Stacked Living: A Sustainable Tiny House Prototype for Urban Co-Living
An adaptive micro-housing solution redefining urban living in Sao Paulo through modular architecture and shared spaces.
In the dense, vibrant cityscape of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the shortlisted entry "STACKED - living in and out of cubes" by Rungpairin Suttichote and No Ra offers a bold architectural response to the modern crisis of space scarcity. Selected as a finalist in the Nano Nest 2020 competition, the project proposes a sustainable and spatially optimized co-living model by utilizing modular housing design principles.
Compact, Modular, and Community-Oriented
"Stacked" is more than a vertical residence. It's a microcosm of urban cohabitation. Designed for a multigenerational family—a single mother, her three children, and grandparents—this housing prototype reimagines how spatial limitations can foster tighter community bonds.
Each function in the house occupies a dedicated cube, strategically stacked to optimize airflow, daylight, and privacy. Living areas are deliberately open and interconnected, while sleeping zones and restrooms are sheltered for intimacy. This modular housing design prioritizes compact yet humane environments where individual and communal needs coexist.
Adaptive Design for an Urban Future
Located in the tropical climate of Sao Paulo, "Stacked" blurs the boundary between indoor and outdoor living. Balconies, green facades, and open-air kitchens foster thermal comfort and natural ventilation. Every level integrates greenery through vertical gardens and rooftop herb beds, contributing to the city's fight against pollution and urban heat.
The building’s shared amenities include a street-level coffee shop, semi-open cooking spaces, and elevated social terraces. These adaptable nodes serve both the resident family and the broader neighborhood, making the project a community enabler as much as a private residence.
Functional Clarity Through Spatial Innovation
The layout is informed by a smart, cube-based stacking system that allows overlapping programs. For instance:
- The grandparents live on the ground floor for easier access
- A teenage son and his mother share a vertically split cube
- The eldest daughter inhabits a mezzanine floor above a communal kitchen
This layered modularity enables varied usage across time and generations. Zones can transform between sleeping, resting, cooking, and working as needed, demonstrating a high level of flexibility essential for urban living.
Sustainable by Material and Method
The project uses local, affordable materials such as concrete, bamboo, and patterned tiles that evoke the aesthetics of Sao Paulo's favelas. The use of prefabricated modular units significantly reduces construction time, cost, and carbon footprint.
The flat rooftop, outfitted with a greensystem, addresses the environmental urgency of the city. It cools the internal spaces, manages runoff, and adds much-needed biodiversity to the urban skyline.
Redefining Urban Domesticity
"Stacked" is not just a solution to the spatial limitations of dense cities but a new definition of what a home can be. It embraces minimalism in private space to enhance shared experiences, encouraging residents to live with intentional openness. This shift from possession to participation transforms the idea of home from a place of isolation into a space of exchange and community.
In essence, the project exemplifies how modular housing design can offer a resilient, inclusive, and future-forward approach to urban living.
