Waterloo Air Products Plc’s grilles, air valves and diffusers have been used extensively throughout the magnificently renovated Studley Castle, successfully creating the perfect environment at Warner Leisure’s new landmark hotel.
Set in 28 acres of Warwickshire countryside, this Grade II-listed, Gothic Revival style castle was originally designed by Samuel Beazley, the leading London theatre architect, as a family home. In its 180-year history, it has been used as an agricultural college for women, the training ground for the Women’s Land Army during both world wars, and, most recently as a hotel.
Since being bought by Warner in 2016, Studley Castle has undergone a three-year, £50m restoration and development programme to restore it to its former splendour. The original building has been sensitively refurbished for modern use, and a spa created in the former Stables. The investment has also resulted in an entirely new hotel wing with 210 bedrooms, a cinema, two restaurants, bars, lounges and a cabaret venue. The hotel is air-conditioned throughout.
With comfort a top priority in this luxury hotel, ensuring optimum air quality was an essential requirement for Warner. But creating a unified hotel aesthetic was equally key.
Waterloo was specified as the sole supplier due to its reputation for quality product operation and design. Working with M&E Service Contractors LJJ Ltd, Waterloo was tasked with supplying a combination of grilles, air valves and circular diffusers that would deliver the required high performance while blending seamlessly into the décor.
Stylistically, Studley Castle mixes its heritage past with an individual whimsical charm. In the foyer, there are nods to Alice in Wonderland and unicorns, while the cabaret and lounge areas each follow a unique design theme which the air terminal devices needed to complement.
Gerry McNally, project manager at LJJ explained:
“The architect and client had a very clear vision of what they wanted to achieve with this building, and it was our job to combine aesthetics with functionality to make their vision a reality.
“Waterloo took on board all the requirements and worked closely with us, attending client meetings and paying regular site visits to review the project.”
Waterloo’s solution was a series of bespoke-designed grilles produced in six different colours. Each grille successfully achieved a ceiling layout that met all the particular aesthetic requirements of each room while operating to the highest standard for maximum comfort levels.
The maintenance aspect was another area that benefited from Waterloo’s expert technical and product support. To enable easier future maintenance of the air conditioning, Waterloo provided a dual-purpose combined air grille and access grille.
The grilles were spring loaded to enable them to be pulled down without tools, making them maintenance-friendly while maintaining the aesthetic feel of the building.
Gerry added: “This was a challenging project that required full collaboration from our suppliers. The service we received from Waterloo throughout was fantastic, as was the delivery. The end result is outstanding – and we couldn’t have done it without their support.”
The 14th property in short-break specialist Warner Leisure’s portfolio, Studley Castle is now the group’s flagship hotel. Waterloo is proud to have played a part in its reinvention, fusing aesthetics and functionality to breathe fresh air into this exciting new development.
