Style: November 01, 2019

34 STYLE | architecture
Haus Café takes up a mere three
car parks on Moorhouse Avenue,
Christchurch.
Image: Jane Armstrong
The offices we design now feature smaller individual
work areas and larger communal spaces.
There has been much talk about a trend
towards smaller houses recently. This has
been in response to a combination of smaller
section sizes, increased construction and land
costs, changing planning regulations and a
desire to reduce our carbon footprint.
There is currently a similar trend happening
in the commercial world, for the same
reasons as above, and also, because the way
we work is changing. The offices we design
now feature smaller individual work areas and
larger communal spaces. Open-plan offices
and hot desking have become common.
If we build smaller, we fit more in, use
less materials and have less waste and
unnecessary space. Construction times can be
sped up and consenting can become easier.
A great example of this was the container
mall (Re:Start) in Christchurch that sprang up
soon after the Christchurch earthquakes.
But building small requires a very carefully
considered design. Below are a few tricks to
designing smaller than the norm:
1. Your building must be well planned.
Try to reduce corridor space and keep
things simple.
2. Think about what your priorities are and
focus on what’s important – leave out
the unnecessary stuff.
3. Keep colours and finishes light and spaces
well lit to make them seem larger.
4. Bring the outdoors in – try to break
down the barriers to the outside and
‘borrow’ outdoor space that costs less
than indoor space.
5. Use clever ‘hideaway’ design techniques
such as those that have featured in boats
and caravans for decades.