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Why multifunctional spaces are here to stay

As the design landscape continues to shift with businesses across the globe reopening, one thing remains constant: the idea and demand for multifunctional spaces, especially in hotels. While residential and hospitality design have had a long-standing synergy, the past few years have introduced a new type of experiential design that has not only become the norm, but also the expectation from guests and end users.

Contributed by Carrie Tolman, associate principal, KTGY Simeone Deary Design Group, Chicago

What makes this new age of multifunction design stand out is how “place” is continually becoming more subjective as hotel designs are taking inspiration from home designs, homes are being influenced by restaurants and restaurant design is being represented in retail. The interplay between residential and hospitality suggests that hotel guests are seeking warmth and approachable design, whereas homeowners are craving clean lines and multi-purpose solutions to make their homes more efficient.

Many key factors are leading this charge and impacting the design process in hotels:

Office reinvention: The implications of COVID-19 have really changed how the “home office” or “desk in my bedroom” is set up. During the pandemic and transitioning into present day, hotel guests are looking for more than a desk in the corner of the room. They expect solutions like the ones at Westin Charlotte in North Carolina, where guestrooms feature a sofa with a large worktable that can be pulled up to feel like a desk, or used separately as a catch all or entertaining space. To ensure the design layout presents a viable workspace, the main things to consider are adjacent power, height of the work table and the dimensions of a usable work surface.

Desire for togetherness: Guests are craving a more communal experience, including spaces that encourage people to congregate or lounge from a safe distance while feeling like they are part of the experience. As society has changed, it’s evident that even the most introverted among us can be tempted out of a hotel room to come observe and absorb the communal energy, so long as they can maintain distance from the densely populated zones of the multifunctional areas.

Post-pandemic, it’s crucial to create places that people can interact with each other at varying levels of social distancing. We are all yearning to be a part of a broader, shared human experience, but how close we want to come to each other varies for each individual and most certainly will resonate for years to come.

Cost of building: It has never been more important for architects and designers to address the ever-changing landscape of the multifunctional experience, especially as it relates to the cost of building and supporting owners’ financial recovery from the unprecedented economic downturn in the hospitality sector. The cost of building spaces per square foot as separate individual areas versus communal areas has greatly increased. Designers are also grappling with the moral dilemma that larger individualized spaces add to the carbon footprint and impact the environment. The caveat is considering how to add in the F&B layer to generate revenue and offset the costs.

Additionally, the placement of walls can play a large role in multifunctional layouts. Open, flexible layouts that are not traditionally defined by walls allow for programming to constantly shift, granting owners the ability to increase the amount of square footage devoted to revenue-producing experiences.

We’ve learned to define out designs of these spaces, not in terms of specific function, but as high energy zones and low energy zones, paying close attention to how the two interact and intersect. If these zones are too adjacent to one another and do not have a buffer, they affect each other negatively. But, if these zones are in harmony, then guests tend to stick around, offering a better guest experience as well as opportunities to drive greater revenue.

One example is the Marriott Austin’s open plan first floor. The Market, Check In, Lobby Bar, upscale cocktail bar, 3 Meal Restaurant and MClub all open up to each other as guests travel from the front door, to the elevator, to guestrooms. This open floor plan allows the high energy zones to entice guests to linger or come back. Most of the square footage can be revenue-driven, which is a great return for hotel owners.

Use of technology: As designers, we are always thinking about technology and how it can be layered into these spaces. Is there a place for a guest to charge devices, as well as a place that they can easily meet with others for impromptu work sessions? Do guests feel comfortable conducting meetings virtually from their laptop in any location? Are we addressing social media properly in these spaces, and providing unique backdrops for guests and locals to feel encouraged to visit and go live or capture their experience on their social channels? Having locals present adds to the authenticity of the experiences and achieves the goal many travelers have of wanting to experience something unique, from the perspective of a local.

It’s evident that the concept of multifunctional spaces is here to stay, as fixed space is a luxury that is now more often than not too expensive to accommodate. The question is no longer do I have the square footage to do these spaces separately versus multifunctional, but should I?

As developers, hoteliers, brands, architects and designers, it has become more evident in the laws being passed, codes being implemented, the social movements we see, and the world around us, that buildings must be more efficient in all ways. It is our responsibility to be a part of the solution and take a proactive approach to future demands. We are the creatives of our society and have untold potential to reinvent how we live, play and work with each other. What we do makes a difference to the community, to the guest experience and to the world at large.

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