Frame #124

Objects
Designers rethink manufacturing processes. Furniture becomes available by subscription. Is Li-Fi the new Wi-Fi? Discover new directions in the world of products.

The Challenge: Sustainable Hospitality
In the lead-up to each issue, Frame challenges emerging designers to answer a topical question with a future-forward concept. Involving both travel and dining out – activities that typically generate a deluge of waste – the hospitality industry is in need of a radical rethink. Hotel guests are starting to stoke the fire: Greenview’s 2017 ‘Green Lodging Trends Report’ noted a drastic increase in queries about carbon offsetting from overnight visitors. In line with this issue’s hospitality-themed Frame Lab, we asked five makers to share their visions for the industry’s future.

Portraits

Subodh Gupta raids the kitchen. JamesPlumb stays true to its sculptural roots. Bernard Tschumi discusses the evolution of architecture. Meet the people. Get their perspectives.

Spaces

Yusuke Seki designs by deconstructing. AMO clears the showroom floor. Capsule hotels gain ground. Retail introduces appointment-based and alternative-ownership models. Step inside the great indoors.

Hospitality Lab
Is the concept of sustainable travel a contradiction? With up to 80 per cent of the industry’s CO₂ emissions generated by the journey alone – not to mention accusations of greenwashing aimed at the ecotourism sector – it seems all but impossible for holidaymakers to leave home with a clear conscience. Thankfully, change is afoot. Realizing that transparency is key, hotel designers are explicitly integrating sustainability into their plans and, in many cases, are involving both guests and locals in their various initiatives.

Reports: Soft Furnishings

Companies give textile waste a new lease of life. Nature-inspired designs bring the outdoors in. Technical fabrics push the limits of acoustics. Discover what’s driving the business of design.