A Peek Inside Gary Chang's 330 Sq. Ft. 'Mansion', That Fits 24 Rooms!

How do you cram 24 rooms into a 330 Sq. Ft. apartment? With a little imagination, a ton of ingenuity and of course, modern technology - At least that's what Hong Kong based architect Gary Chang has done, with his 'Domestic Transformer'.

Gary has been living in this tiny apartment since the age of 14, when he shared it with his parents, two sisters, and believe it or not, a tenant. Then in 1988, when the rest of the family moved out to share 'bigger' quarters with his grandparents and uncles, he bought it for $45,000 USD and began to do what he had been dreaming for years - Break down some walls.

However, his most radical renovation did not take place until 2009, when he spent a year and $218,000 USD to convert his apartment into a 'Domestic Transformer' - A house that morphs, according to his needs.

When everything is folded away, the house resembles an open-plan loft. Then come the surprises. Thanks to sliding wall units, which are suspended from steel tracks bolted into the ceiling, rooms are created in a matter of minutes.

When he wakes up in the morning, Gary simply hides his hydraulic bed behind the sofa. To make himself some breakfast, he moves a wall that conceals his bedroom and opens up into a kitchen, complete with modern appliances. Move another wall and behind it lies a formal dining room. When he has a guest sleeping over, he simply closes the lid of his bathtub and converts it into a bed. In fact, the 48-year old has even figured out how to fit in a hammock, something most conventional homes have no room for.

Mr. Chang, who is still constantly changing things around to fit more 'rooms' says that he hopes that more people will adapt his design, not only in Hong Kong, where space is tight, but also, all around the world, especially as the population grows and resources get stretched.

Resources: treehugger.com,mnn.com/green