Architect and Builder December 2019 | Page 42

WEST ELEVATION with a number of challenges due to concrete’s weight to strength ratio and the impact on spans. The conference facility has been designed with a clear span of 20m closed off with a concrete roof and supporting 2m deep beams that hold the weight of the planted landscape above. The use of transfer slabs was introduced to assist with the next challenge of transferring the different column grid requirements between hotel, commercial space and down to parking in a way tailor-made to suit each occupancy. Draining of the site water due to a high water table was done by introducing a subsoil drainage system. The subsoil drainage is located below the lower basement level and effectively drains any buildup of water that could potentially seep into the building. In order to create the impression that the golf course vegetation flows seamlessly up to the threshold of the hotel, a robust waterproofing strategy was adopted to ensure the barrier between planted landscape and pristine internal spaces was always kept intact. 42 A large parking provision component on site was overcome by utilising the natural slope of the site and tucking the 3 levels of parking into the back of the site. Excavated material cut from the site in this area was then later used in the earthworks to the northern edge of the site to form the required privacy berms and levelling out the areas housing the family pool and ancillary functions. Site height restrictions imposed by the local authority town planning scheme together with the high-water table meant that the hotel had limited height in which to accommodate the necessary functional requirements. These parameters where allowed to inform the design to ensure an outcome that not only matched the brief but also tied into the fluid design language of the hotel. Part of the hotel development requirements was to link the phased basement on either side of the hotel with the new hotel basements therefore creating a super basement that allows for access from end to end of the development. The design had to adopt a number of strategies to retain the privacy of existing residence within The Houghton Hotel