Design Concept and Strategy

The Hawkins Factory is a former boot and shoe factory. The factory is located right outside the medieval walls of Northampton and is part of the Boot. It is part of the Boot and Shoe Quarter and is an important complex of buildings for this period of the industry. It was built in several phases between c 1875 and 1900.

Northampton is going through a development period that has the purpose to regenerate the town. The Hawkins Factory is located in The Mounts area of Northampton, an area that is mainly predominated by factories and low income terraced housing that were built for the working class from the factories.

The proposal for the Hawkins factory is to repurpose it into a multi-use complex of amenities: a hotel, restaurant and shopping gallery plus other adjacent facilities. The purpose of this project is to bring something unconventional and edgy to an area that needs a change. The design and reinterpretation of the building is meant to change and improve the surrounding urban fabric along with it.

The target users are people involved in the shoe industry, fashion and marketing, business people, tourists in search of an unconventional hotel experience and locals.

The fact that this development is situated right outside the central area of the town can lead to an expansion of the town centre.

The history of the building will play a key aspect in the overall design of the hotel and representations of shoe production in the form of art installations will be subtly inserted throughout the hotel.

The space will be divided into public and private: the basement, ground floor and third floor will be public and the first and second floor private.

The hotel will have two restaurants, a fine dining restaurant with separate entrance that targets both guests and locals, while the casual dining restaurant that targets mostly the guests staying at the hotel.

The ground floor and basement, as they are comprised of public spaces, except for back-of-house, will be open to the public within opening hours.

Public Private Back of House

Lobby/ Lounge Guestrooms Kitchens

Reception Gym/ Health Club Service hallway

Restaurants Cinema Laundry

Coffee house Storage Housekeeping

Bar Maintenance

Event spaces Storage rooms

Meeting rooms Refuse area

Terrace Staff room

Arcade Staff dining area

Shopping gallery Staff facilities

Public Toilets Delivery access

The hotels will have guestrooms and public toilets for the disabled, preferably on the ground floor.

Guest access to upper floor will be by staircase and 2 elevators.

The guestrooms will be of different sizes: single, double, double - double, suite. All rooms will have a bathroom, lounge area, a desk, minibar and storage.