Champaign Boutique Hotel
Integrative Studio

Prof. Yi Yun Kyu
May-Jul, 2020

This project sought to introduce a hotel in Champaign, IL. However, with the Hyatt within a five-minute walk from the site, it was crucial to create a hotel that had a unique experience and sets itself apart from larger hotel chains. The desire to create a unique hotel experience led to a “target market” research, where I categorised types of short-term visitors of Champaign - business travellers, visitors, and students. Within the category of students, I identified 2 subcategories of students that would choose to stay at our hotel over the typical Hyatt - alumni revisiting Champaign and reminiscing college years, often with friends, or those who are prospective students who wish to find a community here. The identification of a target market established the hotel experience that my project would set itself apart from the Hyatt - a sense of community. The project thus drew on the “villa typology”, often seen at resorts and are capable of effectively housing several families in one space, and applied it to the Champaign Boutique Hotel.



A comprehensive set of diagrams and site plans were carried out to analyse the site

The projects outer facade was mainly influenced by my interest in learning and applying grasshopper. The floor plans were organised in with an atrium with cascading stairs, while small carvings were made in front of hotel units, making hotel-stayers feel as if they are “crossing a bridge” to arrive at their dedicated villa space, even though the hotel does not occupy as much horizontal areas as villas do.  

A series of plans and sections were developed for structure, sustainability, and facade details. 

renderings of communal spaces

Two hotel units share a party wall, recreating the “courtyard” that is common amongst resort villa typologies. This accommodates visitors, especially alumni who know each other from the past but are bringing in their own families, to socialise when they stay at the boutique hotel.