Did you know? . . .
ODonnell Delivers Green Quality at the New
Designer-style Bermondsey Square Hotel in SE1
ODonnell has just completed hotel bedroom projects that hinged on proving to clients – owners, architects, designers
and FF&E suppliers - that they were serious about sustainability. The last quarter has seen high quality installations
completed using a range of man-made and reconstituted wood veneers. One, the new Bermondsey Square Hotel, was in an
urban scheme delivered by the Igloo Regeneration Partnership, which has been described by the United Nations as the
World’s first sustainable property fund and the only substantial socially responsible real estate investment vehicle
in the UK. Hence the importance of ODonnell proving their “green” credentials.ODonnell Furniture Makers were chosen to supply bedroom casegoods for the 75 Deluxe and Club guestrooms of the new 4-star Bermondsey Square Hotel because of the quality of their manufacturing and their approach to sustainability and environmental awareness.
The new Bermondsey Square Hotel is the latest in the growing Bespoke portfolio. It is a focal point of an urban regeneration scheme in London’s SE1 delivered by the Igloo Regeneration Partnership which has been described by the United Nations as the World’s first sustainable property fund and the only substantial socially responsible real estate investment vehicle in the UK. Hence the importance of suppliers proving their “green” credentials.
Colin Bromham of Keytask Management Ltd (www.keytask.co.uk) who project managed the new-build including handling QS and product procurement, commented: “The client brief was very specific: deliver as green a hotel as possible. We therefore had to pay particular attention to the sustainability policies of all the companies who were invited to tender. As one of several leading furniture manufacturers we considered for bedroom casegood supply, ODonnell’s green policies were an important deciding factor. Their operating philosophies, use of materials and their state-of-the-art 60,000 sq ft factory certainly helped them stand out from the crowd.”
The hotel is the culmination of a two-year project directed by architects Munkenbeck & Marshall and interior designer David Gabriel of David Gabriel Design. Will Oakley, the hotel’s general manager, says everyone is thrilled with the outcome and he describes the guestrooms as designer-style for the discerning traveler.
All the wood finishes in the 75 bedrooms are a mix of walnut and oak. Double and twin-sized headboards with leather-upholstered central panels are a feature of many of the rooms. With an eye to creative use of space, ODonnell also had to produce some unusual solutions for specific design requests. For example, 40 of the Club rooms feature a dual-use headboard. They have an angled desk that is backed up to the bed’s headboard. This means that the bed with a leather-upholstered headboard can be positioned towards the windows while the reverse of the headboard becomes an upholstered desk panel concealing a generous work surface, task lighting and an office-style chair.
Another example of attention to green detail is the supply of 90 night tables with tops made from Decoran?, which is a new generation of 100% recycled glass material.
The bedroom casegoods fit out was completed with nightstands that incorporate a mini bar, dresser tables and angled make up units.
Since opening in mid-April, Will Oakley reports higher than expected occupancy from weekday business travelers and weekend leisure seekers who are enjoying the space, luxury and fittings of the rooms. He adds: “We take the environmental question seriously. We are members of the Considerate Hoteliers association and we are about to start working towards accreditation to BS8901, the new British Standard for sustainable event management that will help us conduct our business in a sustainable and ethical manner.”
Aodh O’Donnell, managing director of ODonnell Furniture Makers, is very pleased that his company’s commitment to sustainable working practice is paying dividends and helping them win prestigious projects like the new Bermondsey Square Hotel. He says: “In the current climate green is the new black. Our clients are increasingly demanding hotel bedroom casegoods that are not only aesthetically pleasing, practical and price-competitive but environmentally-sound too. We have ambitious plans to continue reducing our carbon footprint and become Carbon Neutral by 2012.”
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