In The Field - with
In The Field - with Jacques Bolze The “inside line” on product solutions and standards part4 Prefabrication: Ideas and analysis When a Hotel Room is assembled like a lego game… In the 70’s and 80’s, pre-fabrication arrived as a cornerstone in hotel construction, with the broad roll out of preassembled polyester bathrooms and even the construction of entirely prefabricated hotels – such as the Formule 1 brand – a technique that meant return on investment would take only around three years. Today, ideas and concepts have changed. Jacques Bolze, Director of Product Solutions and Standards at Accor, reveals Accor’s latest trends in the field… THE ARRIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY PREFABRICATION In recent times, at Mercure, we applied a method called “Dédicace”, which consisted of combining the best of the world of traditional construction and the world of industrialisation – or prefabrication – to create rooms that were not repetitive when it came to their look, but in the conception, design, assembly and decoration. The concept is similar to the automobile world, where out of a thousand Citroën DS4 cars, maybe only a dozen will be identical with all the rest being individualised; the Dédicace method is a bit like that. It doesn’t mean breaking the walls of the room. There are a number of core elements common to each room, then we have a number of varieties of room. Two architects created two concepts, and from these two concepts, there’s a whole series of possibilities, using different carpet styles, colours and designs. The artwork on the bed-heads also had a number of variations depending on the localisation of the hotel. This is a great example of contemporary prefabrication adapted to hotels that are no longer “standardised” as they were before. The modern vision of prefabrication is one of “plug and play”, meaning it can save us time – preassembling certain elements upstream of an installation. A good example is the bed-head, which today comes entirely pre-equipped and pre-cabled, meeting all the norms necessary, allowing an assembler, The new vision of prefabrication is one of “plug and play” without the aid of an electrician, to install and connect the entire unit as simply as plugging a light into a socket. The advantage of this is in dissociating the numbers and kinds of workers moving around in a very limited space. The savings in cash terms are evident, and the room is turned around much faster – which in economic terms is very important. In bathrooms, we now pre-assemble some elements using traditional materials. For example, with tiles, we now pre-assemble wall sections, or shower bases, that allow us to install an entire bathroom much faster. THE FUTURE In countries where labour costs are rising, “clever” prefabrication is the only way to the future. We will increasingly head towards an ensemble of modules and sub-modules that will be assembled like big Lego set when renovating a room. See you again in the next edition 22 Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport / Worldwide Edition N°26 / June - August 2015
BUYERS' GUIDE SHOWER AND BATH THERMOSTATS STATE OF PLAY KEY SELLING POINTS With the fact that many hotels in Europe need to set their hot water systems to 60°C in order to avoid Legionnaire’s disease, the installation of thermostat controls in the bathroom is a very sensible idea! Thermostats take away any risk of a guest leaning against or bumping an “old style” single-handle (hot to cold) “mixing valve” and being scalded or frozen! THE FUTURE The future will see an increasing number of “all digital” bathrooms with lights, water, heating, etc controlled remotely. But as an overall trend, the hotel bathroom is becoming much more than a place where one washes oneself, but where one is truly pampered. DESIGN Ease of Installation – When examining the design of any bathroom equipment, the time required for its installation will be an essential element in your decision-making process. Some manufacturers claim up to 50% time saving in installation thanks to clever design. Ergonomic shape and design – A unit must be physically easy to use, for adults and children, even with soapy hands. Do not select faucets or thermostats without taking into account the shower surrounds, tiling, and other bathroom equipment, otherwise the visual result may be disastrous. Built-in – When designing bathrooms for a new hotel build, consider built-in shower thermostats. This means choosing equipment well upstream of the bathroom build, as the wall can only be finished after the installation. The stunning result however is worth the extra thought. FEATURES Cool Touch – No scalding on hot surfaces thanks to new multi-layer design. The outside of the unit remains cool to the touch. This not only means no possibility of burning, but also no lime scale. Ease of Cleaning – With an average of 18 minutes needed to clean a guest room, surfaces of all metallic bathroom equipment should be rounded and as smooth as possible to enable easy, fast cleaning (the goes for everything in the bathroom). Green – Select only equipment that is lead-free (brass often contains a large amount of lead) and consider water flow regulators that deliver a constant pressure (rather than simple “limiters”). TECHNOLOGY Hi-Tech Chrome – New ways of coating parts, such as physical vapour deposition (PVD) or chemical vapour deposition (CVD) result in longer wearing equipment, which is scratch resistant and visually more attractive. Hi-tech cartridge – For years of trouble-free use, it is essential for the cartridge to be up to the job. For example, a Teflon-coated copper cartridge means very smooth performance, and can allow a unit to be used for many years before changing. Temperature control is more gradual and precise. Digital controls – For a “wow” experience for your guests… In other parts of the hotel, digital technology takes precedence, so why not in your guest bathroom too? Digital taps and showers bring a new level of user comfort. PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT GROHE COOLTOUCH Safety first. No risk of scalding yourself on a hot chrome surface. The child-friendly solution. DAXIMA G TYPE V3.0 Thermostatic bath shower mixer with hand shower. Activated during installation, the antiscalding safety feature limits the movement of the tap head/lever, preventing accidental “full hot” water selection. www.cleverhotel.org Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport / Worldwide Edition N°26 / June - August 2015 23
