A Different Way To Build a House #63 – An 1,000 square foot 2-bedroom apartment shrunk into 420 square feet

Back in 2011, a challenge was issued on Treehugger’s web site to create a 420 square foot living space that can do everything a space twice that big would normally do:

Help Design, Build an Ultra-Low Footprint Apartment: The LifeEdited Project

Specifically:

One reason New Yorkers use less energy per capita is that they live in smaller spaces; Graham’s apartment is 420 square feet. A goal of the LifeEdited project is to demonstrate not just to New Yorkers, but to readers around the country that one or two people can live happily and comfortably in a space that size, and that the key to doing so is good design. Graham has created a challenging program:

* Sit down dinner for 16
* a full size office
* accommodation for two guests in comfort and privacy
* a bedroom that feels like a bedroom

The winning entry was a great example of folding. There is one movable wall that contains the office and guest room. Sliding that wall out of the way creates a much larger space for entertaining. The living room turns into the master bedroom by folding a bed out of the wall. It’s a very clever solution.

This idea eventually became a whole company producing these folding apartments, which you can see here:

See also:
– A tiny apartment with moving walls becomes 24 different spaces
– Tiny houses
– Building a house for $3,500

Other House Ideas

The Official Site for Marshall Brain