Municipal Case Study
Buckroe BeachBoardwalk
SUNDEK crews help revitalize a city’s historic and beloved attraction with durable, beautiful coatings.
SUNDEK crews help revitalize a city’s historic and beloved attraction with durable, beautiful coatings.
Buckroe Beach has a storied history — originally settled as an English colony in the early 1600s, it later became a tobacco farm, a fishing camp, and eventually a beloved tourist destination. When Hurricane Isabela destroyed the Buckroe Pier in 2003, the City of Hampton set out to revitalize the area, including extending the boardwalk to complete the promenade along the beach.
Kerrick Construction — a Hampton, Virginia-based contractor with prior municipal project experience with the City of Hampton — contacted Bob Miller of SUNDEK of Washington to discuss the boardwalk portion. The City of Hampton and engineering firm Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc. (JMT) opted to have SUNDEK bid on the project as an alternate Valued Engineering option.
SUNDEK completed a live on-site sample installation in August 2020 alongside other bidding contractors. Community members voted on their preferred design. Of 20 samples presented, SUNDEK's was the top choice. The project commenced in late fall of 2020, was halted by COVID-19, and resumed in February 2022. SUNDEK installed decorative overlays on the boardwalk's horizontal and vertical concrete surfaces, completing on time with a May 15, 2022 deadline.
The Buckroe Beach Boardwalk draws thousands of visitors each week during the season. With that level of public visibility, every surface had to meet a high standard of quality and durability — and community members had already voted on their preferred design, raising the stakes further.
Beyond design complexity, the project faced significant logistical challenges: COVID-19 shutdowns halted work after the first phase in late 2020, and Northeastern Atlantic winds complicated installation throughout. A hiccup with the new light pole system (poles were not acquired on time) required SUNDEK to box out those areas and return later rather than stall the project further.
With a firm completion date, SUNDEK fast-tracked the work once it resumed, running crews seven days a week to meet the deadline while working alongside Kerrick's crews to manage sand blown in from the intense winds and excavating to the bottom of the seawall.
For the main boardwalk concrete pavement and swing bench columns, SUNDEK applied Classic Texture with a three-color custom aggregate pattern — Mission Tan, Bone White, and Sable — with 12-inch bands at edges and control joints. This system was also used on the columns supporting the swing bench chairs.
For the seawall running along the sand-side of the boardwalk, crews applied Classic Texture in a one-color monolithic design using Indian Wheat. The seawall and boardwalk materials both meet and exceed LEED requirements for hardscape materials, providing a low VOC finish and a Solar Reflective Index (SRI) of 42 or higher.
Between the planter ovals, SUNDEK used SunStamp in a Running Bond Brick pattern with a custom antique color. It's detailed enough that from the naked eye it looks like real brick. Surrounding bike paths received color-tinted sealers to match existing pavers in a different section of the park.
Applied in a custom three-color aggregate pattern using Mission Tan, Bone White, and Sable, with 12-inch bands at edges and control joints. The same system was applied to the columns of the swing bench chairs throughout the boardwalk.
The faux brick, which looks mimics the appearance of real brick, was applied in a Running Bond Brick pattern using a custom antique color. It runs between the planter oval areas along the boardwalk.
A functional "human sundial," adjacent to a decorative compass, is enclosed within a 40-foot-diameter circle. GPS was used to complete the installation. If a person stands on the current month, their shadow indicates the time of day.
During the project delay, the City of Hampton added a feature that became one of the most eye-catching and interactive elements of the entire boardwalk renovation: a fully functional, full-scale sundial embedded in the boardwalk surface.
Completing the design required precise GPS positioning to ensure accuracy. Being off by even a single degree would compromise the sundial's function. Nearby signage helps visitors understand how to use it.
The sundial and compass became the pinnacle of the project — a fun, interactive public amenity that makes the Buckroe boardwalk unique among public promenades.
A look at the completed boardwalk surfaces, the sundial feature, swing bench columns, seawall, and the full promenade at Buckroe Beach.
Watch the full project walkthrough including the sundial installation, boardwalk surfaces, and the completed promenade at Buckroe Beach.
"I really feel that that type of design is something that only a SUNDEK group could achieve. Everybody — I know I put you through a lot for the past three years — but guys, we made it. Thank you very much."
— Bob Miller, Sundek of Washington, Buckroe Beach Boardwalk Project LeadSUNDEK's commercial team works directly with contractors, municipalities, and design teams on large-scale public and commercial applications.
Request a Consultation View More Case Studies
