Joyfully small architecture

Making the most of site restrictions is usually where good architecture comes from. People think there is some grand inspiration when something a little bit strange crops up; but often it’s doing something that’s grounded in outcomes.

My place is a slender tower, reaching high to the views and sun on a south-facing site that’s shaded in winter. It’s compact and tight, preserving view shafts to the home behind, and sunlight to the house across the road to the south. It has few windows facing the street. This feels counterintuitive, but as it is south-facing, it makes sense thermally and also ensures privacy. It’s been compensated for with larger openings west and north.

There is an open void cut through the house; often people think it’s a whimsy, but it’s funnelling light deep into the partially buried ground floor. It makes the whole floor light, welcoming and usable.

We needed to provide a garage car park at the time of designing our place, to satisfy the council, so the whole lower floor is a single room shaped to accommodate a car with stairs and laundry tucked into opposing corners.

The room dividers needed to be flexible. So, we landed on curtains instead, and this works well as a functional but also textural device. This level also contains a hair salon run by my
partner Ivan that’s open for his clients during the day. We can close this up and make it into a quiet nook for guests when they stay over or a gym or yoga space in the evening.

When it comes to creating storage, I’m always looking for unused nooks to exploit. Some examples include our pantry, which is actually more like an island. It hangs over the stairs and has very deep 800millimetre drawers, which use the often wasted head height over the staircase and squeezes in a shallow cup shelf down low. Or the shoe cupboard underneath the floor that you walk over at the entry. People hardly know it’s there.

In small spaces, I try to design pieces with a dual use, for added efficiency and functionality. One example is the bench seat, that combines storage, a couch-like nap spot that’s also a dining seat all in one. I also like using curtains over storage cupboards and wardrobes. Curtains are warmer and more tactile than clunky sliding doors, and flexible because you can push them right out of the way and access everything in the cupboard. Small is inherently sustainable and people often need less space than they think.

I like creating little moments that make you smile – be it a pop of colour, an old lamp, a plant that winds up the stair railing, or a brick rotated 90 degrees that becomes a step. These unique moments help make a space feel alive and personal.

Contact Details:
Micah Architecture
027 309 9743
micah@micah.co.nz