Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Threshold

How big you want your micro-flat?

Hotel Churchill, circa 1930
Hotel Churchill, circa 1930

Title: Threshold

Address: blog.studioearchite…

Author: John Sheehan, Josh Hoffman, et. al.

From: Bankers Hill

Blogging since: Sept. 2010

Post Title: Small is the New Black, Part 1

Post Date: April 19, 2013

Small is cool again. The Fiat 500, “small bite” menus, microbreweries…

This cultural tendency toward the tiny has even extended to the multifamily development world, which is abuzz this spring with discussions about micro-flats. There is an increased demand for smaller, less-expensive living quarters for one- and two-person households that is not being met by the available supply of conventional housing types — particularly in urban centers. Indeed, this demand is so great and so underserved in major cities that the mayors’ offices of both New York City and Boston held competitions/exhibitions last year to promote the production of downsized digs.

Sponsored
Sponsored

So, what does a person really need to know about the design and development of these diminutive dwellings? At Studio E Architects, we have done quite a lot of noodling on (and designing of) compact units over the past 25 years. From our experience in the trenches, we offer these tips to anyone considering super-small apartments:

1 - Definition, please?

There is small…and then there is small. In California, 160 square feet is the legal minimum size for a dwelling unit. There are folks out there experimenting with ultra-compacts in that range — however, most developers are looking at units that average between 250 to 400 square feet. Experience tells us that 350 to 425 square feet is a sweet spot for avoiding special (i.e. smaller and more expensive) appliances and fixtures.

2 - Bathing (and other essential activities)

“Euro-baths” and wet rooms (think motorhome bathrooms) are neat ideas that don’t really fly in the States. Too messy. Hard water leaves scale and spots on fixtures and walls. ADA requirements make it difficult to squeeze down the overall dimensions. We have seen SRO (single-room occupancy) units that relied on a common sink shared between the bathroom and the kitchen. Definitely a space (and cost) saver — but does anybody really want to brush their teeth where they drain their pasta? Splurge on two separate sinks!

3 - Go Vertical

Floor-to-ceiling storage is a must. We all have stuff — it has to go somewhere. Getting things up off the floor in a small space makes it feel larger. Upper kitchen cabinets should extend all the way up to the ceiling. Storage above the toilet is another opportunity. We also like built-in shelving and closets with low drawers.

4 - A Room with a View

Big windows — that open. We like using sliding-glass doors. These can open up the whole end of a room. They can open onto a small balcony — which extends the living space. We also like bay windows, which offer a sub-space within the overall unit that can be used as a sleeping/sitting niche or dining alcove.

5 - The Social Network

As unit size diminishes, pressure grows to provide alternate venues for gathering and socializing. The best new micro-flat developments offer places to mix, mingle and rub elbows. Gyms, “business centers,” “screening rooms,” billiard lounges, party kitchens, shared decks, terraces, patios and rooftops — should all be considered in any good design scheme.

— John

Post Title: More Big Thoughts on Living Small

Post Date: October 4, 2013

Micro-fever is catching here at Studio E Architects, with two projects on the boards that will offer two distinct approaches to living small.

The first is Sunnyvale Studios in Sunnyvale, California, a 61-unit micro-unit project in the mold of Archer Studios. The second is the renovation of the historic Hotel Churchill in downtown San Diego: a seven-story, 73-unit single-room-occupancy residential hotel in downtown’s East Village, built in 1913 in anticipation of the Panama-California Exposition....

— Josh

[Post edited for length]

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

India Hawthorne is common in coastal gardens, Citrus trees are in full bloom

The vernal equinox is on March 19
Next Article

Gonzo Report: Stinkfoot Orchestra conjures Zappa at Winstons

His music is a blend of technical excellence and not-so-subtle humor
Hotel Churchill, circa 1930
Hotel Churchill, circa 1930

Title: Threshold

Address: blog.studioearchite…

Author: John Sheehan, Josh Hoffman, et. al.

From: Bankers Hill

Blogging since: Sept. 2010

Post Title: Small is the New Black, Part 1

Post Date: April 19, 2013

Small is cool again. The Fiat 500, “small bite” menus, microbreweries…

This cultural tendency toward the tiny has even extended to the multifamily development world, which is abuzz this spring with discussions about micro-flats. There is an increased demand for smaller, less-expensive living quarters for one- and two-person households that is not being met by the available supply of conventional housing types — particularly in urban centers. Indeed, this demand is so great and so underserved in major cities that the mayors’ offices of both New York City and Boston held competitions/exhibitions last year to promote the production of downsized digs.

Sponsored
Sponsored

So, what does a person really need to know about the design and development of these diminutive dwellings? At Studio E Architects, we have done quite a lot of noodling on (and designing of) compact units over the past 25 years. From our experience in the trenches, we offer these tips to anyone considering super-small apartments:

1 - Definition, please?

There is small…and then there is small. In California, 160 square feet is the legal minimum size for a dwelling unit. There are folks out there experimenting with ultra-compacts in that range — however, most developers are looking at units that average between 250 to 400 square feet. Experience tells us that 350 to 425 square feet is a sweet spot for avoiding special (i.e. smaller and more expensive) appliances and fixtures.

2 - Bathing (and other essential activities)

“Euro-baths” and wet rooms (think motorhome bathrooms) are neat ideas that don’t really fly in the States. Too messy. Hard water leaves scale and spots on fixtures and walls. ADA requirements make it difficult to squeeze down the overall dimensions. We have seen SRO (single-room occupancy) units that relied on a common sink shared between the bathroom and the kitchen. Definitely a space (and cost) saver — but does anybody really want to brush their teeth where they drain their pasta? Splurge on two separate sinks!

3 - Go Vertical

Floor-to-ceiling storage is a must. We all have stuff — it has to go somewhere. Getting things up off the floor in a small space makes it feel larger. Upper kitchen cabinets should extend all the way up to the ceiling. Storage above the toilet is another opportunity. We also like built-in shelving and closets with low drawers.

4 - A Room with a View

Big windows — that open. We like using sliding-glass doors. These can open up the whole end of a room. They can open onto a small balcony — which extends the living space. We also like bay windows, which offer a sub-space within the overall unit that can be used as a sleeping/sitting niche or dining alcove.

5 - The Social Network

As unit size diminishes, pressure grows to provide alternate venues for gathering and socializing. The best new micro-flat developments offer places to mix, mingle and rub elbows. Gyms, “business centers,” “screening rooms,” billiard lounges, party kitchens, shared decks, terraces, patios and rooftops — should all be considered in any good design scheme.

— John

Post Title: More Big Thoughts on Living Small

Post Date: October 4, 2013

Micro-fever is catching here at Studio E Architects, with two projects on the boards that will offer two distinct approaches to living small.

The first is Sunnyvale Studios in Sunnyvale, California, a 61-unit micro-unit project in the mold of Archer Studios. The second is the renovation of the historic Hotel Churchill in downtown San Diego: a seven-story, 73-unit single-room-occupancy residential hotel in downtown’s East Village, built in 1913 in anticipation of the Panama-California Exposition....

— Josh

[Post edited for length]

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

A poem for March by Joseph O’Brien

“March’s Lovely Asymptotes”
Next Article

The Digital Currency Wave Hits the Shores of San Diego

Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.