ISG Jackson and Barefoot & Gilles scoop brace of awards for Ipswich hotel extension

ISG Jackson and Barefoot & Gilles are once again celebrating after taking two top honours at the coveted Suffolk Association of Architects awards tonight.

The team’s £4 million extension to the boutique 4 star Salthouse Harbour Hotel on Ipswich’s prestigious waterfront, was formally recognised as the winner in the ‘Extensions’ category of the Craftsmanship Award and also scooped a 2010 Design Award.

The awards are judged by a panel of the county's leading construction professionals. They recognise the very best in project management and delivery, and are only presented to those organisations that can demonstrate a clear commitment to quality and attention to detail.

The extension occupies a highly restricted site with a robust and uncompromising design which has helped to unify an area of the quayside that previously housed a snooker club. The resulting building was hailed as a great improvement on the built environment by the judging panel.

The original hotel conversion is housed in a 19th Century dry goods warehouse and the new building continues this industrial theme within its own recognisably contemporary structure. An additional 27 bedrooms, improved entrance and public areas and enlarged restaurant provide guests with outstanding views across the marina.

Roger Gilles, of Barefoot & Gilles Architects, commented: “The Salthouse Harbour Hotel has forged a reputation as one of the finest in East Anglia, and the new building will enable the owner Robert Gough to extend his brand and continue to deliver the very best to visitors to Ipswich. Building work was completed six weeks ahead of programme allowing the Hotel to take bookings earlier than expected and all the rooms were occupied on the day of handover.”

Bernard Clarke, managing director of ISG Jackson, commented: "The competition was extremely strong this year and it’s a testament to the skill and dedication of the project team that once again we have been judged as best in class. Attention to detail and the quality of fit and finish were extremely important considerations for this prestigious client. Despite immensely challenging logistical issues due to the constrained nature of the site, the completed project represents an outstanding example of ISG Jackson’s capabilities.”

About the winners

ISG Jackson is a £100m plus turnover business based in Suffolk. The company handles a comprehensive range of projects across multiple industry sectors, including education, leisure, residential and public sector. Clients include, Suffolk County Council, Aviva Investors, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Orbit Group and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

ISG Jackson is part of ISG Plc, an international provider of construction, fit out and management services, with 27 offices worldwide. The company works with owners, developers and occupiers in the public and private sector for an extensive range of industries. ISG Plc was established in 1989 and has been quoted on AIM since 1998. Today the company has a turnover of over £1 billion.

Barefoot & Gilles are architects and development consultants who have been designing exemplary buildings from their Ipswich headquarters for 20 years. They now have offices in London and Chelmsford and work all over East Anglia and the South East.

Barefoot & Gilles’ buildings include the Framfield Medical Centre, Woodbridge, six Town Houses in Upper High Street (SAA Design Award 2007), Rapier Street housing developent and scores of open market and affordable housing schemes including the affordable GreenGauge Homes in Lingwood which received a design award from the Council for the Protection of Rural England. Their clients include hoteliers, spa owners, residential care home operators and East Anglia’s Childrens’ Hospices for which they have designed the new Ipswich Childrens’ Hospice currently being constructed on Bixley Road.

Image: Andy Marshall (fotofacade.com) © Barefoot & Gilles