The Continuum Oceanfront Towers in Miami Beach Finalizes its 20-Year Concrete Restoration
Updated: Jul 14, 2021
Continuum, South Florida’s premier resort-style oceanfront condominium residences located on the southernmost tip of Miami Beach, enters the final three months of its 18-month restoration project, 20 years after the iconic towers were built, and well in advance of its 40-year recertification required by State law. The Continuum sets a benchmark with implementing foresight towards ensuring the structural integrity of a property to avoid potential long-term deterioration that may result in an unsafe beachfront development. As far back as 2017, Marquis Association Management, the luxury property, and HOA management company that oversees operations at the Continuum, commissioned a world class team of architects, structural engineers, and concrete restoration specialist, to evaluate potential work that may be needed to the foundation and overlaying areas of the property. At the time, the development was structurally considered to be in sound condition, with a future recommendation to upgrade the underlying waterproofing system to bring it up to today’s standard, as part of an overall preventative maintenance measure. Marquis Association, Continuum Management and Board, decided to go one step further for residents, whereby plans to redesign and renovate the entire “Arrival Experience” at the 535-unit condominium community were laid out to commence in 2019.
South Florida’s renowned and award-winning architectural and design firm, Arquitectonica, were commissioned with structural engineers, Willcott Engineering, to inspect the property and develop a bid package that was presented to Marquis Association, Continuum Management and Board. Through its prior work with the Continuum, Baltimore based Concrete Protection & Restoration (CP & R) were awarded the project to restore the structural integrity of the lower and upper entryway, forming the property’s foundation that lies on top of the vast underground parking garage. Arquitectonica deployed its landscaping arm, ArquitectonicaGEO, to work with CP & R on a total ground restoration and outdoor redevelopment and design project valued at an estimated $8 million. The 18-month venture would completely transform the residents’ Arrival Experience while refurbishing and further reinforcing the bedrock of the property. 'We’re pleased to enter into the final phase of our first and largest redevelopment to-date that will have stretched over a year and a half and stayed on schedule despite a pandemic,' says Rishi Idnani, Managing Director at the Continuum. 'Well before the tragedy of recent events in Miami Beach, and after 20 years since the Continuum was built, we took extensive and very early measures to ensure the long-term safety of our property for homeowners and the surrounding neighborhood. South Florida has an aggressive environment, with corrosive beachfront elements and high winds contributing to the damage of every oceanfront development along the coastline. Our foresight and restoration project now in its final stage, will ensure structural and exterior protection for many years to come.' The most essential work carried out for the duration of the redevelopment project has been undertaken by CP & R—a structural repair contractor specializing in concrete restoration for the last 25 years. Condominiums in Florida and Georgia have been the organization’s core business in the southern eastern United States, along with structural restoration work for universities and hospitals in the region. Every layer of the roadways and drive lanes that formed the entry point to the Continuum were uplifted, restored and replaced. The initial phase started at the angled entry road into the property, leading from the main road to the lower rotunda. The security gateway entrance and roadway would then be refurbished, followed by existing work at the circular upper rotunda that serves as the valet and drop-off area for residents, adjacent to the north and south towers. Approximately 100,000 square feet of the Continuum’s entryway has been completely renovated, whereby the deepest structural slabs were exposed and repaired, to reveal a waterproofing system that was removed, replaced and upgraded to a state-of-the-art network. Topping slabs were then replaced using a specialized repair mortar and 4000 PSI quality concrete that allowed for a final layer of pavers to be positioned alongside new curbing. Due to the majority of 100,000 square foot arrival area at the Continuum lying on top of the property’s underground parking garage, the new waterproofing system proved essential to replace and upgrade in order to protect the bones of the building and structural integrity of the parking space roofing. In addition to a newly installed hot rubberized asphalt waterproofing network, a new bi-level drainage system was placed on top, that would prevent water from setting on the structural slabbing and protect the upper layers of concrete. This premium drainage system would also prevent decay, rusting, and oxidization of the conventional reinforcing bars and post tension cables within the concrete itself, inhibiting the steel to expand and cause cracking. The entire restoration work is estimated to protect the foundation of the Continuum for at least 20 years.
'I think building ownership should take an active role in protecting their property before government regulations call for it,' says Mike O’Malley, co-owner and Vice President of Concrete Protection & Restoration. 'The Continuum is exemplary in its responsible approach towards property management, and a preventative maintenance plan is imperative for any building on an ongoing basis, or at least every 20 years. We are expecting to see an increase in business as a result of more properties taking the necessary precautions.' To complement the work undertaken by CP & R, the Continuum has partnered with Miami-based ArquitectonicaGEO, to design and redevelop the exterior grounds of the property, as part of an unprecedented transformation and beautification that will also bring new life and vitality to the surrounding South of Fifth neighborhood. Landscape designers, led by the Arquitectonica team, will be adding a large embellishment of color throughout the vicinity, with a hand-picked selection of matching flowers, shrubs, foliage and vegetation native to Florida. Florida has one of nation’s most stringent building codes, and county rules require owners of older buildings to submit reports from licensed engineers or architects certifying a building’s safety or documenting repairs needed after 40 years, and every 10 years thereafter, to meet recertification standards. For further information on the Continuum, visit www.ContinuumSB.com.
More on Continuum
Continuum is South Florida’s premier resort-style oceanfront condominium residences, located on the southern-most tip of Miami Beach. Consisting of a total of 535 apartments, and developed by The Continuum Company, LLC, the property includes two towers – the South Tower, which opened in 2000, comprising of 42 floors, and the North Tower, which opened in 2007, comprising of 37 floors. With 26 different residential condominium floor-plans and 5 different townhouse floor-plans offered, amenities at Continuum include two lagoon pools, private patio restaurant, sporting club and spa with state-of-the-art gym and lap pool, Tennis Pavilion with 3 clay courts, indoor parking garage with 24-hour gated security, multiple meeting rooms and a full-time concierge. Continuum provides direct access to the beach and is situated on 12 acres of perfectly manicured oceanfront property, with unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Continuum represents the largest parcel of beachfront property available in the South of Fifth neighborhood of Miami Beach.