Mini-house life hacking to life or high-tech hole?

17 sq.m. Is that enough for you? how discovered recently Layfhaker, Yes.

Micro-apartments - a global trend. They are wildly popular in New York, Tokyo, London, Singapore and other major cities. The population density in metropolitan areas all increased, housing them - all more expensive.

Many citizens, no matter how hard they worked or can not afford a normal apartment. And to be a perpetual tenant no one wants.

Exit? Mini house!

In this article you will learn what the micro-flat, what are its pros and cons, as well as get acquainted with the experience in the construction of a miniature housing in Japan and America.

What is a mini-house?

Mini home (or micro-apartment, studio apartment - this phenomenon a lot of naming) - a living room with an area of ​​11.5 to 50 sq.m.

A typical micro-flat looks like this:
According to some experts, the majority of building codes and regulations establishing requirements for the area of ​​residential premises - archaic. They developed decades ago.

Realities have changed. In the world there is a tendency to change the law. So, in late 2012, the District of San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a micro-project for the construction of apartments of 20.5 sq.m.

Many people today do not need separate from each other the kitchen, bedroom and living room. I need just a house.

However, the mini-house - it is not the Soviet "Khrushchev." This high-tech accommodation, like "Diogenes"Where minimum space is used to the maximum: the creation of levels, the use of "hidden" spaces (niches in the walls, floor, ceiling), multifunctional furniture and household appliances, etc.

Mini-houses give impetus to the development of architectural, engineering and design ideas. Indeed, thanks to them to create new materials, new designs, new equipment.

But in spite of all the above advantages, the micro-apartments have ardent opponents. They complain cons of mini-homes:

• You can not live with the family, especially with children - even the three of us will work closely.
• It is impossible to have a large pet such as a dog (but there is still a turtle and fish, right?).
• If the whole world will go to the budget small-sized housing, credit institutions waiting for the crisis.
• Little light and oxygen (windows take up too much space).
• A man's life becomes similar to the life of a mole in its hole (guests not particularly poprinimat, and if the friends live in the same micro-apartment, and guests did not go).

In addition, an isolated life can give rise to dangerous changes in the world public opinion, leading to the destruction of family and other human values. If I am so comfortable and good one, then why create a family and have children (heaps of communication at work and in social networks)?

Someone who "teremochke 'lives?

According to the company Slater & Gordon, which investigated the Australian real estate market, the majority of people aged 18 to 24 years (the most unhappygeneration JAJAJA) Prefer to live in close proximity to the business center of the city.

They do not care about the environment - important to work up was close. Less distance - less time in traffic jams and public transport.

That is why the typical resident micro-house - a young man, already running or still a student, with a stable, but little income, without family and a serious commitment.

Apartment for him - a place to stay overnight. Most of the day he spends at work, standing so close to each other the walls are not pressed.

The main criterion in this case - availability. The smaller square meters, the lower the fee.

What is needed for a person is just starting career. Especially micro-housing may be more than comfortable.

Minimalism in American

Micro-apartments are in high demand in the United States, particularly in large cities such as New York.

And if it all started with a review of approaches to the organization of space, now an apartment with an area of ​​20-40 sq.m. - the vital need for an expensive and sprawling metropolis.

For example, in 2009 a businessman Graham Hill announced a competition. He suggested designers to rebuild his small apartment in Manhattan (39 km.m) so that it was convenient to work, relax and entertain guests.

It turned out great.

However, this project can not be called budget - Hill put it around $ 300,000. And LifeEdited turned into a philosophy for him - less stuff, more happiness.

Today in New York in vogue include mini-house, available the middle class. Recently, Michael Bloomberg (Mayor) has named the winners adAPT NYC - the competition for the development of residential complexes with small and affordable apartments.

I won a project called My Micro NY: 55 apartments with 3-foot high ceilings, large windows, balconies and different areas, ranging from 23 to 34 sq.m.

Implementation of the project started in 2013, and plan to finish it in 2015. It is assumed that 40% of these apartments will be rented at below market prices (940-1800 dollars per month).

A photo

IE, IE cute

IE - in Japanese "home." Traditionally, the Japanese are very sensitive to the place where they live. It is believed that the house must be clean and quiet. That is why the interior of Japanese houses are usually discreet and minimalistic.

In addition, Japan ranks 10th in the world in terms of population density (127 253 075 377 944 persons per square meter, 90% of them - the townspeople). Places sorely lacking.

These and other factors have led to the nucleation and in Japan in the 1950s, this architectural direction as metabolism.

Capsule Tower "Nakagin» (Nakagin Capsule Tower) - In 1972, the building business card of this style were built in Tokyo.

These are two concrete towers (11 and 13 storeys), in which, as the constructor parts mounted standalone modules - 140 capsules.

As planned by the architect Kisho Kurokawa (founder of the Metabolism movement), each capsule - a separate world, an office or an apartment. The size of each capsule - 4 2.5 m, the ceiling height - 2.5 m (quite normal for dimensions Japanese). Inside there is everything necessary for life: a bed, a linen cupboard, toilet, stove, phone, desk, television, and so on. All of this "hidden" in the capsule wall.

The very same micro-apartment attached to a concrete skeleton with a few screws - it can easily be removed and replaced if worn (approximately every 25 years).

A photo: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8-12

It would seem, here it is - small paradise. However, in 2007 the tenants' Nakagin "voted for the demolition of the building ...

It turned out that living in these high-tech holes nearly impossible. Cramped, stuffy (instead of windows there are small windows) and expensive. Yes, yes, expensive. Maintenance of such a dwelling is overhead than usual, even a drainage system and water supply there is outlandish.

instead subtotal

this spring in Moscow as part of the festival was an exhibition of architectural "Microdomain". Young architects in every possible way to implement his fantasies about the individual small-sized housing.

And do you think that is a mini-house - for life or life hacking tech hole? Is there a future housing area of ​​20-40 square meters? Would you like to live in the micro-flat? Leave your thoughts on this in the comments.