Occasionally Western Construction bids and wins business that lends itself well to visual documentation; The SouthPark Square Apartments rooftop pool project was one such example.
Holland Partner Group, who manages the building in downtown Portland, reached out to Western Construction to take over the project. We were tasked with removing the old roofing, furniture, and remaining materials to prepare the roof for a fabulous new pool area designed by Garrison Hullinger and Dominek Architecture. The goal was to create a new pool, roofing, decking, and an outdoor living area the residents of SouthPark Square can enjoy for years to come
In the following videos you can see the state of the project and follow along. From our tear down of the deteriorating tent, dilapidated roofing, and other debris from the previously abandoned job, all the way through to a beautiful new pool, hot-tub, and outdoor area for the residents – in only 16 weeks.
OK, we have exactly 16 weeks to transform the roof into a fabulous and livable space for hundreds of residents… here we go!
Check out our week 1 video to get a quick idea of the what exactly we were up against to start this project. A previous job had left the roofing half complete, a deteriorating scaffolding, and debris all over the place. The rooftop needed some TLC before we could help our client construct the pool deck of their (and their tenants) dreams.
As the remaining roofing was removed, we also took down the deteriorated tent to enable our crew to better access the roof and continue the renovation. Thanks to the expertise of Maxim Crane Works, we were able to safely and efficiently get necessary materials and equipment to the rooftop despite the job taking place right next to a bustling Saturday market in Downtown Portland.
During the third week, most all the remaining material from the previously abandoned job had been successfully removed and we began the process of readying the foundation for the pool. In the opening drone shot, you can see the lines and grid for what will become the pool. During our second of many crane lifts, we got the lumber for cement forms to the roof, and all the garbage down. We also delivered Crumbl Cookies to the residents who were affected by the construction – they loved them.
Thankfully, the weather had cooperated with us and all crews had been working exactly on schedule to complete this amazing rooftop project. In weeks 4 and 5 we did a concrete pump up to the 9th floor to fill the pool foundation forms. Synchronized work of the various crews from Brand Safway, Fine Line Concrete, and Maxim Crane made this concrete pump amazingly efficient and satisfying to watch.
The expert drone work in the week 6 video below is something to watch! Our marketing team of Jim Beriault (RocketGlow Marketing) and video work of Dan Pred (Video Media Portland) and Bobby Pollatta (Bobby P Media) really shine here. During this week, the crane required an extension in order to bring up the decking materials. Follow along up close through the whole process!
During weeks 7 and 8, the crews continued finalizing the roofing material and began waterproofing the drains and fixtures to prepare for the fall rains. Additionally, the existing rooftop bathroom had to be gutted and completely refinished with a new entry, door, and fixtures. Every other Saturday, we lifted new material to the 9th floor rooftop. This week those lifts included grey slate tiles and the foam foundations for them. As you will see it takes tremendous coordination and timing for all crews involved to successfully install the foundation later in the week. Finally, our good friends at Crumbl dropped off more cookies for the residents who were excitedly awaiting their new pool.
In week 9 we began work on the deck structure. Our subcontractors laid out the design and began to construct the deck material we had lifted earlier. At the same time, the Foam support foundation was nearing completion. Once completed it would allow for the slate tiles to be placed, and give added weather insulation to the residents.
During week 10, we began laying the grey slate tiles. It was an exacting process for our subcontractor Tueful Landscaping. A metal backing was applied to each tile, and they were carefully laid out. Each tile was painstakingly lined up for a perfect fit and placement. While tedious, lining up the tiles is important to prevent mold, water damage, or other unwanted issues for our client going forward. In our next video, you will see that the entirety of the tile was laid with the utmost care and attention to detail, to ensure our client’s building was ready to handle even the nastiest weather the PNW could throw at it.
As you can see the tile work was nearing completion in week 11, as our subs took care of cutting and installing tiles for corners and ends. We also began installation of the metal frame for the pool – of which all pieces were expertly crafted by InstaFAB right here in Portland. These giant steel structures had to be lifted through the buildings in Downtown Portland, another process made easy thanks to the expertise of Maxim Crane Works.
In weeks 12, 13, and 14 pool parts from Italy finally arrived. After being held up in Seattle due to supply chain issues, we were excited to get construction of the pool underway. There were hundreds of parts to be accounted for and readied so our sub Anderson Poolworks could begin construction of a marvelous pool for the tenants of SouthPark Square Apartments.
Here are updates from throughout October and November. With the pool pans in place, the pool was finally ready for cement and subsequently tiling both inside and outside. We also got the barbeque area prepped and installed the barbeque itself. With the pool cemented, the barbeque installed, and tiles beginning to be placed, you can really start to see our clients dream taking shape!
See Completed Photos Below!
Creating a rooftop pool in Downtown Portland is no simple task, but our dedicated team of over 50 employees is highly experienced, adept at problem solving, and can handle anything a job may throw at them. Best of all, our staff is excitedly awaiting our chance to bring your vision and your dreams to life and to show you why we have a reputation as one of the West’s most dependable and trusted construction companies.