DISSERTATION

INNOVATIVE BUILDING MATERIALS AND

TECHNOLOGY IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

S,AMREEN SUMERA
 WHY HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY AIM

NEED FOR THE RESEARCH
The hospitality and tourism industry is a vast sector that includes all
the economic activities that directly or indirectly contribute to, or
depend upon, travel and tourism. This industry sector includes: Hotels
& Resorts. Restaurants & Catering. Night Clubs & Bars
Food and Beverage', 'Accommodation', 'Travel and Tourism' and
'Entertainment and Recreation' are the 3 main hospitality sectors
The research aims to understand the need for Innovative building materials and
technology in construction, in the hospitality sector globally. The research is
based on a qualitative approach on the characteristics of building materials, the
modern construction technology and its impact on the industry. Hotels and resorts
being the major base of study.
The aim to study Globally as, innovation and technology has taken place
worldwide and there is no particular regional constraint to it’s application.

People rely on the hospitality industry to fulfill their basic needs of

transport, accommodation, food, and entertainment for work and It makes a significant contribution to the economies of the different nations
recreational purposes. of the world in varied ways.

As the world keeps developing, economy would be a major imapct in

the development of a country and the hospitality sector provides a good 1. Creates Employment
impact on the economy. 2. Boosts other local industries
3. Generates income
The benefits tourism and hospitality will have on a nation’s
economy are endless. The most obvious factor is the 4. Foreign Exchange earnings
employment created as a result of hotels, airlines, travel 5. Foreign Direct Investments
agencies, and more. One in ten jobs around the world are in
6. Preserves Traditional industries
tourism.
7. Develops Diversoficaiton
Foreign investment also increases when a country is on the rise 8. Builds infrastructure
as a tourist destination. Many of its industries will see a boom
and much of this interest will come from abroad.
CHALLENGES
• Rising costs – though foreign travel is becoming popular, costs are also rising and this is something
organisations across the sector are becoming aware of.

• Natural disasters – tragic events are out of our hands, however, they often have a long-lasting impact on a
region and can mean tourists stay away for large periods of time.

• Changing customer expectations – as competition increases among hotels, restaurants etc. customers
expect more and more and this is something business owners must cater to effectively.

OPPORTUNITIES
• Developing nations – the tourism sector is able to give hope to many developing states and has the power to lift them out
of poverty.

• Multiplier effect – when one sector booms in a local town, so do others. For example, if a tourist destination is popular,
hotels and restaurants nearby will be required. This creates an opportunity for other businesses.

• Greater technology – a fast-moving sector such as this should focus on new technologies to create the best experience
possible for customers.
 HISTORY
• Throughout history, in the field of construction materials, innovation and development of materials
has been achieved through a test of the physical and mechanical limits of them. Wood, stone, concrete are existing materials used in a large percentage in
construction,
• However the development needs, have led to the creation of better materials on certain levels than the initial counterparts.
• These new materials are important because they shape our physical environment, leading to a deeper understanding of current needs
• Beginning in the 19th century with the widespread introduction of steel,leading to the emergence of long-span and high-rise building forms, materials
transitioned from their pre-modern role of being subordinate to architectural needs into a means to expand functional performance and
open up new formal responses
• The concern to create adaptive structures dates back no more than two decades. The study of materials with shape memory began sixty years ago
and, gradually, with the discovery of new technologies, they became more and more efficient and used in technology.
• There is a trend to gradually replace traditional construction technologies with new ones, which bring
a number of advantages:
• Improving the quality
• Increasing durability over time
• Obtaining a special design
• Reducing the execution time
An example can be ceramic materials, some of the oldest materials used in construction.
They have undergone significant changes due to their contemporary use, with high strendth or
optical transparency properties, with higher mechanical performance, so they have been used not only in
construction but also in the aerospace industry.
Carbon fiber-reinforced ceramic composite materials have superior strength properties and
are more recently used in construction. Terra Cotta, a classic material, is now used in architectural rain-screen application
 RECENT TRENDING MATERIALS
LIGHT GENERATING CEMENT - Cement absorbs the sunlight in the day and emits it in the night time. This
technique allows the materials crystallisation properties to break up and allow the light to pass through making it
opaque.
The Cabkoma Strand Rod (THERMOPLASTIC CARBIN FIBRE) - Easily transportable, sustainable and
extremely strong building material creates tension and compression while supporting the structure. It transfers all
the lateral loads hence protecting the building against any tremors. It is 5 times lighter than classic metal rods
contributing to even a lighter structure.
Hollow Clay Bricks- The clay bricks are the solution to that. The unusual shape of this brick helps majorly in
blocking the sun and letting the building breathe through its hollow cores in letting the air pass and also control
noise intrusion

Transparent Wood- Being a great alternative to glass and plastic, transparent wood is environmental-friendly and
energy efficient. In the production process, the lignin is replaced with polymers to make it transparent.

Modular Bamboo- Being light weight, availability in

abundance and stronger than steel, this material can take any
shape in construction and also act as a major earthquake
resistant structure in various parts of the world. Bamboo can
grow upto 4 feet in a couple of hours and is majorly used in
low-cost housing in Philippines, Indonesia and other low-
lying islands.
 Materials
• The Materials shortlisted for research is Mycelium. The Growing Pavilion, a project by Biobased Creations in partnership with artist Pascal
Leboucq and Krown Design, is made primarily with wood, mycelium, residual flows from the agricultural sector, cattail, and
cotton.Krown.bio, show that two tons of carbon dioxide are captured from the atmosphere when producing one ton of mycelium. In
addition to its environmental benefits, mycelium is a wonderful building material in its own right. “Mycelium has the highest acoustic
value and the second highest insulation.
• Another such Bio material is Hemp
• PIGMENTED CONCRETE - Concrete is an achromatic symbol of strength that
triggers harsh and roughness with human feelings when exposed. However, when
appropriate pigmented admixtures added to cement, gravel, sand and water can result in
coloured concrete mixtures. Other than aesthetics, it adds a sense of perspective and
contrast with surroundings while reducing the dependence on paints and sealants.
• Eg. Gridded hotel , Mexico
• CLT is a sustainable and resilient form of engineered wood which does not require
burning of any fossil fuels during its construction. It is made by gluing layers of solid-
sawn lumber together and layers lay perpendicular to each other making it more tensile
and greater compressive strength. Originated in Europe, excellent building material due
to faster production, great quality and flexibility in design. - Hotel Malis Garten,
Austria
• An interesting yet notable invention where the cement absorbs the sunlight in the day
and emits it in the night time. This technique allows the materials crystallisation
properties to break up and allow the light to pass through making it opaque. expected to
be used in – bathrooms, swimming pools, facades, roads, parking areas and kitchens. It
could also be used in road signs because of the light emitting properties. This material is
composed of silica, river sand, industrial waste, alkali and water.- Light generating
cement
 Hotel Malis Garten, Austria - CLT
Benefits of the Terracotta
Rainscreen System
• Weather protection
• Preventing heat accumulation
• Moisture control
• Sound protection
• Thermal insulation
• Fire protection
CASA TERRA, ITALY - Pigmented concrete
When rain and wind force moisture towards the building, the
majority is deflected by the terracotta outer layer, the primary
weatherproof layer. The moisture that penetrates through the
outer layer is then effectively managed through ventilation
and drainage in the cavity between the primary
weatherproofing layer and the secondary weatherproof layer.
Rainscreen systems utilise air flow and ventilation to insulate
buildings and minimize exposure and damage caused by the
elements.
The Center for Asian Art at the Ringling
Museum of Art, By Machado Silvetti,
Sarasota, FL, United StatesTerracotta
panels by Boston Valley Terra Cotta
Net Case studies
This Gridded Hotel Made From Pigmented Concrete And Volcanic Stone Sits On
Rugged Terrain In Mexico
Mexican architecture firms Taller Carlos Marín
and Pasquinel Studio have completed a gridded
hotel made of pigmented concrete and volcanic
stone to complete the natural terrain on a site
located between Tepoztlán and Amatlán in the
State of Morelos, Mexico.

Project facts

Project name: Hotel Tepoztlpán

Architects: Taller Carlos Marín and

Pasquinel Studio

Location: Mexico

Size: 1537m2

Date: 2020
 Net Case studies
The hotel accommodates eleven
rooms distributed on two upper levels,
which allows you to appreciate the
views of both the valley and the
formations of the hills. Some rooms
allow visitors to merge and share
terraces - with private roof gardens.
A special Yoga room is situated on the
ground floor of the main building as
well as a restaurant. The Yoga room's
floor was built with recycled
construction wood.
The gentle ramps and staircases allow guests to
The Tepoztlán area presents a large amount of
reach the pool area, which is 2.5-metre from the
volcanic stone which was used to build a large
access level, while the room building makes the
number of walls and floors.
first forced stop for the user to the center of the
The strategy was to extract stone in strategic
land and to an altitude of - 1.20 meters.
places, to the extent that we extracted stone for
The architects protected some large trees to
the construction of perimeter fences and
serve as architectural elements that conditioned
floors, at the same time we generated "voids"
and governed the location of the architectural
and/or "quarries" that we were allowed to take
volumes, cutting, drilling, and deforming the
advantage of
architecture. In total, 99% of the species found
on the land were rescued.
 Net Case studies
The hotel has a rainwater collection system in order
to depend as little as possible on drinking water that
is provided by the municipality. The collection
begins with the collection of water from roofs, which
is then distributed through channels and then
deposited in cisterns to be treated and reused.
A key condition was to intervene in the terrain
as little as possible with the footprint of the
buildings and to allow Tepoztlán's own nature
to take over space and the architecture
For this hotel, the architects wanted to blend
architecture with nature as a holistic approach,
the existing volcanic stone was used to create
walls and floors, construction wood (falsework,
rollers, and bars) was recycled to create railings,
furniture, doors, and floors.
"As for the main construction material, we
opted for the pigmented apparent concrete, we
selected a reddish tone that allowed us to
amalgamate not only with the existing stone and
wood but also with the landscape, with the hills
that surround the valley," the architects
continued.
Net Case studies
Advantages:
Long-lasting: The pigments
are chemically stable and do
not fade over time from
exposure to weather or
ultraviolet light.
Labour savings: There is no
need to dust the colour onto
the surface and float it in
during finishing, as is the case
with shake-on hardeners.
High strength
Durability
Weather resistance
Minimal maintenance
required
Disadvantages:
Cost: It is 10-30% more
expensive than for plain
concrete.
 Technology - Modular construction
1. There are compelling reasons for hospitality brands to consider industrial prefabrication, the construction method in which a
hotel is built room-by-room in a factory, with modular units transported to the final site and assembled like shipping containers to
create the hotel building.
2. Offers a wide range of benefits including shorter schedules, lower construction costs, better quality control, and smaller
carbon footprints and other sustainability advantages.
3. Shorter construction timelines—often by at least several months—are among the most well-known benefits of the
modular approach, reducing costs and speeding time to market and revenue generation. The repetitive elements that make
modular construction scalable are also particularly well-suited to hospitality applications.
3Gatti's The Shelf Hotel is composed of small removable modules within a structure raised above ground level, so that the
underlying green space is preserved to protect the environment in Sian, China. The rooms are real modules in a frame,
interchangeable like objects on a shelf.

Travelodge Uxbridge-In Uxbridge, England, 86 Chinese containers of various sizes

arrived pre-assembled with plumbing and electrical systems from China, were
stacked and bolted and became the Travelodge Uxbridge, a budget hotel with 120
bedrooms. According to the company that built it, the hotel chain saved $1 million
and at least 10 weeks of work by deciding to build a modular hotel.
 Prefabricated Green Hotel, Dubai Expo 2020
In the run up to Dubai Expo 2020 a total of
circa 50,000 new rooms are to be built.
Client/
Private Client Room Pods
Prefabricated high standard rooms that include finishes
and bathrooms are assembled offsite and slotted into the
Project/ matrix structure. This process reduces the onsite
the Prefabricated Green construction programme whilst providing a high-quality
factory fitted finish. Modular rooms can be joined to
Hotel obtain different layouts or styles.

Location/ Structure
Internal modular structure comes in modular
Dubai, UAE prefabricated pieces to optimise assembly and reduce
onsite wastage.
Project Team/
Frame
Lead Design Consultant/ A concrete outer frame wraps the tower form. The frame
Studio DS is composed of modular prefabricated pieces assembled
in situ.
Architecture & Interior
Design Louvres
Facade louvres help to reduce facade irradiation and
limit internal heat gain.
Prefabricated Green Hotel, Dubai Expo 2020
Prefabricated Green Hotel, Dubai Expo 2020

REF - BE SPOKE MODULAR SOLUTIONS

Prefabricated Green Hotel, Dubai Expo 2020
 Trending technology in Landscape Architecture - Net Case Study
Fire-Escape Ecosystem -GROSS.MAX + Mark Dion
Vertical Garden, Fair Street Housing, London

The salvaged fire escape is considered

here both structurally and symbolically.
AS
A SCAFFOLDING FRAMEWORK,
IT IS AN ORGANIZING
STRUCTURE
THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE A
MODULAR PLANTING
STRATEGY; ITS CROSSBEAM
AND STAIR STRUCTURE ALLOWS
FOR INSTALLATION AND
ONGOING MAINTENANCE, AS
WELL AS FUNCTIONING AS A
SUPPORT FOR AN IRRIGATION
SYSTEM
. And as a symbol of London’s cultural
diversity, the suspended horizons • A salvaged fire escape is installed
visually extrude the building’s floor against a London tenement wall.
layout onto its exterior façade and • Conceptual diagram shows integrated
metaphorically express the diversity of water flow and irrigation in fire escape structure.
its occupants
as a lush spectacle.
 Trending technology in Landscape Architecture
Impression of Rain
Vogt Landschaftsarchitekten + Meili, Peter Architekten
Weather Garden, The Park Hyatt Hotel, Zurich,
Switzerland

• The design emphasizes a temporal experience, where small

reflecting pools of rainwater mirror the changing sky as they A simple stone platform acts as a
evaporate. stage for a fleeting weather
• Within the garden, a single stone platform acts as a stage for this per_x0002_formance. 2 The stone
slabs are polished to have
fleeting weather performance. alternating concave
• It consists of rectangular stone slabs that were cut and ground to and convex profiles. 3 The rain
have various concave and convex profiles. When it rains, the evaporates at varying rates
undulated surface forms a landscape of puddles. Since each puddle depending on the profiles of the
differs in size and depth the stones. 4 The rain puddles mirror the
evaporation rates vary, producing a sequence morphing of shapes. changing sky as they evaporate.
• This evaporating installation visualizes the elusive hydrological
cycle. ALTHOUGH A SUBTLE INTERVENTION, THE STONE
STAGE HIGHLIGHTS THE MATERIALITY OF RAINWATER
AND ITS PHASE-CHANGING QUALITIES
BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS
MATERIAL STARTEGIES IN DIGITAL FABRICATION - CHRISTOPHER BEORKEREM
ADVANCING WOOD ARCHIETCTURE, A COMPUTATIONAL APPROACH
MATERIALS FOR DESIGN , VICTORIA BALLARD BELL
LIVING SYSTEMS, INNOVATIVE MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGIES FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE | ALEXANDER A
ROBINSON AND LIAT MARGOLIS - ACADEMIA.EDU

NET
• OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF MODULAR CONSTRUCTION IN A HOSPITALITY CENTRIC ENVIRONMENT
• Modular Construction: An Evolution in the Development of Modern Hotels – Hotel-Online
• Living Systems, Innovative Materials & Technologies for Landscape Architecture | Alexander A Robinson and Liat
Margolis - Academia.edu
• Will Biomaterials Build Our Future? - Design Hotel
• Mycological Reno cological Renovations: How Sapr ations: How Saprophytic F ophytic Fungi-Composite ungi-
Composite Materials Can Remodle FF&E , Dillon Denig , University of Nevada, Las Vegas, denig@unlv.nevada.edu