It’s the cognizant homebuyer’s conundrum: you’ve bought it, and you want to renovate it, but how do you do it in an ecologically-sensitive way? Thankfully, there’s an expert for that.

Enter Graham Hill. The founder of Treehugger.com (aka the “green CNN), Hill recently created LifeEdited, an initiative examining how less can be more. Here are the facts: science shows we need to rapidly slash our carbon footprints by 80%. At the same time, our culture of excess has not made us any happier, nor financially stable.

Ergo, the project starts as a crowdsourced design contest (design brief here) for a tiny Manhattan apartment and will expand to include themes like the “ruthless editing of your possessions, digitizing your life, transforming furniture and ultra-low energy living.”

As a media sponsor and proponent of all things intelligently designed, we’ve rounded up a few projects from our vast database that epitomize the concept of living small and smart. Check our top ten after the break, and stay tuned for more updates on LifeEdited.

600% Storage Apartment by Phu Hoang Office: This renovation of an existing 900-square-foot 2BR apartment in the West Village increased storage space by six-fold.

Homes 06, 07, and 08 by i29 interior architects: The Dutch design duo have a keen eye for detail that makes a significant impact on even the most minuscule environment: transparent materials, built-in wall units, and airy color schemes.

Apartment reform by a3gm: A flexible housing solution for small-space living, pivoting and sliding elements allow a domestic area to change appearance and function throughout the day.

Loft Lloydkwartier by Leong Lie: This warehouse-turned-loft proves that even the most architect-heavy spaces can (and should) be full of joy.

Eva’s Bed and Chatou by h2o architectes: These two modular projects for children stack several programs into one small footprint, an intelligent strategy for a small living space.

Faceted House by Paul McAneary Architects: Retrofitting an historically-protected apartment in Edwardian London, the architects maximized low natural lighting with cleverly placed skylights.

Sa Do Hun by IROJE KHM Architects: This home in South Korea is larger than the tinier-scaled projects featured here, but notable for its efficient use of stacked space with hidden storage and irregular windows punched into unexpected spots.

Light Rhythm by workshop/apd: Slatted wood dividing walls separate living spaces, minus a sense of claustrophobia, andtTexture adds visual interest to a simple layout.

Apartment in Ipanema by Marcelo Moura: The single-family apartment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is less than 650-square-feet but fits all of its media (audio, visual, computer) into one snug and well organized area.

“Front and Back” apartment by h2o architectes: This apartment for a young Parisian ad executive crams shelves, nooks, and storage into every wall, leaving no wasted space.

More on LifeEdited, straight from the founder’s mouth:

by Kelsey Keith

posted in Competition

tagged competitions, graham hill, green, lifeedited, small footprint, sustainable design, treehugger

more articles by Kelsey Keith