Here at Gizmag we love some of the micro homes we’ve seen, from the Tiny Leaf House on wheels to the Finnish micro house, and that’s not mentioning the London one room apartment turned into a two-story luxury home! It looks like we’re not the only ones, with New York’s mayor Michael Bloomberg catching the tiny home fever and announcing a competition for an innovative micro apartment model.
The competition, which is called “adAPT,” was announced on Monday and invites proposals of a replicable design for “Micro-Units” to be built at 335 East 27th Street, Manhattan. The competition seeks micro apartment designs that are smaller than what current zoning regulations allow, sparking a move towards creating affordable homes for New York’s growing small-household population.
“Developing housing that matches how New Yorkers live today is critical to the City’s continued growth, future competitiveness and long-term economic success,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “People from all over the world want to live in New York City, and we must develop a new, scalable housing model that is safe, affordable and innovative to meet their needs.”
The pilot project will waive current zoning regulations to facilitate a building design that incorporates at least 75 percent of the apartments as micro-units. Each micro-unit should measure between 275 to 300 square feet (approximately 25 to 28 square meters) and include a kitchen and bathroom. Judging merit will favor entries that include innovative floor plans and sustainable building design.
“We’re looking for creativity, affordability, imaginative design and responsiveness to the needs of real New Yorkers,” said Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua. “Show us something we haven’t seen before that is ingenious, sustainable, replicable and practical, and we will work with you to make it a reality.”
The adAPT competition deadline for submissions is September 14, 2012 and the HPD will hold a pre-submission conference for interested architects on July 31, 2012 at the American Institute of Architects’ Center for Architecture.
Bloomberg's full announcement can be seen in the video below.
