The Vale Niseko - First quarter development review, 2009
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
WEEK 12: The Vale Niseko receives its 3rd concrete slab today (May 20) as the mechanical arm delivering the concrete does its best to imitate the breathtaking neighbouring volcano Mt Yotei.
WEEK 12: With the ceiling of level one complete, the a team of men scurry around onto preparing for the second level flooring concrete pour. With 49 units, The Vale Niseko property will be the largest complex in Niseko.
WEEK 12: The birch tree forest (Japanese national park) reflects the warmer weather as the summer season hits Niseko.
WEEK 12: With scaffolding erected virtually overnight the pace of the work has been ferocious.
WEEK 11: Interest from onlookers intensifies. This Niseko summer and spring kicked off with a bang due to the number of Japanese travelling this year on their Golden Week holidays.
WEEK 11: The ground level and the tricky entry level are now built. The outdoor heated swimming pool, onsen, restaurant and Niseko hotel rooms have also been constructed.
WEEK 10: Ready for the second concrete major pour of the year.
Week 10: The steel enforced columns are prepared for a concrete pour.
WEEK 9: The family ski lift pictured behind the action, just 37 metres across the snow from The Vale Niseko property. The proximity of the lift will make this Niseko accommodation one of the most saught after.
WEEK 9: Late April, with snow still lingering at street level and the lifts still running, the team prepare to add some height to the site. The birch tree forest boarding The Vale Niseko has yet to grow leaves.
WEEK 8: The epic Mt Yotei looks on as truck after truck of concrete is poured at the front of the site. The entry level slab is actually cleaned with an industrial vacuum cleaner.
WEEK 7: Ready for the first concrete pour of the year.
WEEK 6: With snow issues now a thing of the past, the team set about the perparing the concrete ramp to the underground car park.
WEEK 5: April saw work recommence in earnest, however snowblowers and shovels were still needed to clear what Niseko is so famous for…. it’s snow. At this stage, the site resembled an ant’s nest, with workers climbing in and out of the underground level where they could work in a snow free environment.
WEEK 4: Niseko enjoyed a bumper snowfall through the month of March; great news for late travellers, owners of Niseko real estate and for local snow sports fans alike. Bad news however for our construction team who at times struggled to clear the snow faster than it fell. The above photo was taken on March 30th. While the early start the team had dreamed of was slipping, the project was still ahead of schedule with a few days to spare thanks to a smooth foundation piling work last summer, so no great cause for concern.
WEEK 3: With winter temperatures persisting the construction team placed industrial strength heaters and water pumps in the completed underground level to assist with the snow clearing efforts.
WEEK 2: Heavy machinery and many man hours later and the battle against the snow began to show results. The construction team were all eager to gain an early re-start to ease pressures on their construction schedule.
WEEK 1: Despite many months of construction during previous summer, The Vale Niseko construction site could easily be missed by the passerby this winter. As the snow began to give way to sun, the arduous task of snow clearing began.
