An Architect's life is full of life’s ups and downs so far as unfulfilled opportunity goes!

Sometimes, as illustrated here, some really significant projects have been nurtured from the what if? stage, through the options? to the let's do it! stages, culminating in the exciting what would it look like? to the can we get planning approval? stages. There is often one final aspect that ruins our future. This is the we can't raise the financing! stage.

Hundreds of hours often elapse between the first stage and the last of those listed. Like an unwanted toy from childhood, these projects usually get tossed away into a drawer or a computer file, never to be seen again. We decided to lift the corners of some of these past pleasures to show the reader some of the things that fell by our wayside. It is important that we recognise that “good” or “bad “ experience has a common property… it is experience itself, and experience is what we strive to offer our clients.

The first project below was very exciting and, as the site for which it was planned has never been yet been utilized, it still has a flickering of some of the surviving what if?

History

In 1997 Fraser Butterworth met an old friend, William de V. Frith in the bar of the Dinghy Club. At that time Willy was a past Commodore of the club but more importantly was the current Mayor of the City of Hamilton. The conversation led to a question to the Mayor as to what plans, if any, the city had for the future use of the Par La Ville car park in the city centre? Willy’s response was none, but he was sure that the Corporation would eventually ask Planning what would be a suitable alternative to a surface car park.

Two months later, Fraser asked for a meeting with the Mayor and Corporation and asked them for their reaction to a proposal for a City Hotel on the site. A developer had been found, a hotel operator had been alerted and all that was needed was consent from the Corporation to a long-term lease. (In those days a long lease in Bermuda was about 25 years!) A hundred years was added to the needed lease and the first city Hotel since the demise of the Hamilton Hotel was conceived.

The Project Brief

A name for the venture was easily struck and the De Ville Hotel project was on its way. A few months later, the newly designed proposal for a 140 room five-star hotel and luxury condominium project (the Deville Hotel & Residences) was ready to go to Planning. New ground was broken in the design as the design catered for 3 layers of car parking below ground; a ground floor that allowed public access through its lobby to the adjacent Par La Ville Park; a level of small shops and stores. Lobby bars and a café occupied parts of the lowest levels on the streets flanking the site. The 140 rooms were designed to be guest suites to suit the required standards of the Hotel operator (Four Seasons Hotels) and the two upper floors were capped with 10 very luxurious homes. The project stood 8 stories high above Church Street, topped by a traditional form “Bermuda roof”.

The Bermuda Financial Centre was planned to sit on a large five acre urban site adjacent to the west boundary of the City of Hamilton. Butterworth Associates were selected as master planners and lead architects for Bermuda’s largest urban development project. The site, previously occupied by the Bermudiana Hotel, was designated for mixed development use by the Government’s own planners.

History

The existing Hotel could not sustain itself and was put on the open market by its then owners (Trust House Forte). The Planning constraints which called for either a new Hotel (Hospitality) or a mixed use (Commercial and Hospitality) caused the property to be difficult to sell.

A local experienced Hotelier with good international contacts in the Hotel Industry and an ambitious Architect with considerable experience with large office projects (Fraser Butterworth) were attracted to the site’s potential. They put much research into the ways in which the site could be redeveloped. Previous efforts by other potential developers had evolved around single, multi-purpose buildings on the site but had not gained planning approval. The new project was conceived as a multi-building development with two office buildings and a first class hotel sharing the same campus. This attracted the Planners to become deeply involved and an exciting project with much public access into the campus quickly evolved. This project is illustrated here.

The brief

The design evolved as a project that occupied less than 50% of the site, yet housed a 170 room, five-star hotel, 45 luxury condominium apartments, 250,000 sq. ft. of prestigious office buildings and an underground parking facility for 300 cars. Negotiations were begun with the Four Seasons Hotel and their requirements for room sizes and types were incorporated in the design.

Final Story

Full planning approval for this project was obtained before it was abandoned when local banking support was withdrawn. Subsequently, the property was sub divided and sold as two Commercial sites that now house the Ace and the Exel offices. We remain dismayed at the change in the Planning requirement for a mixed-use development but unfortunately understand how things work in our small community. We illustrate this project to substantiate our claim to have a substantial record of large hotel project design. The project failed because it encompassed a Hotel within its design. Two commercial sites were easier to sell.

An Architect generally responds to the challenge of finding an inspired use for an existing property by an owner or owners of existing properties that are now difficult to rent. These are the opportunities that feed the inspiration. Usually their current use and condition do not match the potential of the site. Given the funds, these are properties that can reveal many exciting projects.

If the owner alone does not bring the need for inspiration then the next source of the research is usually a category of person with the loose title of “developer”.  The designs then take a different life, inspiration is then affected by ability for the developer to source seed funds to pay for the Architect’s talents. Many in this category are the cause of frustration and financial concern for the Architect.

But some fun projects find their way onto paper! Bermuda House is in that category. A good project looking for the promised source of funding.

Bermuda House took shape when a developer came to our offices with a request that we help him find a suitable home for under utelised funds. Many opportunities were discussed for various sites until the question was raised as to what the developer really had in mind? In this instance the response was a surprise -  A Boutique Hotel

The site we reviewed first was a typical 50’ x 200’ lot on Front Street which was for sale by its Bermuda family owners. Regretfully the site was too narrow and so we suggested that the owners of the sites on the adjacent lots be asked to participate. They agreed! Two Bermuda families joining forces? Yes it happened!

It happened to the level shown on the preliminary drawings shown below. A 20,000 sq ft lot on Front Street directly opposite the Cruise Ships berth? Unheard of! The developer could not perform and the project became un-financed.

The project was a great one to work on and had the potential of producing good urban architecture. It was indeed a pleasure to work on.

STONEHAVEN was designed for a local businessman who had had a concept of buying some old, semi-derelict buildings in the very centre of Hamilton. Few people knew of his endeavors until he had completed the purchase of an entire city block. He then set out to have a new office building designed for the site. It was a purely speculative venture. The building design took its name from the first house built on the site in the 1700’s. The various sites combined into a very handsome design intending the use of the cast GFRC cladding panels. Despite being a large building on a good site, the development never raised any interest. The owner wanting too much value for his collection of sites probably caused it and commercial interests were still looking to the West of Hamilton.

The owner was persuaded to try using another architectural practice, but nothing raised any interest and the site still remains undeveloped and even more derelict.