What does it mean to live in an era of housing compression? We asked ourselves this question many times this year, and the answers varied. We saw designs for mini city apartments — entire residential developments packed into less than 40 square metres — often created by subdividing homes that were originally much more spacious. In these interiors, we witnessed the ingenuity of designers who made them liveable and even pleasant, employing either very bold or very understated solutions. Remarkable examples of the contemporary existenzminimum are not just found in cities: there are also prefabricated houses that can be shipped and installed anywhere. Usually made of wood, they have ultra-luxurious interiors and look as if they’ve come straight from the space age. For a moment, we even thought you could order them on Amazon, but it seems that service still has geographical limitations. Mobile homes were also well represented, including the trailer inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian house, created in collaboration with the FLW Foundation, as well as historic ones like one of Mario Cavallé’s famous igloo houses in Milan. Designed after World War II, it has recently been restored in a way that not everyone finds convincing. We also wondered what the smallest house in the world might be, and if we’re ready to accept that a person could live in just one square meter—well, then we have our answer. Between experimentation, nostalgia, and “non-human” projects, we’ve gathered the ten mini homes that best represent 2025.
The 10 most sensational mini houses of 2025
From prefabricated capsules that can be shipped anywhere in the world to tiny apartments in big cities and igloo-shaped residences, this year's selection has it all.
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- Francesca Critelli
- 12 December 2025
A tiny house has luxurious interiors and the shape of a meteorite
Photo György Palkó, Courtesy Hello Wood
Photo György Palkó, Courtesy Hello Wood
Photo György Palkó, Courtesy Hello Wood
Photo György Palkó, Courtesy Hello Wood
Photo György Palkó, Courtesy Hello Wood
Photo György Palkó, Courtesy Hello Wood
Photo György Palkó, Courtesy Hello Wood
Photo György Palkó, Courtesy Hello Wood
Photo György Palkó, Courtesy Hello Wood
Photo György Palkó, Courtesy Hello Wood
Photo György Palkó, Courtesy Hello Wood
Photo György Palkó, Courtesy Hello Wood
A prefabricated polygonal object is the newest addition to the evolution of the temporary tiny house, winking at glamping rather than emergency housing. Read more
The Chinese capsule that conquered social media
These small dwellings, designed by the Chinese company Capsule Castle, resemble space capsules and can be installed quickly. Read more
Studio KIWI’s response to Milan’s housing challenge
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Photo Sara Frigerio
Studio KIWI has reinterpreted the layout of a small Milanese apartment, eliminating the fragmentation of previous interventions and focusing on the efficiency of a central block containing all the services. Read more
A small historic house redesigned around an aluminum architectural device
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Photo marcellomarianafotografie.
Project drawing.
Project drawing.
Project drawing.
Project drawing.
Vacuum Atelier renovated the minimal interior with a sculpture-wall, enclosing all the living functions within a surface enhanced in its plasticity by the play of natural light and texture. Read more
A custom-built loft that enlarges the space of a mini apartment
History and contemporary design merge in the renovation of a Milanese apartment, where the superfluous is cut by inserting a thin green metal structure and an abstract semicircular staircase. Read more
The renovation of Mario Cavallé's igloo house in Milan
One of the legendary residences designed by engineer Mario Cavallé in the post-war period has been converted into temporary housing. However, the renovation is not convincing everyone. Read more
The trailer that Frank Lloyd Wright could have designed
The result of a collaboration between Airstream and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, this limited-edition travel trailer draws inspiration from the Usonian house, combining it with the renowned design of the American company. Read more
An apartment designed with a canopy bed in the kitchen
Located on the top floor of a 1920s building in the Paris suburbs, this one-room apartment with a mansard roof has been designed to minimise domestic elements, creating a bright and fluid space. Read more
A tiny apartment in Lisbon that questions why we inhabit
The “independent” project by Lenka Holcnerová and Pavla Šimková at the Lisbon Triennale translates the event’s planetary-scale speculations to a human scale, bringing the focus back to architectural design as a concrete act. Read more
Tree house or lunar module? We're still wondering
The Pocket Laneway House designed by WeissA+U is a small domestic outbuilding that meets real needs, such as preserving the roots of a large maple tree and ensuring excellent energy performance. Read more
The micro-houses for birds designed by Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, Sejima
Born from an initiative by Norman Foster and Marie Donnelly to benefit the Tessa Jowell Foundation, these micro-architectures created by ten leading international designers are being auctioned at Christie’s to raise funds for cancer research. Read more