Is This What DC Micro-Units Will Look Like?

• January 22, 2013

by Shilpi Paul

Possible microunit. Courtesy of Amie Gross Architects.

In advance of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s announcement as to who won New York City’s micro-units competition, the Museum of the City of New York is exhibiting a possible layout for what the very small home will look like, reported the NY Daily News.

The exhibit “Making Room: New Housing for New Yorkers” starts Wednesday and will feature an apartment designed by architect Amie Gross. The 232-square foot studio meets the codes and regulations of Bloomberg’s contest, but at least as of Tuesday morning, is not the winner of the contest. Gross’ plan includes a pull-down bed and table to maximize the space, a TV that slides to reveal a bar, and a full-sized bathtub. Walking through the exhibit will probably feel something like a trip to IKEA.

As for the micro-unit competition, Bloomberg will be announcing the winner on Tuesday at the museum. Over 30 firms entered with the hopes of designing 80 experimental “adAPT NYC” units, to be developed on a city-owned parking lot on Manhattan’s East Side. The contest mandated that the studios be between 275 and 300 square feet. As other cities start thinking about developing very small apartments, the winning design will likely attract a lot of attention.

In DC, though units are not yet dropping below 300 square feet, several developers have announced plans to include very small units in new buildings. CAS Riegler, inspired by Bloomberg’s contest, will be creating a handful of 320-square-foot apartments in their 70-unit project planned for the 9th Street Corridor.

UrbanTurf will report on the winner as soon as it is announced.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/is_this_what_dc_microunits_will_look_like/6545