By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

St Maarten’s landmark Maho Beach Resort has launched reconstruction in the wake of last year’s Hurricane Irma, the Maho Group announced.

This rebuild will be different, though, with plans for innovative, resilient, storm-resistant construction.

“While we always had a plan to rebuild, it was imperative to rebuild incorporating the best materials and latest storm resistant technology,” said Maho Group  President & CEO, Saro Spadaro. “We not only have the welfare of our staff and future guests to consider, but we also have a massive responsibility to the entire destination of St. Maarten to rebuild in a manner that pioneers hurricane-safe infrastructure.”

The resort’s Sky Tower building, which sustained the most damage, is undergoing a complete overhaul, stripping it down to its main structural frame.

The company is utilizing the work of TCK and LVKE building technology, a China-based, green technology consortium that is modernizing the construction industry by creating energy-efficient storm and fire resistant building materials.

The pre-fabricated, TCK and LVKE composite panels with an interior honeycomb reinforcement structure will be used throughout the hotel’s Sky Tower, including the building’s exterior envelope and all interior partitions such as the walls in guest rooms, public spaces and corridors, thereby increasing the building’s fire resistance.

In addition, new windows and sliding doors integrating argon gas filled air-gaps will be installed. TCK LVKE panels together with the new windows and sliding doors will significantly increase the building’s thermal insulation, reduce the energy required to cool the building and therefore reduce the building’s overall carbon footprint.

To ensure the proficiency and quality of these materials to withstand hurricane and earthquake conditions, The Maho Group enlisted the expertise of Reggio Calabria’s Building Future Lab, a University affiliated laboratory that tests advanced building performance simulating earthquakes and hurricanes in a controlled setting.

“We also choose these materials because it reduces construction time by as much as 30 percent when compared to traditional construction materials and we understand the importance of aiding St. Maarten’s come back as soon as possible,” Spadaro said.

The final rebuild of Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa will result in a modern new look and feel throughout the hotel, according to the company, while guestrooms will receive an enhanced layout that will create more comfort and better usage of the interior space including larger bathrooms allowing in natural light.

Designed by Galo Rosa, the same designer as St Maarten’s Sonesta Ocean Point, new furniture includes ultra comfortable bedding and European standard mattresses, with a wood-based bed-frame made from sustainably harvested forests, under the Forest Certification Encouragement Program.