Weekly Building Information Modeling (BIM) coordination meetings, team-building sessions and structured communication with Marriott, designers, consultants, trade partners, and manufacturers kept everyone aligned as the project evolved.
“The success of King Kalākaua Plaza was the result of a unified team working with shared purpose. The partnership between Nordic PCL, Marriott, G70, consultants, and trade partners created an environment where challenges were solved collectively, decisions were shared in real time, and every stakeholder contributed to delivering a complex project on time, on budget, and with exceptional quality.”
The same commitment to partnership extended internationally, with a Nordic PCL representative traveling to China to inspect casework and cabinetry before shipment to ensure quality and maintain schedule certainty.
Key design partners played a pivotal role as well, Ramler said. Interior Designer Kellye Greco and Principal Tom Young brought flexibility and a collaborative mindset that helped the team navigate unexpected conditions without compromising design intent.
Project Architects Leanna Odanaka and Mary Brown played a pivotal role by collaborating extensively with Nordic PCL during weekly BIM sessions. Plus, they facilitated the refinement of model updates and the conversion of drawings into accurate 3D representations that could be tested, clashed, and refined with trade partners prior to installation. This ensured that complex systems fit seamlessly within the limitations of the existing structure.
Digital tools – such as Autodesk BIM 360, QR-codelinked logistics plans, and real-time model integration – made safety data, orientation records, and work area responsibilities instantly accessible. Model units built during demolition allowed Marriott to review and refine quality expectations early in the process.
“The success of King Kalākaua Plaza was the result of a unified team working with shared purpose,” said Ramler. “The partnership between Nordic PCL, Marriott, G70, consultants, and trade partners created an environment where challenges were solved collectively, decisions were shared in real time, and every stakeholder contributed to delivering a complex project on time, on budget, and with exceptional quality.”
Photos courtesy of Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.
The Formula Behind Nordic PCL’s Award-Winning Track Record
So what is it about Nordic PCL that has allowed them to win the prestigious Grand Award three times? Ramler said that their reputation speaks to a culture built around partnership, innovation, and a commitment to finding solutions.
“Our team is committed to consistently delivering what our clients expect and sharing the successes of all stakeholders in the process,” said Ramler.
Nordic PCL attributes its success to the strong partnerships it builds across every level of a project, said Ramler. By working closely with design professionals, subcontractors, vendors, government regulatory agencies, and the construction unions from the earliest stages of the project, the team can anticipate challenges, innovate quickly, and keep even the most complex work moving forward.
Nordic PCL is committed to identifying the best opportunities paired with the right partnerships to form a team committed to delivering creative, reliable solutions, Ramler said.
Meeting Hawaii’s Construction Challenges Head-On
As Nordic PCL looks ahead, they are continuing to prepare for and address the unique challenges that the Hawaiian construction industry faces. Nordic PCL President Glen Kaneshige believes that one of the most significant hurdles facing Hawaii’s construction industry is workforce development.
Sponsorships & Registration for the 2026 Build Hawaii Awards is now open!
This year’s theme, Forged in Fire: Foundations of Excellence, draws inspiration from the volcanic forces that created the Hawaiian Islands - transforming molten rock into the land we call home. Like the lava flows that shaped Hawaii’s coastlines, valleys, and mountains, our builders leave a lasting mark on the landscape through vision, determination, and craftsmanship.
“The pool of available labor in Hawaii remains relatively static since mainland workers would face housing and cost of living hurdles should they choose to relocate,” said Kaneshige. “As the aging Boomer generation transitions into retirement, there isn’t a continuum of workers to replace the vacancies created, so contractors will be facing a lack of an experienced and skilled workforce.”
“The satisfaction of winning a Build Hawaii Award should underscore that construction is a business where working with your hands is noble to the benefit of society.”
One way the company is tackling the issues of workforce shortages and an aging labor pool is bolstering its training curriculum. By enhancing the educational and developmental opportunities available, Nordic PCL aims to accelerate the learning curve and increase the experience of younger workers within the organization.
Kaneshige also emphasized that recognitions like the Build Hawaii Awards help to highlight human accomplishment and emphasize that construction is, in fact, a rewarding career for young people looking to enter the workforce.
"The satisfaction of winning a Build Hawaii Award should underscore that construction is a business where working with your hands is noble to the benefit of society,” he said.
This article appeared in the Hawaii Contractor magazine, 2026, volume 25, issue 1.
Read the digital version here.
If you would like to be added to the mailing list for the next issue, please fill out this form.