ReardonSmith developed a scheme for a world-first among five-star hotels - a largely subterranean luxury hotel and spa. The site, Hersham Golf Club in Surrey, England, is located within London's Green Belt. Strict planning guidelines led to the 198 guestrooms being placed below ground, constructed around three 800sqm courtyards to create a tranquil and sunny aspect. Just one level of public area at grade, concealed by a living green roof that mimicked the undulating golf course and merged it into the surrounding landscape. These public spaces framed the golf course and landscape to create an unparalleled, luxurious dining, hotel and golf club experience. The entire development was set back from local residential areas and positioned within an enclave of existing woodland to obscure it from the local residents' view. The scheme returned open space to the greenbelt and in fact represented less built-up hard surface than the existing clubhouse and car parking, with the latter relocated to an underground garage. A new access road, carefully woven into the terrain, better managed traffic flow, while extensive re-vegetation and improvements to public footpaths further enhanced the locale. Combined heat and power generation, heat exchangers, ground source heat pumps, grey water recycling and rain water harvesting minimised the building's carbon footprint and significantly reduced resource demands in comparison to conventional five-star hotels.