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.
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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