New York's micro-apartments seen through the psychological lens

In just a few weeks, the residents of New York’s first micro-apartment building can move in to their new homes. And when they say micro, they mean it: The studios at 335 East 27th Street top out at 360 square feet, with some as small as 265. That includes kitchen, bathroom, a place to sleep, a place to be when you’re not sleeping, and enough open space to maneuver between the door and the sink and the bed.

"The project focuses on quality and livability through features that highlight the use of space, light and air," said nArchitects of the design.
"The project focuses on quality and livability through features that highlight the use of space, light and air," said nArchitects of the design.

The term micro-apartment may be a newish one, but the concept, of course, is not: Plenty of people cram together in tight spaces out of economic necessity, and they often face dire health consequences. As Jacoba Urist has reported for The Atlantic, overcrowded homes have been linked to higher rates of substance abuse and domestic violence. But even when it’s by choice, living smaller can also have a psychological downside.

In her Atlantic story, Urist laid out some of the other ways that tiny apartments can take their toll on the mind: Spending extended amounts of time in a crowded space can be stressful; if the unit holds multiple people, the occupants – especially kids – can suffer as a result of the lack of privacy. And creative space-saving layouts, she explained, can become a source of mental fatigue:

Because micro-apartments are too small to hold basic furniture like a bed, table, and couch at the same time, residents must reconfigure their quarters throughout the day: folding down a Murphy bed, or hanging up a dining table on the wall. What might seem novel at the beginning ends up including a lot of little inconveniences, just to go to sleep or make breakfast before work. In this case, residents might eventually stop folding up their furniture every day and the space will start feeling even more constrained.

Still, there are ways to stay sane, happy, and comfortable within the confines of a crazy-small space, ....