KC Design Studio has squeezed a series of living areas into this 46-square-metre apartment in Taipei by incorporating space-saving furniture pieces.
Apartment X was purchased by a young man in the finance industry, who tasked KC Design Studio with overhauling the space to accommodate his personal needs.
"It is true that humans have the greatest adaptation skills because we can get used to all kinds of spaces," explained the studio.
"However, after we became acquainted with the owner of this apartment, we realised it would be an issue to consider how this space could provide all of the required functions while also considering aesthetics."
"When he was talking to us about his likes and needs in life, there was such a great number that we couldn't count on our fingers and we thought the 46-square-metre space would not be large enough."
To make the apartment as efficient as possible, the studio decided to group similar living activities within the same zones and create space-saving furniture that serves a variety of functions.
For example, part of the kitchen work surface pivots out into the living space to become a dining table.
Similarly, the set of steel stairs that centres the apartment provides access to the mezzanine level, while the custom bannister – also made of steel – doubles as a shelving unit with a built-in television for the adjacent living area.
Spaces for activities that require less height such as sleeping, sitting and reading are located in a C-shaped timber structure.
Taking advantage of the apartment's four-metre-high ceiling, the structure splits half of the apartment into a study, which is on the ground floor, and a bedroom on a mezzanine platform above.
Set at a lower level to the living area and accessed via a set of three concrete steps, the study is wrapped by a countertop that serves as a desk and storage area with a set of four drawers below.
The entire rear wall is indented with a series of recesses that can be used to mount various different timber storage components such as shelving, cabinets and hooks.
The other half of the apartment plays host to a full-height living space that incorporates a kitchen, living and dining area.
A small bathroom is also located just off the study area, while additional storage is provided by a cloakroom next to the apartment's entrance. Upstairs, the sleeping area features a single bed with a walk-in wardrobe tucked behind the bed head.
Throughout the studio has used industrial materials such as concrete and black iron, pairing them with slate and oak. "The client liked loft style," the studio told Dezeen. "So we used black iron and oak wood to give the space some roughness."
Last year, Dezeen featured a 15-square-metre apartment in Beirut designed for use by Airbnb guests – the interior was completed by Lebanese studio Eliemetni and features storage spaces integrated into almost every surface.