Breaking Down Walls: The Future of Hotel Design — Source: TOPHOTELPROJECTS

Imagine a portable hotel that can fly to far-flung locales, giving guests unbelievable views that change regularly.

One global architecture firm has. HOK, one of the United States' largest architecture, engineering and interior design firms has conceived of a hotel made from a fleet of drones that can fly to some of the planet's most far-flung locales. Dubbed Driftscape, this scheme uses drone technology to make floating mobile pods that fly around the world, visiting areas that are not conducive to building actual brick and mortal hotel buildings. For this effort, the team at HOK who designed this idea was rewarded with recognition from the Radical Innovation Awards, a group that highlights hospitality industry designers who are forward thinking.

The design team behind Driftscape recently spoke with dezeen.com.

"The Driftscape hotel allows guests to experience breathtaking locales from the comfort of their personal Driftcraft," said the design team, which is based in HOK's Toronto office. "While inside the unit, guests have the ability to experience a pre-selected excursion path of their choosing. Roam the plains of the Serengeti, hover over the Grand Canyon or drift through the Pearl Waterfall in China."

This idea is composed of two modular units. The first is called the Driftcraft, and it's about 205 square feet (or 19 meters) in area, and it would offer a room for two adults. The adults staying in the Driftcraft could then press a button and have an observation zone transform into a lounger or a bed. There would also be side tables, which would be adjustable, that provided space for eating and other personal use. In the room, guests would also find a three-piece bathroom area, with a toilet, sink and shower. Of course, there would also be hatches so that guests could leave the craft to explore the remote areas it brings them to. The Driftscape would be made up of many of these pods, along with a second modular unit that takes up 2,500 square feet (or 232 square meters), and provides support services and amenities to guests. In the design, three of these larger pods unite at an Oasis Base, where guests can then enjoy a communal restaurant, courtyard, and lounge.

The pods where guest stay would have plumbing and electricity via a bio system developed for it by the aerospace industry. This design is also made to not disturb the world around it.

"Each unit is fitted with 'self-levelling' pneumatic support anchors that retract from the base," the team told dezeen.com. "They allow the Driftcraft to safely perch on any terrain without negatively impacting the site."

While Driftscape ranked as Radincal Innovation Awards winner, the body also selected a pair of runner-ups. The first runner-up was Nesting, which reimagined how urban parks and landscapes could be used by using smart, flexible private areas that would generate experiences and revenue. Nesting features customizable units that could be used for everything from hotel suites to meeting rooms. The other runner up was Space View Inn, which functioned as a more comfortable and inclusive means of space tourism.

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Jule Grass
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TOPHOTELPROJECTS

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