Welcome
We are a progressive, multi-disciplinary design practice.
We strive to design purposeful, beautiful, functional buildings and places.
An RIBA Chartered Practice comprising architects, planners, graphic designers, researchers and conservation experts, we operate from two offices in Bath and Bristol, extending our services nationally to a variety of contextual settings and internationally to Africa, Asia and Europe. Our capabilities stretch far beyond a single service and our varied and established skillsets allow us to deliver our vision for a site by recognising its potential beauty and carrying this recognition through strategic moves to developing and delivering the detailed design which will enhance and demonstrate this beauty to all who visit.
Skillsets
With over 30 years in business, the development of our expertise has never stopped gathering pace and seeking new directions and it is no surprise that these skill sets have naturally led us to establish connections to hotel consultancy, particularly through our links and experience with other leisure and tourist based projects. A wide understanding of place and place creating and of the complexities associated with the legislation and changing environment makes us an attractive option to inspire and deliver many varied projects.
We have a vision for reinvigoration of places and a passion for detailed design along with brand awareness combine with a professional delivery service model, and this allows us to enjoy what we do and do it well.
Planning and Regeneration
Nash Partnership has a long standing proven history of gaining permissions and delivering projects for challenging and complex sites and projects.
Our familiarity with evaluating sites and mapping out design options in line with policies, brings best value right from the start.
Often, the perceived ogre of the planning process dominates the beginning of the process for both client and design team and this is where Nash can make a real difference. We treat each site and client as an individual and use a design led strategic planning approach, to select the most appropriate plan of action to give the client best value from their asset. We pay particular attention to matching their business model and funding needs and will create a strategy that presents the most cost effective way to progress and fund their scheme to delivery.
Design Awareness
Nash Partnership pride ourselves on the attention to detail that we pay to each project. Every project is unique and we aim to capture and capitalise on the site’s potential and exploit this through the design.
With our extensive expertise in contextual design and the character assessment of both building and environment we are able to advise on the right form and design to meet both functional requirements for use as a hotel and to address any challenges of location and setting.
We are able to give equal prominence to the creation of new buildings and the regeneration of existing, and provide flexible solutions which give best value in varying economic times for many clients including the hotel industry.
Brand Compliance
Each hotel type and brand seeks to deliver its own unique atmosphere and experience. Understanding the factors that create this brand and experience is a key part of our delivery process.
The criteria for individuals will be different to group operators. Our portfolio includes projects where we have worked alongside branding companies and directly with individual clients to understand and interpret these requirements. Our portfolio also encompasses differing hotel types, from individually-owned, family-run hotels and boutique-style hotels to multinational operators at both budget and luxury ends of the market. This experience gives us an understanding of specific market expectations and an ability to address these alongside individual client requirements.
Attention to Detail
The little things matter.
As we progress with the larger strategic or viability assessments, we are always thinking of the detail that will enhance a building’s sense of place.
It is these details from which the visitor will draw most of their immediate reference.
Delivery
We strive to offer our clients relevant and cost effective advice which draws fully on the experience of the partners and the varied skills, experience, abilities and passions of all of our specialist team.
Nash Partnership has a team focused culture, geared to working with small and large projects alike. We operate a managed work structure which ensures that critical decisions are considered in a proactive manner, offering clarity and control to the process when acting as either architect or project managers.
From conception through feasibility and planning, Nash has engineered many successful permissions through innovative and imaginative solutions and strategies. We design to a budget and manage to a programme, delivering the highest quality using the current technologies and with an inbuilt awareness of environmental issues and sustainability to provide sensible, achievable advice.
Climate and Energy
This is no longer a ‘buzz’ word. It is a real and fundamental part of every design process.
Our holistic approach to sustainability bridges the distance between the wider government agenda, the challenges of individual building types and contextual variation and this is naturally considered in every project.
Individual beliefs are increasingly important - specifically with the development of eco-friendly places to stay. Our environmental awareness is tested on all projects and our experience in this field is essential for any development in the modern world.
Future Forecasting
As living conditions continue to improve the hotel experience must also keep pace. As a design-conscious firm we keep pace with the standards expected of successful hotels at the edge of current design fashion and hotel trends.
Changing legislation - specifically climate change initiatives, social awareness and the effect of the financial climate - must be brought to bear in the creation of the chosen brief for any project. Future proofing is becoming the norm with the fast pace of changing legislation and developing technologies.
Understanding the client’s hotel type and the market direction is essential. Our team structure and working methods allow the client’s brief to be developed effectively and efficiently from the earliest stages and designs and planning strategies to be developed that will be sufficiently flexible to address both current and future market requirements.
Heritage
Historic buildings need to be kept in good repair. This means understanding how they were built, their processes, their materials, the craft skills used to create them, so their narrative and their significance is not diminished by ill-considered work. Funding repair needs them to be in active use as much as possible.
Nash Partnership has over 30 years’ experience of working with the historic built environment from works of repair, alteration, conversion, new buildings in historic settings, as conservation and design architects, planners, regeneration consultants.
Technical Depth
Evaluating archaeological reports and scoping briefs.
Accessing research sources.
Scoping and evaluating building investigations and using noninvasive techniques.
Obtaining specialist analysis for damp, dendrology, surface finishes, historic mortar and plaster compositions etc.
Sourcing replacement materials and craft skills.
Surveying, photographic and sonar surveys.
Building condition surveys and reports.
Surface removal and cleaning techniques for historic materials.
Installing services discretely into historic buildings.
Passive sustainability in historic buildings.
PORTFOLIO
A selection of some of our work. Please do come and talk to us for more information - we would love to hear from you.
Ballogie Estate Hotel and Spa
This exciting scheme included a new 40-bedroom hotel, spa, conference and events centre at Ballogie Estate, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire. Ballogie Estate Enterprises saw this site, next to Potarch Bridge (Grade ‘A’ listed) and in the heart of the countryside right alongside the River Dee, a world renowned salmon fishing destination, as an ideal location.
The hotel itself aims to create several room types to: those with river views, those with valley views, and those with woodland views. The 360 degree openness of the site is a big part of its draw, certainly for generating potential repeat business.
A new purpose built spa ‘barn’, with a unique outside space, will be a real feature.
Food and beverage will be at the heart of the hotel, offering relaxed as well as formal dining experiences.
The events venue will be capable of hosting around 200 people for receptions or 150 people for weddings, conferences and other celebratory
events. Designing this to ensure the hotel and spa could still operate independently became an integral part of the development brief.
The scheme received officer support, but was withdrawn prior to formal delegation by the client during the uncertainty surrounding the Scottish independence vote and awaits next instructions.
Narracott Hotel, Woolacombe, Devon
Occupying a prominent location in the coastal town of Woolacombe, the proposals for the future direction of the Narracott Hotel stem from an urgent need to reverse its decline and re-establish it as a commercially successful part of the local community, supporting jobs and offering a range of facilities to suit the demands of the modern market and maximising the length of the visitor season for the area.
The re-vitalisation of the hotel begins with the demolition of the existing staff accommodation and the erection of self-catered holiday apartments laid out over two storeys. A significant part of the development of proposals has been the incorporation of a major rebranding exercise at the earliest stages, allowing the hotel’s owners confidence that their investment is developed to most accurately meet their vision and that of the local community. It also provides an enhancement which complements the natural beauty of the coastal location.
The main phase of work will reduce the existing 78 bedrooms in the main
hotel to 39 spacious bedrooms, all with balconies and a sea view that is the site’s key feature. Guests will be served by a new complex of facilities designed to provide an upgrade across the services provided. This will include new reception and front of house areas, providing restaurant and coffee facilities for both residents and daily trade. In addition, careful attention has been paid to the smaller but important details which will enhance the guest experience such as the provision of surfboard and wetsuit storage and drying facilities away from the guest rooms, reinforcing the hotel’s credentials in the growing local watersports market.
The proposed scheme will be a significant improvement to the townscape. The design quality of the refurbished building will be far higher than that which exists now. The refurbishment will also deliver significant sustainability and energy efficient benefits through levels of insulation and solar shading, which will add to its modern credentials.
Monkey Island, Bray
Monkey Island has a unique and romantic setting, sitting within the River Thames near Bray, Monkey Island has a unique and romantic setting. The island houses two Grade I listed pavilions which were last used as a hotel until their closure in 2015.
Years of incidental change had confused the servicing and aesthetic quality of the asset and required sensitive un-picking.
On behalf of YTL International hotel group, we developed proposals to re-vitalise the buildings and included a new vision to improve operational viability.
Facilities now include the ‘Whiskey Room’, dining for a total of 316 split over a restaurant and function rooms, a Spa barge and extensive landscaped riverside gardens.
The Mansion, Leeds
The Mansion is a magnificent early Victorian stately home in, and overlooking, the landscaped gardens of Roundhay Park, Leeds. In 2009 Leeds City Council agreed a 25year lease with the Dine team for the refurbishment of the building, and the establishment of Dine at The Mansion as the premier event location for weddings, social and corporate functions. Dine also operates a café restaurant, open to the general public seven days a week.
Dine is now planning to create a boutique hotel at The Mansion & Carriage Houses on Mansion Lane. The hotel will be operated by Dine at The Mansion: it will meet the demand for a new and stylish boutique hotel
in this attractive location and it will enhance the existing event business. Existing office and administrative facilities for Dine at The Mansion in the main building will be relocated elsewhere. In the space vacated, 16 guest bedrooms will be built; two storeys of seven bedrooms each will be added above the Education Centre, without altering the access or functionality of the Education Centre in any way; to 12 bedrooms will be built within what was the Carriage House and a further three bedrooms will be created within the cottage adjacent to the Carriage House. The hotel will thus have 45 rooms.
Hotel Gotham Bristol
This project came to Nash Partnership in mid-2020, Covid had gripped the country and the implementation of a consent for a large hotel conversion set within the old lawcourts the Grade I listed Bank of England building had stalled on viability. The developer for the site, Trevor Osborne Group, approached us to help them derisk the scheme by splitting the development into a smaller boutique hotel set wholly within the Guildhall and then separately look at a residential conversion and commercial use for the remainder of the site. The key to this was that a new operator, Gotham Hotels, had identified this as an ideal building to expand their brand and operation into the South West. Our challenge was to negotiate the complex planning & listed building consent history for the site to help the team re-design the front of house and bedroom layouts to align with the distinctive fresh approach of the Gotham Brand.
The ‘Gotham’ hotel brand had first gained recognition through their
projects in Manchester and Glasgow. Both had involved high profile city centre prominent listed buildings. Both projects exemplified the exceptional Gotham design ethos, focused on exceptional design, celebrating the character and drama of heritage buildings encompassed within an elegant hotel environment. So, the Guildhall in Bristol represented an ideal project for the Gotham Group to step into and they were particularly keen on looking for local knowledge to help them realise the potential of this prominent Bristol heritage asset.
The collaboration with the client and their interior designers, squid.inc, helped us shape a much more efficient layout for the boutique operation whilst still maintaining heritage fabric integrity. The final scheme managed to deliver 80 keys wholly contained within the Guildhall and still present characterful f&b spaces within the original law court rooms and vaulted basements. The consented scheme is planned to start on site in early 2022 and looks set to become another excellent additional to the Gotham portfolio.
Holiday Inn Express, Bath
Situated on the south side of the River Avon in Bath, this project sought to develop the site of the former police and local authority depot to provide a new 126 bed hotel with 15% of all rooms being specially designed for disabled visitors, a separate restaurant and ancillary building along with 96 car parking spaces and room for coach parking.
Whilst not in the centre of the historic townscape the site does lie next to
significant structures such as Hayesfield School and St James’ Cemetery. Consequently, the design was able to utilise the existing mature planting of the cemetery and draw upon this feature to create a significant open space and a suitable setting for the hotel which also contributes to the public realm.
The building provides accommodation over four storeys clad in a combination of natural Bath Stone ashlar with complementary contrasting panels of
yellow ochre render. An entrance and bar area in glazed curtain walling add a modern lift to the otherwise traditional structure. The construction phase utilised off site manufacture and modern methods of construction techniques such as precast concrete walls and floors and bathroom pods to minimise the on site programme.
Holiday Inn Express, Swindon
This existing hotel went through a major overhaul and upgrade to better its entrance sequence, front of house facilities, improve accessibility, and bring some excitement to the shared spaces. A phased upgrade of the rooms was also undertaken to bring them in line with the latest generation of HIX standards and brand compliance. This was carefully planned to enable the hotel to still generate income during the works. 108 rooms were also added by infilling a
courtyard space, and adding a mezzanine level in first floor space originally planned for commercial use. A cafe was added at ground floor level, fronting the street to complete the overall presentation of this building and its offer. Nash Partnership worked alongside Matthews Mee interior designers to complete the project through planning and detail design stages, onto site and completion.
IBIS, Swindon
This existing building was planned for a nightclub and consisted of two double high spaces. It had lain dormant for many years so Nash Partnership assisted to achieve planning permission, detailed design and site assistance to convert the spaces to a new IBIS Style city hotel. The scheme also incorporated a new public gym at street level, bringing some much needed permeability and movement to the street frontage. Nash teamed up with Matthews Mee for this project once again.
Lee Bay Hotel, Devon
Bordered on three sides by beautiful rolling North Devon countryside, the fourth by the Bristol Channel, Lee Bay is two miles to the West of Ilfracombe and is in the North Devon AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) which covers approximately 171 km sq of coastal landscape. The picturesque village is situated in a deep combe, heavily wooded with a real sense of place and beauty.
Nash Partnership was appointed to the project as architects and planners in early 2009 and immediately identified the importance of developing sensitive proposals and an appropriate public realm for this beautiful location and its currently derelict and tired hotel building.
Previous planning applications made by other teams had been unsuccessful so, leading a team of consultants, Nash Partnership established a working model for a fractional ownership apartment layout with a spa, various dining experiences, the redevelopment of the external pool and facilities, and various garden experiences submerged in the grounds.
Additional garden apartments designed as ‘eco pods’ are also an exciting part of the proposal and although contrary to planning guidelines these are designed to address the issues of the AONB and therefore seek to increase and enhance the beauty of the site.
Planning permission has been granted, though the project remains unbuilt.
Ski chalet, Sainte Foy, France
With the new ski season fast approaching our client required a full set of drawings to discuss proposed and some existing changes made to the chalet with the local mayor for approval. We worked with the client to quickly turn around drawings in order to allow discussion and works to take place ready for the ski season.
Pools and Spas
Over the last twenty years Nash Partnership has worked on a mix of private residences and hotels where relaxation and/or exercise has been part of the brief. We have had the privilege of being part of some wonderful schemes that range from small home spas and gyms right through to hotel schemes that could operate as an independent spa offer.
Whether the need is for a simple sauna and steam room, or a full immersive spa experience, we love designing and challenging the sort of experience that is suited to each moment. On one of our schemes the spa is floating on a Dutch barge to add something rather unique to the experience but at the same time enhancing the site’s distinct characteristics and sense of place.
When it comes to pools, we know what needs to be considered for them to be included in proposals. We also love the integration into a scheme that water can bring so they are often more than just a pool. We have recently completed on a reed filtered pool with UV water treatment that is heated via a new water wheel in the site’s adjacent river that generates the electricity to do so.... all in a listed building setting.
RELATED PROJECTS
A selection of some of our work. Please do come and talk to us for more information - we would love to hear from you.
Mansions, Manors and Estates
Nash Partnership has built its foundation of knowledge and attitude towards taking projects seriously through its early and continuing work in unpicking sensitive, listed, or characterful sites and buildings. We have an extensive history of successful projects across many sectors in working with mansions, manors, and estates through our planning, regeneration, architecture and heritage expertise.
Individual Homes
Since its founding over 30 years ago, Nash Partnership has always designed for the residential market. This is across all scales. We have found that there is a crossover with some of our individual homes projects that range from £1m to £20m+ where the unique nature of a new personallydesigned home and an individual hotel complement each other. Product selection, trends, strategies for lighting, attention to detail, a feeling of connection to surroundings, an air of luxury, or mixing modern with traditional are all architectural skillsets we have been and continue to develop and be passionate about. See our Individual Homes brochure for more details.
Nash Partnership is a built environment, regeneration, planning and design consultancy, first established in 1988 in the West of England. Our professional services and advice skillset now embrace the discipline of research geography, regeneration strategy, heritage asset consultancy, planning, urban design and architecture. Through learning to combine these perspectives in our own team we are well equipped to work well with multi-headed corporate and public sector clients and project teams. Working together, our team aims to bring a comprehensive understanding to how our built environments have become the way they are and how effective strategy can be built to improve them in the future.
Bath Office
23a Sydney Buildings, Bath, BA2 6BZ 01225 442424
Bristol Office
The Generator, Counterslip, Bristol, BS1 6BX 0117 332 7560
London Office
Two Kingdom Street, Paddington, London W2 6BD 0203 7648777
www.nashpartnership.com
mail@nashpartnership.com