Architect Germano Botelho thinks more staff dormitories for foreign workers could free up housing for the rest of the island and help to alleviate the housing crisis.

At the inaugural Infrastructure and Development Summit, Mr Botelho, of Botelho Wood Architects, discussed the renovation of 36 Par-la-Ville, changing the building from a bank to hotel staff accommodation.

Botelho Wood completed the transition in 2016, with the building now housing 139 employees from the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club.

Previously, the hotel housed workers in apartments all over the island.

“This released quite a few buildings back into the rental pool,” Mr Botelho said.

He said it was also good for the environment because it allowed most guest workers to walk to and from work, reducing traffic usage.

The hotel decided to turn the 83,000sq ft building into staff quarters after an employee had a bad road crash going home from work on his motorcycle.

Mr Botelho thought a similar model could work in other industries, such as construction, restaurants and local hospitals.

Recalling the development process, he said: “We looked around, with the help of real estate agents, and found 36 Par-la-Ville. The building was well kept and did not have many columns inside. It also had good bones and had two street façades.”

The problem was the price — about $5 million for the building and $18 million for a complete overhaul.

“We actually advised the clients to walk away,” Mr Botelho said. “The next day they came back and said they had bought it. We said great, let’s get to work!”

Mr Botelho would have been more hesitant if the developers had not been local.

“The biggest challenge with a project like this is time,” he said. “Foreign developers tend to bring in quick money, but also want a quick turnaround.”

He has found that local developers often have more patience with the process.

“They are willing to wait for a longer return on investment because they are here for the long run,” he said. “They are the ones most likely to hold on to these buildings and take care of them for legacy reasons.”

Mr Botelho said converting a building from commercial to residential is not as easy as some people think.

“There are all sorts of requirements such as light,” he said. “Sometimes it is very difficult to transition a building. In this case, it was pretty easy.”

The basement level and ground floor of the old bank became storage. The second, third and fourth floors were turned into two, three and four-bedroom dormitories, while the upper floors became housing for junior managers.

The layout did not allow for kitchens, but most staff members eat in the hotel cafeteria anyway.

On the outside, 36 Par-la-Ville looks just the same as it did previously.

“The only thing that changed is we installed a number 36 above Par-la-Ville on the outside,” Mr Botelho said.

He said a project like this one could happen again in Bermuda.

“There just has to be a will to make it happen,” he told The Royal Gazette. “There also needs to be the financing, but it works well.”