Size: 270-370 sq ft
Location: NYC
Architects: nARCHITECTS
The city on Tuesday unveiled the winner of a competition to design and build an apartment tower on city-owned land composed entirely of micro-units, 55 homes the size of hotel rooms that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg hopes will be the first in a wave of tiny apartments aimed at addressing the city’s shortage of studio and one-bedroom apartments.
Read more... NYTimes
Location: Coromandel Peninsula
Size: 430 sq ft, 40 sq meters
Architect: Crosson Clarke Carnacha
On the shore of an idyllic white sanded beach in New Zealand's Coromandel Peninsula rests an elegant hut. Closed up, the rough macrocarpa-cladding blends into the landscape and perches quietly on the dunes, as passersby wonder how it could possibly function for a family of five.
Designed to close up against the elements, the hut measures a mere 40 square metres and rests on two thick wooden sleds that allow it to be shifted around the beach front section. This innovative portability is a response to the ever changing landscape that line the beachfront in this coastal erosion zone.
Within the hut, the ingenuity reveals itself further as no nook or cranny is overlooked. Every available space has been utilised, right down to the secret individual cubby holes hidden in the children's bunk room.
For these clients it was all about the real essence of the hut; small, simple and functional. The hut comes to life when the enormous shutter on the northeast facade winches open to form an awning, revealing two-storey high steel-framed glass doors that form the main entrance. The hut then transforms into a sun drenched haven, opening up to the views of the surf and the distant Mercury Islands.
The mezzanine bedroom is accessed by climbing a wall-mounted ladder through a closeable hatch, it shares the same view as downstairs through the huge glass doors. Climb the ladder again and you arrive on a roof terrace which catches rainwater for the gravity tanks behind.
From the industrial style fittings to the quirky furnishings, this whole structure plays with the idea of the most egalitarian of Kiwi recreations and embraces and challenges the image of the traditional âKiwi bachâ. Small, simply and elegantly self-contained, this tiny elegant hut strips holiday living right back to basics.
+ Notcot
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Size: 320 sq ft
Architects: Poteet Architects
The only thing it's missing is an economy kitchen, else, it's replete with bathroom, bedroom, and livingroom...and over all rock'n! Story by Dwell
Texas architect Jim Poteet helped Stacey Hill, who lives in a San Antonio artists’ community, wrangle an empty steel shipping container into a playhouse, a garden retreat and a guesthouse for visiting artists. The container measures a narrow and long 8 by 40 feet; Hill asked that a portion of the square footage be retained as a garden shed and the rest serve as the living space. The architect added floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows, heating and air-conditioning, a green roof, bamboo flooring and wallcovering, a small sink and shower and a composting toilet, and placed the structure on a base made from recycled telephone poles. “The container, as we call it, is a great escape for me because the space is pure, uncluttered, wonderfully sunlit, quiet and has a great view of my garden,” says Hill. “My two young daughters love it because it’s practically an empty box ready to play, create and pretend in.”
While shopping for containers, Hill was instantly drawn to this one’s existing blue color and chose to buy it and leave it as is. Poteet added floor-to-ceiling sliding doors to allow light in, as well as a cantilevered overhang to shade a window on the left side, which houses a small garden storage area.Photo by: Chris Cooper
Poteet replaced one wall with a large steel-and-glass lift-and-slide window wall, which he says makes the best use of indirect light. “The big sliding door and picture window make the 250-square-foot living space feel big,” says Hill.
Photo by: Chris Cooper
The architect and his team devised an armature on the back of the container that will eventually be covered with vines, concealing the AC and heating unit, the reservoir for graywater and the composting toilet outlet.
Photo by: Chris Cooper
Jon Ahrens of Madrone Landscaping, who layed out the plantings around the container, implemented a green roof on a drip watering system. The cantilevered overhang at rear is planted with cacti.
Photo by: Chris Cooper
Reeds grow from a tub outside the steel structure. “We capture the graywater from the sink and shower, and use it to water the plants in the garden,” says Hill.Photo by: Chris Cooper
Since the only spot for a sink was within the main living space, Poteet designed a wide, sculptural basin that would integrate well into the interior, and added a Zurn faucet. The small step leads right into the shower and toilet area. The artworks are by San Antonio artists John Mata, Kimberly Aubuchon, Chris Sauter and Cruz Ortiz; the X came from an old Texaco sign.Photo by: Chris Cooper
Poteet sheathed the walls and floor in bamboo ply. “We went to the hardware store on our lunchbreak, looking for inexpensive ply, and they told us they had just gotten a shipment of bamboo ply that someone didn’t pick up, so we got lucky and got it for the same cost,” says Poteet. “It’s renewable, really hard and as good for the floor as it is for the walls.”Photo by: Chris Cooper
Maximizing space was of utmost importance in the 8-by-4-foot bathroom, which consists of an open shower in front of an electric composting toilet by Sun-Mar. Poteet and Hill chose a red sheet metal for the walls and laid down a non-slip epoxy flooring.Photo by: Chris Cooper
170 sq ft
Location: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada
Designer/Builder: Laird Herbert
Laird Herbert has a passion for designing small spaces. When I asked him what his motivation and inspiration was, he commented with the following:
I'm a big fan of the modern/boxy approach to portable tiny house design. The flat roof is both simple to build and gives the space a much more open and airy feeling. I tried to go for a design that would defy the cabins size. I encourage anyone considering building a tiny house to think more about a flat roof!
Despite the vast amounts of land, our land prices have skyrocketed (most people get paid really well up here, our government subsidizes the territories heavily), and so about two year ago I decided to build a tiny house. It was 16' and very modern and boxy. I enjoyed designing, building and living in it so much that I decided to build another this winter. I've decided to try and make a living from building them, so I sold the first one, and this second is currently for sale. My favorite part is the designing - I have several other models that I am really excited to build, including one that I hope to use natural building techniques.
The construction details:
This home is 20' long by 8.5' wide, mounted on a trailer rated to 7000lb. The winters are quite cold, so it features triple pane windows, spray foam insulation and a wrap of 2" of insulation. It has a full-size propane range, half size fridge, instant tankless hot water, 35 gallon tank, shower and compact bathtub, composting toilet, bathroom sink, queen size loft, pull out couch, ultralight drywall and birch plywood finishing, hardwood flooring, and granite tiles. I used FSC wood where ever possible, including cedar tongue and groove siding, and some reclaimed materials, though they are hard to find in the Yukon. It also has steel studs, in an effort to reduce the weight.
I'm a great fan of infographs and our friends at Serenity Living Stores asked to have their infograph of Living Large in Small Spaces posted on our site. Though, it could use more useful facts like actually percentage of Americans who live in so said 500-600 sq ft, etc, duration of habitation, own vs. rent, by age, gender, region, etc. etc. etc. However, I like their isometric depiction of a small space along with tips and tricks on how to optimize your space for greater functionality and enjoyment.
Location: West Los Angles
Size: 483 sq ft
Architects: Architecture8
This studio is high on style and function in a beautiful period building; has preserved period details, separate updated kitchen and breakfast nook, a walk-in closet/dressing area, a renovated bathroom with a claw foot bathtub and updated systems. Other notable details include high ceilings, functional Murphy bed, hardwood flooring, mahogany doors and woodwork, ample cabinet and storage space, an abundance of natural light. See video and pics below.
1. Walk-in-closet and storage room
2. Murphy Bed
3. Living area (Liking the ceilings)
4. Eat-in Kitchen
5. Bathroom (see above video for bathroom pic)
6. Floorplan
7 Period building: Glen Donald Building
Where: Barcelona
Architects: Barbara Appolloni
Owner: Christian Schallert
Size: 260 sq ft / 24 sq meters
Designed by Spanish architect Barbara Appolloni and located in Barcelona’s hip Born district, this tiny apartment is a former pigeon loft remodeled into a great bachelor pad.
Located in Barcelona's hip Born district, the tiny apartment is a remodeled pigeon loft. Christian says its design was inspired by the space-saving furniture aboard boats, as well as the clean lines of a small Japanese home.
When Christian Schallert isn't cooking, dressing, sleeping or eating, his 24 square meter (258 square feet) apartment looks like an empty cube. To use a piece of furniture, he has to build it.
Check out the video below!
Shower, sink, and toilet
Apartment entrance
Before shot
Before shot
Christian's hosted up to 40 people in his apartment.
The bed is ingeniously designed to pull from underneath the outside terrace.
The bed can be made to become a couch by partially pulling it out.
The dining table seats up to five people, is pulled from the wall revealing a window.
The terrace off the apartment expands the living space, giving the appearance of an apartment that seems larger than it is.
There's an additional spatious roof terrace up above the apartment which includes a generous lounge platform on one side and a japanese soaking tub on the opposite side.
Watch a full tour by the owner himself:
+ From Homedsgn
+ Video by Faircompanies
Place: Tel Aviv
Architect: SFARO
Size: 430 sq ft
This is another excellent example of the use of a 'cube' as a solution for maximizing space, utility, functionality, and design.
Following Tel-Aviv’s soaring housing prices over the last 3 years, many people were forced to renovate their existing apartments instead of selling and buying bigger ones.
This owner decided to transform her studio apartment into a 1 bedroom, including storage units, a large separate kitchen and a full size queen bedroom.
As a design solution, we chose to condense all the programmatic functions and storage units into a cube which was centered in the middle of the space, thus dividing the apartments into 4 zones, while maintaining a 360 degree circulation around it, which makes the space seem endless and bigger than it actually is.
By adding sliding doors that disappear into the cube, the space can be altered according to the time of day and the various needs of the owner, contributing further more to the sense of a multi-functional and multi-layered space.
Place: Tel Aviv
Architect: SFARO
Size: 430 sq ft
This is another excellent example of the use of a 'cube' as a solution for maximizing space, utility, functionality, and design.
Following Tel-Aviv’s soaring housing prices over the last 3 years, many people were forced to renovate their existing apartments instead of selling and buying bigger ones.
This owner decided to transform her studio apartment into a 1 bedroom, including storage units, a large separate kitchen and a full size queen bedroom.
As a design solution, we chose to condense all the programmatic functions and storage units into a cube which was centered in the middle of the space, thus dividing the apartments into 4 zones, while maintaining a 360 degree circulation around it, which makes the space seem endless and bigger than it actually is.
By adding sliding doors that disappear into the cube, the space can be altered according to the time of day and the various needs of the owner, contributing further more to the sense of a multi-functional and multi-layered space.
Where: Bordeaux, France
Size: 441 sq ft
Owner: Jérémie Buchholtz
Architect: Fabre/deMarien
Location, scarcity, affordability, and necessity drove Jérémie Buchholtz to look for a less obvious and unconventional home.
Jérémie Buchholtz , a freelance photographer, converted a dilapidated garage in Bordeaux into a studio apartment at a cost of 140,000 euros ($187,362). The new double-glazed glass portion of the facade is hidden behind a honey-colored pine door which slides shut to cover the facade and keep out prying eyes.
When the outside pine door slides open, the interior patio — with its teak decking, open-air roof and white garden furniture from the French furniture outlet Fly — is revealed along with double-glazed glass sliding doors that lead into the living area.
Despite the fact that the garage was priced at 80,000 euros ($107,000) — less than half the price of a similarly sized home in Bordeaux — it was still a rundown storage space, full of junk behind huge metal doors. Mr. Buchholtz, though, saw potential. The nondescript place, now a designer bachelor’s pad, is tucked away on a lane lined by converted 18th-century stables that house a burgeoning community of artists and young families.
This area includes a white Formica and chrome Ikea kitchen and a dining area with a glass-topped table.
Mr. de Marien designed a “house within a house,” a gleaming cube-shaped construction of Douglas pine that dominates the far end of the living area. “By combining all the factors of living in this self-contained cube — such as sleeping, washing, working and storing — we kept all of the necessities of Jérémie’s life in one place,” the architect said. “By building upwards towards the roof and internally into the heart of the cube, we had no need to spread these aspects throughout the living area.”
The Douglas pine cube, built at a cost of 9,389.50 euros ($12,565), contains and conceals the sleeping area, bathroom, laundry, dressing room, and storage space. Mr. Buchholtz works at a small office space on one side of the cube. The wheat-colored sofa bed in natural organic cotton, as with everything in the cube, was made to Mr. Buchholtz’s specifications.
+ Article by Nick James of NYTIMES
+ Photography by Valerio Mezzanotti for NYTIMES
Size: 400 sq. ft.
Location: East Village, New York City
Architect: Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture
Storage, restraint, and efficiency were key in carving this bachelor’s studio in the East Village into a live-work sculpture for a grown-up.
Living and working in just under 500 square feet, Michael Pozner, Head of Retail Development for American Apparel (which is based in LA), had been pushing the limits of what his apartment, in its current configuration, would accommodate. He’d purchased the studio back in 1999, before the boom of the last decade, and wasn’t anxious to move. But between his office needs and his many toys and quirky art pieces, the apartment was jam-packed and nothing had a place.
The solution was ultimately about exploiting every opportunity for storage, and then combining those spaces and the kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping loft into an intricately sculpted wood-paneled central service core. The space outside of the core area would remain as flexible as possible, and all surfaces and cabinetry would be finished in a high-gloss white to emphasize their adaptability.
The before shot.
Michael is always working on several projects at once. To accommodate his reliance on “visual filing” methods which had overtaken his floor, JPDA designed a desk with multiple desktops- sliding trays on which documents can remain spread out, but slide out of the way when switching between projects, or when it’s time to entertain.
The apartment was previously a plain sheetrock box with objects added into it, the new built-in millwork reads as a wall which has been subtracted from, in order to create space for the TV, desk and credenza.
White Oak planks wrap the service core of the apartment, including the kitchen, bathroom, closets, and sleeping loft. The resulting sculptural volume appears to have been dropped into an otherwise clean white box, creating a focal object and organizing the space into public and private areas.
Building the bed platform as part of the loft structure allowed for a full-height walk-in closet below.
A roller shade lowers to separate the sleeping loft from the living space.
Every opportunity for storage was exploited, including drawers built into the stair risers, cabinets that go to the ceiling, and a new walk-in closet under the sleeping loft.
The kitchen cabinet doors continue the wood plank walls around the corner to give the sense that the space is carved from a heavy wooden mass.
The standard toilet was replaced with a compact wall mounted unit to create more floor area. Matte black powder coated lav and shower fixtures, were special ordered as the finish was not yet available in the US.
The walls are tiled in a narrow Italian porcelain brick mosaic that reads like a natural stone.
Storage areas became the driver for the design, influencing the forms within the space.
All of the private functions of the apartment - cooking, cleaning, dressing, sleeping - are contained within the sculptural wooden volume.
+ Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture
+ Thanks to Chris Gsell for throwing this my way
Architects: dmvA
Living Area: 215 sq. ft (20 m2)
Belgian architectural firm dmvA designed 'blob VB3', a mobile unit for the office of xfactoragencies as an extension to the 'house'. the space - egg house consists of a bathroom,kitchen, lighting, a bed and several niches for storage. the nose can be opened automatically and functions as a kind of porch. It's easily transportable and can also be used as an office, guest room or garden house. Polyester was the primarily material used in construction of the 'blob VB3'.
+ From Designboom
+ Photos by Mick Couwenbergh/Rini Van Beek & Vercruysse Frederick
128 sq ft (17 m2)
Location: Unknown
Architect: Unknown
Per the article from MarieClaire Maison:
A former maid's room has been restructured around a block of contiguous, which are embedded kitchen, bathroom, staircase and mezzanine.
View of living room, where the structure étonnate fit in a single block of medium, a cabin with water, a micro kitchen, a staircase and a mezzanine. A straight staircase lit by a skylight leads to the loft-room. In the kitchen, the high table-shaped bean is used to both bar, dining and work plan. Below, we housed a storage locker.
A fireplace and nineteenth floors are original features. At left is the high table block kitchen housed in the mezzanine. Behind the staircase, the first step serves as a small bench, is an ingenious piece of furniture in medium with each step contains a drawer or storage box.
A fireplace and nineteenth floors are original features. At left is the high table block kitchen housed in the mezzanine. Behind the staircase, the first step serves as a small bench, is an ingenious piece of furniture in medium with each step contains a drawer or chest of rangement.Sous the mezzanine, the booth water is separated from the kitchen by a Japanese paper wall. In this micro-part that contains a shower and toilet, it has a built-in stainless steel bowl in a plate of medium as a sink.
In the kitchen of 27 sq ft (2.50 m2), all appliances - fridge, two washers and four from among the smallest in the market - is stowed under the plan. Above the cooking point, a strip in medium hides a hood and a neon. In the upper part, an opening was created to take advantage of natural light that illuminates the stairway.
+ via MarieClaire Maison
Phoenix, Arizona
386 sq. ft. Prefab Model
At 386 sq. ft., this unit is the smallest model from V2 World. It's a sustainable prefab micro home which can be added onto in 4 feet increments @ $200/sq. ft. I like the installment of the efficiency kitchen and bath which leaves more space for the living and sleep areas. I would have planned for more seating capacity at the counter to double as the dining area,remove the round dining table, and it's chairs, to make room for a sectional couch (for sleep overs) a generous coffee table that serves as a work area, gaming, and additional dining if needed.
Client: Vodafone
161 sq ft (15m squared)
Architects: Waskman Design Studio
As noted by our friends at Inhabitat:
The Vodaphone trailer home is constructed from white polyethylene panels and transparent polycarbonate. The two-floor structure measures 6 meters in length, 2.5 meters in width and 3.85 meters high. The home is organized like a loft, with a bedroom on the second floor and office and kitchen space on the bottom floor. Rooftop solar panels power the Morales family’s electronics.
Check out the continuing story of the Morales’ trip at their website.
The trailer packs a punch with smart division of space, functional storage areas, mini bathroom, work and leisure area, and sleep area with two full sized beds that sleeps 4 people (5 people including the couch).
Japan
Interior 119 sq ft
Full Height 15 ft
Seats 3
Sleeps 4
Who says you need to sacrifice comfort and amenities for space? This DIY duo has included everything...and the kitchen sink, full bath with shower/tub/toilet, and a comfortable sleep area. Other features include a lift that transforms into a sleep area, creative storage (could easily be adapted nicely into a micro home or small apt), ample windows, and a small deck.
+ Moymoy
+ Dornob
+ DIY Camper
Architects: Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects
Location: Mazama, Washington, USA
Lead Architect: Tom Kundig, FAIA
Date of Completion: 2008
Size: 440 sf/per hut (200 sf interior space, 240 sf exterior deck)
Photographs: Chad Kirkpatrick & /Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects
"Responding to the owner’s need for space to house visiting friends and family, the Rolling Huts are several steps above camping, while remaining low-tech and low-impact in their design. The huts sit lightly on the site, a flood plain meadow in an alpine river valley. The owner purchased the site, formerly a RV campground, with the aim of allowing the landscape return to its natural state. The wheels lift the structures above the meadow, providing an unobstructed view into nature and the prospect of the surrounding mountains." Read more >>
Modular furniture allows for multiple seating variations. Though it's not shown here, I can imagine piecing the furniture together, forming another sleeping platform, with foam pad stowed away within the larger cube.
Barcelona
529 sq ft (49 m sq.)
Ok, not quite less than 500 sq. ft. but almost, plus, it's full of useful nooks and crannies. Inspired by Japanese origami art; one wall separates all functions of the apartment. When the designer create the wall the apartment already had a shell of simple concrete walls. While contemporary, the interior still retains some rustic elements.
The presence of the separation wall can be felt from the entrance and throughout the apartment, imbues a feeling of movement and hidden spaces due to its diagonal form. The apartment design with all its elements makes the small space look much bigger than it is.
+ DigsDigs
The Hague
322 sq. ft. (30m sq.)
Architects: Queeste Architecten
I've previously blogged about architecture as furniture and its efficiencies. Despite its small footprint, "molding" and "wrapping" allow the furniture and the architecture to do double duty. This apartment, is a “bed & breakfast” located on the third floor in the attic of a private house in The Hague. The client and owner lives in the same building.
"The limited floor space of 30m² has been equipped with the following functions: a sleeping accommodation for 2 people a dining area for up to 4 people a kitchen a toilet a bathroom with shower an installations area various storage facilities. The goal of the design was to create a living environment that would be spacious despite the small volume, providing all the comforts belonging to luxurious contemporary lodging. In addition, Maff Apartment was to have a clear and strong identity to provide a sense of uniqueness for its users." - Via - Dezeen
Location Unknown
388 sq. ft.
Architect: Studiomama
London-based Studiomama has designed this small but sweet beach cottage as a cozy home away from home. The 388-sq.-ft. compact waterfront cottage is built on galvanized steel stilts to prevent flooding, but not to worry – you’ll get your fill of water via the house serene seaside views. This beach house has a rustic look both inside and out. Its facade is clad in cedar shingles, giving it a true “cottage” feel which makes its way indoors with the sawn softwood-clad interior. This awesome compact design keeps it simple, featuring the cozy master sleeping quarters above, and the kitchen, bathroom and the kids’ bunk beds below, covering off all the essentials for a fab family vacation by the shore.
Tons of ideas can be gleaned here to maximize space; stackable chairs, open floor concept, bunk beds and use of loft, efficiency sized kitchen and bath elements.
+ Trendir
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