Boutique Design - December 2014 - 26

2014 GOLD KEY AWARDS

BEST HOTEL - MIDSCALE

RESIDENCE INN
DOWNTOWN/SEAPORT,
BOSTON
Designer: Group One Partners, Boston
THE CHALLENGE: Add a chapter to Bean Town's design history with the first adaptive reuse
project in the Fort Point Channel area opened under new Landmark District guidelines.

SOURCES
THE INSIDE STORY: The transition of this 1901 warehouse into a competitive, 120-guest room

extended-stay, Marriott brand hotel signals a step forward in adaptive reuse. Preservation and
restoration efforts were concentrated on the best of the past: the original two round boiler
doors that now serve as the lobby's focal points; the 11-ft. high timber ceilings throughout; and
the glass lit ceiling that tops the six-story atrium with accents such as metal catwalks that
intensify the industrial theme. There's no fear about including some forward-looking thinking
to bring new life to this industrial space. That's why theatrical lighting was mounted to the
ceiling beams and why the furniture has a modern edge.
THE TAKEAWAY: Learn when to add and subtract. The atrium had to retain its glass ceiling

but the designers also felt free to string lights above pebble stone-like flooring and add vibrantcolored furniture to form an indoor/outdoor patio in the lobby and accent brick walls with
sleek-lined FF&E in the guest rooms.

CLIENT: Norwich Partners; DESIGNER: Group One

Partners, Inc.: Becky Schall, senior interior designer;
Carrie Nielsen, associate interior design; ARCHITECT:
Group One Partners Inc.: Harry Wheeler, principal;
Mary Faria, principal; Jim Ryan, associate architecture;
PURCHASING COMPANY: Group One Partners Inc.:
Kevin Mullin, principal; Maura Treacy, associate,
purchasing; GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Lee Kennedy
Co.; CONSULTANTS: Acentech Inc. (acoustics); Nitsch
Engineering (civil engineer); R.W. Sullivan Engineering
(code/LEED); Lerch Bates (elevators); Simpson, Gumpertz,
& Heger Inc. (envelope/masonry); Schweppe Lighting
Design (exterior lighting); Epsilon Associates Inc.
(historical); R.W. Sullivan Engineering (MEP/FP); Boston
Showcase Co. (kitchen); Copley Wolff Design Group
(landscaping); McNamara Salvia (structural); CARPET:
Brintons; FURNITURE: Bernhardt Design; Furniture
Concepts (custom furniture); Kerwin Group; Kimball
Office; Startex Industries (hospitality furniture); Vanguard
Furniture; LIGHTING: Circa Lighting; CS ILLUMINATION;
TILE: Ceramic Technics Ltd.; WALL COVERINGS: D.L.
Couch; Koroseal; MDC

FINALIST

ACE HOTEL DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
Designer: Commune Design, Los Angeles
THE CHALLENGE: Score a boffo LA debut by

casting architectural opposites as a perfect
millennial match.
THE INSIDE STORY: Intended to be the anchor

for the Broadway Theater District's renaissance,
the site slated to become Ace's first hotel in Los
Angeles was home to an unlikely duo: United
Artists' Spanish Gothic-style flagship theater
dating from the 1920s and a minimalist, poured
concrete office tower. Atelier Ace, the group's
in-house creative services firm, and Commune
Design flaunted conventional wisdom about
distilling these disparate directions into one
vanilla style. They opted to strip the office building back to its concrete core so that the public spaces would flow
naturally from one room to the next and both guests and locals would be encouraged to animate each destination. That same approach informs the design. Architectural and interior references "are piled on top of one
another" to create customizable choices for socializing. If the charm of a Viennese café doesn't suit, maybe a
venue inspired by mission churches, Bauhaus concepts or Parisian modernism would tick the right boxes.
THE TAKEAWAY: Make materials the message. For the 182 guest rooms, Commune Design gave a nod to architect Rudolph Schindler's West Hollywood residence by retaining the original concrete ceilings.
26

boutiquedesign.com DECEMBER 2014

SOURCES
CLIENT: Greenfield Partners;
DESIGNER: Commune Design: Roman
Alonso, partner/creative director;
Pamela Shamshiri, partner/creative
director; Loryn Napala, director of
commercial architecture; Amy Grey,
designer; Erin Kendrew, designer; Zoe
Pinfold, junior designer; ARCHITECTS:
GREC Architects (architect of record);
Killefer Flammang Architects
(executive architect); PURCHASING
COMPANY: Canoe Hospitality;
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Morley
Builders; LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT:
Matthew Brown Landscape Design;
LIGHTING CONSULTANT: Sean
O'Conner Lighting; ACCESSORIES:
The Judson Studios (decorative glass);
ARTISANS: Tanya Aguiniga; Alma Allen;
Mike Mills; Alia Penner; R & Company;
CARPET: Commune Design; Masland
Contract; FABRICS: Fairfield Textile;
Pendleton (bedding); Schwimmer
Drapery Inc. (window treatments);
FIXTURES: Waterworks ;FLOORING:
Exquisite Surfaces (hardwood and tile
floor); FURNITURE: Atelier de Troupe;
Arrowoods Works Inc.; Herman Miller
(seating); Michael Boyd (seating);
Rehab Vintage Interiors; Royal Custom
Designs (seating); Thonet (seating);
LIGHTING: Adam Silverman; Michael
Schmidt Studios; Noguchi; Robert
Lewis Studio; Victoria Morris Pottery;
SURFACING: Exquisite Surfaces (tile
wall); Frazee Paint (paint); Homasote
(guest room walls and ceilings)

WA R R E N J AG G E R P H O T O G R A P H Y ( R E S I D E N C E I N N D O W N T O W N / S E A P O R T ) ; L AU R E N C O L E M A N P H O T O G R A P H Y; DY L A N + J E N I ; S P E N C E R L O W E L L ( AC E H O T E L D O W N T O W N L O S A N G E L E S )

FINALIST
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Boutique Design - December 2014

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