The Encapsule explores design innovation through limitation. Conceived as an exercise in efficiency and adaptability, the project embraces a fixed volumetric boundary of 30’ × 30’ × 80’ to generate a new model for affordable urban hostels. Inspired by the metaphor of a loom, the design translates weaving, molding, and folding into architectural operations that shape space, circulation, and light. Instead of treating limitation as restriction, the design reframes it as opportunity, using constraints to drive creativity. The “loom” system weaves dense and loose spatial zones, allowing the building to function as both a structure and a social fabric. The goal is to reinterpret the travel hostel not as isolated accommodation but as a communal, layered experience that blends interaction, privacy, and affordability. Through modularity and efficiency, the project challenges how small-scale hospitality spaces can foster connection and cultural exchange.

Responding to the conditions of dense urban infill sites, The Encapsule maximizes vertical and sectional organization within a compact footprint. The weaving operation generates threshold and dormitory areas through varying structural grid densities. Molding defines circulation and framed perspectives by casting rigid, overlapping volumes, while folding creates transitional overlaps and social voids that enhance permeability and interaction. The sectional layering ensures each level transitions from communal to private, balancing openness with intimacy. Light shafts and ventilation cores puncture the mass to introduce vertical porosity, natural illumination, and cross-ventilation. Within the defined 30’ × 30’ × 80’ structure, the hostel accommodates 16 travelers, including private dormitories, multi-functional lounges, shared kitchens, and sanitary cores. Circulation flows both vertically and horizontally, weaving together functional efficiency and human experience. The structure becomes a living capsule — compact yet socially dynamic.