Taking Flight: LEO A DALY’s hospitality team earns finalist spot in international Radical Innovation Competition

The public can vote on LEO A DALY’s innovative proposal to convert aircraft fuselage into hospitality spaces

Judges from the Radical Innovation Competition have honored a LEO A DALY in the future-thinking challenge.

The LEO A DALY hospitality team submitted an actionable vision to convert old aircraft into modern hospitality spaces in a proposal titled “Take Flight.” The idea was one of two finalists, and the public can vote on the idea now.

Radical Innovation is an initiative that challenges creative thinkers and design visionaries at the professional and student level to pioneer compelling innovations that fuel the future of the hospitality and travel industries.

Dallas Design Director Enrique Greenwell and Senior Architect Ryan Christensen led the design team for this competition, with input from team members across LEO A DALY’s hospitality team.

Their plan: Repurposing some of the 624 aircraft that are retired annually, turning a section of the body into a sustainable, modular hospitality suite.

“This innovative, sustainable solution could create personalized travel experiences for luxury guests,” said Mark Pratt, LEO A DALY’s global hospitality practice leader. “Thanks to the judges for recognizing our proposal as a finalist.”

The public can vote now on the concept.

Modular upcycling breathes new life into unused aircraft

The mobility of these modules allows for endless deployment opportunities in locations conventional construction could only dream of and provides travelers access to some of the most remote parts of the world. Whether located down on the water’s edge or high in the mountains, Taking Flight delicately touches the ground without interrupting the natural environment.

Instead of being overbuilt to withstand hurricanes, fires and Nature’s worst, Taking Flight can simply be relocated to safety. This mobility allows the hospitality industry to expand and contract to temporary spikes in demand caused by seasonal variations and specialty events. The lifecycle does not stop with hospitality as we envision it continuing as temporary housing, disaster relief and beyond.

Creating an opportunity for hyper-personalization

Personalized experiences are a key part of modern consumer lives, as seen with streaming services, online shopping and travel. This trend is prompting hotels to find ways to offer a higher level of personalization that travelers expect in their next hotel stay. Data analytics, artificial intelligence and automation are being implemented by hotels to curate a unique and tailored experience for guests. Hyper-personalization strategies require a blend of technology, data analysis and sustainable trends, combined with a genuine understanding of the power of social media.

With customizable floor plans, combinations and deployments, the guest has complete control of the experience. This creative upcycling increases a guest’s participation in enhancing the built and natural environment around them bringing a new, unique experience to market. This new experience enables a guest to leave their surroundings better off than before their stay.

Benefits of repurposing aircraft fuselage for human occupation

Aircraft were designed for human occupation, unlike other available vessels such as shipping containers.

“I loved developing and challenging this concept,” Christensen said. “As we explored it further and further, we were able to continually build upon the practicality of this becoming a reality.”

• Aircraft fuselages are designed with insulation as well as storage space within the cargo hold that can be utilized for all needed utilities and routing.
• Aeronautical design includes light aluminum components and stressed skins making fuselage sections a structurally sound shelter solution.
• The weight of each component is light enough to the shipped, transported, hoisted and slid into place.
• The repurposing of a pre-manufactured metal component minimizes the use of concrete, speeds installation and adds mobility.
• The implementation of rainwater harvesting, photovoltaics, energy/water storage and water filtration within the unit, plus a light green bio-screen makes the unit a self-sustaining solution for extended periods of time.

“Poetically, the means of travel becomes the destination in this concept. And practically, repurposing the aircraft creates a sustainable strategy,” Greenwell said. “Travelers are increasingly looking for personalization, I believe this experience should be implemented on all aspects of the journey, not just at the destination. We’re pleased to present the Take Flight concept to allow hotels to offer just that.”