Background
For decades, Kona Village Resort stood as a secluded sanctuary along Hawaii’s western shoreline. 81 oceanfront acres of lava fields, palm groves, and traditional Polynesian hale bungalows, all roofed in natural grass thatch. Since opening in 1965, it had become one of the Pacific’s most iconic luxury destinations.
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.
El desafío
In 2017, new ownership announced a complete rebuild, not a restoration, but an elevation to six-star status. Architect 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 system needed to be fire-resistant, durable against intense UV radiation and salt air, low-maintenance, environmentally responsible, and critically, architecturally unique. As a six-star property, 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 |
The Endureed Solution
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, with a manufacturing 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 spec 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 y su equipo superaron las expectativas: nos proporcionaron innumerables muestras, maquetas e incluso visitas al sitio para garantizar que lográramos el aspecto de paja personalizado exacto que el proyecto requería”.”
—John Lacy |
Resultados e impacto
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. Maintenance cycles have been dramatically reduced. And the fully custom design remains exclusive to Kona Village, a roof that cannot be replicated anywhere else.
| “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 |
