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Clark Nexsen's Rachel Murdaugh Wins Chronicle Books’ Choice Award in the Little Free Library Design Competition

2017-03-07T13:10:00-05:00

Describing her entry, Murdaugh writes, "The components flat pack easily, and the hinging construction of the frame streamlines assembly. Simply unfold the base frame, attach the flanges, and construct the cabinet and seat according to an instruction pamphlet using provided hardware. In effect, this design maximizes the functionality of the book kiosk as a means of emphasizing its role as an intersection of community and learning, while elegantly maintaining ease of assembly.”

Little Free Libraries can be found in front yards, community centers, and public spaces all over the world. They support literacy and provide access to books on the community level. The first Little Free Library was created in 2009; now there are over 40,000 Little Free Library sites stewarded in over 70 countries, exchanging millions of books a year.

Chronicle Books partnered with Little Free Library and the AIA's San Francisco chapter on the first-ever Little Free Library Design Competition this past October challenging designers to come up with the perfect Little Free Library. The competition brief asked entrants to consider "the height difference between child and adult patrons, motion sensor lighting, balancing form and function, and having a place for a late-night dog walker to tie up their pup so they could do some perusing."

The winners of the competition were recently announced, with the entry from Rachel Murdaugh of Clark Nexsen’s Asheville office selected as the Chronicle B...

Humans and other things that nest

2016-05-30T12:42:00-04:00

When I talk about small spaces, I’m not talking about photogenic shelters constructed from found materials by Silicon Valley billionaires. I am not talking about cabin porn. I am talking about the universal human instinct to burrow, regardless of your personal dimensions.

Molly Young penned a Letter of Recommendation: for Tiny Spaces. She opens by noting that many of the homes she grew up in, shared a commonality - "smallness".

On a related note, earlier this year Orhan Ayyüce pointed out The Tiny House Fantasy.

Gulliver Seeks Rental - The Newfound Fascination With Tiny Dwellings

2013-05-20T20:36:00-04:00

Mr. Tyler’s entire home was only 78 square feet. And while his “Midtown mansion,” as he called it, was a far cry from the lavish town homes and shimmering penthouses that have spawned a thousand lustful television shows, a video tour posted on YouTube of Mr. Tyler’s little room has been viewed nearly 1.7 million times over the past year and a half. A similar video, about a 90-square-foot apartment on the Upper West Side, has been viewed even more times.

An exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York, called “Making Room,” brought a 30 percent bump in attendance during its opening week in January, and the museum has maintained an 11 percent increase in foot traffic during the show’s run, compared with the same period last year.

How Small Is Too Small?

2012-10-22T17:14:00-04:00

It’s true that micro-units are not family-friendly, but it’s less true that a small apartment is inherently inhabitable. While the debate rages on about how much space is too little, there is little talk of how much is too much. Different constituencies may have their reasons for opposing these tiny units, but however varied they may be, all seem to reflect a distinctly American perception of what qualifies as “enough” space.

16-square-foot apartment is a vision of tiny housing taken too far

2012-06-06T21:06:00-04:00

King’s Cube is the creation of MFA student Joe Yiu, who wanted to investigate the Hong Kong idea of an “ideal living space.” The apartment advertised in her video features art, houseplants, wood flooring, and “international-class marble” — at least, the model unit does — and residents dress in formalwear to show their status, but the space is too small for a kitchen, a bathroom, a dresser, a chair, or a particularly tall or wide human.