Anyone who has ever lived in a super tiny space (think Japan or Hong Kong) will appreciate this ingenious architectural idea. Gary Chang designed and built a way to reconfigure his teeny tiny Hong Kong apartment into 24 different layouts by simply moving a series of sliding walls. The pic above shows my favourite room version. A hammock room is such a wonderful idea, don't you think? You can see more pics of Gary's apartment (there are 9 in total) here and read the full story here. Though very small, I'm pretty certain Gary's main floor plan is bigger than my apartment in Kyoto was (which measured 3 metres x 2 metres in total). What I would have done to have been able to convert it into all these fabulous living spaces! If you watched World's Greenest Homes on ABC last night you may have seen Gary's apartment. I have a love/hate relationship with this program because 90% of the houses they showcase are enormous with massive footprints - not green at all! So seeing Gary's little apartment on this show was like a breath of (green) fresh air.
Friday, 22 January 2010
small is wonderful
Anyone who has ever lived in a super tiny space (think Japan or Hong Kong) will appreciate this ingenious architectural idea. Gary Chang designed and built a way to reconfigure his teeny tiny Hong Kong apartment into 24 different layouts by simply moving a series of sliding walls. The pic above shows my favourite room version. A hammock room is such a wonderful idea, don't you think? You can see more pics of Gary's apartment (there are 9 in total) here and read the full story here. Though very small, I'm pretty certain Gary's main floor plan is bigger than my apartment in Kyoto was (which measured 3 metres x 2 metres in total). What I would have done to have been able to convert it into all these fabulous living spaces! If you watched World's Greenest Homes on ABC last night you may have seen Gary's apartment. I have a love/hate relationship with this program because 90% of the houses they showcase are enormous with massive footprints - not green at all! So seeing Gary's little apartment on this show was like a breath of (green) fresh air.
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That's exactly how I feel about that show, a bit like Grand Designs where they make the fourteen bedroom house for a couple and call it green!
ReplyDeleteThat is so beautiful and lovingly detailed- thanks for sharing it - I agree that often the footprint per occupant that some of the other "green" homes that are shown are outrageous.
ReplyDeletekicking myself .. always watch this show but was cooking when Gary's place was on last night .. if only i'd known. What I really dislike about this show is how smug most of these owners are .. oh look at us, we're so caring for the planet and everyone else should be too. Yeah right, give me a hefty disposable income and I'd be a hell of a lot greener too. I love Grand Designs .. at least these people aren't pretending that they're saving the planet, these are just the rich and eccentric showing off and being indulgent.
ReplyDeleteanyway, thanks for link, will have a closer look
FTD - If I'm cooking Thurs nights I always try to cook super quickly so I can watch this show :)
ReplyDeleteI prefer the host on GD's to those on WGH's. GD is quite funny because they do pick very eccentric folk. Did you see the ep about the house built with tyres?
yes i did -I'm a GD fanatic - always trying to find an episode i haven't seen - the tyre house was crazy, but was an honest outcome and a very livable place. It is however often like watching a train wreck with some of the folk who get them selves into such a financial pickle!!
ReplyDelete3 x 2 m, where on earth did you put all your stuff? And yes, I did see the GD show about the house built from tyres in france. It was the one with the wine bottle glass window, which Kevin thought would look horrible, but he had to eat his hat once the house was finished as it looked wonderful & let coloured light into the bathroom.
ReplyDeleteJapanese apartments have special cupboards for your stuff. One for your futon which must be rolled into it every day so you can walk around your apartment and one big one for general stuff and another for clothes. I had a small low Japanese style table and zabeton cushions for sitting and a tiny music system. Then a small kitchen with ingenious shelving. And that was it! I didn't collect stuff as I had nowhere to put it:)
ReplyDeletepretty sure i've seen every GD .. they're doing an Australian version right now apparently. Won't be the same without Kevin, can't beat his drole style.
ReplyDeleteah, i need to start watching this show - but i can absolutely understand a love/hate relationship with it. i absolutely agree that the only true green is a small footprint COMBINED with the usual sustatinable/energy efficient techniques. otherwise it just seems so pointless and at so far away from 'living within your means' that it is pure ridiculousness! and your place in kyoto sounds semai kedo kawaii:) i LOVE those big cupboards in japanese houses - godsend for stuffing futons and everything else in there! i really like the sound of your ingenious shelving in the kitchen there as well!
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