br Research by design An academic discourse

Research by design An academic discourse is ongoing, and increasing attention is paid to the possible roles of design in research, commonly referred to as Research by Design (RbD). A conference entitled “Research by Design,” held at TU Delft in cooperation with the EAAE/AEEA in 2000, is regarded as an important step in the development of this discourse, because it opened discussions about notions of scientific research, design, and RbD in an international context (Dunin-Woiseth and Nilsson, 2011). Actually, RbD was first developed through Dutch practice (Hauberg, 2011). The literature presents several approaches to RbD, which concludes that instead of employing merely traditional scientific methodologies, openness and implementation of diverse strategies are more advantageous for RbD development. The current paper follows the paradigm, whereby design and experience through design serve not only as a source of knowledge, but more importantly, as a tool and strategy for research (Verbeke, 2011).
Ambiguity of defining a hostel The hostel is a short-term accommodation focusing especially on tourists who are usually labeled as “backpackers.” The hostel is an inevitable form of infrastructure and socio-spatial HZ-1157 of backpacking (O׳Regan, 2010); however, the clear definition of a hostel is a challenging debate even for hostel managers and other hostel professionals. Such a discussion can be found on a popular online forum for hostel managers (Hostel Management, 2004), while definitions can also be found in the academic literature (Oliveira and Brochado, 2013; Timothy and Teye, 2009). This difficulty is probably due to the global trend of an ever-widening range of tourists with heterogeneous demands. They choose this type of accommodation, and hostels attempt to satisfy their demands. Nonetheless, both hostel professionals and academics regard some features as inalienable characteristics of a hostel. For example, a hostel must be budget-oriented and must be able to provide shared dormitory rooms where individual travelers can book a single bed, although hostels nowadays also provide private rooms with bathrooms. Hostels offer communal areas and communal facilities for guests, making it easy to socialize, which is another significant feature. Many people choose hostels because they can easily meet and interact with other travelers (Murphy, 2001). Hostels typically have more informal atmosphere than hotels, and their clientele is primarily young tourists (Oliveira and Brochado, 2013). Backpacking is not a new form of traveling. The youth hostel network dates back decades ago. However, that system was more restrictive and inflexible than contemporary backpacking (Timothy and Teye, 2009). Nowadays, the global infrastructure of this area of tourism uses virtual and informal networks, and hostels have become one of the dominant types of accommodation among young travelers. In recent years, a new type of hostel guest has appeared, that is, the flashpacker (Hannam and Diekmann, 2010; Paris, 2012; van Vaals, 2013). The flashpacker travels on a higher budget, frequently uses social media, and has higher requirement of comfort, quality, and privacy than the backpacker. Introducing flashpackers is relevant for the present study. Their growing number gradually increases quality demands towards the physical environment of hostels, which in turn, enhances the need for awareness of spatial design issues.
Spatial issues of hostels on three interconnected levels: city, building, and interior
Experimental design as reaction to issues on all scales: the Hostel Cube
Conclusion Knowledge acquired during the design processes concerned three interconnected levels: city, building, and interior. Throughout our analyses, we identified challenges that are relevant for spatial design (Table 2). After defining the challenges, an experimental design project called the HC was introduced, and we investigated how it reacted to the identified challenges. We argued that an intervention on the smallest scale can also affect factors on other higher scales.