Hostel Case Study Research by etimm002

MASTER THESIS PROJECT: RESEARCH AND METHODS PROFESSOR NEWTON D’SOUZA FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY FALL 2017

LEEANN EVRON | VALERIA CASTILLO | SAMANTHA CORROCHANO | ERIN TIMMONS Figure 1: Freehand Miami Entrance

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Figure 3: Tablet Hostel Freehand Miami

10 Figure 2: Freehand Miami 6-bed dorm

05 RESEARCH METHOD 1: CASE STUDY 06 LITERATURE REVIEW SYNTHESIS 08 THESIS PROJECT SYNTHESIS

10 CLIENT PROFILE 12 ARCHIVAL ANALYSIS OF CONTEXT & HISTORY 16 MIAMI BEACH LEGACY18 REGIONAL UNIQUENESS 20 COMMUNITY AND CLIENT DATA: DEMOGRAPHICS 22 ORGANIZATIONAL & USER HIERARCHY 24 MAJOR & ANTICIPATED FUNCTIONS 26 CASE STUDY CONCLUSION

Figure 5: Broken Shaker Breakfast

91 Figure 4: Freehand Miami poolside

29 RESEARCH METHOD 2: PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION 30 BEHAVIOR MAPPING 42 OBSERVATION CHART 49 ACTIVITY MAPPING 60 COGNITIVE MAPPING 66 TRACE OBSERVATION 91 RESEARCH METHOD 3: SURVEY ANALYSIS

91 RESEARCH METHOD 3: SURVEY ANALYSIS

Figure 7: Miami Beach Ocean View

94 Figure 6: Freehand Miami Guest House

92 SURVEY METHOD INTRODUCTION

94 DATA AND INTERPRETATION 123 SURVEY CONCLUSION

Figure 13: Freehand Miami Pool

159

Figure 8: Broken Shaker drinks

125

125 RESEARCH METHOD 4: INTERVIEW ANALYSIS 126 INTERVIEW METHOD INTRODUCTION 128 INTERVIEW PARTICIPANTS

159 SURVEY SAMPLE 161 INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

Figure 10: Broken Shaker Drink

134 Figure 9: Freehand Miami Guest House

134 TEXT SEARCH: WORD TREE 147 INTERVIEW METHOD CONCLUSION

Figure 12: Carl Fisher in Miami

151

151 APENDIX 152 REFERENCES 154 LIST OF FIGURES

130

130 WORD FREQUENCY CHART 132 WORD FREQUENCY: WORD CLOUD

Figure 11: Miami Vintage Poster

149

149 FINAL SYNTHESIS: MAJOR FINDINGS

RESEARCH METHOD 1 CASE STUDY METHOD

THE HOSTEL EXPERIENCE LITERATURE REVIEW SYNTHESIS

Figure 14: Freehand Miami outdoor patio

The main purpose of the literature review we conducted was to understand the way design principles of the hospitality industry affect the human experience. More specifically, we wanted to gain knowledge of how design creates a community and fosters social interactions in hostels. The research we conducted throughout the preliminary stage of our thesis, allowed us to reach the conclusion that the primary factor that distinguishes a hostel from a hotel are the experiences a hostel offers its guests. For instance, hostels provide special amenities such as restaurants, bars, lounges, outdoor patios, and a pool to provide travellers with the design foundation needed to socialize with others. Part of the success of the hostel industry lies in the fact that the lodging clientele has changed in the past few years, and they are open to meeting new people and exploring local cultures. This is the concrete concept that makes up a hostel. Social interaction within a hostel environment is inevitable to achieving an authentic hostel experience. Through our research, it seemed to be a reoccurring theme that social interaction can be manipulated and formed through design with elements such as lighting, color, layout, and

characteristics such as flexible furniture arrangements, lighting, and acoustics can be manipulated by the guests to assist them in receiving the level of privacy they need. Overall, our literature review has proved the benefits in fostering social interaction with the correct amount of privacy related needs to add a positive, authentic, and advantageous feeling to a successful hostel experience.

INTRODUCTION

the hostels location. We have also come to an understanding that too much social interaction can very well be detrimental to the individual user; therefore, a sense of privacy must be met. Through our literature review, we have determined that safety, comfort, and privacy needs should be met in order to create an environment which fosters well-being. We believe that designing hospitality environments with well-being in mind can have positive impacts on guest satisfaction and guest experience. Hostels are unique when compared to hotels largely because of their open, social nature. Therefore, in our opinion, the need for privacy presents a particularly critical challenge in hostel design. Finding a balance between social interaction and privacy is important in order to positively impact well-being. “Contrary to popular belief, privacy does not necessarily mean withdrawing from people. Instead it involves controlling the amount and type of contact one has with others” (Pedersen, 1997, p. 397). The large variety of room types in a hostel allow guests to choose a layout and level of privacy that best works for their individual needs. Other

THESIS PROJECT SYNTHESIS PROJECT MOTIVATION

Figure 15: Freehand Miami communal space

When deciding what typology to pick for our thesis project, we automatically thought of hospitality. The hospitality industry aims to create a familiar atmosphere where guests are no longer perceived as strangers in a foreign environment, but rather as members of the community. That being said, the term “hospitality” covers a wide range of fields within the service sector revolving around lodging, theme parks, transportation, cruise lines, event planning as well as other services revolving around comfort and serving others. And even though when thinking about hospitality usually hotel design is what comes to mind, we decided to do something a little different, a new market that is growing by the second: hostel design. The reason why we thought of a hostel lies in the fact that as expanding industry, it offers a unique choice in the regular lodging option. Hostels offer accommodation at an affordable price, for travellers who usually enjoy hopping between cities. While we wanted to primarily focus on hostel design for our thesis, choosing hospitality as our typology allows us to also expand our assessment onto bars, cafés,

better the wellbeing of guests which essentially can affect their sense of safety and comfort, as well as hostel-specific design features that aid to foster social interactions. Because of the research we have done, we think that the hostel industry is constantly evolving and continues to expand since nowadays, millennials are willing to travel and explore the world more than ever. This seems to imply that a hostels’ rapid rate of success, innovative design, and lodging principles lure travellers in, and leaves them with an unforgettable experience, intensifying our drive to design a hostel for our thesis project. Additionally, we have all had the opportunity of staying in hostels in the past and have experienced what it is that makes them an “it” place to go to. After all the research we have done, all the experiences we have had, and all we have learned, we feel there would not be any other space that interests us as much as hostel design does.

INTRODUCTION

restaurants, clubs, and many other areas that can further enhance a sense of belonging within the hostel. With that being said, we will be able to create a holistic design that integrates a variety of spaces, giving us the opportunity to learn about much more than just hostel design. Throughout the research phase of our thesis, our goal was to understand the way the design features within a hostel affect the human experience and create a community to foster social interactions and influence subjective well-being. In order to obtain a response to our central questions, we first had to understand what a hostel is and the design aspects that distinguish it from a hotel. Another reason why we found that hostel design would be the perfect option for us is because usually these are fun, concept-driven spaces that give the designer the chance to challenge himself/herself. By looking into different case studies, we were able to further understand what features lure travelers into a hostel experience rather than a hotel, and how these are vibrant spaces that keep guests coming back. We believe that a proper hostel design can and will

CLIENT PROFILE CONTEXT & TYPOLOGY ANALYSIS

Figure 16: Indian Creek Hotel, today used as the Freehand Miami location

We chose to study the Freehand Miami Beach as our precedent research example because it is an eclectic hostel that merges innovative design with the local culture. We believe that the Freehand is a successful hostel due to it’s design and communal atmosphere; therefore, we can gain knowledge to better understand our master thesis project. This hostel falls under the context of hospitality, which is what our analysis focuses on. The Freehand remains one of the most popular hostels in South Florida and this can be a great oportunity to test our thesis on how social interaction works in a space. This opportunity to test an experienced hostel will lead us to collect dynamic research that can later be used in our design. With our hostel design also being in South Florida, we would like to attract the same crowd to be clients of our hostel. We want to study the Freehand so we can gain knowledge on what types of activities, interests, art, culture, and talents attract the user. Our goal is to come into this space bias free and se what makes the Freehand Miami such a successful hostel chain.

COMMUNITY

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

PROXIMITY TO BEACH

BACKGROUND Established in 2012 Developed by the Sydell Group Design Collaborators Roman + William Classic 1930s Art Deco building Historic Indian Creek Hotel

CLIENT PROFILE

HISTORIC 1930’s ART DECO STRUCTURE

CONCEPT

Freehand is a collection of eclectic hotels that merge innovative design, award-winning restaurants & bars and the very best of local culture. The hotel is comfortable with shared accommodations and a down to earth commonal atmosphere.

RESTAURANT

ENTERTAINMENT

BAR

POOL

MISSION

Give travelers a free spirited and lively experience

LOCATION & SITE PROFILE | ARCHIVAL ANALYSIS 1800

The Tequesta Indians were the first known settlers in this region (History of Miami Beach).

1870

Miami Beach was a sandbar and mangrove ridge until Henry Lummus and his son Charles bought the sandbar for 25 cents an acre. They ran a coconut farm until the native animals

1896

The City of Miami was established with the arrival of the railroad (History of Miami

Beach).

Figure 17: John Stiles Collins

1876

The first structure built on the land was the Biscayne House of Refuge, constructed by the US Life Saving Service. Its purpose was to provide food, water, and refuge for people who were shipwrecked (History of Miami Beach).

1905

Miami developed further as a port when the shipping chanel of Government Cut was created. John S. Collins and Thomas Pancoast bought the area and had more success growing crops (Munzenrieder).

MIAMI BEACH 12

Figure 18: Miami Beach in 1914

1913

1914

The W.J. Brown Hotel, the first hotel on Miami Beach, opens for business. Collins Avenue opens, first paved road suitable for automobiles (Miami Beach History).

1915

Collins and Fisher partnered up with the Lummus brothers to turn the beach into a land. Laborers began to clear out the mangroves, deepen the channels of water around it, and fill the area with rich soil. On March 26, 33 registered voters of Miami Beach officially incorporated the new city

1920

The success of Miami Beach lead to enormous growth in the area. Mansions erected by Miami’s elite began to be build over a 3 mile stretch of land known as “Millionaires Row” (History of Miami

Beach).

Figure 19: 1921, traffic on causeway approaching Miami Beach

HISTORY

Collins lent Fisher money to complete the first bridge from Miami to Miami Beach. The bridge at the time, the longest wooden wagon bridge in the world (History of Miami Beach).

1926

The great hurricane of Miami destroyed the land, killing 372 people, and injuring 6,000. The damages in 1926 dollars were estimated at $105 million, which is equivalent to todays $164 billion (U.S.

Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Weather Service).

(Munzenrieder).

Figure 20 1926, Great Miami Hurricane aftermath

Figure 21: 1926, Great Miami Hurricane aftermath

1942-45

1930

During the Great Depression, groups from the northeast built many small hotels along lower Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive, which would help bring the area out of the depression (History of

Miami Beach).

Half a million men, took over more than 300 hotels during WWII and apartment buildings for housing and training headquarters by the Army Air Forces Technical Training Command. Half the military’s enlisted men were trained in Miami Beach (Camp Miami Beach WWII).

Figure 22 1937, Collins Avenue which is now the site of The Fontainbleau Hotel

1954

Fountainbleu opens on Miami Beach

(Miami Beach History Historic Events Timeline: 1900’s). Figure 23: 2017, Fontainbleau Miami Beach

1940

Before the civil rights era, African Americans were not allowed to live in Miami Beach. People of color were banned from some beaches or only allowed to go on Mondays. Even Diana Ross and the Supremes were required to stay in Overtown (Munzenrieder).

1959

Fidel Castro took over Cuba, the revolution radically changed Miami Beach because half a billion Cubans poured into the area (History of Miami Beach).

Figure 24: 1950’s Miami Beach Art Deco

Figure 25: 1927, marketing stunt by Carl Fischer to attract people to Miami Beach

1992

Miami Beach hosted both the Democratic and Republican National Convention. Neither turned out well because people were outraged over the war and the urge for total social revolution was still leftover (Munzenrieder).

Beah History Historic Events Timeline: 1900’s).

2002

Figure 26: 1972 DNC

1979

2017

Miami Beach’s Art Deco District listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Today Miami Beach is a lively and energetic city where the history of Miami comes alive. The sea level rise causes flooding, which is a major issue

(History of Miami Beach).

1980

(History of Miami Beach).

The Mariel Boat Lift brings 140,000 Cubans to Miami (Miami Beah History Historic Events Timeline: 1900’s).

Art Basel in Miami Beach debut (History of Miami Beach).

HISTORY

Hurricane Andrew hit Miami and caused more than $20 billion in damage, being one of the country’s worst disasters (Miami

1972

Figure 27: 1970’s Miami Beach

Figure 28: Miami Beach Today

Figure 29: Miami Beach Lifeguard

CULTURE

BEACHES

ART DECO

Figure 30: 500 Brickell Modern Architecture

Figure 32: Fashion in Miami

Figure 33: Art Deco Art

MUSIC

ENTERTAINMENT 16

Figure 31: Colony Hotel

FASHION

MIAMI’S LEGACY

Figure 34: MiMo Architecture

Figure 35: Art Deco Magazine, 2003

Figure 36: The Beatles, vacationing in Miami Beach

designer Gianni Versace resided in a mansion on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. Architecture also makes up the legacy of Miami Beach, known as the Old Miami Beach Historic District. The city is filled with 960 historical Art Deco structures, which is inscribed in the fabrics of the city. The Art Deco speaks about the early 1900’s in Miami Beach and how much it influenced the design of buildings, furniture, fashion, cars, trains, and even everyday objects such as radios and vacuum cleaners. The more modern architecture of Miami Beach is known as Miami Modernist Architecture, or MiMo. This regional style of architecture speaks about the post war period of Miami Beach and remains closely linked to the city and its culture.

LEGACY

Miami Beach is known to be a lively city filled with art, fashion, music, and entertainment. It is a thriving city, exploding with a melting pot of cultures from all over the world. The cultures that make up Miami make the city what it is, from the food and drinks, to the dancing and type of music that fill the streets at night. This coastal city is known for its sandy beaches and clear blue waters, that is a vacation spot and even a retirement hub for many. Miami Beach is known to be a hotspot for music, entertainment, fashion, and art. It is known to be a city that never sleeps and is constantly evolving and transforming with new modern innovations and the latest technological advancements. Art is a large part of Miami Beach and the culture of the city, bringing in artists from all over the world. There are galleries filled to the brim with art and even attracts thousands of people every year for Art Basel. Music and the entertainment industry is also a large part of Miami Beach. People come from all over the world to experience shows such as Ultra Music Festival, Cirque Du Soleil, The Blue Man Group, broadway shows, and concerts at the American Airlines Arena and the Adrienne Arsht Center. Fashion makes up the legacy of Miami Beach from the design aspect and can be seen through the local people on the streets of Miami Beach. Miami Beach holds a high legacy in fashion that even Italian fashion

REGIONAL UNIQUENESS

BASED ON the U.S. Climate Data Consensus

Miami Beach, Florida Florida, United States of America

VS. Freehand Miami Beach

Figure 37: Sunny Miami Beach

Figure 38: Miami Beach Tornado

Figure 39: Freehand Miami Map

LEGEND Humid Subtropical Rainforest Monsoon Savanna

Figure 40: Koopen Florida Climate Chart

MIAMI BEACH AVERAGE PRECIPITATION

9 inch

90 F

8 inch 7 inch 6 inch 5 inch

70 F

4 inch 3 inch 2 inch 0 inch DEC

NOV

OCT

SEP

AUG

JUL

JUN

MAY

APR

FEB

50 F

MAR

1 inch JAN

The regional uniqueness of Miami Beach is what makes the city such a well known vacation spot. The tropical weather remains hot and sunny year round with humid summers and short, warm winters (Climate of Miami). The coastal location shapes its climate, which produces the sea breeze and high humidity. The elevation of Miami Beach is at sea level, which gives the region a flat land that is prone to flooding and storm surges when it rains (Climate of Miami). The tropical climate of Miami Beach’s extreme temperatures range from 26.5-100 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes the region prone to massive hurricanes and tornadoes (Climate of Miami). The regional uniqueness of Miami Beach is relevant in our research because it is important to understand how this area is a getaway location for many people escaping winter to come to Miami’s tropical climate. The regional data is also important to note the low elevation and how the city is prone to flooding. Since Miami Beach is a manmade island, flooding is an extreme issue. This information helps note the peak season where people vacation and come to the hostel during tropical climates, and are less likely to come during hurricane or flooding season.

REGIONAL UNIQUENESS

CLIMATE TYPES OF FLORIDA

COMMUNITY & CLIENT DATA DEMOGRAPHICS

The community of Miami Beach is encompassed by 7.1 square miles of land and 10 miles of water. Miami Beach is known to have the 26th highest population density in the United States, making it a large, thriving city filled with people. In the winter, the population rank increases to 4th highest population density because many travel to the tropical paradise of Miami Beach to get away from the winter. This information remains important in our research and analysis on hostels because it shows the importance of location in designing a hostel. The hostel feeds off its surrounding culture and it is important to note the type of people the hostel is surrounded by to get a feel of how the hostel should be designed. We can see from this data that Miami Beach is a dense population through real estate and high housing density; therefore, we can conclude that Miami Beach is a vacation destination that brings in many people from around the world. Thus, the hostel design directly implements this data and provides prices that people can afford and accomodates the needs and desires of the population as a whole.

87,933

TOTAL POPULATION

52.4% 47.6% MALE

FEMALE

MEDIAN AGE

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

42.5

$50,937

BASED ON the Miami Beach Census

HOUSING OCCUPANCY

RACE & ORIGIN AFRICAN AMERICAN AMERICAN INDIAN ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER TWO OR MORE RACES HISPANIC OR LATINO WHITE

0.3% 1.9%

TOTAL HOUSING UNITS

OCCUPIED HOUSING UNITS

VACANT HOUSING UNITS

0.1% 2.7% 53% 40.5%

59,723 46,194 13,529

< 5 YEARS OLD

< 18 YEARS OLD

> 65 YEARS OLD

19-64 YEARS OLD

4.2%

12.8%

16.2%

66.8%

DEMOGRAPHICS

4.4%

USER HIERARCHY

FREEHAND ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

OWNERS THE SYDELL GROUP Comprised of a partnership between Ron Burkle and Andrew Zobler, the Sydell Group is self-described as “the creator and manager of unique hotels rooted in their location and architecture.”

EMPLOYEES GENERAL MANAGER Makes sure that everything is running smoothly in all departments, including customer service, food and beverage, building maintenance, and more. Oversees the majority of staff and ensures guest satisfaction. EMPLOYEES FRONT DESK STAFF Front line of customer service. Makes and confirms reservations. Greet, register, and assigns rooms to guests. Also contacts housekeeping, maintenance, and management if problems arise.

EMPLOYEES HOUSEKEEPING Responsible for maintaining a standard of cleanliness throughout the hotel. Typically clean individual rooms, as well as common areas.

EMPLOYEES FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANAGER Ensures that everything is running smoothly within the restaurant and bar. Oversees both front and back of house, ensuring effective communcation with both areas. May do food and beverage purchasing, payroll, and ensure guest satisfaction.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE BACK OF HOUSE - Chef - Cooks - Food runners - Dishwashers

HIERARCHY

FOOD AND BEVERAGE FRONT OF HOUSE - Hostess/ Host - Waiters/ waitresses - Bartenders - Buss Staff

EVENT ORGANIZERS Organizes social events for hostel guests and handles possible rentals of space for outside events.

GUESTS Based on the hostel location and demographics of Miami Beach. The guest profile is also based on the types of people attracted to the hostel, such as young adults, business men travelling alone, and couples looking for budget accomodations.

MAJOR & ANTICIPATED FUNCTIONS

Bubble Diagram Main Space

Bubble Diagram Outdoor Space

Block Diagram

SPATIAL FUNCTIONS

CONCLUSION SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

Figure 41: Freehand Miami Guest House

Miami Beach is a community made up of various individuals from different cultures worldwide. The amalgamation of residents gives the city a sense of character which carries into the Freehand environment. Fashion, music, art, and architecture are just some of the features that attract a younger crowd to vacation in Miami Beach. By studying the cities regional uniqueness we can better understand how elements such as climate and seasonal changes can affect hostel occupancy. After visiting and touring the Miami Beach Freehand we got a better understanding of how multiple social areas work together within a common space. A hostels main purpose is to bring travelers together and facilitate the process of forming connections and relationships. Although the majority of the spaces at the Freehand are public social spaces, the hostel was designing with numerous sleeping options that vary in levels of privacy. Quad rooms are centrally located within the Freehand which allow guests to be connected with the activities and community at all hours. For those guests who want to disconnect after a certain time,

CONCLUSION

VIP guest rooms and bungalows are grouped and located apart from the main building. When selecting a hostel, travelers want to feel like they’re a part of the community and the Freehand gives travelers the opportunity to create this experience. Apart from the rooms, all the other amenities within the Freehand are open to the public. Miami beach residents are welcomed to use the pool while they grab a drink at the bar, essentially adding to traveler's overall experience. The Broken Shaker bar and the pool are centrally located seeing as they make up the largest public space, but smaller more private social spaces are also available around the central space.

RESEARCH METHOD 2 PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION

BEHAVIOR MAPPING

FREEHAND MIAMI BEACH DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE & TYPOLOGY SUITABILITY

Behavior Mapping the hostel behavior at the Freehand Miami Beach is beneficial to our reseach because it graphically represents the peoples behavior in a space. This information helped us understand which setting people spend most of their time and how the settings affect their behaviors. Behavior mapping really helped us gain an understanding of the social interactions happeing within a hostel experience. It gave our research first hand knowledge of the spatial settings and the type of spatial arangements that people use to socially interact and communicate in the hostel. The space itself merges between indoor and outdoor areas; therefore, our research was diverse and not only limited to the interior spaces. The users observed, but was not limited to, guests, Miami locals, maids, employees, and management. Noting the spaces that people use the most resulted in the most acurate representation of the space usage in which users go from one activity to another. It also helped our research gain an understanding of which spaces hostel goers avoid and how we can better the hostel experience through design and foster the social experience that hostel goers want.

BEHAVIOR MAPPING LEGEND Entrance Lobby Outdoor Area Maintenance Entrance Guest House Restaurant Social Spaces

BEHAVIOR MAP 1

S H

SS S

S H

H H

S S H

LEGEND Entrance

X Observer Female Guest Male Guest Children Elderly

S Staff H Housekeeping M Maintenance

WEEKDAY MORNING Day: Wednesday, 10/4/17 Time: 10:00 - 11:00am

SUMMARY

On a regular weekday morning, the space has been observed to have staff evenly throughout the space to make sure the hostel runs smoothly. Two receptionists are constantly in the lobby to deal with guest check- in and any concerns the guests may have. Housekeeping was spread throughout the space, making sure the rooms and communal spaces remain tidy and ready for a new rotation of guests. Maintenance crew were running around throughout the space to deal with damage that resulted to a prior hurricane. The bar, lounge, and pool area remained quiet, with an acception of a few guests taking an early morning dip in the pool. The lobby was the most prominently filled space with guests entering in and out of the hostel. Other guests sat in the communal spaces in the lobby. Most guests were sitting alone, facing away from each other, using their phones.

BEHAVIOR MAPPING

MAP 1 OVERVIEW

NOTABLE OBSERVATIONS

Housekeeping needs storage throughout each space, to allow for easy access to cleaning supplies. This wil allow them to do their job quickly and efficiently. It will also lessen the need to carry supplies through public spaces where the guests can see. The guests in the lobby lacked a sense of social interaction with eachother. Almost all the guests were sitting individually, on their phones. The outdoor spaces remained fairly empty throughout the morning. Fans or other cooling systems should be placed outside to lessen the heat of Miami and make the outdoors more inviting.

BEHAVIOR MAP 2

LEGEND Entrance

X Observer Female Guest Male Guest Children Elderly

S Staff H Housekeeping M Maintenance

WEEKDAY EVENING Day: Tuesday Time: 5:00 pm

SUMMARY

At this time of day, the majority of the traffic is occurring in the outdoor social spaces than in the lobby. A handful of people came into the lobby to speak to the front desk employees, and a few people sat at tables in the lobby to do work on computers or read books, but most users were outside sitting around the pool or at the tables by the Tiki Bar.

BEHAVIOR MAPPING

MAP 2 OVERVIEW

NOTABLE OBSERVATIONS Not that many guests were speaking to employees at the front desk during this time. Many people did walk through the lobby going either to or from the pool and Tiki Bar area. There were more than a dozen people around the pool area, but most people were fully dressed in clothing rather than bathing suits, suggesting that they were not actually using the pool but rather enjoying the lounge chairs and the moderate evening weather. Most guests in the outdoor area at this time were getting drinks from the Tiki Bar and sitting in the cafe seating adjacent to it.

BEHAVIOR MAP 3

LEGEND Entrance

X Observer Female Guest Male Guest Children Elderly

S Staff H Housekeeping M Maintenance

WEEKEND MORNING Day: Sunday Time: 10- 10:30 outside 10:30-11:20 inside

SUMMARY

The most common observation while sitting within the space on a Sunday morning was that the lobby is heavily congested between the hours of 10:00am to 11:30am. While there were some guests enjoying the pool, the majority of the other outdoor spaces were close to empty throughout these hours seeing as guests were mainly in the process of checking out, filing complaints with the front desk, or using the lobby as a meeting spot before heading out to Miami Beach.

BEHAVIOR MAPPING

MAP 3 OVERVIEW

NOTABLE OBSERVATIONS The lobby hallways that lead to the rooms tend to get very congested since it is used by both guests and employees. Guest tend to use the stairs more while employees prefer the elevator. Outdoor space, especially around the Broken Shaker, is very empty throughout the mornings.

BEHAVIOR MAP 4

LEGEND Entrance

X Observer Female Guest Male Guest Children Elderly

S Staff H Housekeeping M Maintenance

WEEKEND EVENING Day: Sunday Time:5:00pm

SUMMARY

The most noticeable trend while being at The Freehand, Miami Beach on a Sunday evening is that mostly guests are hanging out in the lobby and in the outdoor areas, by the bar and the pool. A lot of travellers would get drinks at The Broken Shaker, and hang out in the neighboring areas while drinking. Another fact that we were able to notice is that no kids, nor elderly were in the property after 4:00 pm.

NOTABLE OBSERVATIONS

BEHAVIOR MAPPING

MAP 4 OVERVIEW

Guests spend most of their time around The Broken Shaker during evenings There is a large amount of guests hanging out in the outdoor areas of The Freehand Even though there are people hanging out in the lobby, there is not as much as in the outdoor areas of the hostel

AGGREGATE BEHAVIOR MAP

SS SSSS X X

H X

S X S

SS S S

H H H

S S

S SS SS S SS

H S

M S

S H

S S H

LEGEND Entrance

X Observer Female Guest Male Guest Children Elderly

S Staff H Housekeeping M Maintenance

The aggregate behavior map combines all the data collected from the interval behavior maps. The information is divided into four categories: weekday morning, weekday evening, weekend morning, and weekend evening. The research has come to indicate the fairly different activities and the amount of users in a space at a given time. The aggregate map overlays the different layers and gives our research a viable amount of data collection, which will be analysed further in our research. The most stable observation of the behavior of the Freehand Miami Beach was the observation of the communal spaces in the lobby and in the outdoor bar area. This space seemed to be the most populated at all times of the day and night, weekday or weekend.

BEHAVIOR MAPPING

BEHAVIOR MAPPING OVERVIEW

NOTABLE OBSERVATIONS The high traffic areas seem to be all the social spaces, which are comprised of the lobby, outdoor bar, and pool area. The staff seems to be evenly distributed throughout the space, which means that the staff is always around to serve the needs of the guests. The age range seems to be almost void of children and elderly, with the acception of a few. However, most of the users of the space are male and female guests, ranging from 18-35 years old.

OBSERVATION CHART

FREEHAND MIAMI BEACH DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE & TYPOLOGY SUITABILITY The observation chart method is a technique in research that helps bring all of the collected information together in one chart and analyse the data. This is the best way to extract statistical data and gain significant results by understanding the proportions of time spent doing certain activities by the users of the space. The advantages in using this technique in the typology of hospitality is that it pinpoints the activities that are going on in the space and which ones are more preferred by guests. It also helps gain an understanding in the cycles of the space and what times the space is busy versus what time the space is quiet. There is also an advantage in gaining information on gender and age analysis. However, this research method is limited in recording the time at which the users are carrying out their activities. Thus, our research has benefitted from this method, but are based on general assumptions because these findings only represent a small moment in time.

WEEKEND

The observation chart method of data collection started with the behavior mapping and converting each map based on specific time intervals. Each time interval was broken up into two categories: users (female, male, children, elderly, and employees) and the activities that they are doing (talking, sitting, walking, waiting, and task). These charts were broken up into four different categories: weekday morning, weekday evening, weekend morning, and weekend evening. Our reseach is conducted during different times and days of the week because we wanted to collect data that shows how busy versus how quiet the space is on certain days and certain times. Thus, one can conclude from just looking at these charts that the weekends are generally busier in the hostel than the weekdays. Also, the weekday mornings seem to be fairly quiet, compared to the weekday nights. This information, along with the spatial analysis previously conducted helps us gain an understanding of the types of activities that should be available in a hostel at a given time.

OBSERVATION CHART

WEEKDAY

OBSERVATION CHART DATA COLLECTION

*Chart of the sum of all data points collected

17.6%

Employees

0.3%

Elderly

3.2%

Children

43.9%

Male users

35%

This pie chart compares the activities Female users performed across all user types. It show how many users participate in activities in the space. Through this analysis it can be concluded that there are more males than female users in the space. The most often observed user in the space is the male. A hypothesis that this user makes up the highest population of the space by 43.9% would be because male users are more likely to stay at a hostel and feel safe. This may seem to imply that female users of the hostel experience might need more reinforcement in safety and comfort of the space. The least often observed user in the space was elderly at 0.3%. This signifies that the age range of a hostel guest or employee is 18-35 years old. The reason why this user makes up the least proportion of a % of user category user of the space is because the activities observed in space that the hostel has to offer is aimed for a across all time intervals younger crowd.

OBSERVATION CHART

OBSERVATION CHART COMPARING ALL USER TYPES

OBSERVATION CHART ACTIVITY WITHIN USER TYPE COMPARISON MALE GUEST 13.8% Task

FEMALE GUEST 14%

22.4%

Task

Talking

EMPLOYEES

17.4% Talking

31.1% Task

21.3%

Standing

8.6%

3.3%

Waiting

Sitting

9.1%

Waiting

32.2%

Walking

23%

Sitting

25.6%

Walking

The observation chart data was converted into these charts to graphically represent specific users and the activities they perform in the space. When analysing the data for both the male and female guests, we can see that they spend most of their time walking around the space to get to a specific destination, or sitting and relaxing in an environment that makes them comfortable. The guests only spend about 8-9% waiting around for something to do; thus, we have come to conclude that there may be room for improvement in activities so guests can socially 46 interact more and wait around less.

33.9% Sitting

44.3%

Walking

% of users performing activity

For the employees, we can see that a majority of their time is spent walking around the space, running from each adjacent space they need to go to. They also spend a majority of their time performing the tasks that need to be completed. The most interesting data conclusion we found was that the employees rarely sit down. This might call for a design intervention on a break area for the employees, so they can ultimately improve their mood and comfort levels, resulting in an increase in productivity and an increase in profit.

Overall, the observation chart data that was collected throughout our research and behavior mapping has come to conclude a lot of valuable information that can be seen compiled in the observation chart. The first information pulled out from the chart speaks strongly about the ratio of males versus females in the space. As seen previously, the data has come to conclude that there are more males in the space. It can be hypothesised that this is because the hostel environment can be seen as a more dangerous and unsafe lodging accomodation; therefore, females feel threatened in our society to stay in a hostel. This can be improved through the design by giving the female users of the space a sense of comfort and safety through design. It can be seen in our literature review that safety and comfort can lead to an overall better hostel experience and can be implemented through design. Our research and data collection has also come to conclude the amount of time each user spends on a specific task. The tasks range from talking, sitting, walking, waiting, doing a specific task, or standing. This is beneficial in our project because it helps narrow down the time each user spends on a specific activity.

OBSERVATION CHART

OBSERVATION CHART OVERVIEW

NOTABLE OBSERVATIONS A total of 346 data points were collected in 8 intervals, throughout four different categories of weekday morning, weekday evening, weekend morning, and weekend evenings. The user types observed included female guests, male guests, children, elderly, and employees. To adequately reach a conclusion, a large quantity of data points is needed; therefore, only data points over 20 are being taken into consideration. We chose to leave out the elderly and children category of activity within user type comparison because we did not feel that these users had a significant effect on the environment.

FREEHAND MIAMI BEACH DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE & TYPOLOGY SUITABILITY

Activity mapping is a graphic representation of the average flow of a specific user throughout the space. This technique of mapping gave our research the percieved flow of the space and the activities occuring in each flow. The flow captured here is the physical flow of the users. The main objective of the assignment was to follow a specific user and record intervals of time, including who, what, when, where, and why the user is chosing to take that path. Overlaying the activity maps together helps to identify the main nodes and intersection points in the spaces. It helps understand how through design the space can be adjusted and improved to reduce unnecessary movement throughout the space by completing the right adjacencies of the program. Overall, this information is deemed important for the hostel experience because it can assure that the back of the house (i.e. staff, housekeeping, maintenance) does not interfere with the front of he house (i.e. guests). The information gathered from activity mapping is also important because it gave us valuable knowledge on the path that guests take, where they socially interact the most, and how design can improve the authentic hostel experience.

ACTIVITY MAPPING

AGGREGATE ACTIVITY MAP

LEGEND

House man Hostel Guest Male Female Manager Male Receptionist High Traffic Areas Social Areas

ACTIVITY MAP 1

LEGEND

House man High Traffic Areas

Wednesday 9:30- 10:00am 30 minutes

1 Met up with the houseman in the housekeeping office. I met the general manager and he gave me permission to walk around the property and follow Carlos, the house man. He started off by picking up sheets in the housekeeping office and taking the trash.

2 He stopped at the trash can in the back of the property to drop off the

ACTIVITY MAPPING

House Man

trash.

3 He went in the kitchen very quickly to get a sip of water. 4 Enter the guest house to fix it up after the hurricane. His job as the house man is to help the house keepers with heavy duty lifting and other maintenance. I watched him for about 10 minutes in the Guest House moving beds, climbing on a ladder to hang curtains, and change sheets.

5 Dropped of the sheets in the laundry room. 6 Went back in the housekeeping office to fold sheets. 7 Go up to the lobby 8 Elevator to second floor 9 Restock supply closets located on each floor.

ACTIVITY MAP 2

LEGEND Hostel Guest Male High Traffic Areas

Wednesday 6:00- 6:30pm 30 minutes

1 Exits his room and enters the lobby 2 Talks to front desk employee

ACTIVITY MAPPING

Male Guest

3 Returns to room 4 Goes back to lobby, sits at table 5 Talks to receptionist 6 Sits back at table and reads a book.

Unpacks items from his backpack. After several minutes, another male guest sits at the same table and they talk for a while. Male guest then packs items back into his backpack.

7 Exits the hostel through the front door with skateboard in hand.

ACTIVITY MAP 3

LEGEND Male Receptionist High Traffic Areas

Sunday 10:30-11:30 am 1 hour

1 Very busy at front desk. Heavy check out traffic until 11am. 2 Goes to get supplies for front desk.

ACTIVITY MAPPING

Male Receptionist

3 Arranges magazines and newspapers 4 Back at the desk 5 Restocks coffee 6 Deals with guest complain 7 Redirects complaining guest to other employee Notable Observations Front desk is very busy throughout the morning. A lot of guest traffic due to the fact that there was only one employee there during busy hours.

ACTIVITY MAP 4

LEGEND Female Manager High Traffic Areas

Sunday 4:30- 5:00pm 30 minutes

1 Talking to manager, going over daily responsibilities and

duties. Making sure she does everything that is required of her.

ACTIVITY MAPPING

Female Manager

2 Talk to bartenders and asked them if there is anything they need from here.

3 Bring supplies to bartenders 4 Rearrange outdoor lounge sitting 5 Rearrange lobby area 6 Walks around to make sure everything is good to go for the 2nd shift

Notable Observations A lot of arranging since travellers usually move things around when they are by the bar or lobby.

COGNITIVE MAPPING

FREEHAND MIAMI BEACH DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE & TYPOLOGY SUITABILITY

The cognitive mapping method seems to be the most important research technique in a hostel experience. This has proven to be true because the users of the space that have helped us by participating in the research have given us valuable information that can help improve the space. Although cognitive maps are not an accurate distance or geometry of the real environment, this technique helps gain an understanding in the individual users perception of the space. This study was conducted by giving a user a brief explanation of the experiment and handing them a piece of paper and a pen to draw the way they interpret the space. By drawing us a cognitive map and showing how they percieve the space gives us a greater understanding how that individual user uses the space and the daily activities that occur there. This remains the most important technique that we have used for this typology because many of the individual users of the space have specific issues with the design and the bes way to solve the issues and maintain the hostel experience would be to understand the individual perception of the space.

FEMALE MANAGER This map is an overall sketch of the whole floorplan. Her drawing shows the importance of the lobby and outdoor area, as seen with the amount of detail she drew in tha area. This reflects her duties since she mainly works around those areas.

COGNITIVE MAPPING

MAP 1

Key Map

Large dreamcatcher that acts as a WOW Factor.

Candles that light up the hostel at night, creating a calming atmosphere.

Coffee Station, where a man stands and makes the houseblend coffee of the Freehand.

MAP 2

FEMALE RECEPTIONIST This map solely focuses on the reception desk area. It shows the receptionists daily activities from using the phone, welcoming guests, giving out towels, and storing luggage. When thoroughly analyzing the map, we noticed she drew a stair case. We conducted an interview and concluded that she drew the stairs because she disliked going up and down the stairs to store luggage when guests need. She drew hearts around a few things, which indicates her liking of the coffee station, pool, piano, and bar. Key Map

Outdoor area that houses the bar, where the trees give the space an authentic Miami outdoor feel

Stairs that lead up to the luggage storage area. This remains a hassle for the receptionist going up and down the stairs with luggage everyday

MALE RECEPTIONIST This map solely focuses on the reception desk area, as well as the extension of the lobby area. Through this map, one can notice the positive attributes of the space that this individual user benefits from, such as the music, his computer, and his chair. This all pertains to the focus of comfort the user thrives to achieve. Another thing to note from this cognitive map is the amount of activity shown in the lobby, which seems to indicate the lobby as the only main communal space at the Freehand.

COGNITIVE MAPPING

MAP 3

Key Map

MAP 4

HOTEL GUEST Map drawn by a male hotel guest who was sitting by the pool, his age ranging between 25-30 years old. His map shows a rough drawing of the entire property of the hostel, with a strong focus on the exterior area and the pool. The buildings are shown only as block masses with nothing in them, and are drawn smaller than they are in reality as compared to the size of the pool. It might be concluded that the exterior amenities and social spaces are much more important to this guest than his actual room. Key Map

FRONT DESK MANAGER After drawing out the way he perceives his space, the front desk agent explained that he feels like he’s constantly on display for everyone. He is stuck behind a desk the majority of the time, in a small space with only a computer to entertain him during slow hours. When explaining his drawing, he never really spoke about the rest of the hotel, as if his space behind the lobby was all he really cared about.

COGNITIVE MAPPING

MAP 5

Key Map

TRACE OBSERVATION

FREEHAND MIAMI BEACH DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE & TYPOLOGY SUITABILITY

The trace observation research method uses the technique of environmental psychology to map environmental behavior attributes of a given space. We have documented spaces throughout the Freehand Miami and collected all the information on one annotated map, supported by images of the space itself. The behavior attributes are based off the environmen behavior attributes check list. This type of data helps our findings for our typology because it helps document the functionality, spatial relationships, activities, and opportunities that a hostel space offers. It is also important to note the trace observations from the check list that are not available in the space, and how to use this opportunity to improve the space.

Personal Space

Monotony

Performance

Sociofugal/ sociopetal space

Mystery

Adaptability

Privacy

Delight

Legibility

Solitude

WOW Factor

Identity

Stimulation

Branding

Restoration

Wayfinding

Comfort

Affordance

Autonomy

Control

4 5 6 7 8 9

Sociality Territoriality Crowding Focal Point Prospect & Refuge

10 Complexity

TRACE OBSERVATION

CHECKLIST: ENVIRONMENT-BEHAVIOR ATTRIBUTES

20 Safety 67

TRACE OBSERVATION ANNOTATED PLAN

TRACE OBSERVATION

PERSONAL SPACE

While the bar is a very social and often crowded space, the area behind the bar is the bartenders personal space where other guests are not allowed to enter.

SOCIOPETAL SPACE

This furniture arrangement really promotes social activity through its sociopetal arrangement. This allows the hostellers to see and have an oportunity to interact with each other.

Away from the primary social areas is the VIP Guest Rooms of The Freehand. In order to create a feeling of privacy for these guests that may not want to be included in the social activities at all hours of the day, the VIP rooms have a private patio located directly in front of their rooms.

TRACE OBSERVATION

PRIVACY

SOLITUDE

The lobby is a very social space within the Freehand, in order to create areas of solitude for guests, furniture is placed in different configurations in order to afford different levels of privacy. A single chair allows other guests to know that whoever is sitting there needs a moment to themselves.

TRACE OBSERVATION

SOCIALITY

The movable furniture and unmatching chairs give clients at the Broken Shaker the freedom to relocate furniture according to their social circles.

TERRITORIALITY

In order to reserve their chairs at the pools, guests place towels and other personal items on their seat in order to show other guests that that spot is in use while they enjoy a swim in the pool.

TRACE OBSERVATION

CROWDING

During peak hours of checkout, the front desk tends to become a very popular and crowded areas and guests rush to leave their rooms and start their days.

FOCAL POINT

Located within one of the main 8 social areas, the fountain in the

center of the bar seating functions as a focal point when it is turned on at night.

TRACE OBSERVATION

COMPLEXITY

This space is complex because of the variety of flexible seating arangements. The colors stimulate the space and the diversity of materiality and other elements combines the senses together to form a successful space for social interaction.

MONOTONY

space is monotonous, as in 11 This it lacks in variety and interest, remaining dull. This is because of the long and narrow hallway that is poorly lit.

TRACE OBSERVATION

STIMULATION

This piano clearly stimulates the senses by adding an element of sound to the space. The hostel also makes it hands on by inviting the guests to join in.

COMFORT

17 80

This space exhibits a sense of comfort by providing ample amounts of seating choices throughout the lobby. The type of furniture creates a homey feel that makes the user of the space feel comfortable.

TRACE OBSERVATION

CONTROL

to the property as desired 19 entry by the staff.

Barriers are placed to control

SAFETY

Barricades and notices are placed to restrict access to outsiders for the safety of guests.

TRACE OBSERVATION

PERFORMANCE

Several seating areas are provided that allow guests to work on computers and accomplish tasks as needed.

ADAPTABILITY

22 84

The lounge chairs located around the pool can be adjusted to different angles of inclination to fit each user’s comfort. When not in use by a hotel guest, staff members can adjust the chairs to lie flat and rotate them to face the pool horizontally, to be used as bench seating.

TRACE OBSERVATION

LEGIBILITY

The lobby of the Freehand is laid out in a way that is clear and easy to navigate. Upon entering through the main entrance, the reception desk is clearly visible to your right. This layout makes the space clearly legible to the users.

IDENTITY

The Freehand Miami seems to place a strong piece of their identity in their location, Miami Beach. Various elements throughout the property strive to highlight and celebrate the city. The Freehand brand identifies as a community of travelers, and strives to create a community-driven atmosphere. Social activities, and the social spaces throughout the property are a key to maintaining this identity.

TRACE OBSERVATION

BRANDING

The Freehand implements branding on their property through signage on the exterior of the building at the main entrance, and at a secondary entrance. Items such as menus, guest robes, and key cards are also branded with the hotel name and identity.

WAYFINDING

Signage is located throughout the outdoor public space at the Freehand to assist with wayfinding. These signs point users of the space to the direction of exits, restrooms, the lobby, lounge, bar, restaurants, and more.

TRACE OBSERVATION

AFFORDANCE

The property is equipped with an ADA compliant pool lift, affording easy access to the pool to handicap guests. A variety of seating types are provided throughout the property, affording guests with a variety of options.

RESEARCH METHOD 3

QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT: SURVEY ANALYSIS

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

FREEHAND MIAMI BEACH DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE & TYPOLOGY SUITABILITY

The survey method is a collection of quantifiable data that was collected through a questionnaire (See Apendix for Survey Sample) we created in order to pass out to individuals in the hostel space. We have come to understand that this method of research and analysis helps us gain individual opinions on certain issues. We believe that this methodology is suitable for our typology because it helps collect individual opinions of the space. It also creates a record of individual behaviors within the space regarding the spatial layout, organization, and planning of the environment. The survey questions were broken up into different segments, based on the different levels of measurement. The questions were categorized in ratio data, interval data, ordinal data, and nominal data. We also made sure to have a sense of clarity, to keep the survey specific and avoided certain terms such as technical design terms, etc. We distributed the questions throughout the hostel on the weekday and weekend at different time intervals to get a good example of population samples. Overall, the survey questionnaire was deemed successful and helped us gain further knowledge on our typology.

SURVEY ANALYSIS

QUESTION 1

WHAT AGE RANGE DO YOU FALL UNDER?

SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: This question was asked in order to get a better idea of the client age range that chooses the Freehand Miami Beach. It also gives us a sense of the age range that the hostel attracts. It is our hypothesis that the design of the space has a direct correlation with the age of the users that choose to stay at the hostel. Through our research we have come to understand that hostels usually tend to focus on their youth clientel. This question was asked in order to have a better understanding of our research and prove our hypothesis that design truly has an influence on the types of people in the space. Outcome: According to our findings, the most popular age range is between the ages of 18 and 25 at a total of 36%. With this information, we have a better idea of the guests and locals we are designing for: the millennials. This proves our hypothesis that hostels attract a younger clientel through the design and the amenities the hostel has to offer. A significant finding that actually added to our research was the amount of people over the age of 50 that chose to stay at the Freehand. Thus, we can come to conclude that hostels must also take into consideration other age groups into the design because the young age groups are not the only ones staying at the hostel, even though they do make up a majority of the users of the space. Our hypothesis is that the cheaper hostel accomodations actually attract people of all ages. These findings have proven that the design should implement acoustics and privacy features throughout the space, giving the different age ranges a choice of the type of atmosphere they would like to be a part of. Total Participants: 25

QUESTION 2

WHICH DESCRIPTION BEST DESCRIBES YOU?

LOCALS TRAVELING GUESTS EMPLOYEES OTHER

SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: By asking surveyors their role in the Freehand Miami Beach, we get a better understanding in the different needs amongst locals, guest, and employees. All users play a crucial role in creating a successful hostel environment, so it is important to know the different components that each group needs. Outcome: Out of the 25 individuals surveyed, 48% of them were current Freehand guests, which means the majority of our findings are based on the guests experiences. The second largest users of the space that participated in our survey were Miami locals, at 28%. This was interesting to note in our findings because the hostel not only attracts travelers from out of the city, but it also attracts locals. We hypothesize that the hostels bar, restaurant, and communal atmosphere brings in the local crowd. This is beneficial and can be used in our hostel design because we believe to have an authentic hostel experience, the local culture must merge into the hostel to form a sense of community and belonging in the hostel. This is what makes the hostel experience so special. We also made sure to survey employees and others to get a wide range of results for our survey analysis. Total Participants: 25

QUESTION 3

HOW IMPORTANT IS PRIVACY TO GUESTS WHO CHOSE TO STAY IN SHARED ROOMS?

Outcome: It was interesting to see that locals and employees found privacy to be an important aspect. Although the question targeted specifically the privacy issue within shared rooms, the responses from different users indicate that users not only need moments of privacy in the rooms but also in the shared communal spaces throughout the entire hostel. Through our observation and behavioral analysis previously done on the space we have come to see that the rooms provide a sense of privacy through curtains that draw over the bed to create a private space for the user that is sleeping in an individual bed in a shared space. In our opinion, this can be taken a step further and enhanced through acoustical privacy in the individual dormitory style bunks. Since privacy seems to be so important in the shared rooms we can conclude that it is also just as important in the communal spaces. Walking through the communal spaces there does not seem to be much privacy since the lobby is an open floor concept with sociopetal furniture arangements. It is important to note, however, that the furniture is not fixed and the guests should be able to move the furniture freely throughout the space to individually create the privacy that they want. Having the ability to choose a desired level of privacy is believed to be essential because of the therapeutic nature of privacy. Various studies that we found in our literature review have shown that privacy has a relaxing and refreshing effect on the user. We believe that finding a balance between the facilitation of social interaction, and the affordance of privacy will be important in creating an environment that will attract guests, and have a positive effect on well-being. Total Participants: 25

SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: Privacy always comes to mind when the term hostel is mentioned because of the shared room accomodations that are offered. We chose to ask this question because privacy seems to be the most important aspect in a hostel. By including this question in our survey, we strived to find just how important privacy really is to all the users of the Freehand Miami Beach. Privacy can be accomplished in more ways that just lockable storage option within the dormitories and flexible furniture options to give the guest the option of the amount of privacy they want. Our goal through this question is to gain an understanding and prove our hypothesis that privacy truly affects the users of the space and how we can improve this through our design.

QUESTION 4

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE OUTDOOR PORTION OF THE FREEHAND AS A SOCIAL SPACE?

100

Outcome: From the 25 individuals who were surveyed, 42% of users agreed that the outdoor space is extremely important. Based on these results, we can apply these findings into selecting the scope for our project next semester. Using the levels of the building that have terraces, can potentially allow for successful areas of social gathering. This question has helped us further our analysis through understanding how truly important an outdoor space is to a hostel. Through our previous analysis of the regional uniqueness of Miami, one can see that the weather of Miami ranges from hot and sunny to humid and rainy. In our previous research, one of the behavioral analysis maps of the space was actually done when it just finished raining and we got to note the difference between the activity outside when it rains and when it is sunny. Since the outdoor area has such an effect on the hostel, as seen from this survey question, it has helped us with the idea that the outdoor area should be suitable for rain or shine in the diverse climate Miami has to offer. Retractable roofs, umbrellas, or even the types of furniture used outside has to be taken into consideration when designing an outdoor space. The Freehand Miami Beach also has an outdoor garden that provides the restaurant with natural herbs and vegetables. It would be a good idea to take advantage of the outdoor areas and the regional uniqueness of Miami by creating a sustainable feature of a water cistern to collect the rain that happens so often and use it to water the garden. Total Participants: 25

SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: Since our project site will include an outdoor terrace, we thought it was important to survey how influential the outdoor portion is in creating a social environment for the users. It appears to be common throughout the design practice that having an outdoor location is an important deciding factor in the approach towards hostel design. One can agree with the fact that natural forces such as the sun, wind, and rain influences the design of the space and the types of social interactions that occur. Through our research and literature review we express the importance of nature and how relevant it is to the cultural identity of Miami. We believe that embracing the tropical climate of Miami through the outdoor area can actually form a community to foster social interaction.

101

QUESTION 5

HOW COMFORTABLE DO GUESTS FEEL LEAVING THEIR BELONGING IN SHARED ROOMS?

102

SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: The purpose of this question was to get a better understanding of how comfortable users feel with leaving their items in an unknown environment. This question can be directly correlated with comfort and well-being. Through our literature review, studies have show that for guests to feel comfortable in the environment, privacy related needs must be met. We have come to the conclusion that giving the hostel guest a sense of control and flexibility in what happens to their belongings can lead to a more comfortable hostel stay. The goal of a hospitality setting is to feel at home and have the same comfort as you would in your own living space. Through design, we feel that it is important to create this sense of comfort in the hostel in order to give the guest peace of mind. It is our opinion that comfort is directly correlated with social interaction; the more comfortable the guest feels, the more likely they are to socially interact and add to the cultural standards of the hostel. Outcome: 25% of the users surveyed said the felt very comfortable leaving their items in the shared rooms. In order to apply these findings into our hostel design next semester, it would be beneficial to document the current dormitories organizational layout. There is still a strong percentage of guests, however, that do not feel comfortable leaving their belongings in a shared room space. To get the utmost guest satisfaction in a hostel, which is the goal, the design needs to implement the needs of guests that may not feel so comfortable in shared room accomodations. Total Participants: 25

103

QUESTION 6

HOW SAFE IS IT FOR GUESTS TO LEAVE THEIR BELONGINGS IN SHARED ROOMS?

104

SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: After finding out how comfortable guests feel with leaving their personal items in shared rooms, we wanted to ask a question to find out how locals and employees feel about the security at the Freehand Miami Beach. Through our literature review and personal experience, we have come to understand that safety and well-being have been found to be strongly linked, and are often discussed synonymously. Guests in hospitality environments trust that they will be provided with a safe and secure place to stay during their visit; therefore, safety is of utmost importance . Due to the openness and lack of traditional privacy in a hostel envionemt, we believe that safety and security may be more of a challenge than it is in the design of spaces such as hotels. In our opinion, it is important to include solutions for issues such as the security of personal belongings in order to minimize the safety concerns and anxieties of guests in a hostel. Outcome: Through our analysis of the data, we have come to see that the highest percentage of 25% of people feel moderately safe leaving their belongings in shared rooms. This is interesting to note because it means that there is definitely room for improvement on safety. Through our personal experience with staying in hostels, we have come to understand that most hostels do not offer large enough lockers for people to lock up all of their belongings. This means that guests must just take the risk and leave their things out in the open. This can be improved through spatial design by giving the guest an opportunity to store more belongings with larger lockers, and worry less about safety. This will result in ultimate guest satisfaction and greater well-being. Out of the 4 employees that answered this question, almost all of them answered that it was very safe to leave belongings within the rooms. Surprisingly, locals felt it was more safe that guests did, this could potentially be due to the familiarity that locals have with the environment. Total Participants: 25

105

QUESTION 7

RANK THE CURRENT SUCCESS RATE AND GUEST SATISFACTION AT THE FREEHAND.

106

SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: By posing this question we were curious to see how employees perceive guest satisfaction rates versus the actual satisfaction rate of the guests and locals using the space. Our goal is to collect information on how the employees think they meet the guest satisfaction in correlation with how satisfied they actuall are. This question will give us an understanding on how the hostel must educate the employee to improve guest satisfaction and also what the guest actually needs in order to improve their satisfaction. We will further the research on this question when we get personal accounts on what the guests and employees think the hostel needs to improve on through the interview process in the next research method section. Outcome: Based on our results, we determined that while all users had a high satisfaction rate, the guests percentage was the lowest. This could be due to the fact that they spend the most time in the hostel; therefore experience the most issues. It could also be the fact that they expect a certain satisfaction level when entering the hostel and if it is not met then psychologically their satisfaction levels decrease. This can be improved and implemented through finding out through an interview process what the guests feel should be improved and also documenting what the employees know should be improved based on certain complaints they constantly get. The results obtained from this question can be applied to our design next semester in the sense that while social spaces are an important aspect of a hostel, the more private guests areas also affect overall satisfaction. We believe that providing the guests the option to privacy will lead to greater levels of comfort and wellbeing. In turn, the guest will feel satisfied by being able to choose between the levels of interaction they want to have in the hostel. Total Participants: 25

107

QUESTION 8

HOW MUCH TIME DO GUESTS SPEND UTILIZING HOSTEL AMENITIES?

1-10% 10-30% 30-60% 60-100%

108

SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: The purpose of this question was to get a better understanding of how much time users spend within the spaces of the hostel. The amenities the hostel provides such as the bar, pool, and restaurant all have an effect of how much time the guest actually stays in the hostel. Through design, we believe that the more social interaction we help create, the more time the guest will spend in the hostel. The more people actually stay in the hostel, will lead to more people coming and using the hostel. Overall, there is a domino effect that happens: the more people that stay at the hostel, the more popular it becomes, and the greater success rate the hostel will have. It is our opinion that the amenities the hostel has to offer has a direct correlation to the social interaction that happens in the space. Having amenities and activities for the guests give the hostellers an oportunity to interact and communicate with others based on similar interests. Outcome: 44% of the surveyors said they spend around 30-60% of their time utilizing hostel amenities. These results will help us determine the kind of amenities we each feel are important to incorporate into our own hostel design. The results show there is an oportunity to better the hostel through providing more amenities. Through our analysis of the space and speaking to the guests, many of them feel that the Freehand Miami Beach lacks amenities, hence the 30-60% of time actually spent in the hostel. The pool, bar, and restaurant are extremely successfull and that is why there is a good amount of time spent by the guests at the hostel. We believe, however, that there is room for improvement by providing other amenities such as a library, pool table, game room, and other amenities that the guests can use to pass their time at the hostel. Total Participants: 25

109

QUESTION 9

WHICH SPACE DO YOU THINK IS MOST POPULAR AMONG GUESTS AND LOCALS?

BROKEN SHAKER 27 RESTAURANT POOL

110

Outcome: It was interesting to see that 51.9% of users said the Broken Shaker was the most popular. The Broken Shaker is the bar at the Freehand Miami Beach and through the high percentage recieved from this question, it is safe to say that the bar is the most important amenity the hostel has to offer. For our project, this means that it will be of utmost importance to include a bar in the hostel because the guests seem to respond highly to this amenity. The bar is then followed by 37% of guests who chose the pool. This came as a shock to our research that the pool has the second highest success rate, rather than the restaurant which we thought would rank second in this survey question. We can conclude that the regional uniqueness and the tropical climate of Miami Beach attracts travelers to enjoy their vacation outdoors and in the pool. The restaurant recieved a result of 11.1%, fairly lower than we thought. When walking around the space, we noticed that the restaurant is closed during the day, and is only open at night. Through personal experience, as Miami locals, the bar serves food so we are more likely to spend time and go there for the bar rather than solely for the restaurant. The restaurant at the Freehand does not seem so successful, and therefore we have come to conclude that it is not really necessary on the property. We propose that the Freehand transform the restaurant into a dance club or another source of revenue that could potentially be more successful than the restaurant. The greatest shock of this question was that out of the 25 users surveyed, none of them chose the Lobby as a popular space. This is interesting for a hostel because the lobby is the main communal space that leads to social interaction in the hostel. We believe that the Freehand has the potential to better their lobby by providing more comfortable seating, better amenities, and maybe even room for some activities such as reading, playing games, etc. Based on these results, we can determine that allocating less space to our lobby and more to social spaces will make for a more successful user experience. Total Participants: 25

SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: The purpose of this question was to understand the success rate of the different spaces and amenities the hostel has to offer. Asking this question also gives us an oportunity to see which spaces the guests and locals find useful and which spaces are not as successful. This question will help us in our thesis through determining what spaces we should incorporate into our hostel program.

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QUESTION 10

WHAT ETHNICITY ARE MOST GUESTS WHO CHOOSE TO STAY AT THE FREEHAND?

EUROPEAN ASIAN HISPANIC OTHER

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SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: In asking what ethnicity the majority of the Freehand users are, we are getting a better understanding of the users that are currently traveling to Miami. Based on our literature review, we have come to understand that culture can play a significant influence on design aspects within the spaces. Different cultures have different ways of doing things; therefore, the design of the space has to take into consideration different cultures that are prominent in the space. We broke up the category into European, Asian, Hispanic, and others because we felt that these were the most prominent categories to visit Miami Beach based on our research and experience. A special type of culture is created in a hostel. Culture is the most important element of social interactions in hostels because of the different way cultures socially interact and the way they perceive the world. Travelers come from all over the world, bringing their own social norms, cultural discussions, mannerisms, political ideologies, and opinions. Social interactions with an unknown culture have the ability to be intimidating or even welcoming. Our goal by asking this question is to have a better understanding of the types of cultures going to the Freehand and how we can create more positive, cultural interactions within the space. Outcome: The largest guest population from our sample of 25 people seems to be the European culture at 56%. This is important to note because European hostels are widely recognized as the most successful in the world. In our previous research it can be seen that the hostel culture actually originated in Europe. Thus, we can conclude that most Europeans traveling choose to go the hostel route instead of hotels, motels, inns, etc. The Asian population came in at 0% in our survey, making the Asian culture fairly insignificant in our design of the hostel. We also felt it was important to include the Hispanic culture, which recieved 32% in our survey, because it is such a prominent culture in South Florida and Hispanics are more likely to come and visit the Freehand because of this. These results are so important to our research on hostel design because our research shows that the way an individual looks at the world is the way they perceive the world in turn can have an influence on their communication and social interaction with others. The specific subculture of travelers who stay in hostels has recently expanded and understanding the needs of today’s subculture of hostel goers will plan an important role in design. Total Participants: 25

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QUESTION 11

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE GUEST AGE RANGE?

18-25 26-35 36-40 50 & OVER

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SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: This question was asked in order to get a better idea of the average guest age range that choose to stay in the Freehand Miami Beach. Our hypothesis for the results of this survey question is that the majority of hostelers will be between the ages of 18 to 35. Through our literature review, we have come to understand that age plays an influential role in regards to the types of amenities and overall experience travelers are searching for when choosing to stay in a hostel. We believe that young travelers are looking more for an experience and older travelers are simply looking for a form of cheaper lodging accommodations. In order to satisfy the needs of both age groups, we believe that hostels should integrate noise level restrictions, and double beds instead of dormitory style bunk beds. We have found that as the travelers age increased, so did their inclined willingness to pay for more private room accomodations. Outcome: According to our findings, the most popular range is between the ages of 26 to 35, at 64%. These findings vary from our initial question of what age range the surveyors fall under, which lead us to believe that the age of users staying within the hostel versus the users publically using the social spaces fluctuates a bit. The age range of 18-25 only recieved 24%. The survey participants believed that the age range of 50 and over is not likely in the hostel experience. These findings are important to our future hostel design, because they allow us to see that we must create a design that will appeal to various users of different age groups. Total Participants: 25

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QUESTION 12

HOW LONG DO GUESTS STAY IN THEIR ROOMS PER DAY?

4-8 HOURS 8-12 HOURS 20 OR MORE HOURS

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SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: This question allowed us to survey where users chose to spend most of their time while within the hostel. We chose to specifically ask how much time guests spend in their rooms per day because we felt it will benefit our research to understand the actual importance of the rooms to a guest. Our hypothesis is that the guests really only just sleep in the space; therefore, spend about 8-12 hours in the rooms. The other majority of their day is spent exploring the city of Miami and using the other amenities the hostel has to offer. Outcome: The greatest percentage being 56% of the users, said they spend an average of 8 to 12 hours within their rooms. This gives us an oportunity to prove our hypothesis that guests are primarily using their rooms for the sole purpose of sleeping and resting. We can apply these results to our future design, in creating more spaces which continue to give users the motivation to socialize in communal spaces as opposed to being trapped in their rooms all day. The design of the room should allow for privacy, comfort, and safety because it is where the guest spends their most vulnerable time. According to our research, when a person is tired they are more exposed and sensitive. Therefore, the rooms must be a place of refuge that the guest can feel safe and comfortable when at their most vulnerable. Total Participants: 25

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QUESTION 13

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF A GUEST STAY?

1 NIGHT 2-3 NIGHTS MORE THAN 4

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SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: The purpose of this question was to determine what is the average length a guest will chose to stay at the Freehand Miami Beach. We believe that longer stay periods require a space to be more flexible with in interchangable spaces in order to keep guests excited and intrigued within the environment. Outcome: Through the results we have obtained that the average mean of a Freehand guest stay at 52% was 2 to 3 nights. 40% of guests choose to stay 4 or more nights. This is interesting to note because only 8% of guests stay for only one night. This means that the design of the hostel must accomodate to the flexibility a guest needs. Also, a guest may sometimes want to socially interact and other times might want to have their own private space since a guest might get overwhelmed with the shared room accomodations and communal spaces. There needs to be a balance between social interaction and privacy through flexibility in allowing the user of the space to choose the setting they want to be in. Total Participants: 25

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QUESTION 14

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF GUESTS THAT CHECK IN?

SINGLES COUPLES FAMILIES BUSINESS PEOPLE OTHER

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4.0% 4.0%

SURVEY ANALYSIS

Purpose: The purpose of this question was to get a better idea of the type of guests we will essentially be designing for. We broke up the options into different categories the guests can choose from: singles, couples, families, business people, and others. This question will give us a better understanding of the types of travellers that choose to go to hostels and what types of people our design should focus on. Our hypothesis is that the majority of the hostel guests will be single travelers and families having the least percentage since hostels aim for a specific traveler: the millenial. Outcome: Based off our results, 56% of users that come into the Freehand are single travelers. This information allows us to determine the number of shared dormitories that will be needed versus the more private rooms. Business people make up 4% of our survey analysis on the types of guests that check in. This gives us an oportunity to propose more private, single rooms for people that are more professional, yet still looking for cheaper accomodations and a way to network through the social interaction that is provided in the hostel. Couples make up 24% of our results, and this is interesting to note because even todays millenial couples are looking for a sense of adventure the hostel has to offer. Total Participants: 25

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FREEHAND MIAMI BEACH CONCLUSION

Overall, the survey method seemed to be successful through a collection of research and analysis of the data. We believe that our results prove that designing hospitality environments with well-being in mind can have positive impacts on guest satisfaction and guest experience. Through this survey analysis, we have determined that safety, comfort and privacy needs should be met in order to create an environment which fosters well-being and creates the authentic hostel experience we want to provide guests. The quantity of the survey participants was 25 members, consisting of hostel guests, locals, employees, and others. The survey was administered on a weekday at 9:00am2:00pm along with on a weekend at 3:00pm-6:00pm. Therefore, the data cllected and analzysed is valid through an accurate population sample. The main limitation we experienced through the survey questionnaire is the depth the survey lacked. We believe that the opinions of the guests, locals, and employees can be thoroughly investigated through the interview process in the next section. This skewed the survey method in a certain direction through providing a generalization instead of direct responses.

SURVEY ANALYSIS

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QUALITATIVE MEASUREMENT: INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

LEEANN EVRON | VALERIA CASTILLO | SAMANTHA CORROCHANO | ERIN TIMMONS

Figure 42: The Freehand Dorm Room

RESEARCH METHOD 3:

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FREEHAND MIAMI BEACH DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE & TYPOLOGY SUITABILITY

The interview method of our research captures qualitative data through general questions we asked our participants in an open- ended format that lead to the interviewee to speak freely with each question. This helped our research by gaining a better understanding of how people truly feel in the space and what makes the space unique in their eyes. Some sub- questions were added during the interview process based on their response and are considered follow- up questions. We broke up the questions based on the specific user of the space we interviewed so we can get more of a direct response based on the way they use the space. We were able to gather information by interviewing 5 users, giving us a good sample size and information to analyse. It was important for us to gain information on different users of the space because so many different types of people use the space differently. Each interview was recorded and then later transcribed, each lasting between 10-20 minutes. The data was then analyzed using Nvivo technology. We coded the most frequent words and themes addressed and considered them individually and then in the context across all interviews.

INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

INTERVIEW METHOD

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INTERVIEW PARTICIPANTS HOSTEL GUEST - 2 hostel guests interviewed. - Both guests average stay at the hostel is 5 days. - The most frequently used spaces for the guest is the lobby, guest room, and communal spaces such as the bar and pool. RECEPTIONIST - 1 receptionist interviewed. - Working at the Freehand for 3 years - The receptionist is in charge of dealing with guests that enter and leave the hostel through check-in/out. The receptionist also deals with any of the guest needs. - The most frequently used spaces for the receptionist is the lobby, luggage room, and break room.

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MIAMI LOCAL - 2 Miami locals interviewed - The most freqently used spaces for the Miami locals are the lobby and outdoor spaces. BARTENDER - 1 bartender interviewed - Working in the hospitality industry for 4 years. - Working at the Broken Shaker for a year and a half - The most frequently used spaces for the bartener is the back of the bar and the outdoor bar area.

INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS The interview questions (please see Apendix), were divided up into different questions based on the user being interviewed. The questions range from about 6-11 questions, each interview lasting about 10-15 minutes. The interview followed a protocol through using a generic opening line asking for permission to tape record the interview so we can accurately document the interviewees experience at the Freehand. This was done to ensure confidentiality between the interviewer and interviewee and provide a sense of trust and openness to achieve the correct results. The information collected from the recorded interviewes were then transcribed using transcription software and converted to a word document. This organization of the data led to a greater method of automatic coding using the Nvivo database.

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WORD FREQUENCY: QUERY RESULTS

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OUTCOME The questions that were asked were constructed to gain a better understanding of how the guests and employees move through the space, socially interact with others, what they feel could be improved in the space, and what they found to be the most successful aspects of the space. The outcome was extremely successful because it helped us gain a better understanding of the hostel first hand through the eyes of the user. As seen through the word frequency chart, the most frequent word used was “freehand” which shows us that branding is extremely important in the hostel. The second most frequent word is “hostel,” which tells us that the users emphasize the fact that it is a hostel accomodation instead of a hotel. Each word, or code, was further analyzed through the use if the Nvivo word tree.

INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

WORD FREQUENCY ANALYSIS Through the use of the Nvivo database we ran a word frequency query for the 50 most frequently used words and their similar word counterparts. We limited the results to only look up words with a minimal length of 5 letters, to eliminate the words such as “like” and “um.” Through the word frequency analysis we hoped to gain an understanding of the most important wants and needs of the users. Each word was coded first on its own and then considered in relation to the context it was used in.

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WORD FREQUENCY: WORD CLOUD

Figure 43: Nvivo word cloud 50 most frequently used words

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INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

WORD CLOUD ANALYSIS The word cloud is a visually graphic way to see the most frequent words. The most frequently used word was “freehand.” The second most frequently used word was “hostel.” What this shows is is the users emphasis on the name of the hostel and how important branding and name is to the user. It also shows the importance of the fact that it is a hostel and not another type of room and board such as a hotel, motel, or inn. There is an emphasis on the hostel experience. The next most frequent words were “guests” and “people” which shows the importance of interaction in the hostel. The amount of times these words were used were tied in their word frequency and are related mostly because guests are types of people that use the hostel. These words and the outcomes become very important information for our research because the words become physical proof that “hostel” and “people” go hand in hand to create an atmosphere of social interaction. Other words that most frequently were used such as “Miami,” and “place” go hand in hand because it is talking about the location of the hostel. This shows the importance of the area and situation surrounding the hostel. Through our research, we have seen that location is very important in a hostel because most guests are looking for cheap accomodations and also do not want to spend too much money on transportation. A few other words that can be seen in this word cloud such as “night, ”friends,” and “experience” all speak about the type of atmosphere the hostel gives off as a social space. The rest of the interview analysis will take these words and take the word tree generated from Nvivo to analyse the context the word was used in.

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TEXT SEARCH: WORD TREE

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Figure 44: Nvivo Word Tree

INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

WORD TREE: FREEHAND The frequent use of the word “Freehand” 47 times, at a weighted percentage of 2.82% is important to note because it shows the paramount importance of branding in the hostel. The known elements of the hostel as “the freehand” through its branding of the bar as the Broken Shaker and the restaurant as the 27 Restaurant gives the hostel its popularity and gives it a name as the most successful hostel in Miami Beach. Our original research question revolves around the social interaction that can be fostered in the space through the design. This is further proven by the use of the word “freehand” so many times because the name of the space is that important to the user. The popularity of the space brings people of all cultures and even brings in locals from the surrounding area. thus creating the atmosphere needed to foster social interaction. This further proves our hypothesis that an authentic and positive hostel experience is created through social interaction between the guests. The context that the word is used in is mostly positive, talking about how the hostel is “the nicest hostel” and “very clean.” The context that the word is used in also talks about the safety of the hostel and how surprosed the user was to see the comfort, privacy, and design of the hostel is much different than they expected. Other responses, however, talk about how the hostel lacks certain amenities. One response that stood out was that the “lobby isn’t too welcoming” which from our other research methods also proved that. This interview analysis aids our research through further proving statements previously made in our thesis.

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TEXT SEARCH: WORD TREE

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Figure 45: Nvivo Word Tree

INTERVIEW ANALYSIS WORD TREE: HOSTEL The frequent use of the word “hostel” 37 times at a weighted percentage of 2.22 was the second most frequent used word throughout our interview process. We have analysed that the word hostel is so important to the users of the space because it is the reason why the users chose this type of accomodation instead of choosing a more expensive lodging experience such as a hotel, motel, or inn. The word “hostel” differentiates the Freehand Miami Beach as a type of lodging experience that offers personality, character, room for an original experience, and a space for thriving relationships to form. The context that the word is used in speaks positively about the hostel through comments such as the hostel being “the nicest hostel” or “the coolest and safest hostel.” Other negative comments using the word hostel can be seen in comments such as “at night it gets filled” refering to the overcrowding of the space. Overall, this word tree shows the direct correlation to the codes: freehand, design, space, local, and comfort. This word tree points out certain elements the users of the space find important such as the transportation, comfort, safety, and design of the space.

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TEXT SEARCH: WORD TREE

Figure 46: Nvivo Word Tree

138

INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

WORD TREE: GUESTS The frequent use of the word “guests” 22 times at a weighted percentage of 1.32 was the third most frequent used word throughout our interview process. We have analysed that the word “guests” is relevant to our research because it provides a direct correlation with social interaction. The importance of the correct crowd of guests a hostel provides is the principal expression of a hostel and is the main reasoning why people choose this type of accommodation. The personality, character, and overall experience of the space provides the guests with a positive reaction and assists in helping guests interact. The context that the word is used in speaks about the positive versus negative aspects the guests feel in the space. One context the word “guests” is used in speaks about crowds that chose to stay at the hostel. This points out the importance of the types of people that are attracted to the hostel. For instance, our survey analysis pointed out the fact that mostly the younger generation ages 21-35 tend to go to the hostel; thus, the crowds of people the design must provide for is this age range. Another context example the word tree shows is “we cant serve as many guests.” This brings up the concern of the Freehand’s lack of employee to guest ratio. This is an interesting find throughout the interview analysis and is important to note for our programming when deciding the spatial needs of the guests. This has come to conclude that the guest rooms must be adjacent to employee work stations to make direct access to supplies more convenient.

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TEXT SEARCH: WORD TREE

Figure 47: Nvivo Word Tree

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INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

WORD TREE: PEOPLE The frequent use of the word “people” 22 times at a weighted percentage of 1.32 was the fourth most frequent used word throughout our interview process. We have analysed that the word “people” is relevant to our research because of the same reason the word “guests” does: it provides a direct correlation with social interaction. The context that the word is used in really stands out as being concerned with the needs of the people, ranging from “people go there to be entertained” and “people like to hang out.” This information shows that there is a direct response of the design of the space between the types of entertainment and atmosphere the hostel brings. Major design decisions clearly directly affect the level of interaction and comunication between all users of the facility. Thus, we have come to conclude that the frequency of the word “people” proves that the interviewees or users of the space are concerned with the amount of interaction they have with people. For instance, the word tree even shows the word used as “interacting with people” and “talking to other people.” Lastly, the word used in the context of “satisfy multiple types of people” shows how culture plays an important role in design. This is because different people of different cultures come to the hostel and have a sense of expentancy of a hostel based on their norm. Thus, the design must be generic and engage people of all types of cultures. Having a balance between culture and design leads to positive social interaction through creating a comfortable space for all different types of people.

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TEXT SEARCH: WORD TREE

Figure 48: Nvivo Word Tree

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INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

WORD TREE: SPACE The frequent use of the word “space” 21 times at a weighted percentage of 1.26 was the fifth most frequent used word throughout our interview process. We have analysed that the word “space” is relevant to our research because this means that the users are concerned with the space surrounding them. This brings up a discussion on territoriality. Through our research it shows that territoriality is another environmentally psychological aproach to privacy. Territoriality plays a major role in the space because we have come to see that guests want to interact with people but also have personal boundaries of privacy. Therefore, the importance of the word “space” directly correlates to the privacy guests and even employees strive to have. The context the word “space” is used in can prove this through the line that “there isn’t enough space.” This means that the user feels confined within the space through crowding and would like more privacy. Thus, the frequency the word “space” was used has further proven our research of the importance of a balance between social interaction and privacy. Lastly, the word “space” was used in a few instances explaining that “there isn’t enough counter space” and “we just need more space” which proves how important storage and correct spatial layout in design is important. The guests and employees must feel that their needs are met and they have adequate space to do their job or enjoy their stay at the hostel.

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144 Figure 50: Nvivo Word Tree

Figure 49: Nvivo Word Tree

TEXT SEARCH: WORD TREE

INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

WORD TREE: PLACE & MIAMI Both the word “place” and “Miami” were used 18 times at a weighted percentage of 1.08. We have analysed that both of these words pertain to location. Through our previous research and analysis we have come to understand that the location of a hostel is one of the most important factors when designing. The surrounding location of the hostel gives it a certain cultural identity and development of place is determined on the experiences in the location. Location is also important for technical reasons such as traffic, proximity to public transportation, and convenient adjacency to main attractions. The context that the word “place” was used positively through lines such as “its the best place,” “a young and hip place,” and “the bar is my favorite place.” The word “place” was also used to describe the activities done in the space such as “dancing,” “hanging out,” and “talking to other guests.” The context of the word “Miami” speaks about the local culture of the location of the Freehand. This is extremely important because as seen from the previous research on regional uniqueness, Miami has a very distinct culture that should speak to the hostel. The word tree query results shows that the users of the space want to spend “a lot of time outside exploring Miami” and understanding the “true essence of Miami.” the culture of Miami clearly has a direct correlation with the design of the hostel through the outdoor space that embraces the tropical weather of Miami, along with the beachy feel the guest rooms give off.

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Our original research question involves designing a hostel to foster social interaction and provide a sense of well- being for the user of the space through design. Focusing on the 50 most frequently used words helped us further prove our thesis. We discovered that some of the words go hand in hand such as “space” and “place”; therefore, producing a smaller list of frequently used query words without compromising their weighted percentage in relation to all interview codes. We found that every frequent word uniquely brought up certain subjects. For instance, the word, or code “freehand” pertains to the importance of branding. The second code “hostels” refers to the importance of creating an authentic hostel experience and wanting to stay at a hostel rather than another type of lodging accomodation. The code word “guest” and “people” explains our hypothesis about social interaction best by proving the importance of a hostel and the experiences a guest looks for with other people through interaction. The code “space” refers to territoriality, and lastly the words “place” and “Miami” refers to the importance of location of the hostel. Overall, the interview research method showed to be successful through helping further prove our hypothesis that design can help foster social interaction. This interview method also showed many ways that the Freehand can improve its productivity and overall guest and employee satisfaction levels.

INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

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FINAL SYNTHESIS The Freehand is a successful hostel made up of multiple social areas working together within a common space. A hostels main purpose is to bring travelers together and facilitate the process of forming connections and relationships amongst one another. Although the majority of the spaces at the Freehand are public social spaces, the hostel was designing with numerous sleeping options that vary in levels of privacy. While it’s true that the social spaces are what initially attract guests to stay in a hostel, a level of privacy still needs to be maintained in order to provide a successful experience. By grouping VIP guest rooms and bungalows apart from the main building, travels are given the opportunity to still feel like they’re a part of the community while providing them with the necessary privacy control. Based on the results from our behavior maps, we can conclude that spaces are utilized differently depending on the time of day. The most stable observation of the behavior of the Freehand Miami Beach was the observation of the communal spaces in the lobby and in the outdoor bar area. This space seemed to be the most populated at all times of the day and night, weekday or weekend. The high traffic areas were all the social spaces (lobby, outdoor bar, and pool area), no matter the time of the day, these spaces were constantly occupied by guests or locals. By using the observation chart method, we were able to conclude that the weekends are generally busier in the hostel than the weekdays, and weekday mornings seem to be fairly quiet, compared to the weekday nights. With this information, we were able to grasp a better understanding of the types of activities that should be available in a hostel at a given time. The chart findings also demonstrated the ratio of males versus females in the space. As seen previously, the data has come to conclude that there are more males in the space. This could essentially be a result of the misconception that hostels are often seen as dangerous or unsafe lodging environment. By giving female users of the space a sense of comfort and safety through design, this misconception could easily be forgotten within a space.

SYNTHESIS

MAJOR FINDINGS

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REFERENCES

APENDIX

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Studios, Ideawork. “About the Company.” The Sydell Group, www.sydellgroup.com/company/about. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017. “Types of Hotel Positions.” Chron.com, work.chron.com/types-hotel-positions-10041.html. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.

United States Climate Data. (n.d.). Temperature- Precipitation-sunshine-snowfall. Retrieved September 20, 2017, from http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/miami-beach/florida/united-states/usfl0543 US Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Weather Service. “Great Miami Hurricane of 1926.” National Weather Service, NOAA’s National Weather Service, 8 Sept. 2016, www.weather.gov/mfl/miami_hurricane. Accessed 1 Sept. 2017.

REFERENCES

“QuickFacts: Miami Beach, FL.” U.S. Census Bureau, United States Census Bureau, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ miamibeachcityflorida/RHI105210#viewtop. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.

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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Samuel, S. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: http://sarahshermansamuel.com/smitten-travels-miami-beach/ Figure 2: Trend Land. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://trendland.com/the-freehand-miami-2/freehand-miami-04/ Figure 3: Unknown. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: http://www.romanandwilliams.com/hotels/freehand-miami/ Figure 4: Tablet. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.tablethotels.com/en/miami-hotels/freehand-miami Figure 5: Jet Setter. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.jetsetter.com/hotels/miami-beach/florida/4172/ freehand-miami?source_id=45804&sptk=1&pch=1 Figure 6: Wilkes, R. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.we-heart.com/2015/04/10/27-freehand-miami-restaurant/ Figure 7: Meadows, J. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/freehandmiami/pho tos/a.481883205270632.1073741862.206961672762788/481883291937290/?type=3&theater Figure 8: Gaensler, K. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: http://www.99traveltips.com/travel-tips/newcomers-guide-miami/ Figure 9: The Every Girl. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: http://theeverygirl.com/instagrammable-spots-miami/ Figure 10: Meadows, J. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/freehandmiami/pho tos/a.481883205270632.1073741862.206961672762788/481883291937290/?type=3&t Figure 11: Wilkerson, R. [Poster]. Retrieved from: http://rogerwilkerson.tumblr.com/post/84230227141/miami-beach-1952 Figure 12: 1927 Carl Fisher Marketing stunt. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: https://oceandrive.com/important-moments-in-mi ami-beach-history. Figure 13: Getaways. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: https://roadtrippers.com/stories/this-posh-tel-has-the-swank iest-rooms-that-30-can-buy?lat=40.80972&lng=-96.67528&z=5 Figure 14: Choi, E. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: http://www.eggcanvas.me/blog/2015/12/10/a-taste-of-miami Figure 15: Wilkes, R. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.we-heart.com/2015/04/10/27-freehand-miami-restaurant/

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Figure 16: Tablet. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.tablethotels.com/en/miami-hotels/freehand-miami Figure 17: John S. Collins. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/cityclerk/historic_gallery/histor icphotogallery.aspx

Figure 19: Miami Bach traffic, 1921. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/cityclerk/historic_gallery/ historicphotogallery.aspx Figure 20: Hurricane South Beach damage. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.weather.gov/images/mfl/events/1926 hurricane/south_beach.jpg Figure 21: Miami Beach after hurricane. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: https://www.weather.gov/images/mfl/events/1926 hurricane/miami_beach2.jpg Figure 22: 1937 Collins Avenue. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/cityclerk/historic_gallery/ historicphotogallery.aspx

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 18: Miami Beach in 1914. [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.miaminew times.com/news/100-years-the-dark-and-dirty-history-of-miami-beach-7552169

Figure 23: Fontainebleau Miami Beach. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: http://www.lastminute.com/hotels/united-states/ miami-beach/fontainebleau-miami-beach-hotel Figure 24: Maxine Hotel. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/cityclerk/historic_gallery/ historicphotogallery.aspx Figure 25: Carl Fischer Marketing stunt. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: https://oceandrive.com/important-moments-inmiami-beach-history Figure 26: 1972 Democratic and Republican National Convention. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.miaminew times.com/news/100-years-the-dark-and-dirty-history-of-miami-beach-7552169 Figure 27: 1970 Miami Beach. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/cityclerk/historic_gallery/histor icphotogallery.aspx Figure 28: Miami Beach Today. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/383931936976596460/

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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 29: Summer in Miami. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/blog/usuo_miami_2017?c m_re=Blog_Content-_-B11-_-usuo_miami_2017&crlt.pid=camp.yeGMoFqj5ptK Figure 30:500 Brickell. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BW8uVhvA-f5/ Figure 31:Colony Hotel. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.express.co.uk/travel/beach/594343/Things-to-do-in-Miami Figure 32: Chic Streets and Eats. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.chicstreetsand eats.com/2012/01/spring-2012-nudes-neons-outfit-inspo.html?m=1 Figure 33: Lanas Art. [Painting]. Retrieved from: https://www.etsy.com/listing/191494640/art-deco-mi ami-print-from-watercolor?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share Figure 34: Luxx. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: http://www.luxxu.net/blog/category/architecture/

Figure 35:Miami Design Preservation League. [Poster]. Retrieved from: http://www.mdpl.org/events/about-adw/attachment/art-de co-weekend-2003/ Figure 36: Beatles in Miami Beach. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: https://i.pinimg.com/origi nals/a9/08/f4/a908f4f31ccfb90357cc5dd0c38eda69.jpg Figure 37: Lummus Parl. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.groupon.com/deals/ga-bk-cardozo-hotel?p=10&utm_ source=groupon_getaways&utm_medium=email&sid=7b8fd835-cf9c-4076-92ae-ba3e944331a7&user= f136baa6e63bbd449f6d869be749130fa644b666061d3ffe96f61fa 40a0f33d1&date=20131001&s=body&c=image&d=getaways_deal Figure 38: 1997 Miami Tornado. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tornado_miami.jpg Figure 39: Freehand Miami Map. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://freehandhotels.com/miami/ Figure 40: Koopen Florida Climate Chart. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FL_koppen.svg

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Figure 41: Meadows, J. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/freehandmiami/pho tos/a.481883205270632.1073741862.206961672762788/481883291937290/?type=3&theater

Figure 43: Nvivo Word Cloud. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from Nvivo Software. Figure 44: Nvivo Word Tree. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from Nvivo Software. Figure 45: Nvivo Word Tree. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from Nvivo Software. Figure 46: Nvivo Word Tree. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from Nvivo Software. Figure 47: Nvivo Word Tree. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from Nvivo Software.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 42: The Freehand Lobby. Unknown. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/the-worlds-coolest-hostels?ref=news_fd_051916&&bt_ts=2016-05-19.

Figure 48: Nvivo Word Tree. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from Nvivo Software. Figure 49: Nvivo Word Tree. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from Nvivo Software. Figure 50: Nvivo Word Tree. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from Nvivo Software.

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SURVEY SAMPLE The Freehand Survey FIU Interior Architecture Please complete the following questions to the best of your knowledge. Your answers will help guide our design decisions during our thesis project.

36-45

2. Which description best describes you? Local Travelling Guest

50 and over

Employee

Other

SURVEY SAMPLE

1. What age range do you fall under? 18-25 26-35

3. How important is privacy to guests who chose to stay in shared rooms? (1 = not important, 5 = very important) 1 2 3 4 5 4. How important is the outdoor portion of the Freehand as a social space? (1 = not important, 5 = very important) 1 2 3 4 5 5. How comfortable do guests feels leaving their belonging in shared rooms? (1 = not comfortable, 5 = very comfortable) 1 2 3 4 5 6. How safe is it for guests to leave their belongings in shared rooms? (1 = not safe, 5 = very safe) 1 2 3 4 5 7. Rank the current success rate and guest satisfaction at The Freehand. (1 = poor, 5 = very good) 1 2 3 4 5 8. How much time do guest spend utilizing hostel amenities? 1-10% 10-30% 30-60% 60-100% 9. Which space do you think is most popular among guests and locals? The lobby The Broken Shaker 27 Restaurant The pool 10. What ethnicity are most guests who chose to stay at The Freehand? Europeans Asians Hispanic Other

11. What is the average guest age range? 18-25 26-35 36-45

50 and over

12. How long do guests stay in their rooms per day? 4- 8 hours 8-12 hours 12-20 hours

20 or more

13. What is the average length of a guest stay? 1 night 2-3 night more than 4 nights 14. What are the most common types of guest that check in? Single Travelers Couples Families Business People 15. What amenities do you think The Freehand is missing? ____________________________________________

Other

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Good morning/ afternoon, __________________. Thank you for taking your time to participate in our research interview. My name is __________________, and I am a graduate student in the Interior Architecture program at Florida International University. This interview will help us with our thesis project and give us information on hostels and how guests socially interact based on design implementations. This interview will take about 15-20 minutes and will include _______ questions regarding your experience here at the Freehand. We are looking for factors that might affect your overall satisfaction with the design of the hostel. I would like to ask you permission to tape record our interview, so I can accurately document your experience at the Freehand. All of your responses will remain confidential and this information will only be used for the purposes of our thesis project. If any time during the interview you feel uncomfortable with the tape recorder please do not hesitate to let me know. Your participation in this interview is completely voluntary. If at any time during this interview you need a break or would like to withdraw your participation, please let me know. Before we begin, do you have any questions you would like to ask me? With your permission, let us begin the interview process. RECEPTIONIST QUESTIONS: 1. How long have you been working in the hospitality industry? 2. What is your role at the Freehand? How long have you been working here? 3. How much of your day is spent interacting with the guests? 4. What are a few aspects you like about the design? 5. Is there anything about the design of the space that gets in the way of you doing your work more productively? If so, what are they and why do they get in the way? 6. Do you think the Freehand lacks certain amenities for the guests? If so, what would you add to the design to better the hostel experience? 7. What areas do you think are the most popular among guests? Why? HOSTEL GUEST QUESTIONS: 1. Why did you choose to stay at the Freehand? 2. Are you traveling alone, or with others? 3. What type of room are you staying in- private or shared? 4. How long is your stay in the hostel? Do you spend more time in the hostel or exploring the local city? 5. What are a few aspects you like about the design of the hostel? 6. Is there anything about the design that reduces your satisfaction level? If so, what is it and why? 7. Do you think the Freehand lacks certain amenities? If so, what would you add to the design to better the hostel experience? 8. Do you feel there are aspects of this space that have a direct influence on the amount of time you spend socially interacting within the space? Is it the space? People? Culture? 9. Have you stayed at any of the other Freehand locations? If so, which one and how does the Freehand Miami compare?

LOCALS QUESTIONS: 1. What brings you to the Freehand today? 2. How did you first hear about the freehand? 3. How often do you visit the Freehand? 4. What is your favorite part about the Freehand? 5. Are you satisfied with the customer service that you receive when you visit the Freehand? 6. Which amenities have you used at the Freehand? (The pool, 27 Restaurant, or the Broken Shaker?). Which is your favorite and why? 7. If this is your first time visiting, do you plan to return? Why or why not? 8. Do you ever interact with people staying at the Freehand when you come? 9. As a local, do you visit the Freehand for the amenities offered or for relationships that may be formed with traveling guests as well as locals? 10. Do you think the Freehand lacks certain amenities? If so, what would you add to the space to better the hostel experience? 11. Do you feel that Brickell would benefit from having a Freehand? BARTENDER QUESTIONS: 1. How long have you been working in the hospitality industry? And how long have you been working at the Broken Shaker specifically? 2. How is the Broken Shaker different from other bars you have worked at in the past? 3. In your opinion, are there any unique aspects or features at the Broken Shaker compared to other venues in the area? If so, what are they? 4. In your opinion, what do guests like about the Broken Shaker? 5. Is there anything about the design of the space that gets in the way of you doing your job efficiently? If so, what are they? 6. Is there anything about the design of the space that has a negative impact on guest’s experience and satisfaction? If so, what are they?

INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Thank you for taking your time to help us with the interview process of our thesis project. It is greatly appreciated and your information truly helped us gain a better understanding of the hostel experience. Have a great rest of your day.

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