The FLOW Project
TEAM: Adamantia Karavasili, Christine Karavasili – National Technical University of Athens
A multicultural approach in hotel room design
The FLOW project is a project about the design of a hotel room based on different cultural and body needs of different people around the world. This leads to a flowing (geometrical but not strictly designed) space, flexible enough to accommodate everyone in need of sleep and rest, taking into consideration a rather simple but important issue: how can a hotel room, which is the same for all of us, satisfy the unique needs of every single person in their own way? For instance, we all need to sleep or sit, but in our own way, according to what we like, our needs or preferences, our cultural and religious beliefs. In contrast, the places we can sit or sleep in a room are strictly positioned; the bed, the chairs, the rest places are all specified.
So, aim of the project is to create a room, flexible in its design, with no specific citation of the uses, especially because the cultural and the religious backgrounds of each one vary. In our everyday lives, religious beliefs, cultural aspects and everyday choices and habits it is necessary to live in a place that can meet our needs like our homes do, even when we travel. Additionally, traveling is sometimes much more than just a leisure activity; people also travel for business or in terms of contemporary nomadity in some cases, so they need to create a “home” in their hotel room. If they can choose where to sleep, where to sit or stand, and do it in their own way, then the hotel room can be like their home.
In order to create such a space, we design simple building elements (vertical walls and horizontal levels) that interact with each other, in different heights and various and alternative ways. There is no specific plan or drawing of the room, as the results vary and there can be a lot of different rooms with alternative designs, satisfying different people and needs (technical image).
HOW IT WORKS
There is no furniture in this room, walls and horizontal levels define the space. Only bathroom and kitchen facilities are positioned in a specific place. The needed equipment for the sleep or the resting process is given to the occupant of the room in order for them to place them wherever they want. For instance, the mattress for the sleep can be put anywhere they want, as it is not a bed, strictly positioned and difficult to be moved (functional image). The levels are perfect for eating on the floor, as Japanese do, or pray as Muslims. One can sit on the floor and chat with friends, next to the light of the windows or in a dark corner. Movement and privacy are defined according to the position of the walls and the levels of the room, while contact with nature and the outside space is present in any room as it is necessary in everyday lives of all (presentation image). These rooms can be built anywhere, as long as there is connection with nature and open space around.