The MINI LIVING Urban Cabin Presents Micro-Living In The Metropolis

The Urban Cabin is part of an ongoing program by MINI LIVING that explores concepts around urban living, and how we can tackle problems of decreased living space with intelligent design solutions. Previous versions of the Urban Cabin were built in London and New York, and the program intends to implement the project in Beijing and Tokyo later this year. In each city, local architects are invited by MINI LIVING to adapt the cabin’s 15-square-meter structure to the location. Installed on a rooftop of ROW DTLA overlooking Los Angeles, the most recent Urban Cabin is comprised of three sections: FreelandBuck’s colorful central intervention flanked by two outer modules designed by MINI LIVING—the bedroom on one side, and the kitchen and bathroom on the other.

With FreelandBuck, MINI LIVING expanded on the concept of micro-cabin: “Though the micro-cabin as a residential type typically focuses on efficiency within a small space,” the architects from FreelandBuck explain, “the LA prototype expands the cabin’s domestic purpose to include a more public space which enhances collective experience rather than focusing on just the needs of one occupant.” They do this by offering an ‘experience’ space at the heart of the space; drawing upon local vernacular to create an indoor-outdoor area that features a hanging garden and trompe l’oeil visual effects.