Micro apartments

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    Chipboard and recycled denim define spaces inside Microloft in Melbourne

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    Australian architecture practice Studio Edwards has completed an exercise in contemporary small-space living with this 24-square-metre micro apartment in Melbourne’s Fitzroy district.

    The clients, a young couple, approached Studio Edwards to remodel the tiny studio apartment on the top floor of a 1980s apartment block.
    Microloft is a 24-square-metre apartment in Melbourne”They asked for a home that felt unified and clutter-free, with ample storage, an efficient kitchen with space for cooking and dining, a comfortable lounge and quiet sleeping zones,” founder Ben Edwards told Dezeen.
    “Microloft provides a solution for inner-city living that navigates the constraints of limited space and ageing housing stock through an interior that provides the clients with a functional and coherent dwelling.”
    Aluminium was used to form kitchen counters and shelvesRather than using partitions or walls, spaces are defined by custom furniture pieces that provide visual connections.

    A horizontal raw aluminium surface forms angled countertops in both the kitchen and dining area before extending through an existing double archway into the sleeping area beyond.
    Chipboard forms several other storage units throughout Micoloft”Angled elements act in a similar way to room dividers, nothing extends higher than the datum line, helping the space to remain open,” said Edwards.
    “The kitchen melds seamlessly into a dining space via the angled countertop, while triangular storage shelves make use of the corners of the room.”

    Studio Edwards conceals “jewel-like” eyewear store behind perforated aluminium facade

    The angular wedge shape of the aluminium counters is mirrored in a wall-mounted console and a custom-made sofa with bookshelves integrated into its base, both made from oriented strand board (OSB).
    Above the datum line, one wall is clad in grey mirrored panels to make the apartment appear larger while creating a visual link to the grey-painted exposed brick walls and the heavily patinated concrete floor.
    The bed sits on a raised chipboard plinth to maximise bedroom storage, while the sliding door of the wardrobe, as well as the apartment’s front door, are wrapped in recycled denim to provide further textural interest as well as acoustic softening.
    Among them is the wardrobe in the bedroom”Use of raw aluminium surfaces, along with the OSB plinth that elevates the bed, provide creative storage solutions while delivering refined aesthetic appeal,” said Edwards.
    Simple IKEA stools were customised to fit in with the apartment, with a bedside stool wrapped in recycled denim to further soften the acoustics in this space.
    In the dining area, the same stools were extended with aluminium legs to create high seats for bench-top dining.
    A recycled denim panel forms the wardrobe’s sliding doorMicro homes are among a number of solutions being explored by architects and interior designers in response to Melbourne’s worsening housing crisis, as the city saw record rent increases last year.
    Others have explored creating multi-generational homes where family members can split both spaces and costs, as seen in this house on a narrow infill site by Matt Gibson and this adaptable suburban home by Austin Maynard Architects.
    Maynard also recently self-funded the construction of an “ethical housing” block in inner-city Melbourne, accommodating 20 low-cost, eco-conscious apartments with enough room for young families.
    The photography is by Peter Bennetts.

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      Amsterdam apartment block features cupboard bedrooms

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      Dutch design studio Blom Interieurs has created playful interiors with cupboard bedrooms for Shift Architecture Urbanism’s Domūs Houthaven residential complex in Amsterdam.

      The complex, which contains 235 compact rental apartments, was created to provide high-density living, utilising space and materials effectively.
      The 235 apartments in Domūs Houthaven contain cupboard bedroomsEach apartment contains a bedroom cupboard with built-in shelves and under-bed drawers. The sleeping cupboard can be closed off from the living space with perforated steel folding doors.
      “Close the doors and your whole apartment becomes your living room; open them at night and you have a huge bedroom,” Shift Architecture Urbanism partner Oana Rades told Dezeen.
      Each apartment features a “smart-living core”Designed by Shift Architecture Urbanism, individual apartments range in size from 43 to 60 square metres, with colour-blocked modular units arranged according to the building’s floor plan. 

      At the heart of every apartment is a “smart-living core” – a central cell comprising a kitchen, box bedroom, bathroom and storage space. By incorporating floor-to-ceiling storage, the studio maximised the space.

      Shift Architecture Urbanism adapts historic Dutch monastery for ageing residents

      Blom Interieurs oversaw production and assembly of the “smart-living core” modules and the fixed furniture in the common areas.
      The bedroom cupboard doors were the most challenging aspect, the studio told Dezeen. “For such daily intensive use, the doors had to be sturdy and robust and at the same time easy to operate. Our solution was steel.”
      Domūs Houthaven residents have access to shared living spacesThe steel doors, pale laminate floors, untreated concrete ceilings and white walls were designed to contrast with the brightly coloured furnishings and modular units.
      As well as their individual apartments, residents have access to shared co-working, living, cooking, utility and garden spaces. Shift Architecture Urbanism designed the communal spaces to encourage interaction between residents and “prevent loneliness”.
      “The communal spaces are designed to feel homely, as an extension of one’s own private apartment,” said Rades.
      Built-in furniture can be seen throughout the communal areasBuilt-in furniture features throughout the multifunctional living area, including a wood-lined seating area that doubles as a bookcase. 
      Separating the living and the co-working spaces is a small kitchen unit lined in pastel-green ceramic tiles. A large television sits in a wooden cabinet that acts as a room partition while also providing further storage and open shelving. 
      “Four large pieces of furniture act as room dividers, differentiating the large open space into smaller ones that feel intimate,” Rades explained. 
      The internal layout is organised to maximise available spaceThroughout the project, the studio aimed to use a variety of colours, patterns and materials. Doors and window frames in pastel tones match the curtains in each of the apartments, while recessed window ledges provide informal seating areas. 
      “[We used] a rich complementing material palette with contrasting tactile and graphic appearance,” said Rades.
      “The material palette is very diverse: from bamboo and wood veneer to corrugated steel plates to ceramic tiles and terrazzo.” 
      The studio set out to use a bright, playful colour paletteA pavilion on the roof contains a communal kitchen that functions as a cooking studio, with a central island clad in turquoise tiles and a contrasting long red dining table. 
      A speckled grey seating ledge runs below the wraparound glazing, which provides views of the surrounding area and skyline beyond.
      Shift Architecture Urbanism used a range of materials throughout the projectOther recent projects by Shift Architecture Urbanism include an adaptation of a historic Dutch monastery for ageing residents and the renovation of a derelict four-storey home in Rotterdam, replacing brickwork with glazing to create two light-filled apartments.
      The photography is by Pim Top and Rob Lipsius. 

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      Tiny Glasgow apartment transformed into playful pied-à-terre

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      Architect Lee Ivett, designer Simon Harlow and developer Duncan Blackmore have turned a 25-square-metre apartment in Glasgow into a brightly coloured space that doesn’t contain any freestanding furniture.

      Blackmore worked closely with Ivett and Harlow to plan the interior of the ground-floor tenement flat, which he uses as a base while visiting his other projects in the city’s Govanhill area.
      The micro-apartment was designed in GlasgowWhen Blackmore purchased the property it comprised a cramped hallway, a compact shower room, a kitchen and a sleeping area, which were separated by partition walls.
      The main idea for the redesigned space was to enable circulation throughout and to utilise its verticality in addition to the square-shaped floor area.
      It includes a tiny kitchen space”I wanted to be able to walk around in the flat, even though it’s tiny,” said Blackmore. “I also wanted the majority of the space to be flexible in terms of use, rather than defining areas for certain activities.”

      Work began with the removal of internal walls and the raising of existing structural openings closer to the 3.4-metre ceilings. A series of volumes designed in three dimensions were then inserted to fulfil various functional needs.
      An open space contains a fixed, multi-purpose benchThe apartment’s entrance area leads into an open space containing a fixed bench for sitting, lounging or sleeping. A shelf that functions as a desk is inserted next to one of two large, south-facing windows that flood the interior with natural light.
      Key functions, including washing, sleeping, cooking and the entrance, are pushed to the edges of the plan, freeing up the rest of the space so it can be used in a variety of different ways.
      The main space was left intentionally uncluttered”I was keen to avoid having a typical living space with a sofa, a coffee table and a television,” Blackmore told Dezeen.
      “The main space is entirely unprogrammed and uncluttered and has almost nothing in it. You can use it for a meeting or a party or just as somewhere to sit and think. I like how versatile and unfussy it is.”
      A compact shower room was createdA mezzanine sleeping platform is slotted in above a compact shower room, taking advantage of the vertical space and preventing the room from feeling disproportionately high.
      The bed is reached via a set of wooden steps, with a small circular hole seen from the living area providing somewhere to place a hand while manoeuvring into position.
      The mezzanine is reached via small wooden stepsThe new interventions are built around the retained structure and feature forms that playfully disguise which walls, columns or beams retain their original functionality.
      “Lee came up with the shapes based on the connection between existing openings and the geometry we imposed on the space,” Blackmore pointed out.
      A small circular hole provides a view to the living area”Where we needed to bridge differences in height or gaps between certain elements, the surfaces meet each other with a curve or a step,” he added, “so the decoration is derived from the resolution of these structural glitches.”
      The project takes its name, Ferguson, from the found nameplate of a previous occupier and the design borrows from the architectural heritage of its surroundings.
      The kitchen features an oversized red cast-concrete sinkThe remnants of a nearby building that burned down informed the arched shape above the stairs up to the sleeping area, as well as an opening that allows daylight to filter through to the shower room.
      Coloured cushions on the bench reference the doorway of a nearby building, while the bright-yellow datum that extends around the space is a reversal of the painted walls in the tenement’s shared stairwell.
      The remnants of a nearby building that burned down informed the arched shape above the stairsThe kitchen contains the minimum amenities needed to obtain a building warrant. Its oversized red cast-concrete sink is accessible for hand washing on arrival from the entrance hall – a legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic during which the project was built.
      Behind the apartment’s only internal door, the shower room is fully lined in two colourways of a decorative solid surface material made by Simon Harlow’s company Mirrl. A custom-made sink extends the use of bright yellow seen elsewhere in the interior.

      Proctor and Shaw designs London micro-apartment with translucent “sleeping cocoon”

      The entire project was fabricated by Harlow and artist’s technician Simon Richardson, resulting in a level of craftsmanship and intuitive creative detailing that lends it a strong sense of personality.
      Blackmore is keen to emphasise that the apartment should not be viewed as an example of tiny living, as he only ever spends brief spells of time there.
      A custom-made sink extends the use of bright yellow seen elsewhere”I’m absolutely not suggesting that people should live like this,” he said. “The space is really personal and tailored to my needs, which are a nice bed, a hot shower with good water pressure and decent WiFi.”
      “If you were living there permanently you would design it very differently, but as a place for me to stay and work or relax it’s perfect.”
      Blackmore is the co-founder of developer Arrant Land, which creates projects led by an interest in architecture, built heritage and the social dynamics of the UK’s towns and cities.
      Previous projects backed by Arrant Land include a red-brick house with playful tiled detailing in south London and an apartment building in the seaside town of Whitstable featuring black brick walls that evoke the nearby wooden fishing huts.
      The photography is by Pierce Scourfield.

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      Martin Hopp adds space-saving “micro elements” to his Manhattan apartment

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      New York architect Martin Hopp aimed to make the most of his dark, irregularly shaped apartment by using lots of white and creating clever “micro elements” like a retractable dining table.

      Encompassing 700 square feet (65 square metres), the Hopp Apartment is located on the garden level of a 1930s, multi-storey building in the city’s Chelsea neighbourhood.
      The unit has various limitations and idiosyncrasies due to renovations that were made to the building’s foundation.
      Martin Hopp renovated his small, irregularly shaped Chelsea apartment”Its odd layout and challenging features of exposed foundation walls and large structural columns were further complicated by being partially submerged below grade and hemmed in by foundations,” Martin Hopp, who runs the eponymous local studio.
      “This gave the apartment a subterranean feel that only allowed for brief moments of natural daylight.”

      Hopp used white to brighten the dark basement suiteHopp set out to introduce a feeling of lightness and brightness, along with maximising space by using built-in millwork and flexible “micro-elements” that enable openness, privacy and multi-functionality.
      In the L-shaped social area – which accommodates cooking, dining and lounging – he and his team lined the walls with all-white cabinetry.
      Built into one spot is a “rotating table” that can be easily tucked away when not in use. The team also added a folding door that forms a separation between the kitchen and the rest of the room.

      Across from the dining nook is a living room with a built-in, white sofa. Between the dining and lounge space are steps to the unit’s front door, and beyond it, a wooden deck.
      The bedroom is located just off the kitchen and is fitted with simple furnishings and ample storage space. To the other side of the kitchen is a corridor that leads to a bathroom and an office space.
      The apartment features a storable tableThe bathroom features shelving and backlit glass panels that were made possible by the discovery of a two-foot-deep cavity during demolition. The discovery “gave us the opportunity to think creatively about how to use the space”, the design studio said.
      Similarly, the team got creative when designing the office, which was formerly a large closet. In addition to serving as a work area, the space now doubles as guest quarters, owing to the insertion of a Murphy bed designed by Hopp.
      The bedroom is off the main roomPrivacy is provided by sliding wooden doors, along with a pivoting door that extends across the hallway.
      “A slightly oversized closet was an opportunity to create a multi-functional space that could be guest room, home office and storage area all at the same time,” the studio said.
      A Murphy bed in the office folds down for guests”Conceived of pre-Covid, the value of the multi-functional spaces have proven invaluable.”
      In terms of materials, Hopp and his team used an abundance of white oak, which is found on the floors and walls. Only oil was used to protect the wood and enhance its grain.

      Doméstico uses “habitable artifact” to organize micro apartment in Quito

      Additional finishes in the apartment include lacquer, fabric, terrazzo, stone and metal.
      “Creative lighting strategies work as additional micro-gestures to make the space feel more functional and pleasurable,” the team added.
      The bathroom walls are filled with backlit shelvingOther small apartments with space-saving strategies include a micro apartment in Ecuador that features a central organizing element with hidden furniture, and a tiny London residence that has an elevated sleeping area wrapped in translucent panels that reference Japanese shoji screens.
      The photography is by Fei Liu.

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      Doméstico uses “habitable artifact” to organize micro apartment in Quito

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      Ecuadorian architects Juan Alberto Andrade and María José Váscones have made the most of the limited space in a micro apartment located within a new residential tower by Safdie Architects.

      Doméstico is located within the Qorner building in Quito, near La Carolina Park. The apartment tower was designed by Safdie Architects and developed by local firm Uribe Schwarzkopf. The lower portion opened this year while work continues on the upper levels.
      The micro apartment is located within the Qorner building in QuitoArchitects Juan Alberto Andrade and María José Váscones – who are based in the city of Guayaquil –were tasked with designing a 27.5-squre-metre studio apartment for an active, middle-aged woman.
      The goal was to create open space within the compact studio without sacrificing basic living amenities.
      It features a versatile, floor-to-ceiling unit”The project is born from the need to solve, through architectural strategies, the spatial and formal limitations of this new way of living, in a way that relates directly to urban and social mobility,” the team said.

      The team ended up inserting a floor-to-ceiling unit with built-in, space-saving furniture and storage. This “habitable artifact” enables living functions to be condensed into a single organizing element that “transforms easily and does not sacrifice comfort”.
      The unit is made of water-resistant melamine boardsThe unit – made of water-resistant melamine boards – stretches along several walls and allows for an open area along the studio’s large window.
      Its placement, shape and functions were determined by the studio’s geometry and sightlines, along with the location of the building’s infrastructure.
      A compact galley kitchen contains basic amenitiesThe upper portion holds storage space and is accessed via a wheeled, metal ladder that can be moved around. The lower part accommodates everyday activities.
      Upon entering the studio, one steps into a compact galley kitchen with a fridge, stove, sink and cabinetry. A backsplash is lined with a mineral surfacing material from the company Silestone.

      Proctor and Shaw designs London micro-apartment with translucent “sleeping cocoon”

      Just beyond is the main room, which features an open space with a sitting area.
      Lining one side of the room is the organizing unit, which contains a bed and desk/table, both of which fold up. A door in the corner leads to a bathroom with a sink, shower and toilet.
      The main room includes a sitting areaUp high, green metal shelves add a pop of colour to the austere apartment. Additional elements in the unit include aluminium door pulls and ceramic flooring.
      “Doméstico presents itself as a connection between architecture and furniture design, in which the space is created in relation to the new needs, and the constant reduction of space,” the architects said.
      Green metal shelves add a pop of colour”This premise questions the traditional dwelling limits, and puts in evidence the new parameters of contemporary domestic living.”
      Other projects by Juan Alberto Andrade and María José Váscones include the conversion of a 1990s van into a mobile home for an Ecuadorian couple, and a tech office in Guayaquil with a patchwork of windows and shelves.
      The photography is by JAG Studio.
      Project credits:
      Architects: Juan Alberto Andrade, María José Váscones.Team: Cuqui RodríguezContractor: Paola Cañón, Uribe SchwarzkopfManufacturers: Área UIO, Aglomerados Cotopaxi, Novopan

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      Minimalist micro-apartments in Seoul form “blank canvas for tenants”

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      Interior designer Ian Lee has lined the walls of the LIFE micro-apartments in South Korea with birch wood to offer tenants pared-back spaces that they can personalise.Located in Seoul’s Gangnam District, the apartments form part of a 16-storey co-living building for young adults, developed by co-working-space provider Fastfive.
      The block contains a total of 140 rooms, which vary between 16 and 23 square metres in size, alongside shared living areas that Vancouver-based Lee also designed.

      LIFE micro-apartments are lined with birch joinery

      Lee’s goal for the LIFE apartments was to create deliberately simple, timeless interiors that were visually uncluttered.
      While helping to distract from the small size of the rooms, this offers tenants the opportunity to create homely, private spaces with their own furniture and belongings.

      The birch is intended to offer a minimalist finish
      “Like in many densely populated cities, most young adults in Seoul struggle to find homes as housing prices climb,” explained Lee.
      “I wanted this co-living space and the community it would build to be an accessible alternative to traditional housing options that can eventually give its residents a sense of belonging.”

      Built-in window seats and reading nooks feature in some rooms
      “One of my aims in designing these rental units was to find that balance, where the space feels timeless and comfortable as it is, but also like a blank canvas for tenants to personalise,” Lee continued.
      “The overarching goal was to evoke a sense of home.”

      Playful arched cut-outs are the only decorative elements
      Each apartment is fully equipped with a private kitchen and bathroom, with storage and appliances built-in or hidden within the birch-lined walls to maximise useable space.
      Some units are fitted with sliding glass partitions that can be used to divide the flats offering tenants flexibility while ensuring natural light can still filter through.

      Some apartments feature sliding partitions
      Lee chose birch as the main material for the micro-apartments to create a cosy finish, but also because the material forms a neutral backdrop for furnishings.
      The only decorative elements he has included are playful arched cut-outs, reading nooks and window seats, which he hopes contribute to the cosy aesthetic.

      A Little Design maximises space in tiny 22-metre-square Taiwan apartment

      “Rental homes can feel generic, cold and utilitarian,” Lee explained. “The soft spatial elements like arches and curves were used to infuse warmth and emotions into the rooms.”

      Storage is built-in to maximise useable space
      The shared living spaces, which were not photographed, include a communal kitchen, workspace, lounge, gym and rooftop garden.
      Finished with an equally minimalist design, these are hoped to help foster community amongst tenants.

      Each apartment is fully equipped with a kitchen
      Other micro-apartments on Dezeen that feature wood-lined interiors include A Little Design’s 17.6-square-metre residence in Taiwan, which features built-in, space-saving furniture.
      Elsewhere in Taiwan, the studio also designed a 22-metre-square apartment with storage spanning one entire wall, covering the 3.3 metres from floor to ceiling.
      Photography is by Texture on Texture.

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      Urban Cabin is a micro apartment in Italy with custom seating and storage

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      Architect Francesca Perani has transformed the porch of an Italian villa into a 25-square-metre micro-apartment suitable for self-isolation with plenty of hidden storage. Designed for a local couple, Urban Cabin replaces the porch of a house in Albino, a small town in the Italian province of Bergamo. Perani’s renovation, completed with the help of interior designer […] More