Houses and Apartments Under 1000 Square Feet - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 177085214X ISBN 13: 9781770852143

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2013

Synopsis

A showcase of the best in contemporary compact residential architecture.

The world is becoming more urbanized and densely populated. There is a virtually inexhaustible demand that is pushing up housing prices. Urban land is more precious. As well, changes in family structure, more single-person households, a desire to save money, reduce our climate footprints and live more simply have made microdwellings the fastest growing type of residence.

To be successful as an enjoyable living space, however, a microdwelling must synthesize the best of contemporary architecture: functionality, efficiency and sustainability. The inhabitants' current and potential needs must be reconciled with physical, legal and budget limitations. The aim is to create spaces that improve quality of life and represent the resident's personality.

Houses and Apartments Under 1000 Square Feet is a collection of more than 50 projects ranging from 215 to 958 square feet in size, along with a small selection of furniture. It aims to showcase the most significant examples of contemporary compact residential architecture.

Each home is profiled over two to six photo-filled pages. Drawings include floor layouts, cutaways and landscaping plans. The houses and apartments are from around the world and represent a broad variety of architectural styles, functional applications, materials, natural environments and lifestyles.

Due to the physical and budgetary limitations in this kind of house, one of the most important considerations is furniture, so a brief selection of furnishings has been included to complete this book.

This is a stunning, cutting-edge source of inspiration and practical information for architects, designers, and homeowners.

About this title

About the Author

Yuri Caravaca Gallardo is a journalist with interests in intercultural issues and East Asian Studies. He has a special interest in Japanese Arts and Architecture. He has lived in Japan and now lives and works in Barcelona.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

The world is becoming a cluster of cities, where the bulk of the world's population and wealth are concentrated. This incessant agglomeration of individuals is creating a virtually inexhaustible demand for housing that is pushing up prices. This, together with associated phenomena such as individualism and changes in family structure, makes the microdwelling the fastest growing type of residence.

If well planned, dense cities are more sustainable and efficient than sprawling cities, and the same can be said for housing. Indispensable to the city of the future, microdwellings synthesize the best of contemporary architecture: functionality, efficiency and the "less is more" philosophy of Mies van der Rohe.

Like city planning, defining the space of a compact home demands the prioritization of its inhabitants' current and potential needs, reconciling these with physical, legal and budgetary limitations. The aim is to create spaces that improve quality of life and also represent the personalities of their inhabitants. To achieve this, minimalist solutions are used for open-plan areas in order to unify spaces with complementary functions; straight lines and pure forms predominate; structures are transparent or translucent so they can let in natural light; materials are used literally; and there is a preference for monochromatic schemes and light colors.

This book is a collection of projects, ranging in size from 258 square feet to 958 square feet (20 meters squared to 89 meters squared). It does not claim to be an exhaustive list, but aims to showcase the most significant examples of contemporary compact residential architecture.

About this edition

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 177085214X
• ISBN 13: 9781770852143
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256
• Editor: Gallardo Yuri Caravaca