Radcliffe House

The client brief was to bring the tired and dated hotel and conference centre up to modern aesthetic and performance standards. A double height reception area was created together with a new fully glazed entrance, delivering a contemporary image and identity aligned with a comprehensive rebranding exercise. Designed to provide high visual impact and an impressive arrival experience, facilities include a new reception desk and support services, generous seating, guest lavatories and a new lift serving the first floor. The ground floor bar and cafeteria were simultaneously renovated. Bedrooms lost in creating the additional height were replaced at first floor level and a lecture theatre remodeled and refurbished.

The new external elements were designed for high thermal performance including airtightness; sunlight modelling was undertaken to ensure that overheating and glare would not have an adverse impact on the new reception space. Improvements to disabled access including level thresholds, a new lift, accessible new bedrooms and guest lavatory have improved the building’s accessible credentials as a whole.

A new access drive from Scarman Road was created and the car park set out to provide ready access for delegates, including dedicated space for disabled users and coach facilities. It was constructed with sustainable drainage using swales to mediate peak surface water flows into the adjoining lake: naturalistic, low maintenance planting was introduced and the swales allowed to self-seed, integrating them with the attractive existing lake edge landscape.

Alongside the architectural alterations at Radcliffe House, there were also major mechanical and electrical alterations to the centre. This involved a complete overhaul of the existing systems which where all the be replaced and brought up to high specification, modern standards. In terms of the project budget, the M&E side of the works was initially earmarked as 60% of the overall project budget.