High-rise, 350-room future-thinking Travelodge hotel

Led by our MEP team, we played a significant role in shaping the sustainable design of a high-profile, all-electric Travelodge budget-luxe in the East India Dock area of London Docklands.

Completed three months ahead of schedule in 2022, our work began in 2018 acting for the developer Tarragon Development Limited with our contribution to the successful planning submission. We subsequently delivered the detailed RIBA Stage 3 MEP design and then acted as technical advisor to Tarragon through the construction stage of this 350-room hotel alongside our brand guardian role for Travelodge.

We developed an energy strategy for the hotel that made the case for investing in air source heat pumps (ASHP) for hot water generation, in addition to heating and cooling.

This strategy meant the development team did not need to invest in a gas supply, and were able to eliminate a significant cost for offsetting from the programme.

We made the case that this approach recognised the emerging carbon factors when considering the changing carbon emission reduction targets under the GLA policy. With the carbon factors recognised in the GLA guidance changing during the period between planning submission and on-site construction, our team secured the relevant approvals for our approach from Tower Hamlets Council and the GLA.

Sustainability key to the development

As one of the largest hotels in their estate, it is now branded as a ‘budget-luxe’ hotel and boasts a significant array of sustainability features.

The scheme has regenerated a brownfield site that had been unused for around 20 years. Alongside the architects, Dexter Moren Associates, we worked with Tarragon Development Limited and Travelodge on the proposal to relocate and expand their existing hotel on East India Dock Road to this prominent location which offers views across the dock and the River Thames from the first-floor restaurant and bar.

The all-electric hotel uses ASHP for heating, cooling and hot water generation. It also has a substantial number of electric vehicle charging points, secure cycle storage, and 1,300 sq. m of open green space including grassland, hedge rows and flower rich perennial planting. There has been a biodiversity net gain of over 145 sq m through high quality native species and planting, plus bird and bat boxes and other ecological features.

Fire safety compliance role

In addition to our MEP and energy strategy, we also achieved BREEAM Excellent for the design stage and delivered sustainability studies to support the planning submission. We were subsequently commissioned to deliver rainwater design, air quality advice and a fire safety compliance role through the construction process. In this role we carried out regular fire safety inspections on site and signed off on the fire safety compartmentation and systems on completion of the hotel.

Our team has a long-standing track record of working with Travelodge and their development partners on their sites across the UK.

Images courtesy of Stewart Writtle