CREJ - Building Dialogue - March 2017
Hospitality brands are continually seeking innovative methods to differentiate their latest product offering for their newest target markets. This requires a fresh awareness of the project’s unique brand, vision, site and prospective guests. A responsive design approach creates iconic solutions, and provides the necessary awareness by fusing the site’s historic or contemporary context with the local experience, creating ultra-personalized, engaging environments that yield social, human interaction. A rediscovery of an existing building’s history, and the incorporation of its original character and design details, is often a responsive launch point for the entire hospitality concept. The past becomes juxtaposed with new materials, lighting and technologies. Years of remodeling and reconfiguration can be removed to expose the alluring context of the original spaces, or select components may be retained and incorporated into an unexpected combination of new and old. It is vital that aesthetic design decisions work synergistically with location and community context. Guests today are seeking ultimate versatility in materials, coloration, tactile elements and spatial configuration options. The communal aspect of design is essential, and design solutions must offer a range of connectivity points and be responsive and adaptable for all types of social interaction. Architects and designers bear a responsibility to placemaking and must design environments that facilitate impromptu gatherings in the public spaces of the hotel. Showcasing our responsive design philosophy and virtual reality technology, we recently developed a conceptual boutique hotel project for the historic First Avenue Hotel (El Diablo) Building, centrally located in the South Broadway neighborhood, often referred to as SoBro. South Broadway adjoins several neighborhoods (Washington Park, Golden Triangle, Santa Fe Blvd, etc.) and includes a diverse offering of stores, galleries, eateries, and taverns. Broadway Street functions as an active main transportation corridor to Denver, connecting downtown to the south. First Avenue and Broadway is an ideal location to draw visitors into a different part of Denver, outside of downtown, for a uniquely local experience, while also offering a connecting point for the surrounding neighborhoods. Revitalized, connected and edgy, the design concept honors the original character of the 1907 hotel structure while simultaneously capturing the energetic vibe and identity of the South Broadway corridor. All guestrooms are designed to be a work/ play/stay concept, with a target demographic of the “mid-millennial,” a 28- to 36-year-old creative/tech professional who values high design and expects a unique, local experience. Guests encounter an unexpected fusion of past and present urban eclecticism within the open air public spaces, as well as individualized, locally sourced, decorative detailing and artifacts within the guestrooms. The design feels warm, and a little bohemian with unexpected design details recalling the many layers of the building’s past lives; for example, Edison bulb string lights are used to illuminate the bathroom in place of traditional sconce lighting. In addition to how a guest might interact within the room, we also studied how one might connect with the SoBro neighborhood. The hotel occupies a substantial portion of the block, and there is a responsibility to maintain the vitality of the pedestrian experience by designing a first level that is open and activated. The firm envisions dynamic placemaking opportunities for the hotel’s ground level that involve local retail and mixed-use components – reflecting the uniquely creative, edgy identity of the surrounding blocks, and focusing on creating public social spaces. Perceptive to hospitality brands’ desire for distinctive, personalized and identifiable representations of their brand, a responsive design approach maximizes the potential for each project within its distinct locale. Responsive design draws direction from culture, technology, community and character. It leverages inherent possibilities that actively encourage guests and, at times, the public to immerse themselves in a unique, authentic, local character.