SpaceV
What if a vending machine becomes a building?
Space V is a space-vending system for future wellbeing in the city. It imagines a near-future lifestyle where people purchase space usage for different wellness activities through a vending system, the operations and experience of which is facilitated by digital technologies. The project asks: How might we design an experience blueprint for future wellness spaces in the city by leveraging the vending system?
To keep the promise of autonomy and privacy, the unique challenge for this project is to design how it will operate with as little human interference as possible at its scale and complexity. Space is finely divided for diversified purposes that involves both sales of goods and personal occupancy. We felt challenged in designing a system for reservation, management, and wayfinding. This problem is specific to this vision and has no direct precedent. It leads us to discover the possibilities of hybrid digital-physical method, bringing together the best of both worlds for a new experience.
One of the highlights of this project was discovering that unique value proposition that unites the different aspects of the design across technology, lifestyle, urban experience, and the interaction between digital and physical experiences: SpaceV combines principles from the shared economy, unmanned retail, and digital platforms, creating an innovative 'space-vending' system that commoditizes space usage. An aha-moment in the development was the design of the digital application that enables users to customize their experience by specifying the type of activity, duration, and desired qualities of the space, and facilitates seamless booking, navigation, and access to the space, providing a smooth on-demand space-vending experience.
