Design solutions for hotel development

HOTEL BUSINESS – TOP ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS

Reading Time: 2 minutes Experts at Hotel Business Magazine ranked Base4 as one of 2016′s Top Hotel Architecture & Design Firms. We are honored to be placed in such an elite list of companies, including many of the largest firms in the industry. We want to thank the Hotel Business team for this humbling recognition. We also thank you, our fellow leaders in

SEASON’S GREETINGS!

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Thank you, Blair Hildahl Base4 Principal 608.304.5228 BlairH@base-4.com

STRUCTURAL VALUE ENGINEERING FOR YOUR HOTEL

Reading Time: 3 minutes A NEW COMMITMENT TO VALUE ENGINEERING – WE WANT YOUR INPUT! As architects and engineers, it is very easy to believe that there is only one correct solution to a design problem. It is also easy to err on the side of a conservative design because ultimately the primary priority of licensed professionals is to produce a safe and

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Thank you, Blair Hildahl Base4 Principal 608.304.5228 BlairH@base-4.com

BASE4 OPENS TBILISI OFFICE

Reading Time: 2 minutes Base4 proudly announces the opening of our newest office in Tbilisi, Georgia. This past week, Dr. Garry Vermaas (CEO) and Dr. Jodi Vermaas (Director of Leadership Development) visited Tbilisi to coordinate architectural and engineering development in this dynamic business hub of Eurasia.  Highlights of the trip include the establishment of the new office and installment

HOW TO KEEP YOUR HOTEL GUESTROOMS QUIET! – PART 5B

Reading Time: 4 minutes How to keep your hotel guestrooms quiet!  Part 5b – Flanking Noise Sources In last week’s module, we discussed two of the most common sources of flanking noise. (Link to Part 5a) This week we focus on two additional sources and how to reduce and eliminate them in your hotel. As a brief reminder, flanking noise is simply noise that
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HOW TO KEEP YOUR HOTEL GUESTROOMS QUIET! – PART 5A

Reading Time: 4 minutes How to keep your hotel guestrooms quiet!  Part 5a – Flanking Noise Sources In previous modules, we discussed the following: The importance of STC ratings to the success of your hotel design (Link To Part I) The minimum STC standards required by your franchises (Link to Part II) Typical wall/ceiling assemblies and their associated STC rating (Link to Part
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2016 LODGING CONFERENCE

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Base4 is excited to be attending the 2016 Lodging Conference at The Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix, AZ next week. We look forward to spending time with many of our clients and partners in the hospitality industry at this event. If you are attending, please let us know as we’d love to schedule some time to say hello.
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HOW TO KEEP YOUR HOTEL GUESTROOMS QUIET! – PART 4

Reading Time: 3 minutes How to keep your hotel guestrooms quiet!  Part 4 – What Is Flanking Noise?  In the previous three modules, we discussed the following insights: The importance of STC ratings to the success of your hotel design (Link To Part I) The minimum STC standards required by your franchises (Link to Part II) Typical wall/ceiling assemblies and their associated STC
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TRU BY HILTON

Reading Time: 3 minutes Greetings to our Base4 Partners! Tru by Hilton is believed to be the fastest growing new-build hotel brand in United States history. Last week we had the opportunity to visit the Hilton Headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee. Several partners and staff met with the Hilton A&C team who currently pioneer the Tru brand. As such, we were able to learn

INC 5000 FASTEST GROWING COMPANY!

Reading Time: 2 minutes Greetings Base4 Partners! Because of the quality of the Base4 staff and their collaborative partnerships in the community, we have been privileged to design some of the most efficient and innovative hotels and structures in the world. As a result of these efforts, Base4 is excited to have earned a spot on the 2016 Inc. 5000 list.

B4U ANNOUNCEMENT

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Class Is In Session! B4U (Base4 University) is several weeks into our first academic semester. Our 37 talented program attendees are graduates selected from some of the premier local colleges in the fields of Architecture & Engineering. The Base4 Executive Team designed this 3-month academic period to be intensive and filled with expert lectures and
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HOW TO KEEP YOUR HOTEL GUESTROOMS QUIET! – PART 3

Reading Time: 2 minutes How to keep your hotel guestrooms quiet!  Part 3 – Recommended Assemblies In the previous two modules, we discussed The importance of STC ratings to the success of your hotel design (Link To Part I) The minimum STC standards required by your franchises (Link to Part II) In today’s module, we will focus on the most common hotel
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TOP HOTEL DESIGN FIRM RECOGNITION

Reading Time: 2 minutes Experts at Hotel Management Magazine ranked Base4 as one of 2016’s Top Design Firms. We want to thank the Hotel Management team for this honor. We also thank you, our fellow leaders in the hotel industry, who have partnered with us to set the pace for the future of hotel design in the United States. Our trusted partners include

HOW TO KEEP YOUR HOTEL GUESTROOMS QUIET! – PART 2

Reading Time: 2 minutes How to keep your hotel guestrooms quiet!  Part 2 – STC Ratings By Brand Greetings from your Base4 partners and welcome to our second installment of how to maintain quality sound-proofing in your hotels. In Part 1, we provided an overview of STC ratings and how you can leverage these ratings to optimize the design of your
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BASE4 FEATURED IN HOTEL BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Fresh air supply in guestrooms and corridors remains a frequently addressed subject among hotel leaders.  Owners and franchise executives feel the weight of responsibility to provide leadership in this area.  This month’s Hotel Business Magazine includes the highlights of a one-on-one interview with one of Base4’s founding partners to discuss the topic.  Below you find the article

HOW TO KEEP YOUR HOTEL GUESTROOMS QUIET! – PART 1

Reading Time: 2 minutes How to keep your hotel guestrooms quiet!  Part 1 – What is an STC Rating Your hotel guests appreciate quiet accommodations.  Unfortunately for hotel owners, dealing with the myriad of potential disturbances from noisy PTACS, snoring guest neighbors, and late-night corridor parties can hinder guest experience.  In this new series on controlling noise pollution in
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CHOICE OWNER’S CONFERENCE

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Base4 is excited to be attending the 62nd Annual Choice Owner’s Conference at Mandalay Bay next week in Las Vegas. This year’s theme is “Momentum” and two of our founding partners, Dr. Garry Vermaas and Blair Hildahl, will be on site to discuss all the momentum they are seeing in the hotel industry. Base4 received
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HOW SHOULD I FRAME MY HOTEL?

Reading Time: 4 minutes As hotel designers, we often get asked about the trends we are seeing in hotel construction that can reduce project costs, save GCs time, and/or bring added value to a project. One question that is discussed at the outset of every project is how a wood framed hotel will be framed. With traditional wood framing
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SEE YOU AT AAHOA!

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Base4 is excited to be attending the 2016 AAHOA Annual Conference at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville next week. We look forward to spending time with many of our clients and partners in the hospitality industry at this event. If you are attending, please let us know as we’d love to schedule some time

BASE4 – 2016 HUNTER HOTEL CONFERENCE

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Base4 is excited to be attending the 28th Annual Hunter Hotel Conference at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis next week.  We look forward to spending time with many of our clients and partners in the hospitality industry at this event. If you are attending, please let us know as we’d love to schedule some time to say hello.   Looking forward to
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ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATIONS

Reading Time: 3 minutes Architectural visualizations are high quality, digitally created images and videos that realistically depict the finished appearance of a project. The technology utilized to create these products has advanced significantly in the last few years. It’s now faster and more affordable than ever to bring a new project to life prior to construction. These services offer building owners, developers, and architects the

HILTON LAUNCHES TRU BRAND

Reading Time: 3 minutes This Monday Hilton Worldwide officially launched the new Tru brand to the midscale hotel market. Hilton already has 102 Tru franchises signed with 30 more in the pipeline. Base4 is excited to be working on designs for several of these throughout the US. With the Tru flag, Hilton is targeting a cross generation of travelers who respond to a mass appeal product. The standard Tru prototype will feature a large 2,800
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SEE YOU AT MARRIOTT CONNECT THIS WEEK!

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Base4 is excited to be attending the 2015 Marriott CONNECT Conference in Orlando, FL this week. This year, the Marriott CFRST & AC Hotel Owner’s Conference and the Marriott LINK Conference are coming together as one in the new CONNECT format and we are excited to be invited to this inaugural event. We look forward to spending some time with many of our clients and partners in the

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Reading Time: < 1 minutes This time of year we find ourselves reflecting on the relationships and experiences in our personal and professional lives for which we are most thankful. Here at Base4, we have 4 core values that are at the foundation of how we do business; respect, honesty, humility, and fun. We would like to thank all of

WHY DOES MY HOTEL ROOM SMELL SO STALE (PART II)

Reading Time: 4 minutes Why does my hotel room smell so stale?  (Part 2) Previously in Part 1 of this series, I briefly described the three most common methods for introducing fresh air into a hotel guestroom; Standard PTAC with open damper (Method #1); PTAC with two-stage system (Method #2); and a Dedicated Outside Air System (Method #3). In Part 2,

BLAIR HILDAHL FEATURED IN HOTEL BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Reading Time: < 1 minutes One of our Founding Partners, Blair Hildahl, was featured in the October edition of Hotel Business discussing his thoughts on hotel guestroom outside air. Check out the full article below!

BASE4 GOES TO HONG KONG

Reading Time: 2 minutes Base4 was privileged to attend the 2015 Marriott International – Asia Pacific Design Workshop in Hong Kong last week. Two of the Base4 founding partners, Dr. Garry Vermaas and Blair Hildahl were a few of the select outside consultants that were invited to this event. Garry and Blair spent two days discussing the present Asia-Pacific hotel design environment as well as current challenges with Marriott

FOUNDERS DAY 2015

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Our Nagpur office sure knows how to throw a party! Here are some shots from last week’s Founders day party!              

WHY DOES MY HOTEL ROOM SMELL SO STALE? (PART 1)

Reading Time: 4 minutes Why does my hotel room smell so stale?  (Part 1) We’ve all experienced the comforting sensation of stepping into a hotel guestroom and being met by a rush of fresh clean air as we open the door. First impressions to hotel guests are important and fresh air gives the immediate feelings of clean, cool, and calm which

TOP HOTEL DESIGN FIRM RECOGNITION

Reading Time: 2 minutes Base4 is honored to have been ranked as one of the 2015 Top Design Firms by Hotel Management Magazine.  We would like to thank the entire Hotel Management team for this recognition. Base4 continues to complete quality designs for all franchise flags including Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, Starwood, Wyndham, La Quinta, and Choice. We provide our hospitality

IHG APPROVED PARTNER

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Base4 is excited to announce that we are now listed on the InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) list of Approved Architects and Designers. IHG flags include Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, Even Hotels, and InterContinental.  In order to obtain this designation, Base4 attended the IHG Design Immersion program and

SUSTAINABLE HOTEL DESIGN

Reading Time: 4 minutes The bottom line question hotel developers are asking right now regarding sustainability; “Is there an ROI on this sustainable design decision that I can recognize without sacrificing the guest experience?” With the celebration of Earth day two weeks ago, sustainability is at the forefront of design dialogue.  Recently,  I was asked by HotelNewsNow to give my thoughts

DUAL BRANDED HOTELS

Reading Time: 3 minutes One Hotel Structure – Two Brands As of January 2015, there are 79 operational dual branded hotels in the US with another 54 currently under construction. Additionally, there are another 100 approved projects scheduled to open by the end of 2018. Dual branded hotels, sometimes called “Two-Packs”, are single structure hotels housing two separate hotel

EXPANDING TO NASHVILLE

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Base4 is pleased to announce that we are expanding to Nashville, TN! Dr. Garry Vermaas, Base4 CEO, will be relocating to Nashville to head up our efforts in this region in a few weeks.  In 2014, Nashville had the highest hotel room rate growth and RevPAR increase of all the top 25 markets in the nation

HUNTER HOTEL CONFERENCE

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Base4 is excited to be attending the 27th Annual Hunter Hotel Conference at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis next week.  We look forward to spending some time with many of our clients and partners in the hospitality industry at this event.  If you are attending this year’s event, please let us know as we’d love to schedule some time to
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HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

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SEASON’S GREETINGS

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MARRIOTT RECOMMENDED DESIGN PARTNER

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Base4 is excited to announce that we are now a recommended design partner of Marriott International. With this designation, Marriott has carefully evaluated and verified Base4 as a proven design partner. We would like to thank Terry Smith, Vice President of Engineering at Marriott International, and the rest of the design team at Marriott for

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Reading Time: < 1 minutes This time of the year we often find ourselves reflecting on those things in our personal and business life that we are most thankful for.  A few months ago we saw a post titled “People I Most Enjoy Working With” by Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, that we thought best summarized the type of business relationships we value

BASE4 FEATURED IN HOTEL BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Base4 is honored to be featured in the most recent publication of Hotel Business Magazine. Please see the article below for their interview with one of our Principals, Blair Hildahl.

ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATIONS

Reading Time: 3 minutes BASE4 Architectural Visualizations Architectural visualizations are high quality, digitally created images and videos that realistically depict the finished appearance of a project. The technology utilized to create these products has advanced significantly in the last few years. It’s now faster and more affordable than ever to bring a new project to life prior to construction.

DOAS

Reading Time: 3 minutes DEDICATED OUTDOOR AIR SYSTEMS Did you know that allowing your DOAS (dedicated outdoor air system) to deliver cooler air in the summer could actually save you money? A DOAS uses a separate unit to condition (heat, cool, humidify, dehumidify) all of the outdoor air brought into a building for ventilation and then delivers it to

LED LIGHTING DESIGN

Reading Time: 3 minutes LED LIGHTING DESIGN The light bulb that has lit up our homes and businesses for over the last century is slowly becoming a thing of the past.  The inefficient incandescent and mercury-containing fluorescent bulb are giving way to the much more energy efficient LED. (light-emitting diode)  Breakthroughs in this industry are being made at enormous
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HILTON APPROVED PARTNER

Reading Time: 3 minutes Hilton Approved Partner Base4 is excited to announce that we have been approved as a recommended partner by Hilton Worldwide.  Previously, no engineering firms had this designation and Base4 is proud to become one of the first.  With this designation, Hilton has carefully evaluated and verified Base4 as a proven partner and added us to their Supplier’s Connection program. Base4 has

JINGGANGSHAN STATUE COMPLETION

Reading Time: 2 minutes Jinggangshan Statue Completion Base4 is excited to announce the completion of the Jinggangshan Statue, a non-traditional project, in Jiangxi Province China. The Jianggangshan Statue stands with a total height of 160’ making it one of the tallest statues in all of China. The project is located in the Jiangxi River Forest Region and stands atop

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Form Us With Love recently created the Nest Collection for +Halle. The series provides an unpronounced divider to the traditional lounge area, by simply creating layers of both high and low seating. The heights offers a sense of privacy, whilst maintaining the comfort of a relaxed armchair.

PARK RUSSIA

Reading Time: 3 minutes Form Us With Love recently created the Nest Collection for +Halle. The series provides an unpronounced divider to the traditional lounge area, by simply creating layers of both high and low seating. The heights offers a sense of privacy, whilst maintaining the comfort of a relaxed armchair.

BASIC PRINCIPLES TO LIVE BY

Reading Time: 4 minutes Form Us With Love recently created the Nest Collection for +Halle. The series provides an unpronounced divider to the traditional lounge area, by simply creating layers of both high and low seating. The heights offers a sense of privacy, whilst maintaining the comfort of a relaxed armchair.

SEASON’S GREETINGS!

Reading Time: < 1 minutes Form Us With Love recently created the Nest Collection for +Halle. The series provides an unpronounced divider to the traditional lounge area, by simply creating layers of both high and low seating. The heights offers a sense of privacy, whilst maintaining the comfort of a relaxed armchair.

NAGPUR OFFICE TEAM BUILDING

Reading Time: 2 minutes Form Us With Love recently created the Nest Collection for +Halle. The series provides an unpronounced divider to the traditional lounge area, by simply creating layers of both high and low seating. The heights offers a sense of privacy, whilst maintaining the comfort of a relaxed armchair.

NEW PROJECT AWARDED IN NEW YORK

Reading Time: 2 minutes Form Us With Love recently created the Nest Collection for +Halle. The series provides an unpronounced divider to the traditional lounge area, by simply creating layers of both high and low seating. The heights offers a sense of privacy, whilst maintaining the comfort of a relaxed armchair.

NEW PROJECT AWARDED IN INDIA

Reading Time: 2 minutes Form Us With Love recently created the Nest Collection for +Halle. The series provides an unpronounced divider to the traditional lounge area, by simply creating layers of both high and low seating. The heights offers a sense of privacy, whilst maintaining the comfort of a relaxed armchair.

NEW PARTNER ANNOUNCEMENT

Reading Time: 2 minutes Introducing a New Partner Base4 is excited to announce a new partner, Amr Gawad, who is based in Orlando and will be leading the Base4 civil engineering department. Amr is a licensed professional civil engineer (PE) with over 30 years of experience in land development for projects around the world. Originally from Egypt and having
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ANNOUNCING THE NEW BASE4 BRAND

Reading Time: 2 minutes Serving as an architectural primer to the streets of the capital from an architect's point of view, Buildings of London leads the reader on a journey around the city through the evocative paintings of architect Roger FitzGerald, combining his keen eye for detail and construction with a fascination for discovery 1.