Colin Chee, a design enthusiast and director, initiated the series “Never Too Small” as a passion project to connect with architects he admired. This exciting collaborative platform features micro-apartments from markets like Australia, Hong Kong, and London. It has some other interesting profiles, and for Europe profile #2 and #3 are under progress. The series gained traction after Chee himself moved into a 40 square meter studio in Melbourne’s Central Business District, inspiring him to explore how smaller living spaces can be both functional and stylish.
Since then, “Never Too Small” has become an international sensation. With more than 700,000 subscribers, it regularly rakes in millions of views on its video—often across 10 million views per month. Chee’s method consists of about 30 minutes with architects, going over design details and touring their micro-apartment works. Then he brilliantly curates these exchanges into highly shareable video clips. Each clip is under five minutes, helping keep them accessible and interesting to a wide audience.
Micro-apartments aren’t a new concept. As a matter of fact, a lot of folks delight in tracking these little moves and writing about them. Katherine Sundermann, an expert in urban planning, reflects on the current housing landscape, noting the stark contrast between towering buildings in city centers and the traditional three-to-four-bedroom homes found in suburban areas. She points out that in the urban cores, residential buildings and high-rise apartments are booming. There’s a really big absence of medium low-rise, six-to-seven-storey buildings in those very well-serviced, popular inner suburbs.
In response, in recent years Melbourne has led the way by successfully introducing reforms to set minimum dwelling sizes. Like Manila, Sydney has moved to boost the liveability of smaller homes. These changes are necessary to accommodate the increasing regional need for housing as our metro area sprawls outward. Sundermann highlights that developments like Nightingale Housing and Assemble Communities serve as prime examples of how micro-apartments can function effectively within urban environments.
Chee’s passion for micro-living is twofold. It’s rooted in his belief that it can truly benefit people and communities. He claims that instead of capping apartment sizes, we should be aiming for better design quality. He’s passionate about the positive potential of well-designed apartments to lower energy and water usage compared to single-family homes.
“Instead limiting the apartment size … we should put an emphasis on the design and quality …” – Colin Chee
The reach of Never Too Small goes far beyond Australian shores. The majority of its views are from US, German, UK, and Canadian audiences. In these countries the idea of living in a micro-apartment is far from mainstream. Melbourne, for one, is rapidly growing — its population is projected to reach 8 million by 2037, making it Australia’s largest city. Townspeople, willy-nilly, will have to get used to living in small quarters as a tradeoff.
She underscores that the other side of the housing coin falls woefully short.
“There’s something about living in a detached house in the suburbs that can actually be quite isolating.”
Chee is optimistic about the benefits of micro-living, explaining that smaller apartments can be as efficient as they are sustainable. He suggests that quality design can eliminate the need for artificial heating when in cold winter months.
“At the moment we have the very high towers in the centre with the little one-bedroom apartments, and then we have the suburban three-to-four-bedroom homes. But we’re missing some nice, modest, six-to-seven-storey apartments in well-serviced inner suburbs.”
While some may still associate micro-apartments with cramped living conditions reminiscent of densely populated cities like Hong Kong, Chee remains optimistic. His ultimate vision is urban design that makes it possible to live comfortably in smaller homes, not just tolerably or livably.
“The amount of energy and water you’re using (in comparison to living in a larger home) aren’t insignificant,” – Katherine Sundermann.
As cities undergo transformations spurred by population growth and changing lifestyles, micro-apartments could serve as a viable solution for many urban dwellers. With innovative designs and thoughtful planning, such spaces might redefine what it means to live comfortably in densely populated areas.
“The way I think of it is the supermarket across the street is my pantry,” – Colin Chee.
As cities undergo transformations spurred by population growth and changing lifestyles, micro-apartments could serve as a viable solution for many urban dwellers. With innovative designs and thoughtful planning, such spaces might redefine what it means to live comfortably in densely populated areas.