Turning Over a New LeafBy Peter van Niekerk, Peter van Niekerk & Associates
No one can argue the impact of Disney animation and imagery on childhood imagination. Disney's imagery recently touched the pavement at one of the company's theme park hotels in Anaheim, California. The intent was more than just replacing an aging concrete pool deck and entertainment area. Hotel management wanted to incorporate Disney imagery into the rehabilitated pavement. An opportunity was also presented by the bird's-eye view of the pool deck from most of the rooms in this high-rise hotel.
The IMA Group, landscape architects, prepared concept drawings for the project using the classic Disney Never-Never Land theme from the Peter Pan stories. The designers conceived a giant leaf pattern to support Tinkerbell in Never-Never Land flittering from leaf to leaf. The blue sky background contrasts the bright green and yellow leaves.
The principal designer Ron Isumita and associate Jim Keenan decided the design and functional requirements would be met by using 24,000 sq (2,400 m2) of colored interlocking concrete pavers, rather than replace the existing colored, poured-in-place concrete. Pavers were chosen because the designers had gained considerable experience with them over the years in other high profile projects. They recognized the wide variety of paver shapes at their disposal, and enjoyed ability to control colors and patterns. The February 2000 issue of this magazine published one of the designers' many success stories with concrete pavers, the entrance plaza to the nearby Anaheim Angels Edison Field baseball stadium.
The hotel management required that the pavement be an almost maintenance-free surface. The area would be used heavily by pedestrians over 18 hours a day, leaving little time for cleaning. Nightly cleaning required the use of aggressive, high pressure washing equipment.
Before proceeding with full construction, hotel management requested field trials to determine if the layouts could be built, and how the pavement would endure nightly washing and maintenance. A series of mockups were constructed and sealed with a joint stabilizer sealer specifically developed for concrete pavers.
The hotel custodial staff introduced a variety of typical food stains on the pavement such as ketchup, mustard, and coffee to determine whether the sealed pavement could be power washed without removing the joint sand. The joint sand was considered essential to the structural integrity of the pavement and any sand loss from power washing would not be acceptable.
The tests were successful and the results were supported by feedback from maintenance staff in the Disneyland theme park. They were also getting good results with concrete pavers with stabilized joint sand in some of their projects that had been refurbished with interlocking concrete pavers. With the positive results at the hotel and from park staff, the project proceeded toward full construction.
An ICPI contractor member carried out the installation. Like many commercial rehabilitation projects, the pavement rehabilitation project was fast-tracked since the hotel was to remain open. In addition, the contractor followed strict guidelines for noise abatement. These restrictions meant that the crews worked in confined areas with difficult, limited access.
These challenges were compounded by the need to exactly follow a complex pattern using a variety of colors. The looping leaf pattern interspersed with curved geometric features was built in modules. Each was designed to visually reinforce entrances to the hotel and hotel shops, plus street furniture and sitting areas. Much of the pavement was installed over a structural deck. Another challenge overcome was installing the base on it to slopes sufficient to direct runoff into the roof drains.
All these challenges notwithstanding, the contractor completed the project on schedule with high quality workmanship. The project was an unqualified success and received a national design award noted elsewhere in this magazine. The impressive, vibrant colors of the new leaf designs energize the pavement and support the magical imagery of Disneyland.