Credit: Architecture and Design by Cox Architecture; FF&E by Move-in; Photography by Andrea Sissons
Credit: Architecture, Design and Photography by Cox Architecture; FF&E by Move-in
ROOMS DIVISION
Local materials were used in elements of the FF&E and joinery at Sebel Silverwoods
SENSE OF
PLACE A GROWING TREND TOWARDS LOCALISM SEES HOTELS EMBRACE LOCALLY-SOURCED MATERIALS FOR FURNITURE, FLOORING AND TEXTILES TO HELP REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT, RUTH HOGAN REPORTS.
A
s the industry strives to reduce its environmental footprint, many hotels are exploring how construction and design choices can reflect their sustainability ethos. Using materials from local or regional sources is high on the agenda for many eco-conscious designers of late. In fact, some projects will now specify that materials should be sourced within a certain limited radius from the site. Using local materials has the obvious benefit of reducing transport times, but it also means that hotels are supporting the local economy. Some believe that 58
HM The Business of Accommodation
using local materials could promote more vernacular building styles. This was seen with the recent opening of Ace Hotel Sydney, designed in partnership with Flack Studio. Local organic materials are at the forefront of the hotel’s design from acoustic textural straw walls to the ochre red concrete staircase. The hotel’s guest room furniture, joinery and lighting were custom designed by Flack Studio. “We wanted to preserve the creative, slightly renegade energy of the space since its origins as one of Australia’s early brickworks,” Designer David Flack said prior to the hotel opening. “We were committed to creating a warm space that brought together Australia’s cultural history with Ace’s unique, community cultivating approach to hospitality.”
SUPPORT LOCAL
Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FF&E) specialist, Move-in, actively works to support local designers and makers.
