Elephant Rock, Portrush

GM Design Associates was appointed in 2021 to renovate and refurbish a Victorian building previously used as a “military veteran respite hotel” into a new Boutique Hotel. The works included external alterations to the front terrace and pedestrian access; and internal alterations to provide new staff room, toilet facilities and 15 double and 3 single en-suite guestrooms including an accessible double guest room at ground floor level. The Hotel also contains a 30-seat restaurant, a bar and function room with private terrace to the rear of the Hotel.

GMDA obtained Planning and Building Control approval and assisted the proprietors in obtaining Tourism NI four star Hotel accreditation as well as Licencing approvals for the sale of alcohol and food.

Elephant Rock is located on the Ramore Head peninsula, with stunning sea views across the Skerries Islands and beyond to the Giant’s Causeway. In its first year of opening The Hotel won 2 awards at the Irish Hotel Awards: Newcomer of the Year and Ulster's Romantic Hotel of the Year and most recently won Boutique Hotel of the year for all Ireland.

ARCHITECTURE

The enthusiastic multidisciplinary team allows our scope of services to range from private dwellings through to industrial business parks. An open plan office layout boosts creativity whilst providing an integrated design approach to ensure that the client receives the best possible outcome and service. With Chartered Architects and Chartered Architectural Technologists our architectural services include but are not limited to:

Residential development planning
Statutory approvals
Procurement
Construction management
Historic buildings consent
Site selection & appraisal
Feasibility studies
Major & cyclical works programmes
Contract management
Design & build delivery
Social housing
New build
Major & Cyclical works
External work
Condition surveys

Landscape Architecture

The Practice has extensive experience in a wide range of scenarios providing not only an aesthetic appearance but also achieving any necessary BREEAM credits or similar sustainability criteria. The team competently provides services for:

Bespoke private gardens
Public town paths & parks
Historic & costal landscaping
Golf courses, sports facilities & children’s play areas
Landscape & visual impact assessment
Expert witness for planning appeals/public enquiries
University campuses
Parking & access arrangements
Caravan & holiday parks, marinas
Planting schedules, management & maintenance plans
Minerals, landfill and restoration.

Planning Consultancy

The Practice has extensive expertise and exceptional experience in all areas of planning practice including:

Planning Appraisals & Site Feasibility
Planning Applications
Enforcement, provision of advice on regularising unauthorised development
Planning Appeals, Public Inquires and Area Plan. Preparation of written evidence and oral presentation at Appeals and Inquiries
Expert witness and licensing for legal hearings, appeals and public inquiries
Environmental impact assessment
Retail impact assessments
Renewable energy proposals including wind turbines, photovoltaics, etc
Brown field redevelopment & consideration of land contamination
Urban realm and regeneration
Strategic planning and master planning – for the co-ordinated and comprehensive development of large scale sites for residential,commercial and mixed-use developments