Slatters Development, Canterbury

Mixing historical Tudor construction with contemporary architecture.

The Slatters Development site has a rich history dating back to the Tudor period. Over time it has incorporated design through the ages, integrating Georgian and Victorian architecture before its current iteration was ever on the architect’s drawing board.

It was around 12 years ago, when the building owner decided to remove an existing cupboard, that the whole building started to move, making it clear that additional structural development would be required to ensure the building’s safety and breathe new life into the site.

Following the discovery of the structural issues within the building, the decision was made to redevelop and modernise the site in a way that incorporates the existing Tudor architecture.

The first step was to stabilise the listed building with structural steel framing. From here, the construction of the new Slatters Development, of which the hotel is part of, could begin.

Harwood brings their expertise of building regulations to Slatters Hotel.

While the development consists of three parts – the Slatters Hotel, a roof-top restaurant and ground floor commercial units – Harwood is working with RGB Group and Maith Design to provide the building control for the Slatters Hotel section of the development.

Hotels are always interesting projects to be part of due to the nature of the buildings, especially those which combine heritage buildings with more contemporary structures. Vic Datlen, Harwood’s inspector managing the Slatters Hotel project, explains:

“There is always a danger with projects such as this, that the developer will run in to issues when balancing the old with the new. However, even though parts of the Slatters Hotel are subject to historical dispensations, it has been a fairly straightforward project to work on. The main concerns with hotels are ensuring that the building is safe for occupants at all times, night and day.”

 

Ensuring functionality while maintaining fire safety is vital to the successful completion of a hotel project. With so many people staying in the building at any one time, it’s important to provide sound insulation for noise reduction while still maintaining fire safety.

An important decision for fire safety that is unique to hotels lies with the fire alarm system. It’s crucial to choose an alarm that has the capacity to alert all occupants, meaning it needs to be heard by guests who are sleeping in their sound proofed rooms, as well as be heard by the people dining in the restaurant. Equally there has to be additional measures in place for guests who have auditory and visual impairments, such as flashing beacons and vibrating pillows.

Vic continues:

“It’s also vital to ensure the building is constructed in a way that will slow the spread or stop fires, while ensuring the means of escape remains protected for all. Primarily this is achieved through thorough planning of the passive fire protection measures, fire separation of the escape routes and the structural fire compartmentation. The Slatters Hotel is now open for business, whereby we worked closely with RGB Group and Maith Designs to finalise the building’s sign off and achieve a successful opening.”

 

For more information about Harwood and how our building control inspection services can add value to your projects, get in touch with our team today on +44 (0)1227 931 777 or email enquiries@harwood.uk.com.

 

If you are looking to mitigate risks in terms of delays or unexpected costs, the experience of Harwood ensures buildings are safe for their users by identifying non-compliant features and working with design teams and contractors so they can create real-world solutions to construction challenges. Based in Kent, Harwood provides building control services for commercial construction projects across England and Wales. Our highly professional yet approachable approach and pragmatic attitude ensures the details that matter are taken care of.