This project is based on repurposing an old school building, currently known as the Canongate venture, into a hotel with biophilic elements to aid the mental health of women and LGBTQ+ travellers. The concept is centred around biophilic design, sustainability, and community. By using nature as an element within the design, it creates a more relaxing atmosphere as people reconnect with nature, it has also been proven to boost mental health for people. By creating a community within the hotel, it will allow the guests to form social interactions and connections. Giving them a sense of belonging, experience diversity and meet like-minded others.
This visual demonstrates the coffee lounge on the top floor of the building with an exposed brick ceiling to add the natural features of the original building to the design. The glass facade replaces the original brick wall as the lighting within the original building was very dark, but by modernising some of the exterior, while keeping the natural shape of the building, it lightens up the space further to accentuate the original features of the interior.
This visual shows the major space of my project, which is a former atrium converted into a community space with lots of foliage and a water feature in the middle of the space. The idea behind this space was to create a more organic look to the columns with cladding and to use water elements to create a tranquillizing atmosphere for the occupants who may want to use this space.
This visual demonstrates the upper-level bar within the hotel. I designed the bar as a centre piece with organic flowing chairs on each wall to create a larger focal point within the room. By using organic shapes, it holds a softer look and by shifting yourself away from any harsh shapes in a space it can give calming effects to the viewer.
In this visual, it features the rooftop garden of the hotel. By providing more green spaces within the city centre it benefits the surrounding environment and gives occupants in the hotel a chance to experience nature within an urban environment. The rooftop garden also has a glass canopy above to shelter visitors from unpredictable weather conditions, always making the garden accessible.
This visual features the restaurant of the hotel which was built in the space of the original basement of the building. By adding windows to the exterior it brought light into the space but I found the light was not sufficient enough therefore I came to the solution of adding mirrors to the back of the space to help reflect the light further within the room and to create a softer atmosphere, I added trees with small light bulbs scattered across the foliage.
