INNOVATION July-August 2016

Tomamu Cloudwalk Immerses Visitors in a Sea of Clouds Hoshino Resorts is a Japanese-based international operator of ryokan (Japanese inns). In 2014, Hoshino Resorts was looking for a companion enhancement to their successful Unkai Terrace property. The structure they envisioned would provide visitors with the opportunity to experience an open-air walkway and immerse themselves in the spectacular cloud phenomenon known affectionately in Japan as unkai —the sea of clouds. ISL Engineering and Land Services joined Macdonald & Lawrence Timber Framing to design an Alaskan yellow-cedar structure that invokes the vision and aesthetic of touching the clouds—the Tomamu Cloudwalk. The efficient and cost-effective design aligns with the sustainable ideals of the client, was built to withstand high wind, snow, and earthquake conditions, and creates an architectural piece that blends organically into the landscape. APEGBC members, Cascade Engineering Group: Robin Zirnhelt, P. Eng.; Ryzuk Geotechnical: Shane Moore, P. Geo.

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