"As cities densify and the global population continues its steady migration toward urban centers-projected to reach around 70% by 2050-domestic space is becoming increasingly compressed. Rising land prices, high construction costs, and a surge in single-person households push developers toward smaller units and tighter floor plans. At the same time, cultural shifts toward resource efficiency and minimal living support this move."
"Yet compactness only succeeds when spatial intelligence elevates the experience rather than diminishes it. Where once spacious, compartmentalized floor plans dominated, designers now rely on multifunctionality, clarity, and maximum space utilization. Hallways shrink or disappear, and rooms blend or double in function. Nowhere is this shift more revealing than in the bathroom-a space with fixed technical demands and high ritual significance. In response, manufacturers such as Dornbracht refine products that meet technical requirements with minimal footprints, helping architects maintain spatial clarity."
Urbanization, rising land prices, construction costs, and more single-person households are shrinking domestic spaces and pushing developers toward smaller units and tighter floor plans. Cultural shifts favoring resource efficiency and minimal living reinforce compact housing, reducing material use and energy consumption while locating people closer to services. Architects in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Berlin demonstrate that careful design and adaptive reuse can make small spaces deeply livable. Designers prioritize multifunctionality, clarity, and maximum space utilization, reducing hallways and combining room functions. Bathrooms present particular challenges due to fixed technical needs and ritual importance, prompting manufacturers to create compact, high-performance fixtures to preserve spatial clarity.
Read at ArchDaily
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