![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-40.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=1daba868103f5182ac7b28606a1201c8 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-40.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=0e9acac2329ecb428750b8d1cff8880f 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-40.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=6233b116925ea29ac9b8c0ce78707a8b 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-40.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=683&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=70ccfade1f8ae9e6708d225ea9db3cd5 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-40.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=b507e9f3cba579a2b453b9cd5762b536 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-40.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1067&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=8629c003c3a577970418175a8fea7e1b 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-40.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=238de13980546adfcc3395fbc75c5632 1920w)
Layout is critical. It’s not simply about a unit’s physical boundaries but taking advantage of spaces and views beyond them. We try to create long vistas through apartments, with a window at the end that improves the sense of depth. High ceilings also help expand the experience beyond four walls. At The Luna, for example, we rotated the original floor plan to enable better views of the surrounding mountains and designed 3m floor-to-soffit ceilings in each apartment. We also provided balconies that act as a natural extension of each residence, expanding the perceived area and blurring the boundaries between inside and out.
Minimising circulation space and using overlapping spaces is likewise key. For instance, the space in front of an en suite can be arranged as the entrance to the bedroom. This way, the bathroom operates as both the owner’s en suite and a powder room for guests. It’s also important to design spaces that can change from one use to another. Areas that function as a dressing room, dining room or office during the day, for example, can become a second bedroom at night via a folddown or roll-out bed and sliding screens. This flexibility of space is vital to maximising the uses and volumes of apartments.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-31.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=e6a53dfb09d556f25c784e8a6f9e0664 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-31.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=6f90849af6f76a16507b7dad019bd69b 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-31.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=95f5b8b0b29e8e03d4d52a57fc8f4dc8 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-31.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=683&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=996be687eafc1e1aefcf0de0b27afc51 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-31.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=82e63dda7d7a3ff7c4aa2fe6f173d49e 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-31.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1067&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=36021b3ef32ad79a219d0e1d4fba4a7e 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-31.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=9f36cff852390f344fbad2b159bf3745 1920w)
Finally, in buildings with micro-flats, shared social amenity spaces – from gardens and gyms to ‘living rooms’ and entertaining areas – are absolutely vital. The Luna includes a residents’ garden on top of its 3-storey retail podium, plus bookable outdoor rooms, external gym space, and a bar and lounge. Meanwhile, Dunbar Place houses a gym, pool, lounge and children’s playroom at podium level. These shared spaces are the social heart of residential developments and are often the most exciting part to design. What’s more, their offer is often greater than what can be achieved in developments that focus on large, self-contained apartments – for instance, professional-style kitchens, sophisticated luxury lounges, and large roof terraces complete with gardens and barbeque areas.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FDunbarPlace_Make-12.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=fb1a63eb219a85cbb14078b643c722db 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FDunbarPlace_Make-12.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=6e530bd72b0f72f31654546a1a80b8e6 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FDunbarPlace_Make-12.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=f3b3971912f7896978119f23f8f4f989 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FDunbarPlace_Make-12.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=683&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=91b215c0bbc196d00ac02026d2579d0b 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FDunbarPlace_Make-12.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=cc2756b61fc8bda00fc65f8bb1177fd9 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FDunbarPlace_Make-12.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1067&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=a6a049d3da426b0a522b2fa87380cf1b 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FDunbarPlace_Make-12.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=ba8a74589fb82bd360515d0b349ad55b 1920w)
Designing communal spaces to be as flexible as possible – for instance, large rooms with loose, moveable furniture and multiple zones – means they can host a range of activities, such as gaming, movie nights, yoga classes, study sessions, community talks, birthday parties, wine tastings or just simple gatherings of friends. It’s useful to make some rooms bookable, to enable residents to host friends or family in an exclusive space, which might be impossible in their small apartments.
The often-forgotten ‘in-between zones’ – like corridors and lift lobbies – also have potential to be useful shared spaces. Adding a bench by the lifts or at corridor ends can offer a small space to meet various moods and needs. The lighting, ventilation and temperature of these ad hoc spaces need careful thought.
Taken together, multi-functional spaces provide residents with more than just a place to live, compensating for small apartment spaces.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-11.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=315&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=b8e3276f6a3a96ecaef203898cd3f679 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-11.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=630&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=4e4512d477a7c7c487ac7f2074bbb754 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-11.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1152&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=793fda42c67bb0c437370eeda97112b6 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-11.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1536&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=8f7cbe2acf1917d4e75b6c6fb8070563 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-11.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2100&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=74d8f0f5d5abaf0e3041901a719cb28f 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-11.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2400&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=344304901e53aeb921aa554c34dd5f11 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FLuna-cMake-Architects-11.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2880&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=f6d84e8338fec0cf72b603b501a39332 1920w)
We need to reconsider the idea of the home as a castle within four walls, not just in Hong Kong but in all high-density cities. ‘Home’ should extend beyond those walls, and designers should be generous with shared amenities. If we get it right, we can genuinely improve living conditions, giving people space to live their private lives as well as get to know their neighbours – a community spirit that’s often lost in high-density living.
Article extracted from Make Annual 15.