HOTEL VERGE
2021
Think Brick Awards
Finalist
Location
Launceston, Tasmania
Client
Stay Tasmania
Year
2020
Images
Anjie Blair
Land of
Stoney Creek Nation
Team
+
Fairbrother Construction
Chloe Lynn
Green Building Surveying
JMG
Milan Prodanovic
Hotel Verge
A contemporary boutique hotel, echoing an industrial past, in the heart of Launceston, Tasmania.
Opportunities to design new buildings in the centre of Launceston are often rare. The challenge to build a commercial property, in heritage context and an unusual parcel of land, even more so. Hotel Verge has 86 rooms, meeting spaces for up to 100 people, a gym, laundry and an in-house restaurant. Our design is a nod to the city’s industrial heritage and Tasmanian roots.
Subtly stripped back
To suit the heritage context, we deliberately wanted Hotel Verge to sit neatly in the Launceston skyline. We designed a double-height window and façade treatment to help the building feel lower than it is. We then used drones to map the views from each floor, so that each room would make the most of both natural light and views.
The front of the building responds to the changing sun, with each face reading differently depending on the time of day. The façade, slightly staggered, creates an interesting banding of shadows. Raw interiors and Tasmanian-made beds nod to Launceston’s past.
Local materials, Launceston Tones
A careful choice of bricks allows Hotel Verge to effortlessly assimilate with its surroundings. The bricks are locally sourced from Daniel Robertson at the Longford brickworks plant — the only carbon-neutral brick factory in Australia, running off sawdust. To accurately complement Launceston’s heritage context, we wandered around the city centre and picked an assortment of brick colours to be matched in the blend.
An addition to the local narrative
To create a commercially viable design, we first analysed the human experience within the space — how guests would feel and interact — and undertook strategic research into how hotels can run most profitably. We hope Hotel Verge and its balanced design will prove to be an asset to Launceston’s heritage.
A contemporary boutique hotel, echoing an industrial past, in the heart of Launceston, Tasmania.
Opportunities to design new buildings in the centre of Launceston are often rare. The challenge to build a commercial property, in heritage context and an unusual parcel of land, even more so. Hotel Verge has 86 rooms, meeting spaces for up to 100 people, a gym, laundry and an in-house restaurant. Our design is a nod to the city’s industrial heritage and Tasmanian roots.
2021
Think Brick Awards
Finalist
Location
Launceston, Tasmania
Client
Stay Tasmania
Year
2020
Images
Anjie Blair
Land of
Stoney Creek Nation
Team
+
Fairbrother Construction
Chloe Lynn
Green Building Surveying
JMG
Milan Prodanovic
Subtly stripped back
To suit the heritage context, we deliberately wanted Hotel Verge to sit neatly in the Launceston skyline. We designed a double-height window and façade treatment to help the building feel lower than it is. We then used drones to map the views from each floor, so that each room would make the most of both natural light and views.
The front of the building responds to the changing sun, with each face reading differently depending on the time of day. The façade, slightly staggered, creates an interesting banding of shadows. Raw interiors and Tasmanian-made beds nod to Launceston’s past.
Local materials, Launceston Tones
A careful choice of bricks allows Hotel Verge to effortlessly assimilate with its surroundings. The bricks are locally sourced from Daniel Robertson at the Longford brickworks plant — the only carbon-neutral brick factory in Australia, running off sawdust. To accurately complement Launceston’s heritage context, we wandered around the city centre and picked an assortment of brick colours to be matched in the blend.
An addition to the local narrative
To create a commercially viable design, we first analysed the human experience within the space — how guests would feel and interact — and undertook strategic research into how hotels can run most profitably. We hope Hotel Verge and its balanced design will prove to be an asset to Launceston’s heritage.
