HHHHH 5 Star Grenada
We work with premiear architects in Grenada and abroad to generate our designs
HHHHH 5 Star Grenada
US $ 40 million reconstruction program. His work in Grenada is part of a life dedicated to construction. In fact, Craig started his first construction company while still in High School, which grew to be one of the largest marine contractors in the state. He has played active construction management roles in a variety of countries, including diverse places such as Honduras, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and other Caribbean Islands. Since arriving in Grenada, Craig has been in love with the island and its people. So much so that he met and married his wife in Grenada, Paula LaTouche-Keller.
As a design-build firm, Isla Construction is usually hired during the initial stages of a project, prior to design. Craig explains,“ this allows for a very high level of value engineering, using our construction expertise to identify the most cost effective design to achieve the desired form or function. We also have an excellent understanding of how to make structures comfortable, efficient, and durable. This comes from almost a decade of renovating both commercial and residential structures in Grenada”. The design works are completed through collaborative relationships with a network of architects and engineers that stretches from Grenada, through the local Caribbean, to the Americas and beyond.“ We work with premier architects in Grenada and abroad to generate our designs”, Craig says. Because of the small size of Grenada, Isla is perfectly placed to adopt this modern and highly efficient approach of hiring, rather than employing, those with whom it collaborates on construction design.
Isla Construction is a full-service construction contractor that specialises in design and construction of residential, commercial, and hospitality developments. Isla,( Spanish for‘ island’), operates on a commitment to three foundational tenets, quality, value, and collaboration.“ As a design-build contractor, we are perfectly positioned to manage the process from conception through to handover. We offer our clients the highest possible quality at the lowest possible cost, and ensure the delivery is timely”. Craig states, adding that“ the principles of quality,
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We work with premiear architects in Grenada and abroad to generate our designs
“ value, and collaboration have guided my construction career throughout my life, and will continue to do so” When asked for an example of these three guiding principles in practice, Craig highlighted the following.
QUALITY“ We are currently completing one of the highest quality renovations ever done on a residential property in Grenada. There are some components of the original structure that are several hundred years old. The owners are dedicated to the protection and incorporation of as much of the old building into the new structure as is possible. While this has been a tremendous challenge, the result is simply spectacular”.
VALUE In early 2014 Isla Construction completed the new VIP Jet Centre at the Maurice Bishop International Airport. This state of the art, 5,000 ft2 facility was completed in four months( design and construction).
To allow works to begin prior to the completion of design, Isla agreed to a cost + fixed-fee to deliver the project. This allowed for works to commence immediately, and saved the client over 30 % compared to a traditional fixed-price contract.
COLLABORATION Craig delights in talking about his involvement in a recent renovation of six pool suites at the Calabash hotel. In particular, the high level of collaboration with the owners and their in-house team. They are a“ fantastic client”, says Craig.“ The Calabash ownership takes a very active role in procuring many of the highend imported materials. They also have their own joiner workshop where they built the incredible custom vanities and millwork for the project. While this level of collaboration would have been off-putting for many contractors, we delighted in the process and the outcome”. In the end, the results speak for themselves.
Due to the beauty of Grenada, and the romantic idea of a Caribbean property, Craig does warn that vigilance is called for in selecting your design and construction team.“ In the US, Canada, or the UK, there are a lot of protections in place to guide the design and construction of a new home. With the exception of getting your design drawings approved by Physical Planning, none of those protections exist in Grenada. I recommend that anyone planning on building, be it a hotel or a family home, rely on proven professionals throughout the design and construction process”.
For those wishing to learn more about Isla Construction, and see photos of the projects noted above and others, you are encouraged to look at Isla’ s website, www. islaca. com.
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