How do you balance rejuvenating a dilapidated Grade II* listed building with creating a carbon-zero new-build extension to provide the function, form, aesthetics and efficiency expected in a luxury retreat?
At Grantley Hall Relais & Chateau near Ripon, the answer has been found within the Northern Powerhouse. The £70m revitalisation project has fused architectural design, construction and M&E expertise from Yorkshire with air movement specialisation from Lancashire.
Most of the refurbished hall that has been transformed into a five-star hotel and the newly-built, carbon-zero Spa & wellness facilities feature ventilation diffusers from Gilberts (Blackpool), installed by Wheatley Mechanical and Machenair. ‘Stand-out’ components are bespoke curved slot diffusers up to 16m long across a 5m radius, and an innovative perforated return air grille for the swimming pool.
Christopher Lee, managing director of project managers Lucas Lee says:
“Grantley Hall’s whole ethos surrounds the concept of creating the extraordinary. It is akin to bespoke recreations of prestige car marques, taking a classic E-Type Jaguar and giving it modern technology. That is what we have tried to do at Grantley Hall, creating a building true to its original architecture but with the function and efficiency you would expect in a high-end development.
“The whole project team worked closely to realise the aim; we, M&E contractor Integrated Mechanical and Gilberts spent many hours choosing the right ventilation solutions for each area, to deliver the modern functionality required but staying true to the over-arching objective of being sympathetic to the original fabric.”
Feature elements of the ventilation include:
- Seven GSLC curved linear slot diffusers varying between 8m and 16m in length, with radii from 4.8m to 5.7m in the main function rooms, providing smooth, accurate airflow even when installed in a recessed ceiling, which is underlit to resemble the sky
- 110 HSL high capacity linear slot diffusers between 600mm and 5500mm in the hotel rooms
- GD swirl diffusers in the gym
- GSFE circular perforated diffusers in the night club bar
- A bespoke 1.4m x 2.6m perforated return air grille in the swimming pool, screen-printed with the Grantley Hall logo. Explains Seb Rowe, Gilberts Regional Sales manager for the project.
“Ordinarily, swimming pools need, and thus have, large louvres to extract the moist air and return it to the air handling unit. Grantley is all about creating the extraordinary; we felt this provided an extraordinary, dramatic solution. The perforated screen overprinted in gold with the Grantley Hall logo conceals the function, whilst allowing the performance.”
The work at Grantley Hall typifies Gilberts’ ability to develop appropriate solutions for modern life, including projects as diverse as louvres for a huge grain silo and diffusers for Twitter’s European headquarters through to natural ventilation at the Natural History Museum.
The company’s range of air distribution solutions for natural and mechanical ventilation includes grilles, diffusers, internal and external louvres, plus acoustic, smoke and fire options.
Founded 55 years ago, Gilberts Blackpool is Britain’s leading independent air movement specialist, and is unique in its ability to develop components, be it ‘mainstream’ or bespoke – entirely in-house, from initial design through tooling, production, testing and supply, at its 95,000 ft² manufacturing facility.
Its state of the art test centre, designed and built in-house, is one of the most technically advanced in the country.