13 juni, 2016 | Door Dimitry
As the population in urban centres continues to grow, the micro-housing movement – living in small apartments – is bourgeoning all around the world as an affordable housing alternative.
Micro-apartments are especially appealing to young adults living in expensive cities like New York, Seattle, Tokyo, and London. Other times, micro-apartments may serve as second homes for commuters, who find “crash pads” more affordable and convenient than hotels.
For developers, architects, and city planners, micro-apartments are a way of keeping up with changing demographics and population increase — an innovative, eco-friendly solution to a challenging shift in urban landscape.
Last week, the first tenants moved into the city’s first micro apartment development on East 27th Street.
The nine-story building, with 55 apartments between 260 and 360 square feet, is an elegant design by nArchitects, and built by Monadnock Development and the Lower East Side People’s Mutual Housing Association.
The studio apartments, which range from 260 square feet to 360 square feet — half the size of a subway car or less — look tiny on paper, but the project developers said the designers worked long and hard to make them feel comfortable and cozy.
Flip through the photo gallery or watch the video of the model apartments and see if you could imagine yourself living in this new paradigm of sustainable and efficient dwelling.