A hotel resort that’s essentially an elaborate tree house was the winner of this year’s Radical Innovation Award, which was presented at a ceremony in New York City on Oct. 4.
The five finalists that competed for the award had been chosen from more than 65 international entries. This 11th annual competition, which is produced by The John Hardy Group, challenges the hotel industry to elevate the guest experience through new ideas in design and operations.
This year’s winner, Living The Till, submitted by the Coral Gables, Fla.-based architectural firm EoA Inc., is a treetop resort concept that would allow for seasonal inhabitation in remote areas.
The concept, according to EoA, is inspired by the air plant Tillandsia, which “lives in harmony with a host tree.” The Till is conceived as a temporary nomadic structure that can be assembled and taken down in pristine, covered areas by a small team of climbers using simple tools. The environment wouldn’t be impacted negatively by the construction or deconstruction.
“Ultimately the Till is for people who passionate embrace nature,” stated EoA, which compared the concept to camping “on a hovering, transparent magic carpet.”
This year's award winning concept, Living the Till, can be built by tree climbers with simple tools, and without disrupting the environment. Image: EoA Inc.
John Hardy, CEO and President of The John Hardy Group, said this project “was perhaps the most serene of entries—the escape it provides is both rare and welcomed in a fast-paced modern world.”
Hardy was among the competition’s jurors, a group of hotel insiders who also included Michael Medzigian, Chairman and Managing Partner of Watermark Capital Partners; Jena Thornton, LEED AP, Managing Director of Magnetic ERV; Simon Turner, Managing Director of Alpha Lodging Partners; James Woods, head of WeLive, WeWork’s common living division; Wing Chao, Founder, Wing T. Chao Global Advisors; and Claude Amar, Managing Director, The John Hardy Group International.
The grand-prize winner received $10,000 to develop the concept. The runner up, which got $5,000, was a concept called Play Design Hotel, submitted by Taipei, Taiwan-based Play Design Hotel. The concept is conceived as an inhabitable design galley that functions as an incubator and living lab for designers.
The student winner—which received $1,500 and an opportunity to pursue a scholarship at the University of Nevada Las Vegas to complete a Master’s Degree in hospitality design—is Brandon Siebrecht for his Hyperloop Hotel, which uses customizable shipping containers that double as suites, where guests can travel and dock at one of 13 locations in the U.S., and manage their experience via an app.
Related Stories
Daylighting | Jan 16, 2021
Daylighting system creates 'an oasis in the city' for renovated hotel in downtown Minneapolis
Solatube daylighting systems were used to bring natural light into the lobby of the Midland Bank building in Minneapolis.
Giants 400 | Dec 16, 2020
Download a PDF of all 2020 Giants 400 Rankings
This 70-page PDF features AEC firm rankings across 51 building sectors, disciplines, and specialty services.
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 Hotel Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. hospitality sector
Gensler, Jacobs, and Suffolk Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest hotel sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
AEC Tech | Nov 12, 2020
The Weekly show: Nvidia's Omniverse, AI for construction scheduling, COVID-19 signage
BD+C editors speak with experts from ALICE Technologies, Build Group, Hastings Architecture, Nvidia, and Woods Bagot on the November 12 episode of "The Weekly." The episode is available for viewing on demand.
Hotel Facilities | Nov 3, 2020
Hotel made from CLT opens at Fort Jackson, S.C.
This project used over 4,100 pieces of cross-laminated timber. It's the fourth CLT hotel in the Army's housing portfolio.
Hotel Facilities | Oct 27, 2020
Hotel construction pipeline dips 7% in Q3 2020
Hospitality developers continue to closely monitor the impact the coronavirus will have on travel demand, according to Lodging Econometrics.
Smart Buildings | Oct 26, 2020
World’s first smart building assessment and rating program released
The SPIRE Smart Building Program will help building owners and operators make better investment decisions, improve tenant satisfaction, and increase asset value.
Hotel Facilities | Sep 22, 2020
‘Lifestyle’ is adding new color to the select-service hotel sector
A new WATG Strategy white paper examines the design characteristics of the blending.
Giants 400 | Aug 28, 2020
2020 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
The 2020 Giants 400 Report features more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Coronavirus | Aug 25, 2020
Video: 5 building sectors to watch amid COVID-19
RCLCO's Brad Hunter reveals the winners and non-winners of the U.S. real estate market during the coronavirus pandemic.