Hospitality Design - August 2011 - 45

competition: radical innovation

perspectives
By Stacy Shoemaker Rauen

game changers
The ﬁfth anniversary of the Radical Innovation in Hospitality Design Awards, the annual competition created by the John Hardy Group (JHG) and Hospitality Design (HD) magazine in search of the next big idea, didn’t disappoint. Not only was the number of entries up from previous years (especially on the student side), but the competition was stiffer than ever. “There was a deﬁnite trend toward different types of sustainability, which was part of the basic concept, not an add-on,” says John Hardy, president/CEO of JHG, who served on the jury with Claude Amar, president, the John Hardy Group International; Wing Chao, founding principal, Wing T. Chao Architect; Michael Medzigian, chairman and managing partner, Watermark Capital Partners; Jena Thornton, senior vice president, Bentall Kennedy (U.S.) LP; Simon Turner, president, global development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts; and James Woods, managing partner, Keen Partners. Other common threads of the entries? “Social networking, interactivity, consumer choice, mobility and ﬂexibility, and weaving the lodging experience into the fabric of the local environment,” shares Medzigian. “Interestingly, what was ‘new’ amongst the entrants just a few years ago is, in some cases, already becoming the norm.” Adds Turner: “Most concepts tried to incorporate advances in technology to address the ever-changing guest needs while taking into account the overall impact on the environment—whether it be a ski resort, a ﬂoating hotel, a hotel in the middle of the wilderness, or one in the heart of the city.” The judges narrowed down the international ﬁeld to three entrants, who then battled it out for the live audience vote through presentations during a conference session (sponsored by Global Allies) at the Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference (HD Expo) in Las Vegas in May. And the winners are… The Ark’s areas of concern: security and precautions against extreme environmental conditions and climate changes, and the protection of the natural environment from destructive human activities. With that in mind, they created a cupola building—one that can be built on land or water—made of prefabricated panels with a central bearing in the form of a tube with all engineering communications passing inside it. “Such a form permits attaining an optimal relationship between the building’s volume and its outer surface, which gives a substantial saving of materials and produces effective energy usage,” they write in their brief. The building, since it has no ledges or angles, can be built in the most difﬁcult of places. At the same time, the cupola shape helps create a single, selfsustaining energy system. On the exterior, there’s an air-eddy and a wind generator, and photoelectric cells are also easily placed on the multi-level dome. The transparent roof allows for natural light and heat, while the Ark’s shape helps to trap warm air in the upper part of the building. This heat is collected in seasonal heat accumulators (both electric- and hydrogen-based), which then provide an uninterrupted energy supply for the whole complex and possibly adjacent houses or green transportation. Gutters collect rainwater, and greenery helps to further create a bioclimatic building. “Inside, you feel like your are in nature,” says Remizov. “The Ark hotel was not only distinctive in design, but also very unique in its approach to being both environmentally conscious in development and also completely self-sustainable during its operation. This unique blend of innovative design along with the forward-thinking approach of self-sustainable development is what set this concept apart from the others,” Turner explains. “Additionally, the hotel can be built quickly, providing a viable solution for temporary accommodations in post-disaster situations. And it can be constructed in the most beautiful and previously inaccessible places—on water surfaces, in natural reserves, mountains, and deserts.”

Grand Prize Winner: The Ark
There are many reasons why the Ark hotel won over the judges and the audience. For many, it was love at ﬁrst sight with its intriguing modern form, almost reminiscent of a Slinky. But the concept, by Alexander Remizov and Lev Britvin of Moscow-based architectural studio Remistudio, had a lot more to offer than just good looks: it also thoroughly addresses two timely issues relating to sustainability. “We needed to design a building that can be suitable for places without sources of infrastructure,” explains Remizov.

Left and above: Renderings of the exterior and interior of the Ark hotel, the $10,000 grand prize winner of this year’s Radical Innovation in Hospitality Design Award.

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August 2010

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - August 2011