Christian Schallert lives in a 258 square foot apartment that was previously used as a pigeon loft, in Barcelona, Spain. Although the square footage is unimpressive, the unique layout of his apartment makes it a pleasant living environment for Schallert. His parents believed he was crazy for purchasing the property, but he proves that his nesting instincts developed in childhood were beneficial for his new living arrangement.
With separate spaces for his kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, among several other created uses of the square footage in Schallert’s home, he also enjoys the ability to clean up his space simply by tucking away all of the segments of his home. The layout allows for what could be called a “Lego-style” home, where pieces of the room are simply tucked into the walls when not necessary and folded out when needed for use.
Schallert took the inspiration for building his apartment from boats. Having grown up at a lakeside, he was exposed to these vessels and knew the compact systems within each boat that made them efficient as living spaces. Along with the inspiration from boats, Schallert enjoyed the clean lines of Japanese architecture and also incorporated that into his home.
Not only is the apartment unique and efficient for Schallert, he also enjoys the freedoms of a balcony which opens up the small space for entertaining. Schallert says the most guests he ever entertained in his home at once was around forty individuals, showing the creativity used in Schallert’s space.