European cities are becoming increasingly crowded, so creative measures need to be taken to maximize urban density without making people stir crazy. By building a tall and thin prototype with clever use of lighting and space, Drexler Guinand Jauslin Architects managed to pack 660 m³ of building volume onto a teensy 29 square meter plot.
Lofty ceilings, rafters, and skylights, along with tall high performance windows, give the industrial-chic home a sense of expansive freedom without gobbling up a lot of natural resources or energy, and responsibly sourced timber with a low embodied energy footprint was used throughout. This is a simple project that nonetheless acts as an excellent example of how to achieve urban densification and strong, healthy aesthetics.
+ Drexler Guinand Jauslin Architects
Via Architizer
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Faced with a dense urban environment, Drexler Guinand Gaussian Architects chose to design this super skinny home on a tiny 29 square meter plot in Germany. After developing a sophisticated software program that mapped out how to minimize the project’s use of construction materials and energy, the firm conceived the Minihouse in Frankfurt as a prototype for efficient urban housing.
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This gorgeous skinny home in Frankfurt is a study in low-impact urban housing
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The designers conducted a lifetime analysis to ensure that it uses minimum construction materials and energy
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Although spacious, this home was packed on a tiny 29 square meter plot
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Skylights maximize not only daylighting, but also the sense of expansiveness
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Urban densification is necessary, but the designer sought to find ways to create skinny housing that won’t drive residents stir crazy
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Responsibly-sourced timber was used throughout, which has a low embodied footprint.
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