Avande Delivers High-Level Hospitality at The Hoxton Holborn
Our teams deliver high-quality projects across a wide range of sectors and types of building. In this case, Avande delivered a KNX control system in the hospitality sector for the Hoxton Hotel Group. Working closely with the project’s M&E contractor ROC UK Group, this scheme demonstrates how important pre-planning, detailed design, project execution and collaboration are in delivering a predictable and high-quality result.
Brought into the project by ROC UK Group, Avande was commissioned to design, supply and commission a KNX control system for the Hoxton Hotel, Holborn. The latest destination in the group, the hotel was originally a telephone exchange, so the design cues have an industrial feel with luxe leather touches to soften the look and feel of the hotel. Obviously, the client needed any systems fitted to merge with this overall hotel design and aesthetic.
The KNX systems needed to control the lighting and climate control systems presenting an easy to use and all-encompassing interface for all the staff and guests. Due to the KNX system delivering control for climate and lighting, there was no need for additional system integration into the fan coil units, making the hotel’s systems much simpler to control.
Steve Parr, Operations Director at Avande, took the lead on the project to ensure that all the lighting circuits and scene settings were thoroughly checked before any of the designs were issued for wider checking and consultation. Pre-planning and ensuring that every scenario and detail had been covered on a project like this is vital. Guests at the Hoxton expect the experience to be relaxing, with the systems working in the background to make sure the stay is comfortable and enjoyable.
The system Avande created also needed to integrate into the Hotel’s Crestron audio visual delivery system giving control over the functionality from KNX switches, the KNX app as well as Crestron touchscreens.
Our team paid extra attention to all the necessary details, setting up co-ordination meetings with ROC and the hotel’s network/ security company to make sure every technical eventuality was accounted for and that all the systems would work in harmony.
Highly detailed schematics and panel schedules were created so the onsite electricians knew exactly where the cables needed to be located, what types of cable to run and where termination needed to be.
Leaving absolutely nothing to chance, pre-commissioning meetings were set up with all the teams and different disciplines involved to discuss our scene setting schedule and how the different control points would be engraved to deliver ease of use for the whole system.
Due to all the planning work and constant checking as the project progressed, the entire system was able to be commissioned and handed over in a single visit.
Project endorsement
Gerry O'Connor, Project Manager at ROC, describes the process of working with the Avande team;
“Avande were given a lighting design with dimming channel spreadsheet which they incorporated into a dimming schedule. From the first meeting and contact with Avande we were very confident in what we needed them to achieve and were constantly updated on progress."
“We were particularly pleased with the iPad control that integrates the AV/AC/lighting control systems as this had been something the client had wished to incorporate within the meeting rooms and a new concept that they are keen to roll out in the future at other sites.”
In summing up the experience, Gerry says;
“We were extremely impressed with Avande’s overall professionalism. They took the lead in a few areas where we needed their support to integrate certain disciplines within the project. This led to a very successful commissioning period and very little down time required as the programme and panel build were very well organised.”
"The aim in any hospitality project is to deliver well planned, easy to use systems with as little down time as possible. With careful planning and collaboration, Avande delivered just that at the Hoxton Hotel Holborn."
