People, Places, Spaces: Creating A Foundation For Women’s Safety In Hostels To Allow Social Connections To Flourish

Abstract

This thesis is centered around a woman who is solo-travelling, who stays in hostels and wishes to connect and share experiences with like-minded people. However, it is not always considered safe for a woman to be travelling by themselves. This thesis explores how the hostel can provide opportunity for meaningful connections with other travellers while balancing the needs of personal safety and privacy in a shared space. Through a combination of user surveys, precedent analysis, design guidelines, and architectural investigation, this thesis identifies the spatial conditions that encourage social interaction and the design strategies that establish safety and privacy among travellers. The findings of this research was translated into three design proposals that respond to typical urban lot typologies: infill, open, and corner. Each design explores a distinct architectural strategy but maintains a shared approach to safety, privacy, and social interaction. Together, these designs demonstrate there is no singular architectural model for a socially connected and safe hostel; rather, connection can emerge through different spatial responses to context. Ultimately, the thesis proposes the hostel as a temporary network of people, places, and spaces, where architecture creates the conditions for strangers to arrive, connect, and then continue on their separate journeys.