Chic boutique hotel protected by Sto

StoTherm Classic system chosen as protective and decorative external insulation for new boutique hotel in Nottingham

In August 1642, on the ramparts of the castle high above Nottingham, King Charles I conspicuously 'raised his Standard', confident that on seeing the flag, it would encourage the local population to rally to his support at the outbreak of the English Civil War.

Unfortunately for him, it had the opposite effect and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, built on the same sandstone cliff and part of the old castle wall, Harts Hotel, which opened in Spring 2003, has its own standard raising ambitions.

Harts is one of the new breed of 'boutique' hotels, which have become so popular throughout the world.

Opinions differ as to precisely what this categorisation means, but there is a general consensus that it describes a hotel, which is not over large, has warmth, intimacy, a chic elegant style and a sophisticated architectural design.

This is certainly true of Harts, with its 30 beautifully appointed rooms, stunning views over the Nottinghamshire countryside, private garden, award winning restaurant - and all just a five minute walk from the city centre.

Sympathetic to context and place For many years, a derelict building occupied the area where the new Harts Hotel now stands and during this period there were a number of unsuccessful attempts to obtain planning permission for site redevelopment.

However, hotel owners Tim and Stefa Hart hit on a winning formula when they approached architects Marsh Grochowski, a Nottingham based practice which prides itself on design solutions that are particularly sympathetic to context and place.

The practice has a string of awards for projects throughout the country, but most recently won a Civic Trust Award and the Gordon Graham Award for their treatment of the D H Lawrence Pavilion at the University of Nottingham.

Of the many external design aspects to be considered on the Harts project, two were of particular importance.

There are a number of Georgian terraced properties and a partly rendered apartment block close to the hotel, so the exterior finish used on the development had to be in keeping with the local environment.

Also, despite being in the middle of a city, the building is positioned high on a cliff face, exposing it to quite severe weather conditions.

The architects decided that a high quality external wall system would be the most appropriate solution and opted for the StoTherm Classic system, from Sto .

Mike Askey of Marsh Grochowski picks up the story; "I had seen it used on other projects of a similar design and used it previously myself, so I was fully aware of its capabilities".

" Also, I was confident that I would get all the technical advice I might need and the on-site quality that would bring the project to life".

Unrivalled performance in extreme climates Sto was originally founded in Germany over 150 years ago and is now a major multi-national organisation dedicated to the development of products and systems that protect, maintain and enhance the value of buildings while extending their functional and aesthetic durability.

One Sto solution that has been defining technical standards for nearly 40 years is StoTherm Classic.

It is a completely organic, highly durable, external wall insulation system (EWIS) with unrivalled performance in extreme climates.

Since its introduction in the early 1960's, over 50 million square metres of total façade area have been installed around the world.

The system permits virtually unlimited design freedom, being available with a vast colour choice of renders, or with a brick slip, tiled, or stone style finish.

Very low U-values can be achieved too and with the insulation being applied to the exterior, no internal cavity is required, allowing internal space to be used more efficiently.

The system can be fixed mechanically or adhesively - the adhesive system being used for the Harts Hotel project.

The StoTherm Classic system At the heart of the StoTherm Classic system is a CFC and HCFC free, rigid expanded polystyrene board (EPS), which is bonded to the substrate using a high strength, inorganically bound adhesive mortar suitable for static, even and uneven, inorganic and organic substrates.

The system had to be flexible enough to match any contours on the façade, yet be strong enough to provide a rock solid base for the whole external wall insulation system.

The system owes its outstanding performance to a cement-free, highly flexible, fibre-reinforced plaster (StoElasto), into which a specially developed reinforcing mesh (Sto Glass Fibre) is embedded during application, creating an extremely crack resistant finish.

The finishing plaster (Stolit K) is then applied.

This is an organically bound, cement-free decorative finishing plaster, which was introduced over 45 years ago.

It established Sto's competence in the field of façade finishes.

It is highly elastic, resistant to mechanical stress, offers a complete weather protective finish and allows the walls to breathe.

Its balanced formulation and use of high grade materials guarantee low water absorption, optimum adhesion to the substrate and a high elasticity which offers more than 15 times the crack resistance of conventional modified cementitious renders.

The installation of the StoTtherm Classic system was carried out by ECL Contracts Limited, one of Sto's approved installers.

Their experience in the External Wall Insulation industry spans three decades and this, combined with their reputation as a national, innovative market leader enabled them to work closely with Sto to provide the client with a first class installation.

Mike Askey again: "The StoTherm Classic System provided us with a smooth finish and crisp, sharp, edge profiling and the external insulation skin provides excellent thermal efficiency throughout, allowing larger windows in the bedrooms - a real benefit with the views available".

Four subtle shades of grey, from light to dark, from the StoColor system were chosen to complete the sophisticated appearance of Harts Hotel, giving it a modern look, but ensuring that it remains very much in keeping with its neighbouring properties and historic surroundings.

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