Never Too Small

Architects and designers around Australia reuse existing builds to create efficient and clever micro-apartments.

Looking to better fit a space to his life, Nelson Chow, redesigned his Hong Kong apartment as a split level treehouse, drastically increasing the home’s usable space. In sharp contrast Jean Graham has fit a family of four into a home only 10 square meters larger.

In a collection of Art Deco apartments, Michael Roper, used compact furniture and creatively altered storage spaces to redesign a 23 square meter home into a flexible single room.

In Melbourne, Ben Edwards converted a dingy ground level studio into an elegant apartment, designed to showcase it’s materials and the selection of furniture inside.

Inspired by the tiny house movement, CABN designed Jude, a completely off-grid sustainable getaway completely removed from the city. With a minimal design that avoids clutter and invites the visitor to explore their natural surrounds.

On the city's southern side, a couple lovingly converted a small studio into a two bedroom apartment for their growing family.

Melanie Schubert updated and renewed the interior of a Barbican apartment, redesigning the space so it seamlessly blended into the brutalist exterior.

In London's East End, Nina Tolstrup took the opportunity to convert an older carpenter's shop into a multi level hideaway. Converting it into a home for many by constructing enclosed sleeping pods and filling the home with bursts of colour and upcycled furniture.

Smaller than 30 square meters, the design of these homes represents a key part of creating affordable, central housing. Designing for such tiny spaces requires thinking outside the box, with architects drawing on minimalism and simplicity.

Looking to provide a solution to that same problem for farmers, Jan Van Schiak designed Shacky. A removable tiny home that aims to bring visitors into regional communities with it’s sustainable, intimate design, while supporting local farmers.

Inspired by the Japanese 5S organisational method, architect Nicholas Gurney created a streamlined, minimalist 24 square meter home.

Looking to make better use of the average Australian backyard, Nicholas Gurney designed Yardstix. Drawing from the classic Australian granny flat, each Yardstix is a green, economic, self-contained living space.