The global housing crisis isn't about square meters—it's about spatial intelligence. A 25m² Tokyo apartment often feels more livable than a 45m² Istanbul unit. Why?
This project applied our Adaptive Domesticity research directly: we analyzed 48 compact apartments across Tokyo and Berlin, extracting the spatial DNA that makes small spaces work. The result is a design framework for micro-apartments (25–35m²) that borrow Tokyo's functional density, Scandinavian light obsession, and German Passivhaus thermal comfort.
Every unit achieves 5 distinct "modes" (sleep, work, host, cook, retreat) without physical reconfiguration—only light, acoustics, and visual thresholds change.
Design a 28m² apartment for a remote worker that feels spacious, supports video calls without revealing the bed, and adapts to daily rhythms through passive means only (no motorized furniture or smart home systems).
Research-Driven Design
Behavioral Mapping
Using SpaceCraft, we captured 72 hours of movement data across 12 existing micro-apartments. Heat maps revealed that 60% of waking hours occur within a 4m² zone—this became our 'active core' design principle.
Cultural Genome Mixing
From Tokyo: the genkan threshold (psychological decompression at entry). From Copenhagen: the 'window seat' as a distinct activity zone. From Berlin: the Arbeitszimmer as a closeable visual boundary. These were synthesized into a hybrid typology.
Proxemic Calibration
Applying Edward Hall's proxemics: intimate zone (0–45cm) reserved for bed alcove; personal zone (45–120cm) for desk and seating; social zone (1.2–3.6m) for dining and hosting. Furniture placement was optimized against these thresholds.
Perception Over Addition
Strategic mirror placement (2.4m² total) and indirect backlighting expanded perceived volume by 40% in user surveys. We avoided the 'capsule hotel' aesthetic by maintaining ceiling height variation (2.4m → 2.7m at the window edge).
Performance Metrics
Compact living interior: work mode 
Modular furniture system 
Micro-apartment exterior view From Research to Product
- Fraktal
- Field Research: Tokyo Metropolitan University (partner)
Fraktal Research Initiative
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