Boathouse No 7 reconnects with its diners

6th August 2009, 12:54pm

Boathouse No 7, the public restaurant and bar at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, has been given a facelift worth £140,000. Designer Dave Davies of Front Design explains how he addressed the renovation of the catering facility together with the redevelopment of a brand identity to help reconnect with diners.

The on-site caterers, Charlton House, commissioned the design company, Front Design, to transform the dated, 250-seater restaurant into a bright and contemporary facility.

What was your aim when designing this venue?

The aim of the Boathouse No.7 project was to reposition the catering at one of the UK's premier tourist attractions into a versatile and financially viable space. This was an integrated project addressing the renovation of the catering facility together with the redevelopment of a brand identity to help the Boathouse No.7 reconnect with the Dockyard visitors. Many projects only address one side of the design aspect, whether it be the physical installation or the creative brand and marketing concepts, therefore this integrated approach allowed us to apply our creative solutions to the entire renovation to enhance the overall customer experience.

For the last 500 years, the Dockyard at Portsmouth has been and continues to be one of the country's most important assets, the original site was once used for building small craft in the Royal Naval fleet, which played an integral roll in the history of the Royal Navy. It was therefore imperative to blend the dramatic interior design of the maritime era with a fresh modern approach utilising the latest in catering technology.

And how did you achieve this? Using what material, flooring etc

The Boathouse No. 7 project addressed the service flow areas to maximise the food and beverage capabilities for a restaurant operation seating up to 190 day visitors, allowing the space to easily translate into an events space for up to 350 people for seated banquets.

From a space design perspective, we applied a modern twist to a nautical theme firstly by utilising natural materials such as solid beech and dark ash, together with a warm, neutral colour palette applied to the furnishings and walls, complemented by authentic recycled Dockyard artefacts. Lighting in this project was also key therefore a strategic lighting plan provided the character of the materials to project a light, airy and inviting ambiance. Retaining the original flooring of the site was integral to the project, which further authenticates the building's heritage.

To improve the service flow and overall productivity of the space we repositioned the service counters, which provided ample areas for service delivery whilst also revising the seating plan, which consists of a flexible comfortable seating arrangement to maximise the revenue opportunities.

The brand identity was also developed incorporating nautical themes such as catchphrases with modern design applications, which cascade strategically into the signage and point of sale areas. The overall design is therefore complimented by the daily changing menu, designed by Charlton House Catering, using freshly caught, local ingredients focusing on serving Great British Classics to all 'shipmates'.

Where did you get your inspiration?

The inspiration was taken mainly from the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard itself. Elements from the site architecture, dry-docks and cobbled alleys provide a sense of the history of years gone by when the shipyard was operational. The concept was then fused with a fresh look to create a space which integrated within the museum experience.

What is the size of the venue?

The venue was approx 300sm2.

How many people can it sit?

The Boathouse No. 7 can now seat 190 customers in a restaurant environment, and 350 people for a seated banquet.

What was the fit out cost?

The investment for this project was £140,000
 
Timetable – how long did it take from start to finish? Did you plan for it to take this long?

When the final specifications were agreed, the renovation and brand identity implementation took approximately 5 weeks to complete, we were able to deliver this project on time and within the agreed budget

What would you describe as the key and unique features?

There are many unique features to this project. The Dockyard, the exhibitions and the buildings themselves are unique, and as an historic site we knew it was essential to retain the original character of the Dockyards heritage within the space. This was a completely bespoke project, which included the design of solid beech service counters with modern square glass gantries and display cases, in particular the deli counter, all crafted and engineered to be aesthetically pleasing, operationally sound, whilst maximising the display and enhancing the visitor journey and experience.

If you were to change anything about the design, what would it be?

We and more importantly the client are delighted with the end result therefore we wouldn't change a thing.

Final comment on the project – are you happy with it?

We feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to work on a project that was part of a location so immensely important in British Naval history. We feel the end results are a fine display of our creative and innovative interpretation of a brief for an integrated design approach to a catering redevelopment project.

And about your company – how and when was it set up?

Front Design has been in operation for just over four years. We have developed into an established company within the catering industry. We have an extraordinary list of clients and fantastic projects under our belts, and we believe it is our experience and integrated approach to catering solutions that separates us from our competitors. We like to think of ourselves as the 'Extreme Makeover' of the catering world, as our approach does not only address the aesthetics and service flow, but also the customer journey through to the brand identity to transform spaces into profitable catering solutions.

Does your practice have a signature style?

Not necessarily a signature style, more of a signature approach to work, that of excellence, quality, relevance, budget control and great pride. We constantly strive to move ourselves and the catering industry forwards, add tangible value to our projects, and work with and for clients with their best interests in mind at all times. Working as one coherent team, we are extremely hands on and strive to offer quality forward thinking conceptual design, branding and interior solutions, created and delivered with great care and attention to detail.

Stage by stage how do you approach a new project?

The development stage relies heavily on research, such as analysis of the space itself from a service and operational aspect to the environment, together with the proposed offer and customer demographic. Essentially, our approach is more than just delivering a brief. We believe our role is to exceed a brief by paying particular attention to our client's requirements, understanding their revenue projections and target audiences, providing creative and innovative solutions which become more than just a place which serves food, but an environment that is an enjoyable experience and financially viable.

Who are the key team members?

We have such a great team at Front Design all extremely dedicated to providing success for our clients. Our strength is that we have a balanced mix of experienced individuals from each discipline, such as design, branding, interiors, marketing and shop-fitting, working cohesively from the outset of any given project through to delivery.

What are your recent projects?

We've been working on a number of prestigious nationwide projects such as GSK and KPMG that once developed and completed information will be available to view on our website www.frontdesign.co.uk.

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• 04 Aug 2009 - Portsmouth's Boathouse No 7 undergoes facelift worth £140k