IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 7

What's New & of Note

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HIGH-DESIGN HOSTELS MAKE THEIR MARK
Forget the bare-bones accommodations found in the traditional hostels of yore.
Some companies are putting design first to create an unforgettable experience for the
budget traveler.
While keeping the shared-room setup in place, companies like London, England-based
Generator Hostels and Freehand in Chicago, Illinois, USA and Miami, Florida, USA,
are finding renewed inspiration from today's boutique hotels. "The traditional hostel
sector focused on budget accommodations with minimal, limited services not focused on
experiences," says Fredrik Korallus, CEO of Generator. "We decided to take the learnings
of what happened in the boutique sector and apply that design across the hostel model."
That difference lies in the design. Generator's interiors, led by Anwar Mekhayech of
DesignAgency in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, include cafés, bars, and restaurants with a
playful and contemporary vibe. And in place of bare walls, artists paint murals that reflect
the local culture. "The interior and the ambiance are highly curated, from the design to the
light, music, and smell," Korallus says.
The demand for affordable, unique hostels seems to be growing: Generator has 12
locations in Europe, and it's opening locations in Madrid and Miami in 2017 with an eye on
expanding in North America. -Elizabeth Cotner

Photos by (clockwise from top): Generator; Alister Thorpe; Morgan; Wilkhahn

RESHAPING
DESIGN WITH
3D PRINTING
3D printing has been in
existence for three decades,
but design has only recently
started to harness the power of
this technology. With the press
of a button, the most intricate
items can be brought to life,
from houses to human organs.
3D printing has the ability to
reshape our world, and design
won't be left behind.
Just last May, Gensler debuted
the world's first fully functional
3D-printed office building. The
2,600-square-foot (242-squaremeter) building serves as the
executive offices for the Dubai,
United Arab Emirates-based
Future Foundation and is made
from concrete components
printed with a 3D printer by
WinSun Global in Shanghai,
China. The printer itself measures
20 feet (6 meters) high, 120
feet (37 meters) long, and 40
feet (12 meters) wide, according
to Gensler.
Product designers are also
jumping on board with this new
technology, as it promises to help
develop prototypes in record
time and make creating custom
designs and decor a simpler task.
Here is a look at three
companies leading the charge:

1. HERMAN MILLER, ZEELAND,
MICHIGAN, USA: The venerable
furniture company invested in an
in-house 3D printer that allows the
company to create prototypes in
just a day. And since it takes an
average of two years to develop
and create each chair, this new
technology could help tighten the
time frame on the development
cycle.

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2. WILKHAHN US, NEW YORK, NEW
YORK, USA: The office furniture
maker showed off its 3D-printed
stool last summer at NeoCon 2016.
Designed by Thorsten Franck, the
body of the stool was created via 3D
printing technology using a flexible
polymer called lignin. "The forwardlooking 3D printing technology will
enable architects and designers to
have an active role in the design
process, one that is personalized
and optimized for efficiency,"
Wilkhahn said in a press release.

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3. MORGAN, LONDON, ENGLAND: Morgan, in partnership
with architecture, design, and research firm Studio
Integrate, debuted Rio, a collection of tables and chairs
containing 3D-printed sculptural elements, at the 2016
London Design Festival.
Pieces in the collection are constructed from wood,
brass, and glass, and combined with a 3D-printed
polyamide or resin created via mathematical algorithms.
"The beauty and ethos behind our use of 3D printing is
that we have designed componentry that can be made in
no other way, other than by a laser sintering 3D-printed
technique," says Katerina McMahon, design director,
Morgan, London. "It is opening up an exciting world of
aesthetic possibilities." -Lindsay Roseman

fall/winter 2016

perspective

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016