Hasta La Ideas

The past year has seen many architects and designers unveil innovative ideas for space-saving housing, whether in the city or out in the wilderness. Here are some of the best examples to emerge, selected by editor Amy Frearson for our review of 2017.

PH Lavalleja, Argentina, by CCPM Arquitectos

Argentinian studio CCPM Arquitectos managed to fit this four-storey, two-bedroom property into an already packed-out Buenos Aires neighbourhood.

The house features an assortment of sloping roofs, terraces and oddly shaped windows, all designed to make the most of the available space and light.

Find out more about PH Lavalleja ›

microHOUSE, USA, by Elizabeth Herrmann Architecture + Design

This 40-square-metre property provides a home and studio for an artist in rural Vermont.

Local studio Elizabeth Herrmann Architecture + Design wanted the property to demonstrate that a “small house need not be a claustrophobic, monotonous box”. It features cutaway corners, which create sheltered patios, and a bright airy interior.

Find out more about microHOUSE ›

Studio Vila Olímpia, Brazil, by TRIA Arquitetura

To created clearly defined areas in this 27-square-metre apartment in São Paulo, TRIA Arquitetura devised a layout that would be as adaptable as possible.

A perforated concrete brick wall offers separation between sleeping and living spaces, while the bathroom is screened off behind a shutter.

Find out more about Studio Vila Olímpia ›

The SHED Project, UK, by Studio Bark

This micro home is one of several that property management company Lowe Guardians has installed inside vacant buildings in London.

The initiative is intended as a win-win – offering young professionals extremely cheap accommodation, and protecting landlords from squatters, vandals and deterioration. Designed by London practice Studio Bark, the DIY housing modules offer an alternative to traditional property guardianship.

Find out more about The SHED Project ›

House renovation in Xirongxian Hutong, China, by OEU-ChaO

A 32-square-metre Beijing hutong house was overhauled to create this modern home for a young family.

This type of traditional courtyard property used to dominate the Chinese capital, but many have been destroyed in recent years. With this project, Chinese studio OEU-ChaO has shown that these residences can suit a contemporary lifestyle.

Find out more about House renovation in Xirongxian Hutong ›

Tiny House in Kobe, Japan, by FujiwaraMuro Architects

This house in Japan is just 2.5 metres wide. To get a layout to work inside, FujiwaraMuro Architects created an atrium that brings light to each floor.

Inside, split levels help to define areas, while built-in storage helps residents make the most of every inch.

Find out more about Tiny House in Kobe ›

13 Square Metre House, UK, by Studiomama

This London flat takes small-scale living to new extremes. With an area of just 13 square metres, the home uses adaptable furniture to make sure every domestic activity can be accommodated.

It includes a fold-out bed, a desk you use standing up, plus extendable dining benches with pink cushions.

Find out more about 13 Square Metre House ›

The Muji Hut, Japan

This year saw Japanese homeware giant Muji launch a prefabricated home with an area of just nine-square-metres.

Featuring charred wooden walls, the simple cabin is intended to suit a wide variety of locations, whether used as a permanent residence or as a holiday home.

Find out more about The Muji Hut ›

5S Apartment, Australia, by Nicholas Gurney

Australian architect Nicholas Gurney used bespoke joinery, sliding partitions and moveable furniture to make the most of limited space inside this 24-square-metre apartment in Sydney.

The architect organised the home using a Japanese method called 5S, which follows five principles: sort, straighten, shine, standardise and sustain.

Find out more about 5S Apartment ›

Tiny Heirloom, USA

A climbing wall covers one side of this small mobile home by American company Tiny Heirloom.

Designed for “adventure wherever you go”, the micro home can be attached to the back of a vehicle like a trailer or caravan and towed to the desired location.

Find out more about Tiny Heirloom ›

The post Dezeen’s top 10 tiny homes of 2017 appeared first on Dezeen.

Canadian firms Hatem + D and Étienne Bernier Architecte have built a contemporary house in Quebec City, featuring a boxy black garage and a glass-fronted lounge.

Hatem + D and Étienne Bernier Architecte partnered on the design of Oak Residence, which is located in the city’s Sillery neighbourhood.

The building is offset from the street and positioned beside a large tree. It has a contemporary but modest facade, but it becomes more open towards the back, where glazed walls face a back garden.

The majority of the house is clad in warm-toned timber panels. However the glazed lounge block features black walls, matching the dark brickwork of the garage. Together, the contemporary aesthetic contrasts with the more traditional, neighbouring homes.

“Minimal and sober, the facades are the result of the imbrication of the living volume in wood and the garage in bricks,” said the studio.

A black front door leads through to a foyer that links the garage to a home office. Further down the hallway is a glazed stairwell, with thick wooden boards providing treads.

The kitchen is all-white, with laminated cabinetry that reflects natural light. Beyond, the house’s glazing presents itself with sliding glass doors and floor-to-ceiling windows. A cantilever awning creates a covered outdoor patio off the kitchen.

“Discrete and intimate in the front, the house opens up in the backyard thanks to wide bay windows that provide natural lightning to the living area,” the architects said.

A 10-person dining table centres the main living area, which is outfitted with a custom-made wine cabinet with large, double glass doors. A second living space is located beyond the dining room with a fireplace, while the third is the glazed lounge block.

Dark wood elements provide focal points, with a laminated timber ceiling in the main living area, a wooden storage unit in a kitchen pantry, and a wood table attached to the kitchen island. Polished concrete floors and white walls add to the contemporary feel.

Upstairs are three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with light wood flooring in the hallway and staircase.

Photography is by Dave Tremblay unless stated otherwise.

The post Oak Residence is a contemporary house in suburban Quebec City appeared first on Dezeen.

Italian designer Fabio Novembre has created a range of beds influenced by fairytales for mattress brand PerDormire.

Novembre was invited by the Italian manufacturer to create a range of upholstered beds with a unique spin, for its affordable Design Democratico collection.

He responded with a series of six designs inspired by “the world of dreams”. Each one refers to a different aspect of fairytales, from castles and moons, to queens and princesses.

“I live with two princesses aged 13 and nine, my daughters, so referring to fairytales was my most natural approach,” Novembre told Dezeen.

“My house is always full of little girls, each with their own taste,” he continued. “Sticking to one specific fairytale is almost forbidden.”

The Regina bed is named after the Italian word for queen. It features a red heart-shaped frame that is meant to resemble the curved shape of a corset.

By contrast, Principessa – meaning princess – has a green quilted texture that evokes “embrace and relief”.

“The beds tell little stories, simple hints at enchanted worlds where everyone can imagine themselves and each type can exist in a more or less explicit version, adapting to various types of customers,” said Novembre.

Another design is the moon-themed Luna. This bed has a crescent-shaped headboard and a texture that mimics the craters of the moon.

There is also Castello, meaning castle, which has brick-patterned stitching, and Abito, meaning dress, which has the drape of a gown.

The collection is completed by Nuvola, which has a cream-coloured headboard with a cloud-like shape.

Upholstered fabric covers all six bed frames, to maximise comfort.

“The choice of using upholstered solutions for all the beds was taken in order to keep comfort as the main topic: everything had to be soft and cosy, no edgy angles and no hard surfaces,” explained Novembre.

“Sleeping is the most helpless condition of our life, making it comfortable and dreamy was the least I could do,” he added.

Novembre is known for his surreal interpretations of everyday objects. Past projects include huge faces for sitting in for Driade, and a pair of chairs that look like kneeling naked figures for Casamania.

The post Fabio Novembre designs six beds inspired by “the world of dreams” appeared first on Dezeen.

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