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Tiny Houses

Mini steps into tiny living with flexible micro-apartment concept for LA

By Nick Lavars
June 08, 2018
Mini steps into tiny living with flexible micro-apartment concept for LA
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
View 31 Images
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
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Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
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Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
While not quite in vogue, flexible living spaces with adaptable interiors are growing more attractive as urban developers grapple with booming populations and ever-limited space
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While not quite in vogue, flexible living spaces with adaptable interiors are growing more attractive as urban developers grapple with booming populations and ever-limited space
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
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Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
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Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
6/31
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
While not quite in vogue, flexible living spaces with adaptable interiors are growing more attractive as urban developers grapple with booming populations and ever-limited space
7/31
While not quite in vogue, flexible living spaces with adaptable interiors are growing more attractive as urban developers grapple with booming populations and ever-limited space
Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
8/31
Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
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Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
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Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
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Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout Mini's urban cabin concept in LA
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Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout Mini's urban cabin concept in LA
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
13/31
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
14/31
Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
15/31
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
While not quite in vogue, flexible living spaces with adaptable interiors are growing more attractive as urban developers grapple with booming populations and ever-limited space
16/31
While not quite in vogue, flexible living spaces with adaptable interiors are growing more attractive as urban developers grapple with booming populations and ever-limited space
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
17/31
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
18/31
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout Mini's urban cabin concept in LA
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Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout Mini's urban cabin concept in LA
Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
20/31
Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout Mini's urban cabin concept in LA
21/31
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout Mini's urban cabin concept in LA
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
22/31
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout Mini's urban cabin concept in LA
23/31
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout Mini's urban cabin concept in LA
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout Mini's urban cabin concept in LA
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Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout Mini's urban cabin concept in LA
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
25/31
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
26/31
Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout Mini's urban cabin concept in LA
27/31
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout Mini's urban cabin concept in LA
While not quite in vogue, flexible living spaces with adaptable interiors are growing more attractive as urban developers grapple with booming populations and ever-limited space
28/31
While not quite in vogue, flexible living spaces with adaptable interiors are growing more attractive as urban developers grapple with booming populations and ever-limited space
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
29/31
Mini's Living Urban Cabin concept in LA
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
30/31
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
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Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
View gallery - 31 images

While not quite in vogue, flexible living spaces with adaptable interiors are growing more attractive as urban developers grapple with booming populations and ever-limited space. Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to this emerging architectural trend with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options, the latest of which is currently on show in downtown LA as part of the city's Design Week Festival.

The Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA follows similar concepts designed for London and New York, with others in Beijing and Tokyo planned for later in 2018. Each cabin is conceived specifically for its city, with the local identity and culture key considerations in their designs.

The LA rendition was developed with LA-based architecture duo FreelandBuck. Built into an unused attic space in the downtown area, the cabin is made up of two exterior modules covered in a perforated metal facade that serve as living areas, along with a central "experiential space."

Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options
Automaker Mini is turning its eye for compact design to the emerging architectural trend of flexible living spaces, with a series of micro apartments that maximize lifestyle options

That experiential space is where FreelandBuck were handed the design reins, creating a hanging garden and more perforated surfaces to welcome in airflow and natural light. This is designed to create a sense of country living for visitors, despite the cabin's location smack bang in the middle of a major city.

Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout, allowing the space to be opened up and transformed to suit different living scenarios. These also change the lighting and spatial impression inside, and allow it to switch from a private to shared space.

Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA
Space-saving mechanisms like folding dining tables and shelves and rotating panels feature throughout the Mini Living Urban Cabin in LA

These cabins are a way of exploring flexible-co-living solutions in different cultures around the world, but Mini does plan to put some of these ideas into action. It is currently working on a co-living village in Shanghai, China that will feature 50 apartments and is slated to open in 2019.

"Our installations and visionary formats seek to explore a whole new range of possibilities in the creative use of space, and we're now putting what we've learned into practice in the form of real-life construction projects," says Esther Bahne, Head of Strategy and Innovation Mini. "In Shanghai we're currently working on our first hub with more than 50 apartments complete with shared and public space: this is due to open in April next year."

Source: BMW

View gallery - 31 images

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Tiny HousesMINIFlexibleArchitects
1 comment
Nick Lavars
Nick Lavars
Nick has been writing and editing at New Atlas for over six years, where he has covered everything from distant space probes to self-driving cars to oddball animal science. He previously spent time at The Conversation, Mashable and The Santiago Times, earning a Masters degree in communications from Melbourne’s RMIT University along the way.

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BobMunck
Interesting set of pictures; is there some reason that you didn't want us to see much of the interior? Given that it's mostly featureless white, the exterior isn't all that interesting.
And why in the world would you force the living area to be just a couple of hundred square feet when there's thousands of square feet available all around it?