Hospitality Facilities Design and Planning

Week 4 – Building Structure, Finishes and Site Planning

Overview

• Building functions:– Provide usable space:• Suitable to the functions of the business• Fits with company image and style intended

– Provide shelter:• People• Equipment and fixtures/furnishings

Exterior Building Structure

• Foundation: carry live and dead load. Drainage and water proofing very important

• Structural Frame• Exterior Walls (protection against weather and

providing structural strength to building)• Windows and Doors (sealants, casement vs

vertically hung, multiple glazing for insulation)

Building Exterior

• Roof – costly. Built up versus single-ply roof systems. Give example of single ply roofing and advantages– Thermal imaging: used at TFL when we wanted to

discover where cold air was infiltrating building. Next is a sample of thermal imaging, the red parts being where most heat escapes from building. So, where do we see most heat loss?

Building Interiors

• Ceilings and wall coverings – acoustics, looks, insulation. Explain advantages of paint versus vinyl versus wallpaper. – Mildew! Especially in humid climates. Example of

hotel I worked at in Bermuda where wrong glue was used for vinyl wall covering and mildew grew behind it -> similar issues with “sick building” syndrome.

Mildew

• From Tripadvisor, guest comments:“My room smelled of mold and mildew when I

arrived. The room actually felt wet, even with the A/C running. There was mold and mildew all over the bathroom--tiled walls, shower stall, and dirt everywhere. Even my quilt had a grayish cast to it. I literally got sick staying there from the mold and left after one night, vowing to never return”

Building Interiors, continued

• Carpets:– Advantages: reduce noise, keeps rooms warmer,

less slipping accidents than hard surface floor– Disadvantages: maintenance, collects dirt, needs

to be replaced every 5-7 years, not very good in humid climates – holds mildew

– Understanding the differences: • Tufted: staple or BCF -> what are

advantages/disadvantages of each?

Building Interiors

• Carpets, continued:– Mostly used commercial carpets: level loops/level

cut– Woven carpets: different methods, often see

Axminsters in hotels in varying patterns– Why so important: very expensive part of

decorating. One hotel room will cost $1,200. At TFL we spent $75,000 just for the restaurant

Synthetic versus Wool carpets

• Synthetic (nylon)– Durable– Sanitary– Less expensive than

wool– Stain resistant– Better in humidity– Holds color

• Wool– Good looking– Durable– Easy cleaning– Expensive– Can fade Yet many hotels use wool,

Why?

Elevators

• Purposes: transport people and products• ADA requirements (think about this every time

you design a facility using more than one level)

• Elevator: cost $50,000 to $100,000 for simple elevator, not counting construction costs

• Maintenance issues: they always break down when you want it least!

Exterior and Site

• Parking• Service and delivery entrance!• Storm Water drainage• Water, electric, sewer, gas, oil (deliveries)• Landscaping

• For the project we will study these in detail. Mistakes are costly and not easily changed

“Curb Appeal”

“Curb Appeal” ??

For Vermont consider:

Heated driveway:advantages and disadvantages

Parking: maximize, access, maintenance and costs. Free to guests or charge? Optional: valet parking (think of our project what may work best)

Next a picture of heated driveway at Trapp Family Lodge in midst of a snowstorm

The importance of landscaping

• Landscaping requires work (labor cost) and particularly in 4 season resorts

• But it is critical for creating an appealing atmosphere, even in city hotels where we see more gardens or terrace gardens being created

• Some area with milder climates get luckier…

Landscaping (Bermuda)

Summary

• Building structure, finishes and site are the basics for a hotel so that it is attractive, functional and can be maintained for the future

• The costliest mistakes are made in this stage of development; developer and design team need to be clear about the needs program and the long term use and implications on maintaining the hotel

Next class

Lodging Planning and Design – Chapter 12 from book

Site visit to Sugarbush Resort to meet with the project manager and see their resort expansion and learn about lodging planning

Hotel Planning and Design project – review of site visit and initial planning (vision and statement of needs)

Have a great week!