Micro Houses in Today’s Consumer Society

Abstract

Consumption has been a phenomenon since the beginning of human existence. Today, the desire for consuming in the society increases rapidly just like the development of technology. Producers took people out of need and usage focused consuming and turned them into happiness based consumption society. This resulted in them initiating consumption madness and creating an unhappy community that has inaccessible dreams. While all of these were happening metropolises occurred as a result of industrialization, modernization and rapid urbanization. The system determined literally everything; from needs of the people to their communication, from the areas and the style they can live. While doing this, it objectified our houses that are the centers of personal space and furniture in our habitats by rationalizing them. This rationalization turned our habitats into places surrounded by non-functional objects. Compared with the past, the consumption madness caused our movement areas to narrow, in contrast to expansion of our habitats. Today, there is a tendency to minimalism to increase quality of life, usage and functionality of our habitats. This tendency's impact also directly affects architecture and interior space design. Consequently, houses becoming widespread day after day, draws attention of users and designers. People tend to increase their quality of lives with less and designers tend to create more functional, more user focused, non-directly consumption focused and sustainable habitats. These houses are economical in terms of cost and environmentalist in terms of material and size. These houses include furniture that is multifunctional and designed with less is more approach and spacious interiors giving the user an expanse. What is good about micro houses is they are capable of addressing various segments of the society.

Keywords: Micro Houses, Minimalist Architecture, Urbanization, Covid-19

DOI: 10.7176/ADS/83-06

Publication date:July 31^st 2020