New apartment designs in Finland spark debate over small bedroom dimensions

As the demand for housing grows, new apartment designs in Finland have drawn attention due to their small bedroom dimensions. In many two-room apartments, bedrooms appear so constricted that beds are squeezed between two walls, leaving little room to maneuver. In these minimal spaces, access is required from two door openings to allow passage on both sides of the bed. However, despite their size, these bedrooms meet basic requirements, boasting an area of over seven square meters and a window.

Developers like T2H have been implementing such designs for about a decade, while YIT has followed suit in recent years. YIT’s Development Director Marko Oinas emphasizes that these layouts create a more spacious feeling in the combined living and dining areas. T2H Group’s CEO Aleksi Huhdanpää explains that this design strategy allows them to offer apartments at prices close to those of studio units, catering to clients with limited budgets.

Architect Pet Michael asserts that a minimalist bedroom with dual entrances enhances the overall spaciousness of the home by allowing better light and longer sightlines. He has designed such bedrooms in various projects and believes that the addition of wider dimensions creates a more functional living space, enabling room for bedside tables, wardrobes, and improved circulation.

Over the years, the geometry of apartments has evolved. Researcher Jyrki Tarpio notes that apartment layouts have become narrower and deeper, resulting in a greater demand for small, distinct spaces, even among single residents. He suggests revisiting the inclusion of separate kitchens in new housing developments, as they could better meet the needs of today’s apartment dwellers.