Tara and Herb both sent me two related articles about some cool lofts under development in Vancouver B.C. Canada. These micro-lofts are about 270 square feet, the size of two parking spaces.
General manager Jon Stovell says the micro-lofts will have pretty much everything essential for living, including a bathroom, kitchen, workspace and big loft-style windows that provide natural ventilation and bright views of the street.
“They have a fold-down wall bed, and when that wall bed is up, it has a fold-down table. We integrated a workbench with a built-in flat screen TV so that that does not take any room and created a glassy washroom enclosure that functions as a single area — shower, and toilet and sink all in one area.
Stovell doesn’t think the tiny size will affect livability of the suites, which he compares to similar developments in cities such as New York and London, England, as there are plenty of amenities in the neighbourhood, such as cafés, restaurants and other public spaces.
“I think a couple could live in there,” he said. “They are very beautiful and very modal, and you can switch them around in different ways, depending on what your needs are.”
Other cities are also experimenting with small-size suites in central neighbourhoods. Shoebox Lofts in Portland, Ore., Cubix Yerba Buena in San Francisco and Moda Apartments in Seattle all have units in the 250- or 300-square-foot range.