Microapartment
[1] Microapartments are becoming popular in urban centres in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and North America, maximizing profits for developers and landlords and providing relatively low-priced accommodation.
For developers it is easier to make money on micro-units with higher returns, due to more of the general public being able to afford a smaller place and give other options to buyers besides 1 or 2 bedroom units.
Other reasons developers have cited to build micro-units include lack of housing affordability, increases in the price of land, and the rising cost of construction.
A decline in cooking with the rise of food delivery apps have partially encouraged the reason for the change of appliances to be modified or removed.
[11] Some designs to maximize space include drop down Murphy beds, stacked laundry, floating desks, slide out shelves.
[12] Gary Chang, an architect in Hong Kong, has designed a large 32-square-metre (344 sq ft) microapartment with sliding walls attached to tracks on the ceiling.
The average size of a New York City tenement unit back then was around 284 square feet, and four or more people would cram into that tiny space.
[23] [24]: 1 In San Francisco, Starcity is converting unused parking garages, commercial spaces and offices into single room residential units, where tenants (tech professionals are the typical renter) get a furnished bedroom and access to wifi, janitor services and common kitchens and lounges for $1,400 to $2,400 per month, an approach that has been called "dorm living for grown ups".
The building contains 180 units that each contain a bathroom with stand-up shower; a kitchen with all stainless-steel appliances that include an oven, a microwave, a dishwasher, and a refrigerator.
In Seattle, some residents have complained that high-density microhousing changes the character of neighborhoods, suddenly increasing demand for parking spaces and other amenities.
[34] Designed by PLP Architecture, the development has 546 rooms with most units grouped into "twodios" – two en-suite bedrooms that share a small kitchenette.
[35] Each floor features one larger kitchen with a dining table, which is shared between 30 and 70 residents, and themed communal living spaces such as a games room, a cinema, a 'disco-launderette', a hidden garden and a spa.
[38] Samuel D. Gosling states that "an apartment has to fill other psychological needs as well, such as self-expression and relaxation, that might not be as easily met in a highly cramped space".
