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TOP 10 HOMESTAY ĐẸP NHẤT Ở ĐÀ LẠT 2018 TOP 10 HOMESTAY DEP NHAT O DA LAT 2018 -

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TOP 10 HOMESTAY ĐẸP NHẤT Ở ĐÀ LẠT 2018 Nhắc homestay Đà Lạt đẹp và “đỉnh” nhất là nhắc đến những kỳ nghỉ thú vị ở một nơi xa của thành phố ngàn hoa. Có lẻ những kỳ nghỉ như vậy luôn luôn để lại những kỷ niệm thật ngọt ngào cho bạn. Thế nhưng không phải lúc nào việc đặt phòng, thuê nguyên căn các ho…

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Passive cooling means using design choices to reduce heat gain and increase heat loss.

Buildings in all Australian climates require some form of cooling at some time of the year to be comfortable. Passive cooling is especially useful in hot and humid or hot and dry climates.

Passive cooling can significantly increase your comfort and reduce your energy bills.

It is best to use passive cooling design principles when building or buying a home. The main thing to decide is whether you will include any air-conditioning. In some climates, adding air-conditioning later may require fundamental changes to the home design.

Many aspects of the principles (for example, shading, increased insulation, and window design and placement) can be used in home renovations.

The main methods to reduce heat gain are to include good insulation levels, and shade windows and thermal mass in summer.

The main methods to increase heat loss are to place and design openings to allow good ventilation, add ceiling fans or whole-of-house fans, and ensure any air-conditioning works well with building design and insulation. In climates with a temperature difference of 6°C or more between day and night, thermal mass can also be used to cool a home.

Landscape and garden design can also play an important role in passive cooling.

What is passive cooling?

Passive cooling is where the building design and materials are used to control temperature in hot weather. To be comfortable, buildings in all Australian climates require some form of cooling at some time of the year, and this need is increasing with a warming climate. There are 2 basic components to passive cooling: cooling the building, and cooling people.

Cooling buildings is about:

reducing heat gain (for example, by installing insulation and shading windows, walls and roofs)

increasing heat loss and access to cooling sources (for example, by using earth coupling and encouraging air movement).

Cooling people is about:

physiological comfort (the physical factors necessary for comfort; for example, encouraging breezes to evaporate perspiration and increase body cooling)

psychological comfort (psychological factors that affect our perception of comfort, for example, levels of acclimatisation and air movement, radiation and conduction).

Why is passive cooling important?

Passive cooling is the least expensive means of cooling a home, especially in environmental terms. There are many ways you can design or modify your home to achieve comfort through passive cooling.

Passive cooling is becoming more important as our climate changes. Climate change will see our average temperatures increase, and extreme events such as heatwaves occur more often. With careful design for passive cooling, we can keep our homes comfortable and reduce energy costs.

The following advice on passive cooling applies generally in any climate zone. For specific design advice for your climate zone, refer to Design for climate.

Photo: Simon Wood Photography

With passive cooling, building envelopes are designed to minimise daytime heat gain, maximise night-time heat loss, and encourage cool breeze access when available. Considerations include:

designing the floor plan and building form to respond to local climate and site

zoning living and sleeping areas appropriately for climate

locating any air-conditioned rooms in thermally protected areas (ie highly insulated, shaded and well sealed)

maximising convective ventilation with high-level windows and ceiling or roof space vents

designing ceilings and positioning furniture for optimum efficiency of fans, cool breezes and convective ventilation.

Cooling requirements are dictated by climate, so different approaches to passive cooling are required for:

hot humid climates (Climate zone 1), where no heating is required

temperate and warm climates (Climate zone 2−6) where both heating and cooling are required

cool and cold climates (Climate zone 7−8) where heating needs are most important.

All Australian climates apart from tropical (Climate zone 1) require some form of heating in winter, and this affects advice relating to cooling. Refer to Passive heating to balance the heating requirements in your home.

Reducing heat gain

Heat enters and leaves a home through the whole building envelope - the roof, walls, floor and glazing. The internal layout - walls, doors and room arrangements - also affects heat distribution within a home.

Earth coupling

Ground and soil temperatures vary throughout Australia. Earth coupling is where concrete floors (and sometimes walls) are in direct contact with the earth. In a well-insulated properly shaded house, this 'draws up' the stable deeper ground temperatures to the surface of the floor, which gives the house a head start in regulating temperature.

Earth-coupled concrete slabs-on-ground are effective for passive cooling where deep earth temperatures (at a depth of 3 metres or more) are low, such as in most of southern Australia. This strategy should be avoided in climates where deep earth temperatures contribute to heat gain, such as in most northerly latitudes where suitable ground temperatures do not occur at useful depths. In these regions, use open vented floors with high levels of insulation to avoid heat gain. Obtain expert building design advice to determine deep ground temperatures.
Note that slab edge insulation (shown on the right of the sketch) improves the coupling effect by keeping the slab temperature controlled right to the edges.
Thermal mass

'Good thermal mass' usually describes a block of material that has high thermal mass and long thermal lag times.

Thermal mass is usually used to help heat your home in winter (by allowing the sun to heat up the mass during the day and release that heat at night). But it is important to ensure that thermal mass in your home is protected from summer sun. Badly positioned mass heats up and radiates heat well into the night.

Shade thermal mass in living areas during the day in summer, and avoid or limit thermal mass in upstairs sleeping areas. In climates with little or no heating requirement, low mass is generally the preferred option.

Insulation

Insulation is critical to passive cooling. The National Construction Code requires minimum insulation levels for roofs, walls and floors, according to your climate zone and other building features. Choosing appropriate insulation products and paying careful attention to installation will help to maximise thermal comfort and prevent condensation.

You can also explore additional, less conventional, insulation options. For example, green roofs and walls can provide both insulation and shading.

Roof space ventilation

Well-ventilated roof spaces contribute to passive cooling by providing a buffer zone between internal and external spaces in the most difficult area to shade: the roof.

Ventilators such as whirlybirds can reduce the temperature differential across ceiling insulation, increasing its effectiveness. The use of foil insulation and light-coloured roofing limits radiant heat flow into the roof space. Always ensure that the ceiling is sealed against any draughts.

Source: Adapted from COOLmob

Shading of glazing

Shading of glazing is a critical element in passive cooling. Glazing is the main source of heat gain (through direct radiation and conduction), and of cooling (through cross, stack and fan-drawn ventilation; cool breeze access and night purging).

The following diagram shows why shading is so important, especially when sun shines on glass at a low angle, such as through east- and west-facing glass in the morning and afternoon.

Source: Adapted from Association of Building Sustainability Assessors

Choosing windows with good thermal performance (for example, double glazing) will reduce the heat gain caused by sun hitting the window. But preventing sun from hitting the window in the first place will have a much larger effect.

In most climates:

use horizontal (for example, correctly sized eaves) or adjustable shading on north-facing windows to block high-angle summer sun and allow in winter sun.

use deep overhanging shading, or vertical shading if close to the window, for east- and west-facing glass.

For hot humid climates (Climate zone 1), maximising shading for all aspects will be useful.

Where adequate shading is not possible, such as in close proximity to boundaries, it may be necessary to specify glass with a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) as low as possible, and certainly no more than 0.20 (this means only 20% of the solar radiation will pass through).

Double glazing can assist in passive cooling, as its low conductivity reduces the heating effect of the hot outside air contacting the glass. The frame must also be considered, with light colours having less heat absorption, and frames made of uPVC, timber or thermally broken aluminium providing better insulation than conventional single extrusion aluminium or steel frames.

Landscape design

Landscape plays an important role in keeping neighbourhoods and homes cool. Its impact on managing urban heat is becoming increasingly recognised as the climate changes and urban development intensifies.

Outdoor spaces around your home can be a source of heat for your home. Gardens and green plants, rather than hard surfaces, will help to reduce the temperature of air moving over those surfaces and in and around your home. Plants and soil provide a cooling effect through the process of evapotranspiration, and plants can also be used to provide shade and funnel cooling breezes. Green roofs can also provide additional insulation to roofs.

Shaded areas around earth-coupled slabs can help to keep surface ground temperatures lower during the day and still allow night-time cooling. Poorly shaded surrounds can lead to earth temperatures exceeding internal comfort levels in many areas. In this event, an earth-coupled slab can become an energy liability.

Increasing heat loss

Sources of passive cooling can help to remove unwanted heat from the home. These sources are more varied and complex than passive heating, which comes from a single, predictable source - the sun. Additional mechanical cooling may be required in hot humid climates and in extreme conditions in many climates, especially as climate change leads to higher temperatures during the daytime and overnight.

The key to most sources of passive cooling is air movement. Air movement cools buildings by carrying heat out of the building and replacing it with cooler external air. Moving air can also carry heat to mechanical cooling systems where it can be removed by heat pumps and then recirculated. Air movement also cools people by increasing evaporation of perspiration.
Note
Air movement requires well-designed openings (windows, doors and vents) and unrestricted breeze paths. Natural sources of air movement are cool breezes, cool night-time air, and convection. Evaporation can also help to cool the air.

Cool breezes

Where the climate provides cooling breezes, maximising their flow through a home is a key component of passive cooling.

Cool breezes work best in narrow or open-plan layouts and rely on air-pressure differentials caused by wind or breezes. They are most effective in:

buildings with narrow floor plans or open-plan layouts

locations without long periods of high external temperature (ambient or conducted heat gains above 35-40 watts per square metre)

locations where windows can be left open (that is, secure, quiet locations with good outdoor air quality).

Design and locate planting, fences and outbuildings to funnel breezes into and through the building, filter stronger winds, and exclude adverse hot or cold winds.

Sea breezes flow as the day's heat warms the air further inland which rises, drawing in cooler air from the ocean. Common examples are the famous 'Fremantle Doctor' and the Sydney 'nor-easter'. These can be very localised, sometimes extending only a few hundred metres from the coast, but at other times extending hundreds of kilometres inland.

In mountainous or hilly areas, cool breezes often flow down slopes and valleys in the late evening and early morning, when heat radiating to clear night skies cools the land mass and creates cool air currents. These 'katabatic drafts' can be used to help cool buildings, but must also be held at bay in cooler weather.

Thermal currents ('thermals') are common in flatter, inland areas, created by daily heating and cooling. They are often of short duration in early morning and evening, but can yield worthwhile cooling benefits with good design.

Cool night air

Regardless of daytime temperatures, if the night sky is clear of cloud, then the air, ground surfaces and buildings will radiate heat simply because the sky is now cooler than the ground - this is called 'night sky radiation'. Cloudy skies at night hamper this effect.

Cool night air is a reliable source of cooling in inland areas where cool breezes are limited and diurnal temperature ranges usually exceed 6−8°C. Hot air radiating from a building fabric's thermal mass is replaced with cooler night air, drawn in by the internal−external temperature-pressure differential. Full-height opening windows are ideal for this purpose.

Convection

The rule of convection is that warm air rises and cool air falls. Stack ventilation relies on the increased buoyancy of warm air relative to the higher density of cooler air. The lighter warm air rises and if allowed, will escape the building through high-level outlets (windows or vents), drawing in lower-level cool night air or cooler daytime air from openings in shaded external areas (typically on the south side).

Stack ventilation can increase cross-ventilation and overcome many of the limitations of unreliable cooling breezes. Even when there is no breeze, convection allows heat to leave a building via controllable openings such as high clerestory windows, roof ventilators or vented ridges.

Convection produces air movement that can cool a building but usually has insufficient air speed to cool people.

Evaporation

As water evaporates, it draws in heat from surrounding air. Evaporation is therefore an effective passive cooling method. It works best with low relative humidity (70% or less), because air with lower humidity has a greater capacity to take up the evaporated water vapour than air with high humidity. Rates of evaporation are increased by air movement - thus breezes or fans can increase evaporative cooling.

Large bodies of water close to windows and doors can pre-cool warm air entering the house. Carefully located large water features can create convective breezes. The surface area of water exposed to moving air is also important - small water features may not provide a noticeable effect. Fountains, mist sprays and waterfalls can increase evaporation rates in dry climates, but in humid coastal climates their effect will be less noticeable.

Mechanical evaporative coolers have been common in drier climates and inland areas where relative humidity is low. They typically use less energy than refrigerated air-conditioners, but their water consumption can be considerable. They work better with doors and windows left open and can therefore contribute to poor indoor air quality if external air quality is low (for example, during periods of bushfire smoke). They are also prone to becoming clogged with mineralisation in hard-water inland areas. Generally, high-efficiency reverse-cycle air-conditioning has proved more effective and efficient than evaporative coolers.

Cooling methods

Design windows to maximise beneficial cooling breezes by providing multiple flow paths and minimising potential barriers; single-depth rooms are ideal in warmer climates.

Most sites have a limited range of directions from which beneficial cooling breezes blow - these should be identified before design decisions are made. Breezes can be deflected or diverted, so perfect orientation to breeze direction is less important than the actual design of windows and openings to collect and direct breezes within and through the home.

Wind does not actually 'blow' through a building - it is sucked towards areas of lower air pressure. To draw the breeze through the house, use larger opening areas on the leeward (low pressure or downwind) side of the house and smaller opening areas on the windward (high pressure or upwind) side. Openings near the centre of the high-pressure zone are more effective than openings on the edge, because pressure is highest near the centre of the windward wall and diminishes toward the edges as the wind finds other ways to move around the building.

The design of openings to direct airflow inside the home is a critical but much overlooked design component of passive cooling. Size, type, external shading and position of any openings (doors and windows) is critical.

Position windows (vertically and horizontally) to direct airflow to the area where occupants spend most time (for example, dining table, lounge or bed).

In rooms where it is not possible to place windows in opposite or adjacent walls for cross-ventilation, you can place projecting fins on the windward side to create positive and negative pressure to draw breezes through the room, as shown in the following diagram.

Consider installing a louvre or awning window above internal doors to let breezes pass through the building while maintaining privacy and security. In climates requiring cooling only, consider placing similar panels above head height in internal walls to allow cross-ventilation to move the hottest air out of the building.

Ceiling or personal fans

Fans provide reliable air movement to cool people and supplement breezes during still periods.

In high humidity, low fan speeds are very effective: 0.5 metres per second at 50% relative humidity reduces the perceived temperature by 3°C. As temperature rises and humidity falls, higher fan speeds are required. However, this may increase noise and some people find high-speed fans unsettling.

In a lightweight building in a warm temperate climate, the use of ceiling fans in bedrooms and all living areas (including kitchens and undercover outdoor areas) significantly reduces cooling energy use.

In air-conditioned buildings, using ceiling fans in conjunction with the air-conditioning will increase its effectiveness.
Tip
Evidence from Darwin, Brisbane and Sydney shows that air-conditioning use can be reduced by up to 75% with ceiling fans. This is because fans are more effective at moving air over people - and thus increasing evaporation of perspiration.

Fans should be located centrally in each 'use area' of a room. Because air speed decreases with distance from the fan, position fans over the places where people spend the most time. Large areas, such as a large combined lounge and dining area, may need 2 fans - one over each space. In bedrooms, locate the fan close to the centre of the bed.

Source: Adapted from Ballinger 1992

Whole-of-house fans

A whole-of-house fan is a single fan unit installed in a circulation space in the centre of the house (hallway or stairwell) to draw cooler outside air into the building through open windows and out through the roof space. It exhausts the warm air through eaves, ceiling or gable vents. This also helps to cool the roof space and reduces any temperature differential across ceiling insulation.

Whole-of-house or roof fans are good for cooling buildings, particularly where cross-ventilation design is inadequate. They do this by exchanging all of the air in the house many times every hour, assuming there is sufficiently cool outside air to provide cooling. However, they do not create sufficient air speed to cool people.

Source: Breezepower

Whole-of-house fans can be noisy at full speed but are generally operated in the early evening when cooling needs peak and households are most active. If run at a lower speed throughout the night, they can draw cool night air across beds that are near open windows, provided doors are left open for circulation. On still nights, this can be more effective than air-conditioning for night-time sleeping comfort.

These systems are used when external temperatures are lower than internal temperatures and should have controls to prevent the fan operating when external air temperatures are higher than internal. These systems work well as long as all openings are air-tight in cooler seasons. Drawing large volumes of humid air through the roof space can also increase condensation, therefore this should be considered when specifying and installing insulation.

Air-conditioning

Air-conditioning lowers both air temperature and humidity and provides thermal comfort during periods of high temperature and humidity. Air-conditioning can be useful in extreme heatwaves, and when passive ventilation techniques are hampered by poor external air quality such as bushfire smoke.

However, air-conditioning is expensive to install, operate and maintain, and has a high economic and environmental cost because it consumes significant amounts of electricity unless high-efficiency equipment is used in a high-performance building envelope.

Set your air-conditioning thermostat to the warmest setting that still achieves comfort - each degree cooler will increase your energy needs by 10%. In general, summer temperatures should be set between 25°C and 27°C.

There is usually no need to air-condition all rooms in your home. Decide which rooms will receive most benefit, depending on their use, and try to reduce the total volume of air-conditioned air space (room size, ceiling height) in your home.

Design conditioned rooms with high levels of insulation and lowest exposure to external temperature influences; rooms usually found in the centre of the house. Avoid conditioning rooms that have high levels of indoor−outdoor traffic. Alternatively, use airlocks to minimise hot air infiltration or install an automatic switching device to the doors leading to the air-conditioned room that allows operation only when the door is closed.

Adjoining passively cooled living spaces can provide a thermal buffer to conditioned spaces. These spaces should be well ventilated, with fans to encourage acclimatisation.

You will need to address condensation in externally ventilated rooms surrounding conditioned rooms. When insulated walls surround an air-conditioned space, install a vapour barrier between the warm humid air and the insulation material to prevent condensation.
Tip
Identify the months and times of day when air-conditioning will be required and use control systems, sensors, and timers to reduce total operating hours. Remember to turn air-conditioners off when you go out.

Hybrid cooling systems

Hybrid cooling systems are whole-house cooling solutions that use a combination of cooling options (including air-conditioning) in the most efficient and effective way. They take maximum advantage of passive cooling when available and make efficient use of mechanical cooling systems during extreme periods. For example, running an air-conditioner in a closed room for about an hour at bedtime often lowers humidity levels to the point where air movement from ceiling fans can provide sufficient evaporative cooling to achieve and maintain sleeping comfort. Clever electrical design using master circuits or solenoids can be used to ensure the fans are running before power is available to the air-conditioning.

Hybrid cooling solutions require a decision early in the design stages about whether air-conditioning is to be used and how many rooms require it. Inefficient air-conditioning installations can occur when they are added to a home designed for natural cooling as an afterthought.

Source: Envirotecture

Solar chimneys

Solar chimneys can be a passive form of cooling for a home. In a solar chimney, a tall chimney is placed to be heated by the sun. This heats air within the chimney and causes it to rise. This draws in air from the rest of the house, which in turn draws in air from the outside or from underground pipes.

Solar chimneys must be carefully designed to ensure that the home draws in cool air. If using an underground pipe system, the system will need to be extensive to give the air enough time to cool as it travels through the pipe. Special precautions will also need to be taken to prevent mould in the pipe, which can result because the cooling air causes condensation.

Adapting lifestyle to climate

'Adapting lifestyle' means adopting living, sleeping, cooking and activity patterns that respond to, and work with, the climate rather than using mechanical cooling to emulate an alternative climate.

Lifestyle adaptions can be a significant factor in achieving thermal comfort:

Acclimatise your body to slightly warmer temperatures. If using air-conditioning, adjust your thermostat to between 25°C and 27°C - each degree cooler will increase your energy needs by 10%.

Vary active hours to make best use of comfortable temperature ranges at different times of the year (for example, do outside work in the early morning).

Live outside when time of day and seasonal conditions are suitable - particularly in the cooler evenings.

Cook outside (for example, on barbeques) during hotter months to reduce heat loads from cooking inside.

Consider using sleep-outs to achieve sleeping comfort and provide low-cost additional space for visitors during the summer holiday period.

Photo: Simon Wood Photography

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Passive cooling means using design choices to reduce heat gain and increase heat loss. Buildings in all Australian climates require some form of cooling at some time of the year to be comfortable. Passive cooling is especially useful in hot and humid or hot and dry climates.

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There are 3 types of homestay in Vietnam for your preference.

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Some of my best nights spent travelling haven't been inside of an Airbnb, a hotel, or even a hostel. They've taken place in local abodes, complete with home-cooked meals and heaps of connections.

If you've never heard of them before, the entire concept of homestays might sound confusing. Spending a night with a stranger? I get it. Homestays aren't common everywhere, and it's not an experience you can seek just anywhere.

But once you have your first real experience in a family homestay, I guarantee you'll see what all the hype is about. Homestays give you a home away from home, and not just in the practical way that Airbnb does.

We all know home is so much more about "who" than "what" which is why staying with a real family can be so impactful. It directly immerses you into local life, and allows you to interact with communities in ways that aren't possible otherwise.

But how exactly do you find these mystical homes that provide such unique travel experiences? In hopes to share the magic of homestays with other adventurous backpackers, I've put together this epic guide.

Here's absolutely everything you need to know about homestay accommodation.

What is a Homestay?

If you're wondering "what the heck is a homestay?" you've absolutely come to the right place. They're my favorite kind of accommodation and have led me to some of the best travel adventures. But that doesn't really explain the meaning of a homestay, does it?

In short, a homestay allows you to meaningfully connect with locals by staying with them in their homes. These days, such accommodations come in all shapes and sizes. But at their core, they involve an "authentic" stay at a local home. They've also become more and more popular according to holiday accommodation stats.

It could put you inside the house in the same room, in a guest room, or in a separate portion of their home built specifically for tourists; it varies wildly between homes. Staying in a homestay could be as casual as grabbing a living room couch or in the form of a long-term arrangement like what you'd find with WWOOF.

Regardless of the varying specifics, one thing is constant across all homestays across the world. Or should be, that is.

A homestay isn't just a place to rest your head after a long day of exploring. It's an experience. And at its best, can actually become a home-away-from-away.

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Why You Should Book a Homestay

Homestay bookings allow you insight into local life that you'd never find otherwise, all whilst fostering connections that can lead to real friendships. It doesn't matter how authentic a killer street food is. The reality is that no type of food is more authentic than one cooked in a home kitchen.

And even if you stay in an Airbnb that gives you an idea of how a local home looks, you still won't know how it feels. You won't get to experience sipping butter tea boiled over a traditional bukhari. Nor will you feel the joy of getting to connect with someone born worlds away from you.

Whether you want to tend to crops on a rural Spanish farm or discover every corner of South Asian city via Couchsurfing, there's a host out there for you! Unlike hotels which often provide quite stale experiences, staying with a host family is guaranteed to be more than just a place to rest at night. In fact, if you really do it right, you should come away from a homestay feeling like it taught you more about the destination than anywhere else you've visited.

Because that's the whole point. Homestays give rare access into the daily lives and happenings of locals, and expose you to things you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Staying in homestays can lead to onward travel plans, hidden spots that only locals know, and real, long-lasting friendships!

Homestay vs Airbnb & Hotels: Homestay Advantages and Disadvantages

As with everything, there are definitely advantages AND disadvantages to staying in a homestay.

Sure, Hotels and (private) Airbnbs might be able to provide you with more privacy and luxury. But they'll never be able to compete with homestays when it comes to real, immersive travel experiences.

But while I like to think the positives of homestays far outweigh the negatives, here are some realities to be aware of before you book homes from local hosts.

Pros:

Cultural immersion like no other

Homecooked meals

Ability to make long-lasting friendships

Getting to go to local spots you wouldn't know about otherwise

Usually budget-friendly or even free

Language learning

Cons:

Little to no privacy

Homestay families may set rules or curfews

Some working homestays might require a lot from you

Possible safety concerns

Homestays aren't available everywhere

A host can cancel last minute

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Find Out What It Is!

How to Find Travel Homestays

If you're traveling in a country like Pakistan or India, finding a host family can literally be as simple as stepping outside or hopping on a local bus. Seriously, it's happened to me dozens of times by now!

But for more traditional locales, using one of the following websites is surely the best way to find your homestay.

The Best Homestay Websites

The way you find your host family will be as unique as the stay itself as there are a LOT of different ways to discover homestays these days. "Official" local homestays are often listed on popular booking sites. However be extremely nitpicky with these, as it's not unheard of for regular hotels to call themselves homestays these days.

Homestay.com

There's also Homestay.com. This site functions very much like Couchsurfing, but for nightly rates instead of just a yearly fee. Homestay.com states that it has "over 33,000 homes in 176 countries" so there's certainly a hefty dose of variety there.

Like Couchsurfing, Homestay.com has reviews available for each host and a full description of where and with whom you'll be staying.

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is perhaps one of the best homestay websites to find "real" host families. For just $14 a year, you have full access to the platform, which can connect you with locals and their homes all over the globe.

Couchsurfers can be found all over the globe. And while you might have to stay on an actual couch, many hosts have separate private rooms for surfers.

What makes the platform so great is that it breeds authenticity. Hosts are not paid for accommodating travelers, so you can be sure that anyone on the platform is genuinely looking to make friends. Plus it's a platform with slow travelers in mind. I once stayed with a host for over a month!

It's important to note that "real" Couchsurfing is not possible everywhere. In most American and Western European cities, it's become more of a hookup service instead of a form of cultural immersion. Couchsurfing is definitely at its best in offbeat travel destinations.

Volunteering at Homestays

Worldpackers, Workaway, and WWOOF are the world's most popular ways to find working homestay options.

These gigs tend to be semi-long-term, and usually include free food as well. Altogether, the 3 sites have such a wide variety of jobs to choose from that virtually any traveler will be able to find something appealing.

Booking.com

While primarily for finding hotels, you can also find traditional local homestays with signs and designated spaces for travelers on Booking.com.

Make sure to read the reviews very carefully to ensure that the listing is ACTUALLY a homestay. Keep in mind that there are many destinations where you won't be able to find any at all. In that case, Couchsurfing should be able to come in handy.

Airbnb

Airbnb is unique in the travel accommodation game. And it's yet ANOTHER way to find a homestay. "Private" and "Shared" room options sometimes mean you'll be sharing the space with locals. You still have to carefully read reviews though-not all listings in these categories provide the type of stay you're likely seeking.

Good, old-fashioned word of mouth is another way to find kick-ass homestays. The best homestay I've ever experienced was mentioned in casual conversation by another traveler.

Types of Homestay Accommodation

No two homestays are the same, but there are definitely distinct categories of home stays you should be aware of.

Working Homestays

Ever heard of Worldpackers, Workaway, or WWOOF? If so, you know where I'm going with this. But in case not: let me explain. These three platforms connect travelers with jobs all over the world.

The set-up is simple: travelers get free food and accommodation in exchange for working an agreed-upon job. This type of homestay ensures you still get the local accommodation experience. It also helps you to contribute to a local project at the same time.

Free Homestays

The original homestay was literally finding a host off the street, usually via invite. This still happens in numerous countries today and I've had incredible experiences with hosts in India and Pakistan in particular.

Finding random hosts is undoubtedly the most "authentic" type of homestay experience if we're being honest. Although that doesn't mean all the other types of homestays aren't also awesome.

Aside from finding random host families, you can also try Couchsurfing, which is a (mostly) free platform. It recently began charging a $14 annual membership fee, but the nights with your host abroad are completely free. Couchsurfing is still one of the easiest ways to stay with locals around the world, and you can do it pretty much everywhere.

Commercial Homestays

Personally, this is my least favorite type of homestay and the only one on this list I do NOT recommend trying. While homestays traditionally cater to backpackers, more and more bougie "eco-lodges."

Unless this is what you're interested in, make sure you read ALL reviews to ensure they're not just borrowing the word 'homestay'. It's also a fairly solid rule that genuine homestay experiences are under $20 a night, often with food included. If you see a rate above that, be very skeptical!

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The Best Countries to Try a Homestay

So you can book an Airbnb practically anywhere in the world. And you can live the hostel life almost everywhere. But local homestays (not working ones, which can also be found pretty much anywhere) are best experienced in a select few regions.

Asia, in particular, is the Queen of Homestay accommodation. Though you can find hosts on other continents, too.

Thailand

Thailand is one of the best destinations to experience "official" local homestays. As I mentioned, these types of homestays can often be booked online, and usually include a private room for guests to stay in.

As Thailand is one of the most popular backpacking destinations in the world, its tourism industry is quite developed and homestays are not hard to find! You can also find various working homestay projects to get involved in all over the country.

Nepal

Another iconic South Asian locale, Nepal is filled with friendly people and unique traditions that are best experienced inside of a home! The "trekker's paradise" has dozens of registered homestays all over the country, with additional options on Airbnb and Couchsurfing.

To make the most of your experience at a Nepal homestay, look for homes in remote areas that might be difficult to stay in or access otherwise.

Pakistan

It doesn't get much easier than this to find a host family. I've stayed with locals while backpacking in Pakistan through random encounters, Couchsurfing, official listings, and even friends (or family) of friends. Heavy on the random encounters though!

Pakistanis are extremely hospitable to tourists, and this is the number one characteristic of a good homestay destination.

The mountainous regions of Chitral and Gilgit Baltistan have some fantastic local homestays to choose from. My favorite is the Tourist Garden Inn in Mastuj. It's a separate portion of a family's home and has been helping adventurous backpackers since the '90s.

Since it's so easy to meet Pakistanis, and so many speak English, receiving an invite from a kind stranger is all but a guarantee.

"I'm not like the others", said this guidebook - and we have to agree.

484 pages with cities, towns, parks,
and ALL the out-of-the-way places you will WANT to know.
If you truly want to discover Pakistan, download this PDF.

India

India is filled with the aforementioned local homestay option. You can find particularly great ones in scenic areas like Himachal Pradesh and Kerala, the breathtaking Southern state dubbed "God's Own Country."

Like its neighbor Pakistan, you can expect to find breathtaking hospitality in India, which makes it yet another top pick for completely random homestays. India also has a thriving Couchsurfing scene. I've personally stayed with surfers in numerous cities throughout the country, and each experience highly, highly beat out what I could have found in nearby hotels.

If you plan on backpacking India, you should deffs at least download the Couchsurfing app. Look for places on booking sites that include the word "homestay," and BE SURE they have descriptions and reviews that can confirm.

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We've tested the Geopress rigorously from the icy heights of Pakistan to the tropical jungles of Cuba, and the results are in: it WORKS. Buy a Geopress: it's the last water bottle you'll ever buy.

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What to Expect at a Homestay

Each homestay is just as unique as those who run it. But here are some common amenities that make homestays so special-and so different from hotels!

Homecooked food -One of my favorite things about homestays is that they almost ALWAYS serve homecooked food! Whether or not the food is included in the nightly rate depends on each specific host, but you can almost guarantee you'll be eating straight from your host's kitchen!

Cultural immersion -Why choose a homestay over a hotel? If no other reason appeals to you, allow cultural immersion to be that reason. Homestays allow you to connect with locals in ways you would never be able to in other options. They give you a chance to see how locals really live, and provide insights into traditions and cultures you can only get inside a real home.

Space to chill -Homestays often mean amazing outdoor spaces. From massive gardens to surreal mountain views, to cool rooftop spots, hosts I've stayed with have had it all and more. Unlike hotels that often have no "chill space," homestays have a knack for keeping open areas inviting and often trendy, too!

Affordable rates - While some commercialized homestays might not be budget-friendly, authentic homes are often priced with budget backpackers in mind. Some platforms like Couchsurfing are completely free! Homestays sometimes include at least one meal or extras like tea in the nightly rate, which is another benefit over hotels.

Daytrips -One of my favorite trips while traveling was only made possible thanks to the amazing hosts of the homestay I was staying at. They helped me arrange travel to a very remote region while traveling in Pakistan and connected me with more homes to stay in deeper in the valley. Homestay hosts are also known to show travelers around or offer trips to more difficult-to-reach locales. At the very least, your host can certainly help you plan onward travel!

Real friendships! -Due to their intimate nature, homestays should be your go-to if you're looking to make genuine local connections. Whether they're a Couchsurfing host or an owner of an established homestay business, don't count out your host becoming a legit friend.

Are Homestays Safe?

While homestay-ing is generally safe, there's obviously a difference between staying with a random family you met on the street and a registered homestay house. Solo female travelers in particular will want to forego staying with single men for the most part, unless they have a plethora of positive reviews from other women.

To have the safest homestay experience possible, only stay with hosts who have great feedback. Ignore those on Couchsurfing especially with little to no feedback.

Of course, the ultimate travel safety tip: go with your gut. Even if a place has a million positive reviews, if you arrive at a homestay and feel unsafe or uncomfy in any way, get out! You won't have to see the person again, and safety is always more important than saving face.

Staying Safe at Homestays

Whether you're heading to an official homestay that's been stayed in thousands of times, or taking a chance on a completely random family, you're going to want to protect yourself (and your wallet) from any potential mishaps.
Regardless of which country you'll be exploring, or how long you'll be there, it's always a stellar idea to have some good travel insurance!

It's good to get lost sometimes, but it's also good not to get too lost. There are people that want you home in one piece.

There's one travel insurance provider The Broke Backpacker trusts for all his wildest shenanigans... World Nomads!

Click the button below to get a quote on your insurance or read our in-depth review of World Nomads' coverage. And then... let the shenanigans begin. 😉

Tips for Epic Homestay Experiences

After spending many incredible nights in various homestays all over the world, I've found there are a few things you absolutely SHOULD do before staying with locals while traveling.

Read ALL reviews! - Not all homestays have an online presence. For those that do, you're definitely going to get real familiar with the review section. This is especially important if you're traveling without a travel buddy.

Note the location - Staying with a host family on the outskirts of a city can still make for a great time, but it can also hinder your experience as well if there isn't any transportation. Of course, this doesn't really apply to rural areas, where the goal is to be far away from civilization!

Get recommendations from other travelers - Online booking sites have revolutionized the travel industry, and they're super useful for finding homestays. But some of the best homestays I've had the pleasure of spending time in weren't found online, but rather in conversation with fellow backpackers. Facebook groups about your destination are great places to start when you're planning your trip.

Know what you're getting into - Each and every homestay is different. Some might give you a private room. Some may be home to children, and still others might have plenty of cuddly animals running around. For the most rewarding experience, make sure you're choosing a host who fits your travel style!

Take advantage of every opportunity! - The whole point of a homestay is to fully immerse yourself into a brand new culture, while hopefully making some friends along the way. Spend as much time as you can in shared spaces, try all the food,and if a host invites you on an outing-go go go!

Work and Stay With Locals Through Worldpackers!

If you're looking for a more long-term homestay situation, then look no further than Worldpackers! I've already mentioned the concept of working homestays.

Here at The Broke Backpacker, it's our number one choice for volunteering abroad. In exchange for accommodation, food, and real cultural immersion of course!

Worldpackers connects travelers with local hosts and projects all over the world and has unique community features that beat out all competitors.

Alternatively, Workaway is another fantastic platform for finding working homestays abroad.

Worldpackers: connecting travellers with meaningful travel experiences.

Homestays Explained: FAQs

Final Thoughts for Your Homestay-ing Adventures!

Homestays aren't just a place to rest your head at night. They're a place to truly get to know the people and the place you're visiting in ways that could never happen from a hotel room.

In 2019, I found a homestay in the nether regions of Pakistan's Chitral district. What I thought would just be a short stay turned into an entire adventure with my host, along with a follow-up visit more than two years later. Now that's the magic of homestays.

On yet another occasion, I ended up spending a total of 6 weeks with a host I met from Couchsurfing, which allowed me to experience some truly epic Pakistani festivals that I never would have known about otherwise.

It's for these exact reasons why homestays are so sweet. At their best, they allow you to genuinely connect with locals, and take part in aspects of their lives that hotels shield you from. Discovering amazing homes, and making lifelong friendships within them, have made for some of my favorite experiences on the road.

As great as hostels, traditional hotels, and private Airbnbs can be, they can't quite beat out a killer homestay. Because if you do it right, a homestay can easily become a second home and the people who run it can turn into a second family.

Now what are you waiting for?

Get out there and find an amazing homestay today! And don't forget to be present once you get there. There's so much to see and learn!

Thanks for reading - that was fun! 😀
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Fond of all things South Asia and ice cream, Samantha has been adventuring to wild adventure frontiers and documenting it for the past several years. When she's not eating her way through a new city, she enjoys hiking, floating in the ocean and cycling along quiet paths. Before trading in summer trips for full-time travel, Samantha lived in Miami.

She's currently learning Urdu, lending her pen as a Broke Backpacker writer on adventure travel content, and further cementing her love of hippopotamuses. There's always more Samantha to be found on her blog: Intentional Detours.

Some of my best nights spent travelling haven't been inside of an Airbnb, a hotel, or even a hostel. They've taken place in local abodes, complete with home-cooked meals and heaps of connections.

If you've never heard of them before, the entire concept of homestays might sound confusing. Spending a night with a stranger? I get it. Homestays aren't common everywhere, and it's not an experience you can seek just anywhere.

But once you have your first real experience in a family homestay, I guarantee you'll see what all the hype is about. Homestays give you a home away from home, and not just in the practical way that Airbnb does.

We all know home is so much more about "who" than "what" which is why staying with a real family can be so impactful. It directly immerses you into local life, and allows you to interact with communities in ways that aren't possible otherwise.

But how exactly do you find these mystical homes that provide such unique travel experiences? In hopes to share the magic of homestays with other adventurous backpackers, I've put together this epic guide.

Here's absolutely everything you need to know about homestay accommodation.

What is a Homestay?

If you're wondering "what the heck is a homestay?" you've absolutely come to the right place. They're my favorite kind of accommodation and have led me to some of the best travel adventures. But that doesn't really explain the meaning of a homestay, does it?

In short, a homestay allows you to meaningfully connect with locals by staying with them in their homes. These days, such accommodations come in all shapes and sizes. But at their core, they involve an "authentic" stay at a local home. They've also become more and more popular according to holiday accommodation stats.

It could put you inside the house in the same room, in a guest room, or in a separate portion of their home built specifically for tourists; it varies wildly between homes. Staying in a homestay could be as casual as grabbing a living room couch or in the form of a long-term arrangement like what you'd find with WWOOF.

Regardless of the varying specifics, one thing is constant across all homestays across the world. Or should be, that is.

A homestay isn't just a place to rest your head after a long day of exploring. It's an experience. And at its best, can actually become a home-away-from-away.

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Why You Should Book a Homestay

Homestay bookings allow you insight into local life that you'd never find otherwise, all whilst fostering connections that can lead to real friendships. It doesn't matter how authentic a killer street food is. The reality is that no type of food is more authentic than one cooked in a home kitchen.

And even if you stay in an Airbnb that gives you an idea of how a local home looks, you still won't know how it feels. You won't get to experience sipping butter tea boiled over a traditional bukhari. Nor will you feel the joy of getting to connect with someone born worlds away from you.

Whether you want to tend to crops on a rural Spanish farm or discover every corner of South Asian city via Couchsurfing, there's a host out there for you! Unlike hotels which often provide quite stale experiences, staying with a host family is guaranteed to be more than just a place to rest at night. In fact, if you really do it right, you should come away from a homestay feeling like it taught you more about the destination than anywhere else you've visited.

Because that's the whole point. Homestays give rare access into the daily lives and happenings of locals, and expose you to things you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Staying in homestays can lead to onward travel plans, hidden spots that only locals know, and real, long-lasting friendships!

Homestay vs Airbnb & Hotels: Homestay Advantages and Disadvantages

As with everything, there are definitely advantages AND disadvantages to staying in a homestay.

Sure, Hotels and (private) Airbnbs might be able to provide you with more privacy and luxury. But they'll never be able to compete with homestays when it comes to real, immersive travel experiences.

But while I like to think the positives of homestays far outweigh the negatives, here are some realities to be aware of before you book homes from local hosts.
Pros:

Cultural immersion like no other

Homecooked meals

Ability to make long-lasting friendships

Getting to go to local spots you wouldn't know about otherwise

Usually budget-friendly or even free

Language learning

Cons:

Little to no privacy

Homestay families may set rules or curfews

Some working homestays might require a lot from you

Possible safety concerns

Homestays aren't available everywhere

A host can cancel last minute

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How to Find Travel Homestays

If you're traveling in a country like Pakistan or India, finding a host family can literally be as simple as stepping outside or hopping on a local bus. Seriously, it's happened to me dozens of times by now!

But for more traditional locales, using one of the following websites is surely the best way to find your homestay.

The Best Homestay Websites

The way you find your host family will be as unique as the stay itself as there are a LOT of different ways to discover homestays these days. "Official" local homestays are often listed on popular booking sites. However be extremely nitpicky with these, as it's not unheard of for regular hotels to call themselves homestays these days.

Homestay.com

There's also Homestay.com. This site functions very much like Couchsurfing, but for nightly rates instead of just a yearly fee. Homestay.com states that it has "over 33,000 homes in 176 countries" so there's certainly a hefty dose of variety there.

Like Couchsurfing, Homestay.com has reviews available for each host and a full description of where and with whom you'll be staying.

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is perhaps one of the best homestay websites to find "real" host families. For just $14 a year, you have full access to the platform, which can connect you with locals and their homes all over the globe.

Couchsurfers can be found all over the globe. And while you might have to stay on an actual couch, many hosts have separate private rooms for surfers.

What makes the platform so great is that it breeds authenticity. Hosts are not paid for accommodating travelers, so you can be sure that anyone on the platform is genuinely looking to make friends. Plus it's a platform with slow travelers in mind. I once stayed with a host for over a month!

It's important to note that "real" Couchsurfing is not possible everywhere. In most American and Western European cities, it's become more of a hookup service instead of a form of cultural immersion. Couchsurfing is definitely at its best in offbeat travel destinations.

Volunteering at Homestays

Worldpackers, Workaway, and WWOOF are the world's most popular ways to find working homestay options.

These gigs tend to be semi-long-term, and usually include free food as well. Altogether, the 3 sites have such a wide variety of jobs to choose from that virtually any traveler will be able to find something appealing.

Booking.com

While primarily for finding hotels, you can also find traditional local homestays with signs and designated spaces for travelers on Booking.com.

Make sure to read the reviews very carefully to ensure that the listing is ACTUALLY a homestay. Keep in mind that there are many destinations where you won't be able to find any at all. In that case, Couchsurfing should be able to come in handy.

Airbnb

Airbnb is unique in the travel accommodation game. And it's yet ANOTHER way to find a homestay. "Private" and "Shared" room options sometimes mean you'll be sharing the space with locals. You still have to carefully read reviews though-not all listings in these categories provide the type of stay you're likely seeking.

Good, old-fashioned word of mouth is another way to find kick-ass homestays. The best homestay I've ever experienced was mentioned in casual conversation by another traveler.

Types of Homestay Accommodation

No two homestays are the same, but there are definitely distinct categories of home stays you should be aware of.

Working Homestays

Ever heard of Worldpackers, Workaway, or WWOOF? If so, you know where I'm going with this. But in case not: let me explain. These three platforms connect travelers with jobs all over the world.

The set-up is simple: travelers get free food and accommodation in exchange for working an agreed-upon job. This type of homestay ensures you still get the local accommodation experience. It also helps you to contribute to a local project at the same time.

Free Homestays

The original homestay was literally finding a host off the street, usually via invite. This still happens in numerous countries today and I've had incredible experiences with hosts in India and Pakistan in particular.

Finding random hosts is undoubtedly the most "authentic" type of homestay experience if we're being honest. Although that doesn't mean all the other types of homestays aren't also awesome.

Aside from finding random host families, you can also try Couchsurfing, which is a (mostly) free platform. It recently began charging a $14 annual membership fee, but the nights with your host abroad are completely free. Couchsurfing is still one of the easiest ways to stay with locals around the world, and you can do it pretty much everywhere.

Commercial Homestays

Personally, this is my least favorite type of homestay and the only one on this list I do NOT recommend trying. While homestays traditionally cater to backpackers, more and more bougie "eco-lodges."

Unless this is what you're interested in, make sure you read ALL reviews to ensure they're not just borrowing the word 'homestay'. It's also a fairly solid rule that genuine homestay experiences are under $20 a night, often with food included. If you see a rate above that, be very skeptical!

My missus travels with all her clothes in ziplock bags: don't be like my missus. UP YOUR PACKING GAME!

Packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for the real adventurers - these babies are a traveller's best kept secret. They organise yo' packing and minimise its volume too so you can pack MORE.

Or, y'know... you can stick to ziplock bags.

The Best Countries to Try a Homestay

So you can book an Airbnb practically anywhere in the world. And you can live the hostel life almost everywhere. But local homestays (not working ones, which can also be found pretty much anywhere) are best experienced in a select few regions.

Asia, in particular, is the Queen of Homestay accommodation. Though you can find hosts on other continents, too.

Thailand

Thailand is one of the best destinations to experience "official" local homestays. As I mentioned, these types of homestays can often be booked online, and usually include a private room for guests to stay in.

As Thailand is one of the most popular backpacking destinations in the world, its tourism industry is quite developed and homestays are not hard to find! You can also find various working homestay projects to get involved in all over the country.

Nepal

Another iconic South Asian locale, Nepal is filled with friendly people and unique traditions that are best experienced inside of a home! The "trekker's paradise" has dozens of registered homestays all over the country, with additional options on Airbnb and Couchsurfing.

To make the most of your experience at a Nepal homestay, look for homes in remote areas that might be difficult to stay in or access otherwise.

Pakistan

It doesn't get much easier than this to find a host family. I've stayed with locals while backpacking in Pakistan through random encounters, Couchsurfing, official listings, and even friends (or family) of friends. Heavy on the random encounters though!

Pakistanis are extremely hospitable to tourists, and this is the number one characteristic of a good homestay destination.

The mountainous regions of Chitral and Gilgit Baltistan have some fantastic local homestays to choose from. My favorite is the Tourist Garden Inn in Mastuj. It's a separate portion of a family's home and has been helping adventurous backpackers since the '90s.

Since it's so easy to meet Pakistanis, and so many speak English, receiving an invite from a kind stranger is all but a guarantee.

"I'm not like the others", said this guidebook - and we have to agree.

484 pages with cities, towns, parks,
and ALL the out-of-the-way places you will WANT to know.
If you truly want to discover Pakistan, download this PDF.

India

India is filled with the aforementioned local homestay option. You can find particularly great ones in scenic areas like Himachal Pradesh and Kerala, the breathtaking Southern state dubbed "God's Own Country."

Like its neighbor Pakistan, you can expect to find breathtaking hospitality in India, which makes it yet another top pick for completely random homestays. India also has a thriving Couchsurfing scene. I've personally stayed with surfers in numerous cities throughout the country, and each experience highly, highly beat out what I could have found in nearby hotels.

If you plan on backpacking India, you should deffs at least download the Couchsurfing app. Look for places on booking sites that include the word "homestay," and BE SURE they have descriptions and reviews that can confirm.

Save $$$ * Save the Planet * Save Your Stomach!

Drink water from ANYWHERE. The Grayl Geopress is the market's leading filtered water bottle protecting your tum from all the waterborne nasties. PLUS, you save money and the environment!

Single-use plastic bottles are a MASSIVE threat to marine life. Be a part of the solution and travel with a filter water bottle.

We've tested the Geopress rigorously from the icy heights of Pakistan to the tropical jungles of Cuba, and the results are in: it WORKS. Buy a Geopress: it's the last water bottle you'll ever buy.

What to Expect at a Homestay

Each homestay is just as unique as those who run it. But here are some common amenities that make homestays so special-and so different from hotels!

Homecooked food -One of my favorite things about homestays is that they almost ALWAYS serve homecooked food! Whether or not the food is included in the nightly rate depends on each specific host, but you can almost guarantee you'll be eating straight from your host's kitchen!

Cultural immersion -Why choose a homestay over a hotel? If no other reason appeals to you, allow cultural immersion to be that reason. Homestays allow you to connect with locals in ways you would never be able to in other options. They give you a chance to see how locals really live, and provide insights into traditions and cultures you can only get inside a real home.

Space to chill -Homestays often mean amazing outdoor spaces. From massive gardens to surreal mountain views, to cool rooftop spots, hosts I've stayed with have had it all and more. Unlike hotels that often have no "chill space," homestays have a knack for keeping open areas inviting and often trendy, too!

Affordable rates - While some commercialized homestays might not be budget-friendly, authentic homes are often priced with budget backpackers in mind. Some platforms like Couchsurfing are completely free! Homestays sometimes include at least one meal or extras like tea in the nightly rate, which is another benefit over hotels.

Daytrips -One of my favorite trips while traveling was only made possible thanks to the amazing hosts of the homestay I was staying at. They helped me arrange travel to a very remote region while traveling in Pakistan and connected me with more homes to stay in deeper in the valley. Homestay hosts are also known to show travelers around or offer trips to more difficult-to-reach locales. At the very least, your host can certainly help you plan onward travel!

Real friendships! -Due to their intimate nature, homestays should be your go-to if you're looking to make genuine local connections. Whether they're a Couchsurfing host or an owner of an established homestay business, don't count out your host becoming a legit friend.

Are Homestays Safe?

While homestay-ing is generally safe, there's obviously a difference between staying with a random family you met on the street and a registered homestay house. Solo female travelers in particular will want to forego staying with single men for the most part, unless they have a plethora of positive reviews from other women.

To have the safest homestay experience possible, only stay with hosts who have great feedback. Ignore those on Couchsurfing especially with little to no feedback.

Of course, the ultimate travel safety tip: go with your gut. Even if a place has a million positive reviews, if you arrive at a homestay and feel unsafe or uncomfy in any way, get out! You won't have to see the person again, and safety is always more important than saving face.

Staying Safe at Homestays

Whether you're heading to an official homestay that's been stayed in thousands of times, or taking a chance on a completely random family, you're going to want to protect yourself (and your wallet) from any potential mishaps.
Regardless of which country you'll be exploring, or how long you'll be there, it's always a stellar idea to have some good travel insurance!

It's good to get lost sometimes, but it's also good not to get too lost. There are people that want you home in one piece.

There's one travel insurance provider The Broke Backpacker trusts for all his wildest shenanigans... World Nomads!

Click the button below to get a quote on your insurance or read our in-depth review of World Nomads' coverage. And then... let the shenanigans begin. 😉

Tips for Epic Homestay Experiences

After spending many incredible nights in various homestays all over the world, I've found there are a few things you absolutely SHOULD do before staying with locals while traveling.

Read ALL reviews! - Not all homestays have an online presence. For those that do, you're definitely going to get real familiar with the review section. This is especially important if you're traveling without a travel buddy.

Note the location - Staying with a host family on the outskirts of a city can still make for a great time, but it can also hinder your experience as well if there isn't any transportation. Of course, this doesn't really apply to rural areas, where the goal is to be far away from civilization!

Get recommendations from other travelers - Online booking sites have revolutionized the travel industry, and they're super useful for finding homestays. But some of the best homestays I've had the pleasure of spending time in weren't found online, but rather in conversation with fellow backpackers. Facebook groups about your destination are great places to start when you're planning your trip.

Know what you're getting into - Each and every homestay is different. Some might give you a private room. Some may be home to children, and still others might have plenty of cuddly animals running around. For the most rewarding experience, make sure you're choosing a host who fits your travel style!

Take advantage of every opportunity! - The whole point of a homestay is to fully immerse yourself into a brand new culture, while hopefully making some friends along the way. Spend as much time as you can in shared spaces, try all the food,and if a host invites you on an outing-go go go!

Work and Stay With Locals Through Worldpackers!

If you're looking for a more long-term homestay situation, then look no further than Worldpackers! I've already mentioned the concept of working homestays.

Here at The Broke Backpacker, it's our number one choice for volunteering abroad. In exchange for accommodation, food, and real cultural immersion of course!

Worldpackers connects travelers with local hosts and projects all over the world and has unique community features that beat out all competitors.

Alternatively, Workaway is another fantastic platform for finding working homestays abroad.

Worldpackers: connecting travellers with meaningful travel experiences.

Homestays Explained: FAQs

Final Thoughts for Your Homestay-ing Adventures!

Homestays aren't just a place to rest your head at night. They're a place to truly get to know the people and the place you're visiting in ways that could never happen from a hotel room.

In 2019, I found a homestay in the nether regions of Pakistan's Chitral district. What I thought would just be a short stay turned into an entire adventure with my host, along with a follow-up visit more than two years later. Now that's the magic of homestays.

On yet another occasion, I ended up spending a total of 6 weeks with a host I met from Couchsurfing, which allowed me to experience some truly epic Pakistani festivals that I never would have known about otherwise.

It's for these exact reasons why homestays are so sweet. At their best, they allow you to genuinely connect with locals, and take part in aspects of their lives that hotels shield you from. Discovering amazing homes, and making lifelong friendships within them, have made for some of my favorite experiences on the road.

As great as hostels, traditional hotels, and private Airbnbs can be, they can't quite beat out a killer homestay. Because if you do it right, a homestay can easily become a second home and the people who run it can turn into a second family.

Now what are you waiting for?

Get out there and find an amazing homestay today! And don't forget to be present once you get there. There's so much to see and learn!

Thanks for reading - that was fun! 😀
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Homestays 101: The ULTIMATE Guide to Staying With Locals! (2022)

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Some of my best nights spent travelling haven't been inside of an Airbnb, a hotel, or even a hostel. They've taken place in local abodes, complete with home-cooked meals and heaps of connections. If you've never heard of them before, the entire concept of homestays might sound confusing.

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When Le Corbusier gave his 5 point theory about an ideal design approach for a layout, the modern-day architecture started developing its form and shape. Amongst those 5 points, was the concept of an open or a free plan. This meant that there will be almost no partitions or walls amongst room for activities that conventionally were considered private and utilitarian. Whilst its major impact was on the interiors of small space residences, the concept was appreciated to incorporate various design strategies that were well supported by the idea of an open plan.

Open plans brought with them a plethora of benefits to space. With an enormous amount of natural light flushing in, the spaces became well-lit through the major part of the day. The idea of no partitions created a platform for free-flowing movement and made the spaces seem larger aesthetically. Apart from this, the free plans removed the visual barriers and gave immense transparency. This concept of visual transparency became the stepping stone to a lot of aesthetically free-flowing spaces.

Here are 5 projects that changed the experiential quality of the space by incorporating open plans to add transparency:

1. THE PARKHAUS

This vividly open plan villa in Pune, India, allows for a fascinating movement trajectory. With no visual or physical boundaries in the living room, the dining area and the living area complement each other well dwelling together. The kitchen is divided into two segments: the open and the private kitchen, and this division is done by curved storage space. From the free movement in the lounge to a very directional movement near the kitchen, space goes from public to semi-private to private.

A similar format is followed in the master bedroom where the closet is slightly covering the dressing room but gives a free movement to the bathroom.

2. THE ZEN HOUSE

This zen house in Xiamen, China, is an experiential space. You feel free and calm and in zen because of the absence of boundaries and minimal furniture. The low-heighted room allows one to feel the space on a microscopic level and permits room for a free-flowing furniture layout. The home has created various vision cones in the house, not only on the exteriors by unconventional windows, but also inside the house. This is also achieved by a free-flowing plan and minimum visual barriers.

3. IPOJUCA APARTMENT

The Ipojuca apartment feels like an apartment next door but there is a very clever usage of the concept of open plans. There are multiple free spaces in the house but the approach to them is private and individual; there are narrow passages that lead to these open spaces.

The living room, the dining, and the open kitchen are camouflaged in the entrance lounge, blending well with each other. The study and the entertainment lounge are combined. Even the terrace is designed to be multifunctional, with absolutely no visual or physical barriers.

This unusual vacation home in the woods of Mangabeiras, Brazil, is a rather linear site with the escapades of a free-flowing furniture layout. Of what seems to be a home for an individual, this home is crossing boundaries of the conventional norms of privacy and seclusion. Not only the living room but even what is supposedly the bedroom, is allowed to dwell free in the house. The layout is aligning with the orientations of the site. The bathroom is allowed to have visual transparency from the beautiful trees outside.

5. THE PEAK

This rather small residence in Melbourne, Australia, with an area of 33 sq.m. is a shelter for homeless youth. The idea of a free plan is used for a very conventional design approach to creating more carpet area and providing an unhinged visual landscape. With a perfectly square site, an L-shaped layout placement has been designed allowing for a relentless aesthetically larger space.

Saylee is an enthusiast; a reader, a writer and a learner. She is an ecstatic person and an extrovert soul. Currently pursuing her Bachelor's in Design at CEPT University, Ahmedabad, she aspires to be an Interior Architect in the near future.

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Open plan layouts_How transparency as a concept can change the nature of the space - RTF | Rethinking The Future

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When Le Corbusier gave his 5 point theory about an ideal design approach for a layout, the modern-day architecture started developing its form and shape. Amongst those 5 points, was the concept of an open or a free plan. This meant that there will be almost no partitions or walls amongst room for activities that conventionally were considered private and utilitarian.

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Forestry Department - Forest Classification

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El ser humano aprendió hace mucho tiempo que el clima del lugar en el que habita es lo que define el modelo que adopta su arquitectura. En ella ha buscado siempre, y en primer lugar, la manera de protegerse, sea del sol o de la lluvia, del calor o del frío. La casa como refugio. Este principio es particularmente aplicable a territorios del mundo cuyo clima se considera extremo. La naturaleza moldea las estrategias edificatorias en regiones con frío glacial o desérticas, pero también en aquellas con una elevadísima humedad y un calor constante.

En estas últimas ponemos el foco hoy. Las zonas cálidas y húmedas, tropicales, se caracterizan por tener temperaturas diurnas y nocturnas altas (apenas hay oscilación térmica), una radiación siempre intensa y lluvias muy frecuentes y abundantes. El ambiente sofoca.

La arquitectura, por tanto, ha de guiarse, en líneas generales, por tres premisas básicas: ser lo más ligera posible, estar muy ventilada y protegerse del sol, sin aplicar ninguna inercia térmica. No, en este caso este recurso bioclimático no es una ventaja porque se trata de lugares donde el termómetro apenas varía durante las 24 horas del día ni entre estaciones, y no interesa almacenar calor para luego liberarlo. Todo lo contrario: la clave está en refrescar constantemente los espacios interiores y crear un microclima particular.

Arquitectura bioclimática: adaptarse para vivir donde sea

Vivir en una zona del planeta donde la humedad y el calor son factores persistentes implica prestar una especial atención a la forma de construir. El alto coste de la energía necesaria para aires acondicionados y aparatos para reducir el grado de humedad obliga a tener en cuenta la circularidad. Afortunadamente, un diseño arquitectónico inteligente no requiere mucha tecnología adicional. Solo es necesario conocer las limitaciones concretas que impone la naturaleza, aplicar las técnicas y métodos adecuados y echar mano de los recursos disponibles en cada región. Consiste en adaptarse, un principio esencial de la arquitectura bioclimática.

¿Cómo se plantea una arquitectura en zonas húmedas?

En los lugares donde más críticas son las condiciones climáticas, más limitadas y fijas son las soluciones de diseño. Pero es posible trabajar bien con ellas. Al construir una vivienda u otro tipo de edificación en un área tropical deben tenerse en cuenta elementos como:

La orientación y el emplazamiento. Lo ideal es construir con formato este-oeste y que las principales aberturas se sitúen en el eje norte-sur. Así se almacena menos calor debido al ángulo de incidencia solar en regiones con este clima y se favorece la ventilación natural y, por tanto, la disminución de la humedad. Los emplazamientos elevados son los más recomendados: mejoran la ventilación y si la construcción está separada del terreno (como los palafitos, que se alzan sobre estacas o pilares) se obtiene una mayor exposición a las brisas, además de proteger frente a inundaciones y los insectos y otros animales.

La protección frente al sol. Debe evitarse al máximo la radiación solar, tanto directa como difusa. Para ello, además de utilizar la orientación de la construcción y los propios árboles y vegetación, se cubren las ventanas con celosías, cortinajes o persianas y el techo se pinta de blanco. Esto hace que se oscurezcan las grandes aberturas de la casa y reduce la cantidad de luz y de calor que entran en ella. También se colocan aleros o voladizos en la parte inferior del tejado que desvían el agua y crean sombra en los espacios exteriores, convirtiéndolos en galerías abiertas y protegidas del sol y la lluvia en las que poder descansar y realizar actividades.

La ventilación cruzada. Es quizá el factor más importante. La ventilación abundante es vital para refrigerar el ambiente. Por eso las paredes desaparecen cuando es posible (sustituyéndose, por ejemplo, por paneles móviles, muros bajos, venecianas o elementos agujereados que cumplan la función de separar el interior del exterior) y se abren grandes huecos en fachadas opuestas para que el aire fluya sin barreras.

La cubierta. Debe tener poco peso (para evitar que almacene calor) y estar compuesta por al menos dos capas superpuestas y cámara de aire ventilada entre ellas. Es quizá el elemento constructivo más significativo: es sombrilla y es paraguas. Los modelos tradicionales son de tipo cónico y piramidal.

El color. Cuanto más claro, mejor: reflejará más la radiación solar. Las tonalidades tropicales van desde las propias de la madera hasta el color arena y, por supuesto, el blanco.

¿Qué materiales hay que utilizar para construir en climas húmedos?

Los materiales para construir en climas húmedos y cálidos son similares a los que se utilizan en clima cálido y seco. Suelen ser materiales naturales como la madera, que adecuadamente tratada presenta una gran resistencia y durabilidad. Además es un buen aislante térmico y acústico que absorbe y expulsa la humedad, regulando así el ambiente interior. Otro material de origen vegetal que se utiliza es el bambú. Es frecuente que las viviendas de climas húmedos incorporen ladrillo, yeso, cemento y hormigón. Es importante también emplear aislantes y selladores para evitar que la construcción se humedezca.

Cob, una técnica clave para construir en condiciones de alta humedad

Otro peculiar sistema de construcción natural es el cob. La palabra (que viene del inglés y significa mazorca o algo redondeado) sirve tanto para denominar la técnica edificatoria como el material, una masa hecha a base de barro, arcilla, arena y paja que, debido a su resistencia y durabilidad, se emplea para hacer casas desde el Neolítico hasta nuestros días.

El cob no es como el adobe, no precisa de bloques o ladrillos previamente moldeados, y es un tipo de construcción más propia de climas húmedos. Su composición podría hacer pensar que afectaría a su firmeza en contacto con las frecuentes lluvias de las áreas en las que se utiliza, pero todo lo contrario. Es perfectamente sólido: en muchos países europeos todavía se encuentran viviendas cob y actualmente se ha convertido en una alternativa viable en la construcción ecológica.

Arquitectura en cimas húmedos: más allá de la jungla y el trópico

La convivencia entre arquitectura y humedad no se circunscribe a la jungla y al trópico. Mucho más cerca también encontramos ejemplos. Y bastante más antiguos. El más singular es, sin duda, Venecia, una ciudad patrimonio de la humanidad a la que el "acqua alta", la histórica marea alta que eleva el nivel del agua de sus canales e inunda algunas de sus zonas, ha dado más de un quebradero de cabeza.

¿Cómo se construyó esta ciudad del noreste italiano? Venecia, compuesta por una serie de pequeñas islas naturales en el Mar Adriático, flota sobre un bosque de troncos de madera clavados en el barro, bajo el agua, colocados a mano a lo largo de la historia. Son los denominados i piloti, millones de pilares que miden unos tres metros de altura por medio de diámetro, puestos uno junto al otro formando una plataforma que después se revestía con bloques de piedra. Todo un desafío arquitectónico y de ingeniería.

Esos maderos que actúan como cimientos resisten aún hoy en día. ¿Cómo? Al no haber oxígeno en las capas profundas bajo el lodo, no se produce descomposición y los piloti se han petrificado. Esa es la técnica empleada por los venecianos. Sin embargo, la ciudad se hunde poco a poco. El "acqua alta" deja sal en la piedra y ladrillo de la parte baja de las casas y a este fenómeno natural se suman los cruceros, que provocan un gran desplazamiento de agua y contribuyen al deterioro.

Descubre nuestra serie sobre arquitectura en climas extremos. Usa el buscador para encontrar todos los posts relacionados.

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Arquitectura en climas extremos: condiciones húmedas

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El ser humano aprendió hace mucho tiempo que el clima del lugar en el que habita es lo que define el modelo que adopta su arquitectura. En ella ha buscado siempre, y en primer lugar, la manera de protegerse, sea del sol o de la lluvia, del calor o del frío.

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Flooding is a significant problem for buildings all around the world, including architectural treasures like the Farnsworth House that have been plagued by the issue time and time again. In particular, one-third of the entire continental U.S. are at risk of flooding this spring, especially the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and Deep South. In April of 2019, deadly floods decimated parts of Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Iran as well, resulting in a low estimate of 1,000 deaths while tens of thousands more were displaced. While architecture cannot solve or even fully protect from the most deadly floods, it is possible - and necessary - to take several protective measures that could mitigate damage and consequently save lives.

The first step to take to this end is to identify whether the home or building being designed is in an area at risk for flooding. This can be done by checking flood maps widely available online, including this site run by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. If it is, the architect and client can decide if they want to relocate or if they would like to stay and take the necessary protective measures. For those who choose the latter, we have delineated nine such measures below.

Elevate Above the Flood Level

To start, architects should build the structure above the flood level to minimize damage if a flood does occur. The flood level elevation for specific areas can be found online using programs such as the Estimated Base Flood Elevation Viewer run by FEMA. With this information, architects can discern how high to raise the building and with what method they should do so. One common way of elevating is by building the structure on columns or stilts. In other cases, the solid foundation can simply be raised higher. For more specific information on what to do, architects should assess the climate and flood history of their area and consult information available online such as this manual on coastal construction in particular.

Build with Flood Resistant Material

Flood resistant materials are those which can last in contact with flood waters for at least 72 hours without significant damage. Flood water can be both hydrostatic (standing water) and hydrodynamic (flowing water), and in most cases will result in displaced foundation walls, collapsed structures, floating fuel tanks, scouring, and more. 'Significant damage' suggests any damage requiring more work that cleaning or low-cost cosmetic repair, such as painting. To prevent these damages, flood resistant materials must be durable and resistant to excessive humidity. Examples include concrete, glazed brick, closed-cell and foam insulation, steel hardware, pressure-treated and marine-grade plywood, ceramic tile, water-resistant glue, polyester epoxy paint, and more.

Apply Coatings, Sealants, and Waterproof Veneer

There exist two different types of floodproofing: dry and wet. Dry floodproofing prevents the entry of flood waters, whereas wet floodproofing allows flood waters to enter the house. Coatings, sealants, and waterproof veneer belong to the former, as they prevent water from reaching the interior. A waterproof veneer can consist of a layer of brick backed up by a waterproof membrane, sealing the exterior walls against water penetration. In the interior walls, architects should use washable closed-cell foam insulation in areas below the flood level. Similarly, coatings and sealants may be applied to the foundation, walls, windows, and doorways to prevent flood water from entering the house through cracks, as these openings are rarely designed to be watertight or resist flood loads as they are.

Raise or Floodproof HVAC Equipment and Mechanical, Plumbing, and Electrical System Components

Locating service equipment above the flood protection level is generally the best way to protect it. Such equipment includes heating, ventilating, air conditioning, plumbing appliances, plumbing fixtures, duct systems, and electrical equipment including service panels, meters, switches, and outlets. If these components are inundated in floodwater for even a short period of time, they can become severely damaged and will need to be replaced. Electrical equipment in particular can potentially cause fires if short circuited. It is best that these components are raised above the flood level, but if necessary, they may be designed to prevent damage from flooding, whether through waterproof enclosures, barriers, protective coatings, or other techniques to protect vulnerable components. For precise requirements, architects should consult municipal codes.

Anchor Fuel Tanks

Unanchored fuel tanks are easily moved by flood waters, which could drive the tank into walls, damage other property, and cause contamination if the supply line tears free and fills the water with oil. Even buried tanks can be pushed to the surface due to buoyancy. Thus, it is imperative that fuel tanks are anchored, either by attaching them to concrete slabs that are heavy enough to resist flood water forces, or by running straps over them and attaching them to ground anchors.

Install Foundation Vents or a Sump Pump

An example of wet floodproofing is to install foundation vents, which allow flood water to flow through the home rather than pool around it. While this solution may seem like a counterintuitive one due to the damage it could do to the interior of the property, it actually provides an outlet for the flood water and relieves the damaging pressure that flood water puts on the windows and walls. If the interior - usually a subgrade basement - is prepared using flood damage resistant materials, hydrostatic openings, and protected key equipment, the damage can be limited, although post-flood clean-up will be necessary. Similarly, a sump pump is a type of equipment that pumps water out of basements where flooding happens regularly. Sump pumps with battery backup are highly recommended to allow them to continue functioning when the power goes out.

Construct Permanent Barriers

Placing a permanent barrier around the structure in question can prevent flood waters from reaching it. Such barriers should be constructed using a floodwall made of concrete or masonry, or by using a levee made of compacted layers of soil with an impervious core. While this solution may seem like the simplest or most obvious, both floodwalls and levees require extensive maintenance, and levees need a significant amount of land and usable soil materials for construction.
Additional Resources Editor's Note: This article was originally published on May 27, 2020.
Install Sewer Backflow Valves

Sewer backflow valves prevent flooded sewage systems from backing up into a home. In certain flood-prone areas, this issue is common, and can cause damage that is both difficult to repair and hazardous to occupants' health. Generally, gate valves are preferred over flap valves because they provide a better seal against flood pressure.

Grade the Lawn Away from the House

One final method that architects can use to mitigate damage from flooding is to grade the lawn away from the house. If the lawn tilts toward the house, rainwater will pool around the home. Conversely, tilting it outward directs rainwater away. To this end, the lawn should use a heavy soil that contains clay content and sand, allowing the surface runoff to empty into a more appropriate place such as a street gutter.

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How Can Architecture Combat Flooding? 9 Practical Solutions

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Flooding is a significant problem for buildings all around the world, including architectural treasures like the Farnsworth House that have been plagued by the issue time and time again. In particular, one-third of the entire continental U.S. are at risk of flooding this spring, especially the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and Deep South.

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Architecture is shaped by its environment and natural forces. Inherently, the discipline focuses on the design of objects over systems, on formal morphology over networks or ecologies. However, no building exists outside its context; every structure is sited among ever-changing climates and cultural conditions. How designers respond and connect to these larger systems can radically change the nature and quality of their work. Often, it is the greatest constraints that produce novel solutions.

Straddling the line between creation and preservation, the following projects looks at wetland architecture and how different sites are being reclaimed through design. As part of the monthly topic on Collective Design, they represent the process and development of architecture that converges different disciplines to improve quality of life. Conceptualized as part of greater buffer zones, runoff areas or watersheds, the projects explore the liminal space between water and earth, the tension between natural systems and architecture. Looking at private and commercial projects alike, they are a broad mix of designs showcasing how projects can balance construction and their local environment.

The Loop Village Resort Hotel project is located in the bamboo forest valley of Miaoshan Village. The construction area is mainly composed of earth-covered buildings, combined with the slope valley landscape to form a small resort. The vegetation on the original site is divided into two systems, one is the wetland marsh plant community and the other is the bamboo forest community. As part of the construction, the team retained the wetland swamp system.

Obraestudio was awarded first prize in the open national design competition for the exterior platform of the Santa Barbara business center. The competition was sponsored by The Colombian Architects Society. The 8,500 sq. meter landscape transformation aims to revitalize common access to an emblematic public space of northeastern Bogotá. The project's design concept is based on the wetlands of the Bogota Savannah, their neighboring rocky areas and their typical abundant plant species.

Located in Rongcheng, Swan Lake Park is a natural wetland near the Yellow Sea, flat and vast, with reed spreading wildly and water streams meandering. Every October, groups of swans migrate south to this site from Siberia. This magnificent scene, as well as the beautiful landscape of the wetland, attracts large groups of tourists. The local government wishes to build a public facility that provides tourists with services such as viewing and catering.

The Main Branch of the Chicago River has a long and storied history that in many ways mirrors the development of Chicago itself. Once a meandering marshy stream, the river first became an engineered channel to support the industrial transformation of the city. A series of piers and floating wetland gardens offers an interactive learning environment about the ecology of the river, including opportunities for fishing and identifying native plants.

The Suspended Pavilion is located on the Bank of Maozhou River in Bao'an District, Shen Zhen. The original site is cut into two landscape zones by a transverse embankment top road, one near the water bank, the other a low-lying green space. The design takes the integration of context as the starting point to create a large landscape system of architectural landscape integration. The newly built steel trestle system is suspended on the wetland, connecting the wetlands on both sides of the embankment top road, forming a continuous wandering path.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topic: Collective Design. Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and projects. Learn more about our monthly topics. As always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.
Through a series of regenerative design techniques, particularly measures to slow down the flow of storm-water, a channelized concrete river and a deteriorated peri-urban site have been transformed into a nationally celebrated wetland park that functions as a major part of the city-wide ecological infrastructure planned to provide multiple ecosystem services, including storm-water management, water cleansing, and recovery of native habitats.

Xixi, a national wetland park located on the outskirts of Hangzhou, is a built landscape and an area of nature, which has been shaped by man for over a thousand years. The omnipresent relationship between landscape, architecture, and water is key to the atmosphere in Xixi. This atmosphere has been integrated into a new development of apartment buildings. The apartment buildings are surrounded by a water garden, which, as a reference to the wetland park, is a mostly wild landscape.

Wasit Natural Reserve was originally a waste-water and rubbish dump. The rehabilitation process of the damaged eco-system started in 2005, 40,000m2 of rubbish removed, 35,000 trees been re-planted, healing the land from toxic chemicals and conservation of the Unique salt flats and costal sand dunes. A wetland visitor center is established on site to continue protecting the natural environment, educate people on the richness of the wetland ecosystem and provides information about the birds that frequent the area and other wetlands areas of the emirate.

Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park Phase II transforms 5.5 acres of an abandoned industrial landscape into a new waterfront park. Phase II of the park begins south of 54th Avenue and wraps around Newtown Creek to complete the full vision of Hunter's Point South Park initiated with the Phase I park, resulting in nearly 11 acres of a continuous waterfront park. A trail meanders along the causeway, elevated slightly above the river, a stroll of shifting perspectives of the skyline and close-ups of the marsh habitat along the river's edge and protects nearly 1.5 acres of newly established wetlands.

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Softer Ground: Reclaiming Wetlands through Design

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Architecture is shaped by its environment and natural forces. Inherently, the discipline focuses on the design of objects over systems, on formal morphology over networks or ecologies. However, no building exists outside its context; every structure is sited among ever-changing climates and cultural conditions.

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https://homedesignerandarchitect.co.uk/2016/03/18/how-architecture-is-born-7-poetic-sketches-by-daniel-libeskind-and-the-buildings-they-helped-to-shape/

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How Architecture Is Born: 7 Poetic Sketches by Daniel Libeskind and the Buildings They Helped to Shape - Home Designer & Architect

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When looking through the drawing sets of most architects, you will find tools associated with precision: mechanical pencils with wafer-thin graphite tips, razor-sharp steel rulers and French curves for those...

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Context sample from Language & Architecture

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Context sample from Language & Architecture

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Language and Architecture by Rebecca Lakawa

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Language and Architecture by Rebecca Lakawa

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Architecture and the Senses

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Context sample from the Eyes of the Skin

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Context sample from the Eyes of the Skin

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Its all about perspectives, how each person would define or perceive it

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Week 5: Poetic Architecture by Gaston Bachelard

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Week 5: Poetic Architecture by Gaston Bachelard

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Far Homestay is the love nest of a young couple in Danang, who seeks to start a homestay business in their locality near An Bang Beach, Hoian.The...

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Text description provided by the architects. Far Homestay is built for a newly married couple who seek a residence they can both stay and operate a small homestay business near the sea at the same time.

The project is located at prime location less than 200 meters from the beach in Central Vietnam and is surrounded by peaceful, undeveloped wilderness.

The proposed solution by D1 satisfies business-cum-dwelling requirement while best utilizes all available factors surrounding the landscape. On the ground floor lies the spacious common space with communal kitchen and dining table where people can gather and share meals. The four guest rooms are located on the 1st floor while the owners' residence is pushed to the top (2nd floor) allowing for utmost privacy. There's also a rooftop for extra hanging out and environment contemplation.

In order to create weather enduring, beautiful aesthetic reflecting the nature of seaside landscape, we use a combination of wood and rock as major materials. Additionally, due to tight budget constraint, we exploit raw beauty of natural materials to the max and only install glass wall where it is absolutely needed. Traditional and local materials are also effectively used in this work, such as stone, natural wood, grindstone, abrasive bath, bamboo wall, etc., allowing for meaningful soul infusion into the project.

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Text description provided by the architects. Far Homestay is built for a newly married couple who seek a residence they can both stay and operate a small homestay business near the sea at the same time. The project is located at prime location less than 200 meters from the beach in Central Vietnam and is surrounded by peaceful, undeveloped wilderness.

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Text description provided by the architects. Da Lat - the place of the dreamers, home of the wanderer's pipe dreams, and somewhere during that journey, we need the right place to "rest our bones". So the peaceful station "Nap Am" will be the place that nothing could be better than.

Located on a high slope and hidden deep inside a narrow alley of Da Lat, the project has both sides contiguous to different terrains, making it even more interesting. The striking feature distinctively from everything surrounded is the typical White and the architecture that represent the characteristics of this misty city. Notwithstanding, inheriting a modern architectural style, its façade has been entirely covered with a white painted steel layer as well as being CNC machined with its separately-design motifs.

Besides that, the utilization of the painted steel material and the surface treatment appropriate to the rainy weather and the regional high humidity are also the most concerned factors of our design team. Being immersed in the daylight, the building has a completely contrasting nuance to its appearance when the night falls, furthermore, the whole building will be as bright as a lantern with the intentional light in order to create the optimal effects. This outstanding construction has already been the wonderful signage of itself regardless of the fact that it does not have any large signs around.

The interior space is divided into 3 floors and 1 attic, the arrangement of interconnected floors is the staircase extending from the main hall to the common living area. Mentioning to this floor, there is an adorable humble kitchen combining with a tremendously comfortable dining section and a working zone. A total of 9 rooms also including the collective and the private hygiene areas that were built to suit all the demands of guests, in which the duplex room is the main highlight for in the Attic area.

The whole building on sunny days will be sparkle with sunbeams and glow up the town and suddenly make every corner to become an ideal studio for those who have an intense passion for photography. Or someday-dreamers like me can find a little corner beside a long wooden table to quietly gaze at the sky behind the golden flower trees swaying in the wind. Sometimes being filled with sorrow, it is the best way to release some of it by dazing with a sad song while sipping a cup of tea typical from this highland. The faint scent of Pine wood reflected in the cold breeze serves people with romance because this is Da Lat, the place of those emotions thick in the air promises to make everyone come once then miss for a lifetime.

Even though having a medium-size, our design team still cares about the sufficient experience of our visitors, hence, a Jacuzzi bathtub is added for the ones who seek the feeling of soaking in hot water in the cold weather. It will be a great memory to enjoy the space full of poetry as well as watching the long-sided foliage with early sunshine.

The structure was formed from a combination of Shaped Steels but it did not get too rigid. On the other hand, the harmonious collaboration between Pinewood and White color creates a gentle intimacy, contributing more to Da Lat a worth experiencing attraction during each person's lifetime.

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Completed in 2020 in Thành phố Đà Lạt, Vietnam. Images by Trieu Chien. Da Lat - the place of the dreamers, home of the wanderer's pipe dreams, and somewhere during that journey, we need the right place to "rest our...

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Sandy Hook Memorial Garden, Connecticut, US

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Sandy Hook Memorial Garden, Connecticut, US