Sustainable 108 Sq Ft Student Living Unit

Working with students at Lund University to create a living unit that is sustainable and affordable, Swedish architect firm Tengbom designed this ultra-efficient wooden house that is packed with beautifully creative features. At only 10 square meters (just under 108 square feet) and built from locally sourced wood, the student unit can be built cheaply and quickly and costs very little to reside in and upkeep.

Despite its small size, the home has a kitchen, bathroom, comfortable sleeping loft, and lots of storage space. It even has a little patio area. My favorite feature of this home is how the window coverings fold down to be used as a table and a desk and can be closed up at night or when not in use – brilliant!

The cross-laminated wood used in the building of this home allows for a little more flexibility in design; not everything has to be cut exactly square. This project was a collaboration with wood manufacturer Martinsons and real estate company AF Bostäder. One of the units went on display at a museum and 22 more were built last year, ready for students to occupy.

Architects at Tengbom state:

To successfully build affordable student housing requires innovative thinking and new solutions. The area in each unit is reduced from current requirement, 25 square meters to 10 square meters through legal consent. This truly compact-living flat still offers a comfortable sleeping-loft, kitchen, bathroom and a small garden with a patio. Through an efficient layout and the use of cross laminated wood as a construction material the rent is reduced by 50 % and the ecological impact and carbon footprints is also significantly reduced.

Read more about this project at Tengbom, where they also have plans available.