Ascott has unveiled its first living lab, a test bed for students to try out the co-living concepts of its latest brand lyf – designed for and managed by millennials in collaboration with the Singapore Management University (SMU). Called lyf@SMU, the 32,000-square-foot experimental space simulates a lyf residence within the SMU campus, where students can gain a first-hand experience of its facilities and contribute to the shaping of future editions.

On a daily basis, over 1,200 millennials – each clocking in an average staying time of four hours – experience the three-storey living lab and field test its facilities to record their space preferences and usage patterns, which are collated and translated into actionable insights to better tailor future lyf residences to the needs of millennials.

Designed by Ascott’s internal design team and cross-disciplinary design practice FARM, lyf@SMU comprises co-working lounges, modular and movable furniture, large communal tables, interactive voting boards and multimedia rooms. Encouraging co-creation amongst students, spatial adaptability and openness were key considerations when designing the space to cater to regular programmes, such as makers’ workshops, hackathons and innovation talks.

On level one, the Events Square can be easily converted into a study, workshop or pop-up retail space. This is a platform for students to express themselves, while enabling homegrown artists to be a part of the community, in keeping with the vision of the space to provide authentic local experiences. Celebrating Singapore design, a mural by homegrown illustrator Mindflyer backdrops the space alongside a double-storey bookshelf in tribute to the history of the building – once home to the renowned Malaya Publishing House.

Envisioned to be a social space for de-stressing, The Park comprises a soundproof Jamming Room and Multimedia Room. Facilitating casual interactions, a customised foosball table and table tennis area offer a platform for students to let loose and get to know one another, breaking down social boundaries. Apart from workshop spaces, level two features interactive walls that invite students to voice their opinions on matters such as design decisions and furniture choices. Other noteworthy features include co-living concept rooms, a ‘beach-inspired’ discussion room, a boxing ring and a social kitchen.

Ascott is projecting to roll out 10,000 lyf units globally by 2020.