05
Sep

What is Hospitality Architecture? The Role of Hospitality Architects

Imagine walking into the newest restaurant in town, but it looks like a hospital. Or suppose you’re checking into a hotel, but the interiors are designed like a supermarket. Unless that’s your business’s gimmick, that’s probably not the aesthetic match you seek. You want your business to have beautiful and functional interiors that support what you’re selling. This blending of business and beauty is a hospitality architect’s bread and butter!

Hospitality architecture designs emulate and elevate the comforts of home for your guests. Whether you are building a hotel, restaurant, bar, or coffee shop, people want to visit spaces that inspire.

At Robertson Architecture, we understand the technical and aesthetic elements required to design a hospitality-forward space and the regulatory facets crucial to the process. We want to help you bring your vision to life with the highest architectural standards. In this article, we’ll explore hospitality architecture and the role of a hospitality architect on a project.

Why is Hospitality Architecture Important?

Hospitality architecture creates your guests’ first impression of your business. And as we all know, first impressions last. As restaurant or hotel guests enter the space, they form an instant opinion about the experience. In hospitality architecture, your design serves as a mood setter or even a portal to another dimension. You have the ability to curate an unforgettable experience for your guests through aesthetic and functional design choices throughout the space.

Why Work with a Hospitality Architect?

Many factors go into creating a beautiful and welcoming space. It’s not all aesthetics and material choices. As hospitality architects, we take many things into consideration during the design process, such as functionality, spatial planning, technology, sustainability, brand identity, comfort, and regulatory compliance.

All of these items work together to create a cohesive space that welcomes guests to have the experience our clients want to curate for them.

We see projects through from the initial concept to the completed design, and we even help our clients find the perfect location for their hospitality business. Hospitality architects understand what a space needs to make it shine, and we’re here to guide our clients through the architectural design process to bring their dreams for their business to life.

Curating Experiences for Guests

An important piece of a hospitality architect’s job is curating the guest experience. This doesn’t mean you need to have a roller coaster that swerves through the ceiling of your restaurant—unless that’s the experience you’re interested in creating for your guests, then by all means, go for it! Do you want to produce a buzzy and comfortable environment for your new Southern comfort restaurant that feels like home? Or are you looking to showcase a minimalist space where the dishes do the talking? There are many different ways to curate an experience, and in hospitality architecture, we are experts at listening to our client’s goals and making them a reality.

Aesthetic Design Meets Functionality

Beyond the aesthetic design choices that are a foundational aspect of hospitality architecture, functionality and accessibility are equally important to the design process. The practical side of hospitality architecture can easily be overlooked if you’re not working with someone who specializes in this space.

Functionality spans from spatial planning to accessibility to sustainability. Hospitality architects take these items seriously to ensure the space supports the environment and welcomes every guest entering your establishment.

This intersection of aesthetic design and functionality also includes understanding a business’s needs and ensuring that every area of the business can function together with ease.

Design Supports Branding

The architectural design of a hospitality project should support the business’s brand and culture. Hospitality architects consider all aspects of the business during the design process to ensure the space supports the business’s goals and growth. The aesthetics and functionality should match the business’s offering. A hospitality architect is skilled at synthesizing this information into a gorgeous and functional design, understanding trends and what guests are looking for so the experience meets the moment.

Understanding Regulatory Compliance

Hire a hospitality architect early in the process to ensure that your project is up to code and follows regulatory compliance laws for the space and type of business. An architect’s knowledge of zoning and code regulations is a vital asset to your team. During site selection, your architect can conduct extensive research so the properties you view support your business goals from a regulatory and functional perspective.

Let’s Start the Hospitality Design Process Today

Hospitality architecture helps businesses convey their brand’s message through the building’s design. The role of architecture in hospitality is to create spaces that are comfortable, functional, and follow local regulations. Reach out to Robertson Architecture’s experienced hospitality design team today to get started on your next project!

Author:  David Robertson is an Atlanta based architect and founder of Robertson Architecture.  Robertson Architecture on the premise of helping entrepreneurs and like-minded individuals exceed their goals.

In 2018, Robertson Architecture was formed with the single focus of helping homeowners and entrepreneurs exceed their goals. The firm works with custom residential homes, townhouses, restaurants, and hotels all across the Southeast. David has a passion for helping entrepreneurs and homeowners realize their dreams.

With over 10 years of experience, David spent the beginning part of his career working on small to medium sized commercial projects across the U.S., including hospitality projects, office buildings, multi-family, and custom homes.