Less is more! This is proven by the architects Beatriz Ramo and Bernd Upmeyer from the architectural offices STAR and BOARDWith their tiny apartment in the heart of Rotterdam, which they affectionately call "Cabanon", they show how you can combine comfort and luxury in the smallest of spaces. Tiny apartments are tiny but functional living spaces, which often have an extremely small area - just like the 6,89 square meter empire of Ramo and Upmeyer. The mini-apartments are usually carefully designed to make the best use of the available space and at the same time create a cozy and practical home. Due to their small size, they help to ecological footprint to reduce and To conserve resourcesThey can also be a response to the growing demand for housing in urban areas.
For their "Cabanon", Beatriz Ramo and Bernd Upmeyer were inspired by the famous "Cabanon" hut of the architect Le Corbusier, which he built in 1952 as a holiday home on the Côte d'Azur. Like Le Corbusier's miniature refuge, the Rotterdam "Cabanon" is also a retreat used by the architects themselves. And it is even more compact than the famous model, which at least measures 15 square meters. But unlike Le Corbusier's spartan design, Ramo and Upmeyer focus on comfort and luxurious furnishings. Their credo: optimization instead of reduction. Through a clever room layout and the use of innovative design created a true miracle of space utilization.
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Downsizing deluxe: Four worlds in four walls
Beatriz Ramo and Bernd Upmeyer's tiny apartment is divided into four different zones: a 3-meter-high living area, a 1,14-meter-high sleeping alcove, a blue shower room and a black spa area with marble cladding, whirlpool and infrared sauna. Each room is decorated in a different color, which makes the overall design of the tiny apartment particularly varied.
A key element of the design is the clever optimization of the height of each area. By designing the rooms at different heights, the space is used perfectly and adapted to the respective needs. The team of architects was able to easily accommodate the sleeping alcove under the ceiling, while the living area uses the full room height of 3 meters. The furnishing of the tiny apartment is puristic and limited to the bare essentials. There are clever storage options such as a kitchen unit integrated into the wall with a fold-out table. To save costs, the architects avoided custom-made products and instead opted for standard products. The bed was adapted to a standard mattress, the sauna to the length of a prefabricated bathtub. Even with the color design the architects went after the cheap remaining stock that was currently available.
New compact class: space used sensibly
The "Cabanon" is a prime example of how even the smallest of remaining spaces can be used sensibly. It is located in the attic of a residential building from the 1950s and was originally intended only as a storage room. Ramo and Upmeyer recognized the potential and created their personal mini-refuge, which could become a model for other tiny apartments. After all, such compact apartments not only offer an answer to the growing demand for affordable housing in cities, but are also a step towards a more sustainable future.
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Sustainability benefits from Tiny Apartments
Living after the Less-is-more principle: Tiny apartments offer numerous advantages to make living in urban areas more sustainable. Here are some of the most important aspects:
- Lower material requirements: Due to their compact size, tiny apartments require less Construction materials than conventional housing. This reduces the impact on the environment during the construction process and saves valuable resources.
- Efficient use of energy: The small living space of tiny apartments requires less energy for heating and cooling, which leads to a significant Energy saving The clever use of window areas also allows for optimal use of natural light, which also reduces energy consumption for lighting.
- Establishing a minimalist lifestyle: An important aspect of the Tiny Apartment concept is the detachment from ConsumerismThe smaller the apartment, the less space there is for unnecessary things. Tiny apartments essentially force their residents to concentrate on the essentials and establish a minimalist lifestyle. The smaller living space therefore automatically encourages a reduction in consumption and a more conscious use of resources.
Conclusion: Small apartment, big impact
Even if the team of architects emphasizes that their "Cabanon" does not want to be an "apartment of the future," it does show ways in which living space can be optimized, costs reduced and the ecological footprint reduced. Some strategies such as flexible design through different usable heights, the omission of superfluous things and the implementation of functional assets could certainly set a precedent. Overall, the Tiny Apartment in Rotterdam is a great example of how much comfort and luxury can be achieved in the smallest of spaces. It proves that less can actually be more - and opens up new perspectives on the urban living of the future.
