OursYours is a project to test whether a micro hotel can be an engine for equitable social and economic neighbourhood development. I paired a live business prototype with a peer learning process Enrol Yourself to learn the most possible in 6 months!
Report 1: How to Build a Live Prototype - read it below.
Report 2: Early insights: data and analysis - read it below
Report 3: Scaling Showcase - photos below
REPORT 1 - HOW TO BUILD A LIVE PROTOTYPE
REPORT 2 - EARLY INSIGHTS: DATA AND ANALYSIS
REPORT 3 - SCALING SHOWCASE
SCALING VERSION 1 - Running the original 1 bedroom model for 3 years
Projecting forward shows that the existing model would achieve the following in 3 years (see early insights report above):
+ income for the community pot
+ number of visitors
+ local business visits
+ shop sales
+ days left free for community use
+ hourly paid local concierge to welcome and orient new guests
It could also develop projects over that time, for example:
+ hosting a SOUP dinner to increase the community pot and create a fair voting and support mechanism for local projects
+ building a ‘pay it forward’ model into guests activities to create more of a sense of connection between guests
+ building a larger network of local businesses and makers for the shop and the recommendations, and creating a form of local currency to track impact on spend
In its current guise, the project development would need to be undertake voluntarily, alongside full time work. And guests and communal activities can’t be hosted concurrently because of the small size of the flat.
SCALING VERSION 2 - Components of the original model can be adapted and open-sourced or sold to enable many people in a neighbourhood to use
For example:
+ All of the neighbouring Airbnb hosts could choose to retain 5% of their income for a large community pot to support participatory projects in the area. Or they could switch to an alternative digital platform, such as the coop model Fairbnb. This could produce £22m per year in London.
+ The shop of local products could be packaged as an ‘add on’ to other Airbnb hosts, shop or cafe owners to create a mini concept store in their space, increasing the demand in, and access to, locally made products and supporting a local economy
+ Many more home-owners could be encouraged and supported to think of the potential of their homes as civic spaces - opening them up for a variety of activities designed to build new connections and raise social capital
SCALING VERSION 3 - Opening in a much larger building.
A future version of OursYours in a much larger building would feature multi-functional spaces such as kitchens, workshops and office space.
It would receive income through the hotel rooms, cafe and shop, and invest in a paid participation professional and programming to create relationships between neighbours and incubate participatory projects.
It would aim to create measurable social, environmental and economic impact in the neighbourhood, and be a recognised and replicable model of civic business and shared social space.
3D collage depicting the potential activities, from the centre, outwards:
1 / HOTEL - bedrooms for guests
2 / LIVING ROOM - music performances, talks, classes, shared meals
3 / KITCHEN - communal batch cooking, public jam, food enterprise incubator
4 / WORKSPACE - co-working, meetings, civic business incubator
5 / MAKER STUDIO - access to sewing machines and other equipment
6 / SHOP - produce from OursYours garden & workshop, plus other local goods
7 / GROWING - roof top greens, chickens, bees
