Jay Austin’s Matchbox house is only eight feet wide but feels bigger thanks to a well-organized interior.

The kitchen was custom made by a local carpenter due to its unconventional scale. The appliances consist of a De Dietrich oven, Amana refrigerator, and Imperial microwave.

“One of the goals of Zenkaya was to create employment in a country crippled by [an unemployment rate of over 25 percent],” explains the architect, who likes to call himself a social entrepreneur.

Big One Lamp, 2013, white oak and black anodized aluminum. Photo by: Gilad Langer

Resident Brian Whitlock saved some serious cash by taking on much of the construction and electrical work himself.

A skylight over the lofted bed and some clever storage moves, including magnetized spice containers overhead help maximize space in Austin's Matchbox house.

1995 Rocket by Eero Aarnio for Artek.

nArchitects, Monadnock Development, and the Actors Fund Housing Development Corporation partnered on a winning proposal for a micro-unit apartment block.

Christine (at left), and Amanda (at right) chat with David’s sister Aroha Yates-Smith (center) in the kitchen.

Brian Levy, Tony Gilchriest, and Jay Austin (left to right), are creating the Boneyard Studios complex in Washington, DC, along with Lee Pera and a team of architects and builders. The four structures onsite are both experiments in small-space living and, during public “work days,” a base for educating the community about construction, design, and tiny houses.

Simple black tiles and a basic, exposed showerhead kept costs down, allowing other parts of the house to function as the showpieces.

The concrete wall mimics the slope of the hill outside as a reference to early Maori structures that were dug into the land. The simple kitchen has strandboard cabinetry and an MDF island that conceals a fireplace at one end. The ceramic works on the built-in seat at right are by Raewyn Atkinson and Robyn Lewis.

Their tenants include veterinary student Leslie Carter and intern architect Brad Raines.

The units are arranged on every floor to form a staggered facade and will measure between 250 and 370 square feet each.

Renderings of their project reveal a building made of 55 modules that will be prefabricated in a factory in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and craned into place on a city-owned lot on East 27th Street in Manhattan.

Designer Christiane Hogner, Bruxelles

One-Family Custom Housing: Olson Kundig Architects created this home in Washington's remote Methow Valley as four structures oriented around a central courtyard, each positioned to best enjoy the surrounding vistas in all four seasons.

Because the house is narrow and long (16 by 68 feet), the design team decided to create a huge open-air space to light the interior naturally. Two retractable motor-driven canvas canopies shelter the space during Singapore’s frequent rains.

At Boneyard Studios in Washington, DC, Brian Levy’s Minim house has a built-in sofa with storage and a moveable table that can serve as a dining area, desk, or kitchen worktop.

Jay Shafer’s Four Lights Tiny House Company sells floor plans for houses that start at 98 square feet. The Gifford is a Craftsman-inspired, 112-square-foot structure that can be wheeled from site to site. Shafer has designed a residential community of micro-dwellings in Sonoma County, California.

Unpacking the deck and awning reveals a glass wall that opens the trailer to its environment, wherever that may be. The ATLAS can be hitched to a truck to travel easily from campsite to campsite.

The Element House stands on pylons, creating the illusion of it hovering over the desert floor. Nine thermal chimneys, one of which can be seen right, channel hot air out from the interior living areas.

”It’s important to be able to get rid of the bed,” says developer Patrick Kennedy. ”To me, there’s nothing inherently more depressing than looking at the bed all day.”

To make the sub-300-square-foot units in San Francisco’s prefab and LEED Platinum–targeted Smartspace SoMa building more livable, Panoramic Interests and ZETA Design + Build installed clever convertible furnishings, including a hydraulic table that lowers to become a window seat and a Murphy bed that turns into a dining table.

The Pico Rocket by Femme Den.

Durango Urbano - Eskema Arquitectos

Durango Urbano - Eskema Arquitectos

Durango Urbano - Eskema Arquitectos

Durango Urbano - Eskema Arquitectos

Durango Urbano - Eskema Arquitectos

Durango Urbano - Eskema Arquitectos

Durango Urbano - Eskema Arquitectos

Durango Urbano - Eskema Arquitectos

Durango Urbano - Eskema Arquitectos

Though most of the home's interior comes without a splashy designer's name attached, the bathroom is kitted out with a toilet, sink, and bath/shower from Jasper Morrison's line for Ideal Standard. The cabinets are from an Ikea kitchen system.

Rocket Gallery Jens Risom Furniture