What next after QM2?

Many might have thought the departure of John McNeece from McNeece, the London headquartered design practice, would have left the company rudderless and in a state of flux. However, that is far from true and the company?s joint managing directors, Mark Hilferty and Erol Aziz, have already secured two important new design contracts.

The first is a cruise newbuilding intended to alter the brand positioning of a European operator, says Hilferty; and the second is for the onboard facilities and interior fit-out for a long-distance ferry operator. Confidentiality agreements prevent greater disclosure.

The company is also developing a trimaran cruise vessel called Destination Brisbane, which is meant to offer a new breed of cruisers a taste of the vibrant spirit of Australia. Hilferty reckons this is not just another concept vessel that will not see reality. “There is a tremendous will to move this project forward,” he says. He explains that it will not look like a traditional cruise vessel. “[It will be] something as iconic as the Sydney Opera House ? a credible promise of compelling proportions.”

With the increasingly strategic focus of the design market in mind, Hilferty and Aziz have teamed up with Dr Alan James, a founder partner of Expert Alliance. James has advised on the development of major tourism and leisure projects, often assembling the funding partnerships that make breakthrough developments possible. His work usually involves branding physical projects to maximise their consumer appeal, and developing new strategies for marketing an increasingly harsh climate of competition for consumers? leisure time and pleasure money.

McNeece is actively looking for new ideas and materials. This can come from within, from its variety of people involved in interior design and visualisation, or from outside. Hilferty explains that the company was influenced by an American company called Ideo that encourages its staff to bring into the office what Hilferty describes as new materials and gizmos in order to stimulate thinking.

When the company was asked to redesign the interior of one of the Wight Link ferries on its first refit, Hilferty says he was stunned that there was only one material available to use on the bulkheads, which prompted the company to introduce two new materials on to the market. He says that the ethic at the office now is that if a new product is needed ? let?s go find one.

Hilferty believes that after Cunard?s QM2 is built there will inevitably be a revolution in cruise ship design. He says shipyards are actively talking to McNeece about what next. He believes cruise operators will suffer from a lack of product differentiation if nothing happens, which will lead to a price war as that will be all they have to compete on. Hilferty explains that that is what happened to the hotel industry decades ago and it is what is happening to the airline industry now.

This is where Destination Brisbane fits in. Hilferty says that the company has been working with Qinetic in the UK and has been talking to the research group about its Triton design. However, he says that the hullform of the vessel is still up for discussion. The hull was meant to be 50m wide but after feedback from the Brisbane harbour master this was reduced to 45m and the draught was also reduced.

“Evolution is not as Darwin would have us believe, an orderly or gradual process, it is a dramatic leap in the dark, a bold yet inevitable progression, painful sometimes, inspiring always and as inevitable and necessary as the air we breathe.” says Hilferty.