Althouse: Challengingly tiny Tokyo apartments (loved by 2 architecture students).

February 20, 2022

Challengingly tiny Tokyo apartments (loved by 2 architecture students).

9 comments:

MadisonMan said...: I can see the benefit of that as a student. Very interesting. I have 3 bedrooms full of stuff though.; 2/20/22, 7:26 PM
Balfegor said...: I mean, if you're a student that seems okay, I guess. But aside from the size, they all seem so cramped and inconvenient because of how the space has been subdivided. Truly, the sort of house beloved by architects and architecture students.

Here is a listing for that first unit he showed. It's 7.6 square meters.; 2/20/22, 7:29 PM
rehajm said...: That’s about as space as much space for freshman undergrad except for the fact the room is divided and with private entrances, and each has their own bath.; 2/20/22, 8:02 PM
Temujin said...: Bless their hearts.; 2/20/22, 8:09 PM
Joe Smith said...: I lived in an 800 square foot apartment that was about 5 times smaller than my current house.

At first I thought it would be too small, but for the two of us it was perfect.

Size is relative (that's what she said)...; 2/20/22, 11:57 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: “ I can see the benefit of that as a student. Very interesting. I have 3 bedrooms full of stuff though”

I think that I have you beat. By the end of the summer we should have 8 bedrooms, two offices, a loft and a den, plus room for upto 9 vehicles, in our two houses. Plus maybe another 800 sq space for mostly storage. For the two of us. But I left college almost 50 years ago now. I can remember the joy of having a regular sized bedroom to myself (and girlfriend) in my fraternity house. I had a double bed above the desk, with curtains around it, and a couch and chest of drawers. That was more than Almost anyone else had.

The problem with our house in MT is that my partner has given me essentially two small closets for my stuff. So, over the last several years, I bought the lot next door (and one across the street), where I started building a garage. Somehow, it just kept growing on paper, when it wasn’t quite real to me. It’s 30’ wide by 40’ long, with 14’ walls, and, with a 4/12 pitch, 19’ at the center. She hates it. It’s just a big box. But the roof and paint match those on her house perfectly. She was an interior designer, so that didn’t impress her. The center garage door is 14’, with a 10’x40’ bay behind it. Right side will be a 10’x40’ double length garage on the first floor and enclosed storage above it. Left side will have an office, bedroom, bathroom, and open laundry and break area, again with storage above. What’s not to love?

We have had a cat for several years now, and picked up a dog in December of a similar size. They do grudging well together, as long as there is adult supervision. At night, the cat has recently discovered the fun of sneaking up on the dog when she is asleep, and nips her in the butt, waking her up. Which is to say that they need to be separated at night. Here, in AZ, we have enough bedrooms, that it is easy. In MT though, my partner effectively has the upstairs shutdown except for guests. I thought this would be a good excuse to open it up. Nope. I was told that one of the pets (probably the dog) can stay with me in my garage. That’s the plan, but finishing the garage to that point is my task for the summer. Right now, it is just a 1200 sq ft empty box. Hopefully, my contractor will have it framed by the time we get up there this spring.

It’s probably mostly the non British Anglosphere, but we, as a society, throughout much of the country live in far more individual space than most of the world. We, as a society, are relatively rich, and own a bunch of stuff. And because our country is large, we can spread out a lot.; 2/21/22, 2:20 AM
Lurker21 said...: Perfect for the coming "You'll own nothing and be happy" lifestyle.; 2/21/22, 7:25 AM
dbp said...: What I thought was the most revealing part of the video was when the host took the young woman to see the units he had visited earlier. She noticed all kinds of things he had missed about those places.

Living in such a limited space had developed a talent for seeing the hidden possibilities of each space.; 2/21/22, 10:22 AM
ALP said...: "It’s probably mostly the non British Anglosphere, but we, as a society, throughout much of the country live in far more individual space than most of the world."

I think this 'must live alone' tendency in the US is partly to blame for so many young people struggling to pay rent in large urban areas. The very idea of sharing space with a roommate seems to have fallen by the wayside. In contrast, I had roommates until I was 31 or so - focusing on paying down student loan debt instead of solitary living. It sucked at times but in the long run, was much better for long term financial stability.

I am also surprised that so few people consider teaming up with another to buy a house. In my area (south of Tacoma, WA) a 3,000 sq ft house can be had for about $600k. Between two couples - $300k is doable. Plenty of space for four people to spread out. SMH.; 2/21/22, 11:57 AM