27 meters for four: the most fashionable accommodation in Hong Kong

How to place four teenagers in a smallspace? Today we publish an interior from Hong Kong, which uses a variety of solutions suitable for any apartment suffering from a shortage of footage: from voluminous and inconspicuous storage systems to fashionable red accessories. This fun and comfortable student apartment is actually a pilot project of the University of Hong Kong, which set the task design a new type of campus. Student rooms were supposed to preserve a homely atmosphere, but at the same time to show an example of the optimal solution of the problems of minimum areas in large Chinese cities with a high population density. In a word, it was necessary to place four students in an apartment of 27 meters square and arrange it so that they had enough space for rest, and for classes, and for communication. The competition was won by the architectural bureau LYCS Architecture. Ruan Hao, architect, bureau ownerLYCS Architecture Ruan Hao graduated from Princeton University and Harvard School of Design before founding his own architecture bureau in 2010. He was one of the youngest students in Princeton history to receive a master's degree in architecture, in his early 20s. He is well known in China and abroad as an architecture critic, collaborating with leading English-language architecture magazines. Based in Hangzhou, China, he and his team specialize in the design of energy efficient public and industrial spaces in urban environments. The Bureau has repeatedly received the Grand Prix of major European competitions, participated in the Venice Architecture Biennale. lycs-arc.com Remove all unnecessary To reduce the cost ofequipping the campus, the architects decided not to rebuild the old dormitory building, but to redesign the existing apartments. Each had an average of 27 square meters. For a start, which divided the apartment into two rooms. Instead, they put a large long table just below the bar. It easily accommodates four people with both large plates and laptops. On the one hand, open space encourages communication, on the other hand, the table still divides the room into two equal parts, leaving each pair of students "their own half." Austerity Ruan Hao, Architect:“In such a tight space, but comfortable. The beds are raised to provide room for small personal desks and wardrobes for hanging clothes. At the same time, the sleeping place itself is actually the only opportunity for complete privacy. And therefore, they are equipped with special thick curtains-screens that do not let in light, reading lamps and several types of outlets. lycs-arc.com In the piers, between the windows, even above the doorshelves are built in with openings. And at the floor itself there is a whole system of lockable drawers, there is a clothes hanger and special chests for voluminous seasonal items and sports equipment. Bright accents are not an obvious solution for a small space. But in this case it is very suitable. The black background hides the communications on the ceiling, emphasizes the teenage character of the space and creates a good contrast with the white walls. Polished concrete on the floor, with the help of special processing imitating granite, is both a cheap and practical solution: a long-lasting, easy-to-clean and visually interesting coating. Red accents. One of the main difficulties of small rooms is precise decoration. Add a little more than necessary, and the space will look sloppy, give up the details - and the room will lose any individuality. Funny brick-red elements in this situation - just what you need.