Houses and Apartments Under 1000 Square Feet - Softcover

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.

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.