BACKGROUND
A Resort Frozen in Time
Kona Village engineered thatch exists because the original could not survive the ocean it faced. For decades, Kona Village Resort stood as a secluded sanctuary along Hawaiʻi’s western shoreline: 81 oceanfront acres of lava fields, palm groves, and traditional Polynesian hale, each roofed in natural grass thatch. First discovered as a Polynesian fishing village around 1000 AD and reborn as a resort in 1965, it became one of the Pacific’s most iconic getaways, beloved for its remote, unplugged character.
On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan triggered a Pacific-wide tsunami. Ten-to-fifteen-foot waves crashed directly into the resort, destroying oceanfront bungalows, stripping the thatched roofs, and forcing the property to close indefinitely. It would remain silent for eleven years.
THE CHALLENGE
An Elevation, Not a Restoration
In 2017, new ownership announced a complete rebuild, not a restoration, but an elevation to six-star status under Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. Walker Warner Architects, led on-site by project manager John Lacy, was tasked with honoring Kona Village’s Polynesian roots while meeting modern performance, safety, and regulatory standards.
The original natural grass thatch, while visually authentic, could not meet the demands of a modern coastal rebuild. The new roofing needed to be fire-resistant, durable against intense UV radiation and salt air, low-maintenance, environmentally responsible, and architecturally unique. The project’s broader sustainability goals, which include LEED Gold certification and a pursuit of TRUE and SITES status, meant nothing off the shelf would do.
| Kona Village is a six-star resort, so we were looking for something that would be unique to the resort that couldn’t be copied. The customization that Endureed offered fit with the level of architectural expression that we were looking for.
— John Lacy, Project Architect, Walker Warner Architects |
THE ENDUREED SOLUTION
The Kona Village Engineered Thatch Specification
During his search for a natural thatch alternative, Lacy discovered Endureed engineered thatch. What set Endureed apart was a rare combination of high performance and full customization: a product built on high-grade, UV-stabilized polymers, manufactured on a process flexible enough to produce something entirely bespoke.
Working closely with Endureed consultant Luke Sparks, Lacy developed a custom thatch specification exclusive to Kona Village. The design process involved numerous samples, corner mock-ups, and on-site visits to refine texture, shadow lines, density, and roof silhouette. The final specification included:
- A unique color blend matched to the regional Polynesian aesthetic
- Custom reed shapes, lengths, and weave density
- Curved eave detailing and exaggerated rounded roof profiles
- Dormers reflecting traditional Polynesian architectural forms
| Luke and his team went above and beyond, providing countless samples, mockups, and even on-site visits to ensure we achieved the exact custom thatch look the project required.
— John Lacy, Project Architect |
| Now Part of the Premium Collection
The bespoke profile developed for Kona Village became the foundation for Kona, now offered within the Endureed Premium collection. Class A fire rated | Wind rated in excess of 200 mph Florida Product Approval #FL21047 Backed by up to a 30-year no-maintenance warranty |
RESULTS & IMPACT
Eleven Years Later, Reawakened
On July 1, 2023, eleven years after the tsunami, Kona Village Resort officially reopened. Guests once again walk beneath sweeping thatched rooflines that honor the spirit of the original resort. Beneath the surface is a fire-resistant, sustainable, custom engineered thatch system built to outlast the natural materials it replaced.
The UV-stabilized polymer construction has eliminated the fading, brittleness, and cracking that plagued the resort’s previous natural thatch, and maintenance cycles have been dramatically reduced. The engineered thatch also supported the property’s broader sustainability commitments, which include a 100 percent solar-powered campus and a construction partnership with the nonprofit Re-Use Hawaiʻi. And the fully custom design remains exclusive to Kona Village: a roof that cannot be replicated anywhere else.
Travel press coverage of the reopened resort consistently points to the same result: a property that feels both entirely new and instantly familiar, where modern luxury sits comfortably alongside nods to the original 1960s design.
| Working with Endureed on the Kona Village Resort was an exceptional experience. From the beginning, their team stood out for their innovation, attention to detail, and willingness to collaborate. For a luxury resort like Kona Village, authenticity and uniqueness were non-negotiable. Endureed’s ability to create a custom color and profile that perfectly balanced natural beauty with performance made them the clear choice. In my view, they own this space.
— John Lacy, Project Architect |
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