By Alex Jones
AN INNOVATIVE space-saving apartment manages to fit every room in your house into a space the size of two car parking spots.
The striking minimalist flat, measuring just 377 square feet (35m²), cleverly contains a living room, kitchen, dining room, bedroom and bathroom.
Eye-catching photos show how a seemingly empty space can be transformed into a cosy sleeping space, an area for entertaining guests, or a well-appointed cooking area by simply opening or closing a few hatches.
The work can be completed for under £20,000, a reasonable rate considering the prices of some city centre properties.
The Zero-Room Apartment has been designed by Hungarian Architect Studio MÁS, a husband and wife team based in Budapest.
“Creating a really tiny flat is always a challenge,” explained archtecits Bálint Gulyás and Orsolya Mészáros.
“However, checking the continuously increasing real estate prices there is a really big need for bringing out the most of all square meters and create great living conditions even in the smallest places.
“The main concept of the zero-room apartment was to totally rethink a former traditional flat with only 35m². To create the largest spaces possible, all the interior walls were demolished. The closed, complementary functions – such as the bathroom, the toilet and a really small mechanical room – are located along the entrance, while everything else is in the spacious ’main’ room. Since the main room serves as kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom, the furnishing played a particularly important role.”
One of the biggest challenges the team faced was making sure the living space didn’t look cluttered.
“Since the ’mess’ and the interference of different functions put in one space had to be avoided, a mobile, variable furnishing was created, where most of the elements can be hidden,” continued the MÁS designers.
“The main goal was to create a totally functional apartment, that can be easily converted into an ordered work of art by closing some doors.
“To hide or unhide the everyday mess of a kitchen or a wardrobe, special opening-sliding doors were used on the furniture. This way the main functions of a flat can be separated – closing the kitchen doors/hiding the bed -, and you can enjoy the benefits of having a spacious living/working/dining room.
“The zero-room apartment is a first attempt at giving a solution for great and comfortable ‘roomless living’.”
