MINI LIVING ensures creative use of space, the MINI way

Occupants who make their individual living space and functions sharable with the wider community can quite literally “open up” to interaction and experiences that would not be possible in a conventional private space. “With the MINI LIVING installation, we’re looking to be part of a debate about future forms of shared living. In the city, more and more people have to share space which is increasingly scarce and finite. We see a lot of potential in this situation for making urban living more communal and reciprocal. The installation combines both sides of the equation within a compact footprint – it is both a haven of privacy and also an interface to the wider community,” says MINI LIVING project manager Oke Hauser.

Privacy vs. community.

As a closed space, MINI LIVING provides its occupants with all the security of living in their own four walls. But since those walls are flexible, the installation blurs the normal boundaries between the private and the communal. When and to what extent occupants actually want to share their space and time with the community around them is entirely up to them. However, as the overall motto of the MINI LIVING installation, “Do Disturb”, already implies, this concept has been designed specifically to encourage interaction and to provide an alternative to urban anonymity. Visitors can experiment with the flexible elements of the installation to discover for themselves all the different possibilities that are achievable in the spectrum between an “open” and a “closed” living space.

Shared knowledge – the cooperative concept behind MINI LIVING

At the MINI LIVING concept and design stage, MINI was already able to put into practice the central principle behind this installation – that “sharing means more for everyone”. In giving shape to its vision of future urban living, MINI sought the support of two partners who enriched this project with their many years of experience and their own perspective on the topic of urban living. The Japanese architects from ON design in Yokohama contributed their expertise from a variety of projects relating to micro-housing and collaborative living, while the Berlin office of international engineering consultancy Arup provided support on the technical side. Through this shared approach, MINI LIVING has delivered a cutting-edge interpretation of a vision of urban habitation that none of the participants would have achieved on their own.

Source: MINI / Motown India