Vestibule
TEAM: Matt Goeser, Jimmy Rohr, Ian McLaughlin, Jordan Albers, Alyssa Sandrof – KTGY Architecture + Planning
Businesses in urban cores frequently pay high premiums for ideal locations. Due to substantial expenses and overhead, business owners often strive for more efficiency in the use of their space and resources. However some spaces are ubiquitous, whether required by local codes or previously built into the building’s fabric. Entry vestibules are a necessary, utilitarian part of the buildings composition; providing a transitional conditioned space between indoors and outdoors. Most buildings, whether initially designed or retrofitted, incorporate some variation of a vestibule or anteroom from the entry. However, these spaces are not profitable or usable for businesses. They make no revenue during the day and at night they close with the business. Vestibules are inherently inefficient and under-performing spaces.
Imagine if a system existed to capture this space and make it profitable for the company while usable for the customer. Comparing the hours of operations for a typical shop with a hotel’s, a codependent relationship was realized. Off-hours for many businesses coincide with peak hours of hotel use in the evening. Examining which parts of a business could function as an impromptu hotel, the entry vestibule allows enough space while providing the desired security from the streetscape and separation from the interior shop.
The vest( i )bule hotel activates these un-used spaces, distilling accommodations down to basic components. Housed in an interior, adaptable doorframe, the room deploys from the frame and inflates allowing it to be infinitely scale-able and conform to different spatial constraints.
These accommodations appeal to individuals looking to experience the city at an intimate level, participating in the ebb and flow of people through the span of a day. A network of locations across city centers allow visitors the convenience of staying within areas they are exploring by day while providing an affordable minimalism of shelter at night. This offers a unique perspective to the resident, allowing them to observe the city on a more holistic level.
In today’s sharing culture the vest( i )bule hotel is accessed the same as any service; via a smartphone app. The app gains the user access to the vest( i )bule while simultaneously inflating it to be occupied. Inhabiting the space, the occupant can utilize rest or refresh mode. Rest mode features an integral, inflatable bed made of the same polyvinyl translucent double membrane as the walls and ceiling of the room. Refresh mode inflates an additional chamber accessed from the first and allows the user to shower or use the facilities stored within the doorframe. When morning comes, an ambient light and alarm alerts the user of the business’s opening, allowing time to exit the vest( i )bule. Upon the start of the business day, the room deflates and the entry vestibule returns to its innocuous use as circulation space
As the evening again draws near and stores close up for the night, vest( i )bule hotels deploy in shops all over the city. Providing affordable, convenient accommodations for guests while generating additional income for business owners.