Marius Kayser

We spent the initial research phase walking the streets in order to see what kinds of doors and door handles we would find. New-build estates tend to differ from older districts having a wide range of architectural styles and entrances in that a single type of door handle predominates: the vertical (or horizontal) push/pull bar.

While these door handles are certainly modern and fit-for-purpose, they adorn so many doors that I got to wondering whether there might not be a case for thinking them through anew. I put this idea aside in the next phase, however, and devoted myself to investigating various aspects of doors and the way they worked. My interest was now primarily directed towards fastenings or catches for doors.

But I was still not satisfied. I then discovered the issue of subdividing small spaces. With more and more people moving to the city despite house building being unable to keep up with this transition, the bulk of new buildings are becoming smaller and smaller.

I had the idea of looking into whether a crossbar fitting could be used. Sliding/folding doors suggested themselves for this purpose, since they take up far less space than doors that swing open. I tried out various means of opening and closing doors and ultimately found a way that also incorporates the crossbar fitting.

Once I had decided on what materials I would use, I began constructing the main and the final model and was very happy with the outcome in the end: The door is fitted with rails to left and right within which the two ends of the bar are able to slide up and down.

These and a further rail at the top result in the door opening and closing virtually automatically as soon as one end is pushed either up or down. The fitting offers scope for opening and closing the door either from the front with the entire hand or by merely deploying a thumb and forefinger at either end, somewhat like opening a bottle.

I opted for a folding mechanism in order that the door could be retracted. A section of cloth between the wooden panels allows the latter to be stacked next to each other. The handle’s adjustable height constitutes an added bonus.

Micro-apartments are full-fledged one-room flats with a total floor space of between roughly 160 and 345 square feet.

They are appointed with miniaturised, adaptable furniture and would enable living in cities to be brought more in line with modern-day patterns of life as well as helping house more people in future.