Rear Window living: density + small homes = crossed glances

Charged with designing an apartment complex to house 111 low-income families in small spaces, architects Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores decided to blur the line between public and private space to gain square footage.

Prats and Flores used Italian Renaissance palaces for inspiration (even traveling to Florence to take exact measurements of the facades of the Pitti and Strozzi palaces) and created a piazza as the main focus of the complex.

The residents of Edificio 111 live in apartments of a very un-palatial size- as small as 55 square meters (590 square feet)-, but what they give up in personal space they gain in community, as well as a bit of reality theater (very much in the style of Hitchcock's Rear Window).
Photo credits: Duccia Malagamba (exterior); Adria Goula (interiors)
Original story here: http://faircompanies.com/videos/view/rear-window-livingnsity-small-homes-cros...

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• small space
• tiny apartment
• tiny home
• small apartment
• downshifting
• home size
• simple life
• simplicity
• transformable furniture
• space-making furniture
• space-saving furniture
• downsizing
• small house movement
• small home
• green building
• urban architecture
• eva flores
• ricardo prats
• prats flores architects
• density
• compact living
• sustainable architecture
• green architecture
• italian rennaissance
• pitti palace
• strozzi palace
• rear window

[BooGooNFlowoo4Evoo]

The one disadvantageous thing about entering only through a single courtyard is if your neighbors are decidedly anti-social. The central courtyard would become an open-air drug market and a place where the strong would oppress the weak.

[chamblizi]

i think this should happen in America this would defiantly kill the sight of racism the morals of other countries are more open to friendship. America is all spread out and we lost our family morals

[glpiv7]

The way the world economy are looking an unemployment the new normal this seam like the way of the future.people need to fell lucky to be apart of a community like this one.

[gretagekko]

I would live to live in this type of dwelling. I would get to inter-act with my neighbors, it would feel like a real community. Nice plan.

[TheDenisedrake]

Interesting thoughts and design on living spaces. Did he answer your question by saying that he believes people need a minimum of 60 square meters of living space? Is he thinking of a single person? It seems that people living together would need less space per person. Were any of his apartments designed for families with children?