Connectic Wins Radical Innovation 2019
Connectic by Cooper Carry Architects Awarded $10,000 Grand Prize
On Wednesday, October 16th, the 13th annual Radical Innovation Award ceremony took place at the Theatre and Sky Room at New Museum, New York City. Nearly 200 guests—including professionals in hospitality, real estate, finance, design, branding, and development—gathered for the occasion.
Over 50 international entries were submitted to this year’s Radical Innovation competition from which three professional finalists and one student winner were determined based on their design, creativity, feasibility and ability on making an impact in the industry. The three professional finalists — Infinite Explorer by SB Architects, Connectic by Cooper Carry Architects and Volumetric High-Rise Modular Hotel by Danny Forster & Architects were presented in front of a live audience, in addition to this year’s student winner, Rooftop Hotel Gardens.
In a live vote by the audience members, Connectic became the recipient of this year’s $10,000 grand prize. Volumetric High-Rise Modular Hotel received the runner-up recognition, a $5,000 prize. Student winners Ruslan Mannapov and Airat Zaidullin of Russia’s Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering were awarded $1,500 for their concept, Rooftop Hotel Gardens. Both students will also have the opportunity to pursue an assistantship for a Master’s of Architecture Degree in Hospitality Design at UNLV.
The event was co-produced by The Hardy Group with support from founding sponsor Global Allies, and official media partner Sleeper magazine and Dezeen. Innovator-level sponsors included The Son And Son Brand Agency and UNLV. Visionary-level sponsors included Beyer Brown, DFL Legal, Kinzer Partners, Martin Stringfellow Associates, RIVUR, Robert Douglas and WeWork. Pioneer-level sponsors included Canyon Equity, Castell, Craft House, DAC, Greenview, Hilton and Hospitality Logistics.
Special thanks to Moderator, Tara Mastrelli and the 2019 Radical Innovation Award designer, Chris Hardy (Founder, Chris Hardy Design).
2019 Radical Innovation Jury (L to R): Edwin Hendriksen, Ori; Simon Turner, Alpha Lodging Partners LLC; Jena Thornton, Kinzer Partners; Isaac Kubryk, Global Allies; John Hardy, The Hardy group; Yvette Jong, Craft Housing Consulting; Claude Amar, The Hardy Group International; John Woods, WeWork; Adam Kubryk, Global Allies.
2019 GRAND PRIZE WINNER: CONNECTIC
Submitted by Cooper Carry Architects | New York
Connectic by Cooper Carry Architects employs modular construction techniques to fill underutilized spaces by way of collapsible, modular units that are flexible and adaptable to respond to variety of environments. This concept could be used to build a pop-up hotel in remote area or to help solve problems of space and density in urban cores.
Interstitial spaces between buildings, parking lots, forgotten pocket parks, and above buildings offer an opportunity for hotels of the future to use Connectic’s model to increase volume of available keys, amenities and connect neglected spaces to existing hotels. This would become an aggregation that can swell and shrink as needed and generate profit while providing guests with a unique experience. A collective of modules that are at once collapsible and reusable, they can be disassembled and stored conveniently until the need for additional accommodation. Conflating multiple revenue streams into a single solution. And, a kinematic proposal to temporary events.
2019 STUDENT WINNER: ROOF TOP HOTEL GARDENS
Submitted by Ruslan Mannapov and Airat Zaidullin | KSUAE, Russia
Rooftop Hotel Gardens by Ruslan Mannapov and Airat Zaidullin offers a hotel concept placeable in any city that gives guests a chance to experience skyline of cities in an isolated peaceful space fully merged with an urban environment. The conceptual hotel chain provides locations on rooftops and services throughout the city. Each guest can reserve a room on the open roof of any participating building. Thanks to a network throughout the city, guests are given the flexibility to change place and module during their entire period of stay.
Since each Rooftop offers its own unique identity based on location, culture and community; guests get to discover various parts of the city and its many vistas. Rooftop Hotel Gardens encourages communities to utilize rooftops that will attract investment while also assisting with the maintenance of its rooftop gardens; offering a space for both community and guests to enjoy alike.
Radical Innovation Jury:
Claude Amar, President, The Hardy Group International
John Hardy, President/CEO, The Hardy Group
Jena Thornton, Principal, Kinzer Partners
James Woods, WeWork
Michael Medzigian, CEO & Director, Carey Watermark Investors Inc
Simon Turner, Managing Member, Alpha Lodging Partners, LLC
Wing Chao, Founding Principal, Wing T. Chao, Architect
Radical Innovation Honorary Jurors:
Edwin Hendriksen, Co-Founder & President, Ori Living
Yvette Jong, Founder/Director, Craft Housing Consulting
About Radical Innovation
Radical Innovation challenges the hotel industry to elevate the guest experience by calling for new ideas in design and operations. Each year, submissions are received and reviewed by a jury of hotel insiders. Select finalists present their concepts in front of industry influencers and investors during a live event where the audience votes to determine the winner. Since its founding, Radical Innovation has awarded nearly $100,000 to progressive architectural and hospitality-minded thinkers. www.radicalinnovationaward.com
About The Hardy Group
The Hardy Group is a strategic, transformational development services firm for investors and brands engaged in hospitality real estate. Leveraging its international expertise, the group delivers feasibility analysis, project management, development management, and construction management, as well as project accounting for capex, renovations, redevelopment, and new development for both individual deals and entire portfolios.
THG is recognized as the leader in providing creative solutions to complex building challenges, tapping its diverse team, using proprietary project research and planning, and specialized in-house software that tracks progress and budget conformance. The firm excels as a bridge between the ambition of its clients and project realization, having managed more than $7 billion in development-related assignments encompassing over 1200 hospitality projects in 37 countries. Offices are located in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Honolulu. www.jhgi.com
