Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/292860
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Centre Regina by Bill Armstrong photos: Merle prosofsky photography / courtesy NatioNal W hen Mike Wurster, the gen- eral manager of what would become the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Centre in Regina, first saw the project, renova- tions to the 45-year-old Regina Inn were already well advanced. So advanced, in fact, that Wurster could see from the building's main entrance right through to the street at the back end of the hotel. That was in May 2013, four months after the $35-million project began, and well before the new hotel and conference centre was to open in early November 2013. "It was a bit disconcert- ing at first," Wurster says, "but this was not one of those renovations where you freshen up the lobby and the registration desk, and everything else is untouched. Rather than put some lipstick on the place, this project went back to the walls, including the HVAC systems, the life safety systems, the plumbing and everything else. The attached parkade also received a makeover, including security and lighting upgrades." Paul Morisset te, the lead archi- tect on the project, agrees, noting that this is only the second project he can recall where a hotel closed completely during a renovation. Morissette, of B+H CHIL Design, says the scope of the project shows how seriously the owner/developer, SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts, regarded its position in the Regina market. Morissette estimates that, for his firm, about three-quarters of the work involved interior design. That design, he adds, took the building from its 1970s beginnings and transformed it into a truly 21st-century hotel. "The changes are so dramatic," he says, "that someone familiar with the old place, coming in for the first time, might ask themselves, 'Am I in the same hotel?'" To achieve that reaction the design- ers devoted a lot of at tention to the main entry, the lobby and reception area, and the adjacent public spaces. Partitions were removed to open up the reception area and the adjacent restau- rant and lounge. The former lounge is now the main lobby, where people can meet or watch for their friends coming through the main entrance, from the adjacent parkade or the elevators. "Hotels are going for a large open concept in their public areas," Morissette observes, "like a welcoming great room. This makes for lighter, more ref lective spaces. Locating the lobby where the lounge used to be has been very successful, operationally." The design also draws on Regina's history as an agricultural service centre, and more recently, for its connections to the oil, gas and potash industries. Rich yellows, golds and blues suggest the grain fields and big sky that surround the city. Metallic screens contribute an industrial look and feel, and give a sense of the different spaces within the public area, while still allowing light to reflect inside. Large abstract canvas prints displaying various Prairie motifs, com- bined with rustic and modern furniture pieces, also blend the new with the old. Wurster notes t hat this is t he furthest north the hotel chain has installed its energy-efficient variable f low rate heating/cooling system in guest rooms. It replaces a hot water radiator system that was at the end of its useful life. If the VFR system in a room does not reach the desired temperature in 15 minutes, Wurster explains, a radiant heater overrides it until the temperature is reached. L oc a l weat her cha rac t er is t ic s prompted a notable change to one design element: Regina's often brisk winds sometimes fooled the occupancy sensor on the main entry's revolving door, activating the door and allowing (usually) cold air in. Adjustments elimi- nated the problem, Morissette says, including replacing the conventional sealing materials with neoprene flanges to achieve better airtightness. Another change in the building's layout involved the conversion of one of the former hotel's ballrooms on the second level into the SilverBirch Con- ference Centre. The centre has a more corporate look, with several ergonomi- cally designed meeting rooms equipped with the latest in computer networking and audio-visual displays. T he cent re a lso includes t he Connections Café, a breakout space with a coffee and refreshment bar, a seating area and free wireless Internet. Rather than have coffee and refreshments wheeled into meeting rooms, guests can gather and unwind in the café between meetings. Shurway Contracting Ltd. of Toronto specializes in hospitality and commer- cial projects, and was the general con- tractor for the refurbishment. Chris Amaral, Shurway's project manager, notes that the New Year's parties in the hotel were barely over when crews set to work on January 2, 2013, completing the job 10 months and five days later. "Being completely closed makes a full renovation faster and easier," Amaral observes. "Because the bulk of the work was inside, we were not affected by winter conditions. We were able to complete the exterior work during the summer and fall." Amaral notes that many of the sub- trades and suppliers were from Regina or Saskatoon, while other specialty trades such as architectural millwork came from Toronto. Hotel refurbish- ments such as this one, he notes, do require a lot of attention to detail, par- ticularly when the property is being moved upscale. Amaral credits SilverBirch's con- sultants and internal departmental teams for their thorough preconstruc- tion investigations that identified the issues that come with any renovation of this scope. This information helped Shurway to complete the project on time and on budget. And, yes, the project was completed in time for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to stay at the hotel during the 2013 Grey Cup. n Location 1975 Broad Street, Regina, Saskatchewan owner/DeveLoper SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts project Manager Tidball Projects architect B+H CHIL Design Group generaL contractor Shurway Contracting Ltd. MechanicaL/eLectricaL consuLtant FLOW Consulting Group Inc. totaL area 235 rooms with 18,000 square feet of meeting space totaL construction cost $35 million April 2014 /73 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Centre regina p72-73_Doubletree.indd 73 14-04-03 9:10 AM