Planet Traveler — Phase 01: An Urban Refuge
Kensington Market, Toronto
Planet Traveler began with a simple ambition: to create more than accommodation. Situated at the edge of Kensington Market, the hostel was conceived as an urban refuge—a place where travellers could find shelter, encounter others, and briefly feel connected to Toronto.
The design responds to the experience of arriving in an unfamiliar city. References to Canadian forests, lakes, and open skies are woven into the colours, materials, lighting, furniture, signage, and visual identity. These natural elements meet the layered energy of Kensington Market, creating an atmosphere that is simultaneously grounded and alive.
Shared spaces were designed to encourage spontaneous connection, while quieter areas offer moments of rest and retreat. This balance between community and solitude became central to the project: hospitality understood not simply as service, but as the creation of conditions in which people can feel safe, present, and temporarily at home.
Environmental responsibility was integrated into the building’s identity through geothermal heating and cooling, solar-energy generation, heat-recovery systems, efficient lighting, and considered material choices. Rather than operating as separate technical features, these systems support a broader idea of shelter—one that considers the wellbeing of both its occupants and the environment.
Planet Traveler marked the beginning of an enduring relationship between design and operation. Continued involvement with the hostel revealed how spaces evolve through everyday use: how guests gather, how staff work, and how small operational decisions reshape the experience of a place. What began as an interior and identity project gradually became a long-term practice of observation, adaptation, and care.
Project: Planet Traveler — Phase 01
Type: Youth Hostel and Hospitality Interior
Size:_STA 8,000 sq. ft. | 115 beds
Location: Kensington Market, Toronto
Role: Interior Design and Creative Direction
Scope: Concept development, branding, spatial design, custom furniture and signage, architectural coordination, and operational oversight
Status: Completed
Type: Youth Hostel and Hospitality Interior
Size:_STA 8,000 sq. ft. | 115 beds
Location: Kensington Market, Toronto
Role: Interior Design and Creative Direction
Scope: Concept development, branding, spatial design, custom furniture and signage, architectural coordination, and operational oversight
Status: Completed
