Refurbishment Project - Assignment Example

?Refurbishment Report Introduction Purpose of writing this report is to highlight the factors and design constraints involved in the refurbishment ofDean Walters Building as a Boutique Hotel. Dean Walters Building was built in late 20th century as a part of Anglican Cathedral and was named after late Dean of Liverpool, named Derrick Walters who was one to actively participate in the development of Liverpool and started a number of productive and constructive projects in that area. This building was remained under the possession of Liverpool John Moores University and is currently being used by the faculties of Arts, Professional and Social Sciences, Media, Critical and Creative Arts under the collaboration of university administration. Dean Walters Building Before producing a refurbishment report, we must have a detailed insight into every niche and corner of the Dean Walters Building as it is now. Here is the statistical data about the building(Ellis, 2011). Building Address Upper Duke St L1 7BT Number of Floors 5 Building Date 1992 Gross Floor Area 4799 Sq M The pictorial view of the front of Dean Walters Building is shown below: Figure 1: Pictorial View of Dean Walters Building from Front The design of building supports the access of disabled persons to the ground floor only with the facility of using toilets and a specified parking area. This building is not a standalone unit but it consist of a number of buildings joined together by walkways and uncovered terrace. The ground floor plane of Dean Walters Building is shown here: Figure 2: Ground Floor Plan of Dean Walters Building Parking Facility: Dean Walters Building is provided with the parking facility of its own with the dimensions of 4.2m?3.5m. Whereas the closest designated parking is at the distance of 5cm and is not provided with height restriction. Underground car parking is also provided with extensive area. Figure 3: Car Parking Area in Dean Walters Building Main Entrance: Main entrance to the building is provided by a double door entrance which is capable of opening once the user pulls it out towards him. Each door is 184cm in width and is heavy in weight. Figure 4: Main entrance to Dean Walters Building The entrance to the Dean Walters building is furnished by a ramp with the width of 102cm. slope of the ramp makes it comfortable for the user and this permanent ramp actually connects pavement with the entrance. Terrace Gate: The building is provided with gates for moving out of the building into terrace through a main door which is capable of opening by pushing it. The width of the door is about 85cm. to access the terrace, ramps are provided in front of each door which is permanent. Figure 5: Terrace gate for moving out of the building Reception and reception desk: The reception is provided at the entrance from the main door and is at the same level as that of the entrance. Whereas it can be seen that the reception desk is high and the lightning is kept moderate in this region as shown below: Figure 6: Reception and high reception desk Stairs and Lifts: All floors are accessible by stairs including parking and ground floor. Each section of stairs joining two consecutive floors consists of approximately 15 stairs with a bright light level. The stairs are designed in such a precise manner that each step is equally spaced, whereas handrails are provided along both the sides of the stairs. Figure 7: Stairs for all floors All the floors are also furnished by the lift which is open for public. The dimension of the lift is 0.99m?1.4m and is above 1m from the level of entrance. Toilet Facility: Standard toilets are provided for both males and females but the toilets are located outside the building. Female toilets are located to the right of the terrace entrance and male toilets are located to the left. Baby change facilities are only provided at the level of lecture theaters. Another male toilet is also provided near student’s common room. Restaurant and students common room: Restaurants are provided as a part of student’s common room and most of the tables are fixed to ground. Here is the pictorial view of the common room. Figure 8: Student's common room and restaurant Student’s common room is accessible by a ramp at the entrance. This ramp is permanent and comfortable for the users and allows wheel chair riders to enter the room. Once we get familiar with the basic design and constructional perspectives of Dean Walter building(LiverpoolJMU, 2004), we must also have the knowledge of steps and principals involved in refurbishment of a building and the way post occupation of the building would result in terms of customer satisfaction. Post Occupation Evaluation Report: Post occupancy evaluation is performed after handing over the constructed building to the customer. It should usually be performed by the contractor who was responsible for carrying out all the constructional tasks within the given project. But most often contractors do not perform that survey. The reason behind this strategy is that if the evaluation report does not comes with positive remarks then the contracting company would get negative points in the market and their business will result in decline. The other option is that it must be requested by the customer to be performed but customers also avoid this evaluation as they would need to pay the organization from whom they would request to conduct the evaluation survey. In case of Dean Walters Building, we performed strategic evaluation as the evaluation was performed more than 5 years later the construction of the building. Also this survey plays a vital role for the refurbishment of the building. Therefore, main purpose of conducting this survey was to check the sustainability of the existing building and to overcome the flaws with some suggestions for the refurbishment. Sustainability is most commonly referred to the compliance of building in accordance with consumer demands by considering energy efficiency and environmental friendly aspects of building construction(Hadi, 9th July 2009). Although Dean Walters Building is one of its kind in modern era and an architectural master piece, but still post occupancy evaluation needs to be carried out in order to come across architectural as well as civil contractor’s flaws and positive behaviors(Bordass et al., 2001). Dean Walters building is a sort of sustainable building by its design as its design supports proper ventilation and good air quality within the building. Building is provided with terrace entrances and high roofed halls which satisfies the condition of providing quality fresh air to the users of the building. It was pre-planned to obtain following benefits out of the POE survey(Sanders): A number of short term benefits will be achieved including feedback for problems in existing design. Medium ranged benefits will also be achieved by obtaining details of issues and getting them addressed to the staff so that they might not be repeated again by the contractors while performing refurbishment of the Dean Walters building. A number of benefits are also achieved in the long run which majorly include the refurbishment processes of the building to convert it to boutique hotel. Following is the table of post occupation evaluation report defining different aspects of survey, conducted: Post Occupation Evaluation Analysis Features Plan analysis Steps involved in POE were planned before conducting. Feasibility for each aspect of POE was developed. Major issues and aspects were marked beforehand. Indoor environment Boutique hotels are having lavishing indoor environments which extensively lack in the current setup of Dean Walters Building as it is currently being used as a part of John Moores University. Interior decor needs extensive refurbishing. Rooms are needed to be designed according to boutique hotel design considerations. Indoor air quality Dean Walters Building is having good ventilation but for boutique hotel there is a need of introducing an excellent HVAC system for providing quality air and appropriate temperature to the guests of boutique hotel. In order to improve overall effect some additional features are also needed to be considered including painting and good stereo system. Outdoor environment This building is provided with an excellent outdoor environment with good looks but addition of greenery is required to increase external beauty of the boutique hotel and attract guests. Thermal performance There is a need of improving the thermal performance of building in order to improve sustainability and reduce GHG emissions. This is only possible by adding good insulations with effective HVAC system to the existing design. Surveys Surveys and focus groups have suggested that it is a good idea to develop a boutique hotel in this building as it is closer to cathedral and is already having inspiring looks. This would reduce the cost of reconstruction as well. The building needs extensive refurbishment as is being used by the university. Halls need to be renovated to bars and party halls. Each room must have its own bar. Cost Saving Refurbishing Dean Walters Building to a boutique hotel is a cost saving plan as an already existing building is being used to develop a new facility. Also this building is already having a very good architectural structure with sophisticated design that best suits to the development of boutique hotel with least expenditure. User satisfactions It is being observed in focused group discussions that most of the people are having satisfactory opinion about the current refurbishment task. It is being considered that the place is ideal for carrying such refurbishment task and will add benefits to the people of this area. Viability Conversion of Dean Walters Building to a boutique hotel is a viable refurbishment process. The Building is located in the heart of the city and hence proves to be the best location for growing business. Liverpool is a trade hub in England and the area of Upper Duke Street plays a vital role in improving business opportunities as most of the commercial buildings and universities lie in this region. Therefore, refurbishment of Dean Walters building to boutique hotel proves to be a good addition in this area. Practicality Being an educational hub of the city of Liverpool, area in which Dean Walters Building is situated, is much important. Due to John Moors University and other educational institutions, a number of people are called for conferences and meetings round the year from other cities and countries. Refurbishment of Dean Walters Building to boutique hotel will result in excellent turnover of customers throughout the year hence giving huge profit to the owners. Functionality Most of the people coming to this area either belongs to business or teaching by profession, therefore, such sophisticated people are more attracted towards sophisticated places for living which are closer to their destiny. Also the tourists would like to stay in this boutique hotel as they are inspired of the architecture of Dean Walters Building and the ancient Liverpool as well. Benefits of refurbishing an older building Refurbishment of an already existing building is more concerned with the up gradation of that building on the basis of a number of factors. It can either be performed to improve the environment of the building and its impact in terms of carbon emissions or it can be carried out to change the type of usage of already existing building. The most common factors because of which refurbishment of already existing buildings are appreciated are listed below(Bull, 2011): Existing buildings are in appropriate location. Process of refurbishment is cost effective as compared to demolition and results in better outcomes. Older buildings have larger footprints and are equipped with extensive parking area which cannot be achieved in new buildings because of new rules and regulations. Natural HVAC system of older buildings is flexible and can be easily modified according to ones needs. Due to the above explained reasons, refurbishment market is flourishing day by day and now almost 48% construction industry is concerned with the repair and maintenance of old buildings(TataSteel, 2013). Refurbishment of Dean Walters Building to a Boutique Hotel Dean Walters Building is having the area of 4799 Sq M on the ground and is provided with total 5 floors. Each floor is provided with a limited number of rooms which can be refurbished to bedrooms of boutique hotel. The concept behind the success of boutique hotels is that they are made much attractive to their customers. Each room in the hotel is designed on a distinct theme and the color scheme is followed by distinguished set of furniture as well as the interior. This all is done to give the respective clients of the boutique hotel a new and refreshing feeling each time they enter the new room(Pearce et al., 2013). Also these hotels are having limited number of rooms so that the staff of hotel could get himself in touch with each and every guest, hence realizing a strong bond of affection as well as hospitality. This can be achieved by simply refurbishing Dean Walters Building rather than constructing a new building from the beginning and it helps in reducing cost. Reception: The purpose of building a boutique hotel at such a commercial place is to facilitate the visitors as well as to improve the overall look of that area. Such hotels are successful only when the customer ratio is too high and is partly achieved due to the location of hotel and partly by designing beautiful exterior. The first thing a customer faces while entering a hotel is the reception. Therefore, first and foremost thing is to develop an enchanting and lavishing reception. Desk must be placed at the same place as before with outstanding design but the place in front of reception table is to be used as a part of sitting area for the customers. The walls and roof of the reception area must be beautifully furnished with attractive colors and state of the art furniture. Hotel staff will be allowed to enter from the back side entrance rather than customer entrance. The staff is provided with a room at their entrance for keeping their belonging and gets themselves ready to serve the customers. This adds a professional look to the overall management of the hotel. All this does not need any significant change in construction rather than simple changes in interior decor. Banquet Halls and Conference Rooms: Big lecture theaters and conference rooms on the ground floor can be exclusively converted into banquet halls and conference rooms. Banquet halls must be closer to the kitchen and must have its own store room in order to carry extra furniture and decorative materials for a function so that they can be used if needed anytime during the party. Whereas conference rooms must be designed to accommodate projector assembly as well as screens which must be placed in stores and made available on demand. The most important aspect that must be kept in mind while designing a conference room is the air conditioning system as this affects the overall performance of the hotel. Bars and Restaurant: Bars and restaurants are also provided on the ground floor of the hotel building.Restaurants mus specifically be provided closer to the main entrance of the hotel. For that purpose area on the left of the main entrance can be furnished to a restaurant with a kitchen that also serves the banquest hall that is to be designed at the place of present lecture room 004. The restaurant is to be provided with an updated musical system with connections in lobbies, sitting area and entrances. In order to design a restaurant, heavy budget is required for designing, furnishing and constructing and also developing a running kitchen. The dinning area or restaurant must also be provided with waashrooms for the visitors or customers at the place of stairs and the stairs must be climbing in a spiral manner. Also a passage should be provided to directly approach conference room and banquet halls. Security 003 section should be converted to a lavished bar with serving shelf and confined sitting area for limited customers. Manager Room and Store Rooms: Room of the hotel manager is designed to be behind the reception and should not be glassed rather opaque. The store rooms for sweepers, and other sort of items like extra furniture etc must be planned to be at the end of the terrace at the place of lecture room 006. Other offices and stores containing sanitry material will also be managed in the same location. Beauty Saloons: Beauty saloon and spa services will be provided to all the customers of the boutique hotel. Facility of beauty saloon will be provided adjacent to the exhibition hall, besides the stairs. Stairs must be cut short to spiral in order to provide more area to saloon. Saloon’s extensive area covers spa and all other sections seperately in order to facilitate the customer. Just above the saloon, on the first floor, rejuvenation center and gym will also be provided. Exhibition Room: Exhibition room will not be altered much. It will just be modified internally to provide a classy look and the rest of the changes depends upon the type of exhibition being carried out. Room Service: All floors other than ground floor are provided with the living rooms for guests. Each living room is different from the other in design, furniture, arrangement, color scheme and lifestyle provided. The facilities available are same in all the rooms. Each room will be provided with a mini bar to facilitate the customer within their room. Also a small sitting and dining area will also be provided to the customer in order to enjoy meal if they order for it in room. A small study section will also be provided. The walls and furniture in the room will be having same color scheme or in proper contrast to give most outstanding look to the visitors. As far as the washrooms are concerned they will be designed most skillfully and elegantly. It will be having mini spa and latest trends involved to soothe the visitor. Closets will be provided within the washrooms as well. In order to refurbish classrooms to living rooms, extensive changes in plumbing and drainage will be required and proper electricity work must also be handled to provide connections for tv, fridge, hair dryers, lights, music system, etc. Each floor will be provided with a service room to facilitate the customer with on the floor service if demanded. These services may include all services including bedcover replacement, cleanliness, minibar products etc, other than kitchen stuff. This not only helps in maintaining store items but also helps hotel staff in maintaining good relation with their customers by providing them timely services. Parking: Parking of the building will remain the same as is being used currently with an undergorund system and will be sufficient for the boutique hotel being designed. Lift Service: Lift will be provided from the parking area to the top floor near each set of stairs. Internet: Internet facility must be provided to the customers all day long without any interruption. Insulation and Air Conditioning System: The most important aspect of designing a boutique hotel is an excellent air conditioning system but it is only possible if the building is fully insulated. In order to make our boutique hotel sustainable and more environment friendly we must concentrate on least energy consumption with maximum benefits. This is only possible if Dean Walters Building is fully insulated. For that purpose, the only option used while refurbishing old buildings is of insulated cielings by making use of false ceilings. This reduces energy loss across the building by more than 90%. After than we need to design and place air conditioning system. the proposed design is to install air passed conditioning system in which air is passed through a compressor which compreses and increases temperature of the air. This hot air is then circulated throughout the building to keep it warm in winter and in summers, the fresh air is condened and colled and then passed throughout the building in order to maintain temperature in summers. Here is the exhaustivve list of all the facilities that would be proposed to be provided while refurbishment process of a boutique hotel. Cost Ramification Refurbishment of Dean Walters Building helps in reducing cost for the construction of a boutique hotel. Dean Walters building is already designed in a classical manner that best suits the integration of boutique hotel. The only thing that is needed to be modified is the entrance with dining and rooms. Also bit modification in air conditioning system will be required. These would be the only heavy investments needed. Other modifications are related to interior decor and theme modification which is not included in constructional changes. As far as costs of raw materials is concerned is totally depended upon the contractor who buys the material and at the end audit team will give the report if there is any imbalance or misuse of resources by the contractor. In short, it is really appreciating idea to convert Dean Walters Building to a boutique hotel, due to significance of area and sustainability of the building. Surveys and focus group discussions have shown that the refurbishment process would result in positive growth of the area as well as improvement in the profit ratio of the hotel as compared to other areas. Being an educational and business hub of the city, constructing a boutique hotel at this place would result in attracting more and more businessmen to this place and the tourists(Heritage) coming to Liverpool will also prefer to stay in this building because of ancient architecture of the city as well as the beauty of the Dean Walter Building. References Cost Plus Construction Contracts. BORDASS, W., LEAMAN, A. & ELEY, J. 2001. A guide to feedback and post-occupancy evaluation. Federal Facilities Council. BULL, J. 2011. Life Cycle Approaches in Construction: A Focus on Refurbishment. Life Cycle Approaches Module. ELLIS, H. 2011. Dean Walters Building [Online]. Liverpool John Moores University. Available: http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/PRS/59036.htm. HADI, M. Post Occupancu Evaluation: An Introduction. BRE Sustainable Group, SFC Event, 9th July 2009. HERITAGE, L. Part three: Statement of Significance [Online]. Available: http://www.liverpoolworldheritage.com/Images/4MPlan_tcm111-127765.pdf. LIVERPOOLJMU. 2004. Disabled Access Guide for Dean Walters Building [Online]. Available: http://www.disabledgo.com/en/access-guide/dean-walters-building/liverpool-john-moores-university. PEARCE, A. R., AHN, Y. H. & CHOI, Y. O. 2013. Luxury and Sustainability: Trade-offs and Synergies in the Hotel Industry. SANDERS, C. Developing a standardised methodology for post-occupancy evaluation of recently built housing. The Scottish Government. TATASTEEL. 2013. The Benefits of Refurbishment [Online]. Available: http://www.tatasteelconstruction.com/en/about_us/panels_profiles/envelope_products_systems/refurbishment/benefits/. Read More