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Architecture

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Part One:
Environmental and Social Assessment
In architecture, it is essential to understand the social behaviors of a given environment

and ensure they are in line with the architectural goal. Equally, the architect and the project

managers must ensure that environmental factors such as air temperature, wind, radiation, noise,

pollution and more, are in favor of the proposed project. The Sterling Inn hotel is located in

Ontario, Canada (Sterling Inn), an urban location with different social behaviors and cultures as

well as varying environmental elements. According to Kefayati and Moztarzadeh (2015), social

sustainability, where people in the community follow rules and regulations, creates a desirable

atmosphere for sustainable development in the community. If the resources are equally

distributed, people can meet their needs and people have access to the available resources, the

architect can use some of these elements to design projects that reflects the people’s culture and

create structures that reflects the people’s identity.

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Photo: The Sterling Inn

The Sterling Inn considers social interaction and security. Lami and Mecca (2021) states

that humans have varying levels of social interactions and the architects must ensure that the

physical space design encourages social interaction which will increase social capital and

produce social sustainability. Moreover, the design should create a sense of security so that users

can have an element of control and the space be in a defensible area (Lami and Mecca, 2021).

These elements have been demonstrated in the Sterling Inn architecture. The hotel has adequate

space that enhances human interaction, reflects the urban nature of Ontario and has security

elements established such as a face, security lights and a close proximity to the roads that enables

easy access to emergency services such as fire, medical or security. Mustafa (2017), states that

another social factor that an architectural building must consider is flexibility such that it does

not conflict the natural and cultural environment, or political and economic livelihood of the
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community members.

Photo: The Sterling Inn

The Sterling Inn has achieved flexibility by having multiple functional spaces proportions

can be changed depending on the needs and has the capacity to adapt to user experience needs,

the economic and technical innovation components. Another social aspect that the architectural

design of The Sterling Inn has considered is the place attachment. Kefayati and Moztarzadeh

(2015), states that place attachment can be demonstrated in architecture through physical

appearance or activity based. For example, the Sterling Inn uses bright colors and dim lights to

enhance visual appeal to the target market. Moreover, there is an urban façade that enhances the

building’s place attachment. It has also enhanced commitment to place in the sense that there is

diversity in the physical environment design to accommodate people of all environments and
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cultural backgrounds. From the design and the physical environment, this hotel targets people of

high social class.

photo: funbro1(2013).

There are several environmental aspects that the Sterling Inn architecture has considered

to ensure minimum wastage of raw materials and sustainability of the building. According to

Fixon (2005), evaluating availability of energy and environmental pollution plays a significant

role in architectural design. Papamanolis (2014) mentions that variable environmental elements

have influence on buildings depending on their intensity and frequency. For example, an

environment that experiences pollution, extreme variation in temperatures and humidly, is likely

to impact the building in a negative manner. Ontario is an urban area and experiences air and

noise pollution due to presence of numerous vehicles; the architect for Sterling Inn considered

these environmental factors and ensured that the building receives minimum external sound and

the internal air is purified through the installation of modern air purification equipment. The

building has a thick wall to minimize extreme cold due to seasonal changes and air conditioners
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have been installed to regulate temperatures during cold seasons and shift when the temperatures

are hot.

Photo: Hotelwifitest

Green elements, especially trees can be seen from the hotel’s aerial view, which must

have been used to manage the environmental natural fluctuations and the impacts resulting from

human activities. Ragheb et al. (2016) argues that environmental adaption leads to viable

economic solutions based on local socio-economic conditions. The Sterling Inn has invested on

indoor comfort conditions to regulate temperature and climatic variability and meet the needs of

the target customers. Moreover, the luxurious interior and locations indicates that the hotel

targets people of upper-middle-class and those of upper class, those who can afford luxury in an
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urban center such as Ontario.

Part 2, Jag Boutique Hotel

Located in St. John's, Jag Hotel demonstrates high proficiency and quality design.

According to Prianto and Depecker (2003), an architect must consider angles, shapes, lines,

contrast, colors, texture and proportion of elements. Jag Hotel has contrasting colors in the

external that attracts the customers. The building has cream and red colors in the outside that

makes it unique from its surrounding buildings. Being in an urban center, the building has

maximized the use of available land space through a vertical rectangular shape and a stable

foundation that extends beyond the perimeter of the building.

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photo: steelhotels.com

The colors and the unique use of glasses to cover the stairs, makes the building culturally

appealing to the locals as the building shows an element of similarities with its surrounding

buildings but in a unique manner. Jag Hotel can accommodate people of middle and high social

class (Jug Hotel), based on the limited car parking space and an element of security as it is

located in an urban center. Possible smoke and scent from the kitchen is eliminated by placing

the chimney at the uppermost part of the building such that they are swept away by wind or they

ascend upwards.

The interior of the hotel demonstrates a high-quality design. For example, Going

Awesome Places (2018), the hotel has the internal walls painted with cream colors while the

ceiling is uniquely designed with red timber shaped in a seamless pattern along the walking

paths. There are large windows that allow adequate sunlight into the building and the sitting

rooms also have circular windows that enhance the visual appeal to the customers. Going

Awesome Places (2018) states that the hotel is music and rock inspired due to uniquely arranged

musical portraits and painting frames mounted on the hotel walls along the walking paths. The

interior has wider corridors and resting rooms that promote human interactions. According to
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Unver (2003), contrasting colors in architecture helps people distinguish a structure from its

environments and gain attention by forming a unique identity. Jag Hotel has effectively applied

this concept to distinguish itself from the environments. The conference room has a unique

bright soft light and a systemic arrangement of furniture to accommodate corporate individuals.

The walls have a range of frames displaying different arts and making the room appealing to the

users. Further, the ceiling is uniquely designed to accommodate the large soft light systems and

distinguish the room from other rooms.

Photo: Going Awesome Places (2018)

The decoration of the internal restaurant makes it architecturally unique. There are large

windows that allow natural light into the restaurant; the ceiling is uniquely designed with soft

brown lights that create a classy feeling for the customers. The addition of alcoholic drinks

arranged in architectural design. The one-bedroom in the hotel have unique furniture

arrangements, desirable lightings and sound barriers, which ensure that customers are not

disturbed by the external noise while the outsiders are also not affected whenever there is music
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or other forms of noise from the rooms. The rooms are spacious with large windows for

emergency situations and ensure natural light get into the rooms.

Part 3: Analysis of both rooms

The Sterling Inn has adequate vicinity space and that allows customers to park their cars

and interact freely with customers. The rooms have adequate space that allows for adequate free

human activity and serviceability. Even though Jag Hotel has adequate room space, the sterling

inn has more external space that allows customers to pack their cars, swim outside the hotel and

interact with other people.

Photo:Trip.c

om

Asfour (2019) states that special quality plays a significant role in implementing building

policies, implementing the design and ensuring effective arrangement of furniture and other

materials in the building. The ceilings have soft lights and the furniture arrangement in the

interior is unique to ensure maximum use of space. Funbro1 (2013), states demonstrates that the

hotel has considered the importance of trees in the environments by planting next to the hotel.
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The lobby is painted white and this aspect might have been motivated by a philosophy of

reflecting the culture and identity of the locals. At the entrance there is a circular waiting room,

where customers can rest as they wait for service. The building was possible based on a

philosophy of building unique and desirable hotels that reflects the race and cultural identity of

the locals. Install (2008) states that architectural philosophies vary from one building to another;

therefore in this context, the philosophy to which this hotel was established might vary.

Photo: Niagara Falls

The Sterling Inn interior has brown walls with unique soft lights on the walls those

appeals to the customers. Moreover, the brown paintings extend to inner rooms, which have

pattern shaped floor and large windows which allows natural light into the room. Similarly,

Niagara Falls Hotel has adequate space that can accommodate vehicles and enable human

interaction. It also has plenty of windows to enable natural light into the house. All the buildings

have implemented the use of white color in different aspects.

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In hotel business, there are different branding strategies such as product, service, online,

geographic, cultural and more. The Sterling Inn and Niagara Falls both use product, service and

geographical branding. According to Aureli and Forlani (2018), corporate branding plays an

essential role in architecture where it distinguishes a building from the others. From the two

hotels, corporate branding architectural style plays a unique role as their buildings are unique in

shapes and interior designs. Moreover, the buildings have also implemented geographical

branding strategy. Dinnie (2018), states that geographical branding strategy is important,

especially when the location ensures the sustainability of the building and durability. In the

context of these two hotels, Niagara has a better geographical branding strategy due to the

presence of falls and hills next to it, appealing to the upper class and creating a desirable visual

appeal to the targeted customers. The Sterling Inn has been established in a geographically

accessible place that people of all cultures and environments can access. The interior of Sterling

Inn has unique mountings in the corridor walls, makes it appealing to the customers and similar

elements are also present in the interior of Niagara Falls, an element of product branding

strategy. Ramaji and Memari (2016), argues that product branding in architecture is necessary as

it will appeal more to the customers than the service sometimes. If the customers can relate to the

products or architectural design of one of these hotels then the strategy is likely to extend to the

service. Further, the two hotels have also implemented service strategy, where the hotels have

ensured that the furniture is comfortable, uniquely arranged and the windows have adequate

space that allows one to be rescued during emergencies or access natural light whenever they are

in need.

In conclusion, the hotels architects consider the cultural and environmental elements in

their design. The furniture arrangement enhances visual appeal and comfort to the customers.
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The cream and identical painting colors help distinguish the hotels even though the geographical

strategy also influence the customer attraction to the three analyzed hotels.
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References

Asfour, K. S. (2019). Healing architecture: a spatial experience praxis. Archnet-IJAR:

International Journal of Architectural Research.

Aureli, S., & Forlani, F. (2016). The importance of brand architecture in business networks: The

case of tourist network contracts in Italy. Qualitative Market Research: An International

Journal.

Dinnie, K. (2018). Contingent self-definition and amorphous regions: a dynamic approach to

place brand architecture. Marketing Theory, 18(1), 31-53.

Fixson, S. K. (2005). Product architecture assessment: a tool to link product, process, and supply

chain design decisions. Journal of operations management, 23(3-4), 345-369.

Funbro1 (2013). "Touring The Sterling Inn & Spa In Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada".

Youtube.Com, , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ8Cm37qXvA.

Going Awesome Places. (2018). JAG Boutique Hotel Review - Rock Inspired in St. John's,

Newfoundland. Youtube.com. Retrieved 15 January 2022, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T711eshGNcM.

Insall, D. (2008). Living buildings: architectural conservation: philosophy, principles and

practice. Images Publishing.

Kefayati, Z., & Moztarzadeh, H. (2015). Developing effective social sustainability indicators in

architecture. Bulletin of Environment, Pharmacology and Life Sciences, 4(5), 40-56.

Lami, I. M., & Mecca, B. (2021). Assessing social sustainability for achieving sustainable

architecture. Sustainability, 13(1), 142.

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Mustafa, F. A. (2017). Performance assessment of buildings via post-occupancy evaluation: A

case study of the building of the architecture and software engineering departments in

Salahaddin University-Erbil, Iraq. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 6(3), 412-429.

Papamanolis, N. (2014). An Overview of the Architectural Methods Used to Manage the

Variable Environmental Influences on Buildings in the Mediterranean Region. Journal of

Architectural Engineering Technology, 3(3), 2014.

Prianto, E., & Depecker, P. (2003). Optimization of architectural design elements in tropical

humid region with thermal comfort approach. Energy and buildings, 35(3), 273-280.

Ragheb, A., El-Shimy, H., & Ragheb, G. (2016). Green architecture: A concept of sustainability.

Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 216, 778-787.

Ramaji, I. J., & Memari, A. M. (2016). Product architecture model for multistory modular

buildings. Journal of construction engineering and management, 142(10), 04016047.

Unver, R. (2002, June). Color education in architecture. In 9th Congress of the International

Colour Association (Vol. 4421, pp. 1000-1003). International Society for Optics and

Photonics.