Architecture Graduate Student Recognized for Hyperloop Hotel Concept

Category: Technology/Innovations

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. lodging / ˈlɒdʒ ɪŋ / (n) – a place someone can rent to stay temporarily
    Example:

    It is important to find comfortable lodging when travelling.


  2. propel / prəˈpɛl / (v) – to make something move forward
    Example:

    The boat was propelled by the wind.


  3. envision / ɛnˈvɪʒ ən / (v) – to imagine something that you believe may happen or exist
    Example:

    The students envisioned an invention that will help their school.


  4. repurpose / rɪˈpɜr pəs / (v) – to change something and use it for a different function
    Example:

    They repurposed the truck into a mobile food stall.


  5. in the near future / ɪn ðə nɪər ˈfyu tʃər / (idiom) – soon; within a very short time
    Example:

    The product launch will happen in the near future so the company is preparing now.


Article

Read the text below.

An architecture graduate student from the University of Nevada was recognized for his revolutionary idea, the Hyperloop Hotels.


Brandan Siebrecht [ZEEB-resht] proposed adopting the Hyperloop transportation concept to hotels. His idea is to create a series of lodgings with rooms that can be transported through tubes. His idea won a Radical Innovation Award, which is given to creative hotel designs.


The Hyperloop concept was proposed in 2013 by the CEO of automaker company Tesla, Inc. The idea of this mode of transportation is to carry passengers and cargo in pod-like vehicles through tubes. The system uses a technology of magnets and electrical energy to propel the pods inside the tubes at aircraft speed.


Siebrecht decided to take the concept further by combining transportation and accommodation in Hyperloop Hotels. Instead of using buses or taxis, he envisioned guests to move with their hotel rooms from city to city via Hyperloop tubes. He said that this will let guests save time and visit various destinations in one day.


The hotel rooms will be made from repurposed shipping containers. Each room would have a bedroom, a bathroom, an office, and a living room with a flat screen TV. Guests would also be allowed to do everything from reservation to check-in and check-out using their smartphones.


Currently, there is doubt that the hotel would be constructed in the near future because the technology needed to build it is not yet available. Siebrecht believes, however, that the construction will be feasible within the next five to ten years. Each Hyperloop Hotel’s construction is expected to cost around $10 million.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• How will the creation of the Hyperloop Hotels affect the experience of travelers? Discuss.
• Do you want Hyperloop Hotels to be available in your country? Why or why not?

Discussion B

• In what other industries can the Hyperloop technology be applied? How?
• How would the Hyperloop technology impact your life once it becomes widespread? Discuss.