Trends, an international E-News for the design industry is currently featuring the Micro Lofts that NCA designed for The Arcade in Providence, RI. www.trendsideas.com
Think Small
It seems the time may have come – in housing, at least – to start thinking small again.
Tiny apartments, or micro units, could be the next real estate boom, in part a by-product of the recent recession, as homeowners who have been lured into ever larger homes are starting to reconsider.
Providence Arcade, a micro project in Providence, RI is an example of adaptive reuse. The 48-unit complex includes micro retail outlets inserted into the building’s imposing 1828 facade. Above these, two tiers of balconies are lined with micro flats.
Developer Evan Granoff specialises in finding new uses for Providence’s many old buildings. He is working with Northeast Collaborative Architects to restore the building and is outfitting apartments like cabin cruisers, with all necessities built in.