China’s Vanke Real Estate Showing the Way for Small Homes
China is leading the way in research around minimal sized housing with one of that country’s largest development companies intensively studying the lifestyle practices and consumer preferences of 18-to 25 -year olds – mainly college students and recent graduates.
Vanke Real Estate is conducting research to try to meet the functional housing needs of this young group with a living space of just 194 square feet. They believe the basic needs of daily life can be provided in an intricately designed shared space that functions as a living room, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and study den for those young people who tend to spend most of their social time connecting with friends in public places, like restaurants, coffee houses, bars and clubs and who turn to the digital world for both their communications and entertainment.
This prototype compact apartment is designed to make Internet access and notebook computer or smart phone use as easy as brushing your teeth. For example, much attention is paid to the design of the built-in bed to ensure that people can use their laptop, notebook or smart phone in bed, with power close at hand and proper lighting. Design of the essential features of the bathroom, such as the shower and basin, tend to be more important than the design of the extremely minimal kitchen, which is little more than a coffee-making and instant soup preparation station for a generation that tends to dine mostly in fast food outlets and restaurants.
Innovative design research like this is leading to homes smaller than most of us can imagine. We might never see homes this small in our part of the world, but demographic and economic forces are going to continue to drive a trend toward smaller housing.
For the entire article see: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Small+becoming+when+comes+housing/7530253/story.html#ixzz2BsU7E84H