"Cultura" - the social, urban, B&B experience

The "Bed and Breakfast" (B&B;) concept, as known in the United States, is in many ways an outdated one and is generally found in rural places. This project reinvents the B&B; as a contemporary private/public gathering space that offers the modern day traveler a setting to interact with fellow travelers and locals while serving as an oasis of respite in the unfamiliar urban environment.This project studies the history of B&Bs;, the evolution of kitchens as the social center of the home, and the development of neighborhood markets and informal urban social spaces. Interviews were conducted with four local Washington, DC B&Bs; with the objective of understanding their existing design concepts and operational models. Lastly, the history of Washington, DC's Adams Morgan neighborhood was explored to determine new ways that visitors can engage with the community. The results of this study validate the hypothesis that the market for hospitality services needs a new, updated typology that redefines the Bed & Breakfast concept. This new design concept is achieved by playing up the role of the kitchen as a socialization tool, exposing activities typically considered as "back of the house" such as introducing guests to the way food is prepared, stressing the role of wholesome local food as a way to differentiate Bed & Breakfast from standard hotel arrangements and using the B&Bs; as a link between travelers and the local communities being visited. While this research is applied to a site and community in Washington, DC, the concepts described in this thesis can be applied to other urban areas throughout the U.S.

Author

• Cholakova, Tania

Language

• en

Keyword

• social
• urban
• travel
• B&B
• culture

Date created

• 2011

Type of Work

• Master's Thesis

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Interior Design

Degree

• M.A.

Advisor

• Gavin, Carissa

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/bk128b05q