question time
yeas there are still some out fashioned and directly account- into the future. aging the land. ReardonSmith
there – are eagerly waiting to able approach to public Resorts are growing increas- is planning the UK’s first five-
pounce. Meanwhile, the rheto- spending would be a relief. ingly community-focused, with star underground hotel, with
ric from Tory party HQ seems to As to what it looks like, I sus- private residences as well as 120 guestrooms, a restaurant
be easing away from the ‘axe all pect it will get a lot less shiny shopping, wellness centres, and a suite of conference facili-
spending’ mantra, giving hope and a lot more considered. equestrian facilities and up- ties. This is not some kind of ar-
that when they take over, as There are a lot of good archi- scale restaurants. Our architec- chitectural conceit on our part
they probably will, there will tects with plenty of time to ture responds to this through but quite simply the only op-
still be some form of govern- spend on the next project that the inclusion of open, adaptive tion, in our judgment, that of-
ment subsidized construction. comes our way, most of them spaces that can share resources fered a realistic scheme for
So perhaps we are finally seeing fluent in an abstracted minimal in a symbiotic manner. We’ve planning consent. The site is in
some of the fabled green shoots post-crunch eco-chic – the style been anticipating the demand London’s Green Belt, with cur-
that have obsessed construction that will undoubtedly now for sustainability in new ways – rently uninterrupted views over
industry gossip for the last year. become prevalent throughout beyond the actual building ma- rolling countryside. By building
They may just be visible, but I the industry. terials and into methods for just one storey above ground
fear it will be a long and tenta- minimising the impact of a and the rest below, we intend
tive gestation period before we building on the environmental to create public areas and ter-
ever see the rich fruits of the CONRAD SMITH landscape. One example where racing at ground level, al-
early ‘Noughties’ again. MANAGING DIRECTOR AT this has been achieved is our though fully submerged by
Alongside the unemployment, REARDONSMITH resort project in the French green roofing, with all other
frustrated dreams and down- Alps, in which the new usage spaces constructed beneath.
sized ambitions that plan of the building serves to This is, in fact, not the first time
characterise a recession, comes
Trends in architectural design
support a longer season than we have looked at such a de-
also a desire for change both in
during 2010 and beyond will
previously considered possible. sign; the difference now is that
terms of how architects are
revolve around sustainability.
As local building regulations legislative, business and con-
work as well as their ambitions
At ReardonSmith, we specialise
required the new plan to fit sumer interests are coalescing
and philosophies as designers.
in hotel and resort architecture
within the existing footprint, to the demand for eco-solu-
The post war recovery was
and, certainly within this sec-
our design solution was to tions that only a few years ago
marked by the advent of brutal
tor, the integration of eco-re-
modernism as an austere and
sponsible building solutions “My architectural New Year’s resolution is to
necessary remedy to misplaced
continues to be one of the
village nostalgia. In turn the
most thought-provoking ele-
bring back drawing boards! The quality of
1980s saw the birth of brightly
ments of our designs. Next
coloured post-modernism as
work that results from hand-drafted drawings
year, we’ll see a continuation
anathema to the dreary mod-
of the underlying objectives of is quite different from that of CAD. ” Conrad Smith
ernism that had come to
hotel architecture, which re-
represent the failings
main consistent from project-
of socialism in the 1970s.
to-project: design that
carve into the adjacent moun- would have been deemed too
So what will the post recession
achieves the optimal asset for
tain to house the medical spa radical by the hotel industry.
2010s look like? Personally, I’m
the building’s owner, maxi-
and large wellness centre, and My architectural New Year’s
hoping that the ubiquity of the
mum ease of operations, a
thus preserve the integrity of resolution is to bring back
word ‘luxury’ on every hoarding
pleasurable guest experience
the surrounding natural envi- drawing boards! The quality of
in London along with ‘designer
and a good working environ-
ronment. In addition, of work that results from hand-
lifestyle’ will become synony-
ment for staff. The escalating
course, by remaining open a drafted drawings is quite dif-
mous with the decade that
trend in 2010 will be the im-
longer portion of the year with ferent from that of CAD;
crippled the economy by max-
plementation of these goals in
new on-site services such as res- hand-drawing tends to evoke a
ing out the credit card, and be
a sustainable manner. Driven
idential accommodation and a thinking process that leads to
buried forever among the foun-
primarily by legislative require-
speciality restaurant, there is a greater detail in the solution it-
dations a brand new wind farm.
ments, but also by the growing
shorter “down time” in which self as well as a drawing that is
Secondly, lets hope that gov-
demand from travellers for
resources are expended on an more likely to delight and en-
ernments now realise PFI is an
ecologically-sound practices,
unoccupied hotel. In other gage the client.
unachievable long-term strat-
ReardonSmith’s challenge will
words, we are aiming to pro-
egy to construct and manage
be to provide creative building
vide a resort that satisfies many
public buildings. The credit
designs that also offer environ-
demands while being harmo-
crunch has hi-lighted clearly
mental and cultural value not
niously woven into the sur-
that the tax payer bore the
just for the hotel, but also for
rounding landscape.
risks and the private sector
the property owners and the
Architects are increasingly re-
made the money - a more old
local community – now and
quired to build without dam-
Our industry
THE EXPERTS
experts provide a
DICKON HAYWARD CONRAD SMITH
compelling insight ASSOCIATE AT RICHARD MANAGING DIRECTOR AT
HYWEL EVANS A AND D
REARDONSMITH
into the design
LTD
Conrad has practised as an
Dickon studied at
issues surrounding
architect and interior designer
Manchester University and specialising in the leisure sector
the Royal College of Art. He for over 20 years. He joined
today’s architecture
has worked as Project Architect on a wide range ReardonSmith in 1992 and became Managing
of projects from large-scale residential and Director in 1996 since when he has played a key role
commercial developments to luxury penthouses, in steering the business into new geographic markets
clothing stores and restaurants. Currently, he is and sectors within the hotel and resort mix. Today,
mainly working in the hotel and travel sector, Conrad continues to lead the teams handling some of
building a large marina and hotel development our most prestigious and challenging work, both new-
in Grenada. build and restoration, in the UK and overseas
14 Architects Choice
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