Through research, design and practical experience we’ve come up with some design principles that allow us to stay true to our mission — to create the best experience of living, working and playing in a micro dwelling.
Design For
Scale
01.
Design intentionally small — Simply scaling down a large house to fit into a small footprint results in lots of compressed and uncomfortable spaces. A well designed micro dwelling embraces spatial constraints intentionally. Internally, this results in well considered spaces with good proportions that feel much larger than they are. Externally, keep the footprint small and simple to reduce construction costs and to take full advantage of your small site. If you need more space then build up, not out.
02.
Minimize dead space — Extensive hallways, empty corners, empty areas in the middle of the room, these are the monsters that devour space without giving anything back in return. Design your floor plan to minimise such dead spaces.
03.
Maximise ceiling heights — High ceilings increase the feeling of spaciousness in small spaces. Varied ceiling heights add visual interest and help delineate various zones without the need for solid walls.
04.
Make spaces multifunctional — In a micro dwelling space is the scarecest and therefore most valuable resource. To get the most out of the available floor area, design spaces to serve multiple functions. If a space is used rarely and only for a single purpose then cosider if it can be incorporated elsewhere.
05.
Design multipurpose built-in furniture — Built-in furniture is a great way to ensure maximum utilisation of available space. Design the furniture to serve multiple purposes: seating that contains storage, seating that converts to an extra bed, large seating that conceals smaller seats, built-in ladders for hard to reach high spaces.
06.
Use small appliances — Full size appliances require a lot of space to accommodate them. Micro dwellings are designed intentionally small therefore consider replacing full size appliances with their smaller versions.
07.
Not more or less but just enough — Remove as much clutter as possible but not to the point of the dwelling feeling sterile. Don’t force things to fit. If something doesn’t fit then consider letting it go.
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Design For Connection
08.
Design for effortless transitions — Design for well flowing connections between spaces. Avoid awkward transitions, tight passages, dead ends, diagonal thoroughfares, or steep stairs/ladders that lead to commonly used spaces.
09.
Extend sight lines beyond the walls — Well designed sigh lines break up the opaque enclosure of walls, external as well as internal, and create better visual connection with the outside.
10.
Connect to the outdoors — Large, unobstructed openings between the inside and the outside will make a micro dwelling feel bigger, fresher and more connected with the outdoors. A good connection to the outside will also facilitate creation of outdoor spaces that will extend the inner spaces, and in turn give the occupants more opportunities to engage with the natural environment around them.
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Design For
Wellbeing
11.
Design for light — Natural light is vital for all life. In a built environment light enhances the mood of the occupants and the quality of the spaces by making them feel lighter, airy and spacious. Natural light is great for growing indoor plants and helps with passive solar heating.
12.
Desing for health — A well designed micro dwelling will take care of your physical wellbeing rather than compromise it. Design the dwelling to be easy to maintain, have good suppply of fresh air, be warm and dry, and physically comfortable.
13.
Design for joy — Every space should be pleasant to occupy and no space should be abandoned or neglected. Design moments of surprise and delight. If every space is joyful the whole dwelling will be joyful. A well designed dwelling will invigorate and enable you to get the most out of life through your daily activities.