Breanna
Clay
Breanna’s interest in history and design began when she travelled to Europe in 2008. She returned to the United Kingdom in 2011, where she lived abroad for a short time before returning to Vancouver to pursue her passion for interior design.
Throughout her studies, Breanna has been awarded multiple scholarships for her innovative projects and for outstanding academic studies in interior design. Her love for designing meaningful experiences and passion for hospitality design developed over the course of her education and through her involvement with NEWH over the last 4 years.
Alongside her creative interests, Breanna also enjoys spending time outdoors and staying active. She has a strong passion for horseback riding, an activity she has been involved in since her childhood.
Birds of Passage
‘Birds of Passage’ is a micro lodging project that focuses on providing Vancouver with more affordable lodging that does not sacrifice quality and experience of the users stay. The target demographics of the project are International travelers coming from all over the world to immerse themselves in the culture of Vancouver. They range from the solo traveler to small or large groups between the ages of 28-38. The average cost of a hotel in Vancouver is $260 per night while research shows that international travellers coming to Vancouver are looking for accommodation under $100 per night. Therefore, affordability is something that is a main driver for our design decisions.
The chosen building for this project is the Koret building located in Gastown. The site is a five story historical building located at the corner of E Cordova St and Columbia St. Gastown is an ideal location for this project for its historical significance to Vancouver, and its proximity to public transit and activities. I took inspiration from the street grid of the Vancouver area which led to my concept of ‘Urban Streets’, using the city grid to maximize the connection of the site to its surrounding context.
In order to achieve a more affordable lodging option, I created a pod structure that allows for a higher number of guests without taking up the square footage of a typical hotel room. The pods are grouped into 4 different blocks and each block has their own bathroom facility that is shared among the guests. Additional guest amenities include lounges, a pool, cafes, and guest laundry facility.
