# House-Sharing Design Studios 'Samara' is a New Design Studio Division from Airbnb By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2016-08-04 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/samara References: [samara.airbnb](http://samara.airbnb.com/) & [designweek](https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/1-7-august-2016/airbnb-launches-design-studio-samara/) 'Samara' is a [new design studio division](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/octet-design-studio) launched by [Airbnb](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/airbnb-rooms) that will function as an innovation lab for exploring the many ways that Airbnb can continue to expand beyond the travel and hospitality industries. Samara's first project is to introduce a communal housing structure to a rural Japanese town in order to revitalize the local region. For years, Airbnb has been at the forefront of the [sharing economy](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/roamr-for-friends) with its vibrant online home-share marketplace. Airbnb's founders stumbled upon a list of the top 10 technology companies of the 90s and quickly realized that these companies are no longer what they used to be, mostly due to a lack of experimentation and innovation—as a result, Samara was born. As far as the impact that Samara has for the future of Airbnb, co-founder Joe Gebbia says: "What excites me is that we can apply what we learned over the last eight years to create new types of commerce and new types of social change." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.7/10 - Popularity: 83% | Activity: 81% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [New Ventures](https://www.trendhunter.com/newventures) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **House-sharing Design Studios:** Samara, the new design studio division from Airbnb, explores ways to expand outside of travel and hospitality industries. - **Communal Housing Structures:** Samara's first project aims to revitalize a rural Japanese town by introducing a communal housing structure. - **Experimentation and Innovation in the Sharing Economy:** Samara was created to avoid the fate of outdated technology companies by promoting experimentation and innovation. ### Where This Applies - **Interior Design:** The house-sharing design studios trend offers opportunities for interior design companies to create innovative and functional communal housing structures. - **Hospitality:** The trend of expanding beyond travel and hospitality industries opens up new opportunities for companies in the hospitality sector to explore communal housing and alternative forms of accommodation. - **Technology:** The sharing economy trend, with the introduction of house-sharing design studios, presents opportunities for technology companies to develop new platforms and tools that support the growth of communal housing. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Single-Room Rental Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/airbnb-rooms.md) - [Experimental Cuboid Exhibition Spaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sar-residence.md) - [Connective Remote Work Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/open-studio1.md) - [Worldwide Service Marketplaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/airbnb-services.md) - [Vacation Rental Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/airbnb-1.md) - [Retailer-Owned Japanese Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/base-kamogawa.md) - [NFT Brand Ambassadors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/desperate-apewives.md) - [Purpose-Built Wellness Apartments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sekra.md) - [Film-Inspired Whimsical Rental Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/icons-program.md)