I live in 173 square feet.
On purpose.
My flat is in Jordan, minutes from Tsim Sha Tsui, in the middle of one of the most dense and electric cities on earth. It is also, by most people’s standards, extremely small. But I’ve learned that quality of living has almost nothing to do with size. It has everything to do with design.
✓ ARCHITECT · GREEN BUILDING SPECIALIST · HONG KONG
✓ 173 SQ FT · JORDAN · LIVING WELL IN SMALL SPACES
My Story
★★★★★
I’m Angelica, a Hong Kong-based architect specialising in green building and sustainable design. I spend my professional life thinking about how buildings affect the people inside them — their comfort, their wellbeing, their relationship with space. And then I come home to 173 square feet and practice what I preach.
Three years ago I moved into this flat in Jordan. Part of the reason was financial — Hong Kong property is brutal. But part of it was a belief I’ve held since architecture school: that good design can make any space work. I wanted to prove it to myself.
The Acute Living is where I document that proof.
What this site is about
+ The design thinking behind small space living
+ Practical solutions from an architect’s eye
+ Intentional living in urban Hong Kong
Who this is for
+ Anyone living in a small flat and wondering if it could be better
+ Anyone curious about living deliberately in a big city
What inspired you to start this blog?
I had a viral video about my 173 sq ft flat in Jordan and realised people were genuinely fascinated — not just by the space, but by the idea that you could live well in it. I’m an architect. I think about space professionally every day. It felt wrong not to share what I actually know.
How do you approach design in small spaces?
Every square foot has to earn its place. I think about layers — what a space needs to do at 7am is different from what it needs at 10pm. Furniture that does one thing is a luxury small spaces can’t afford. Light, height, and sight lines do more work than most people realise. And clutter is the enemy of everything.
What topics do you cover on your blog?
The design thinking behind small space decisions — why I put things where I put them, and what I’d do differently. Practical solutions that actually work in HK flats specifically, not just generic Western tiny house advice. The economics of nano flat living. Green building principles applied at the domestic scale. And honestly, the experience of living this way — the good days and the frustrating ones.
Who is your target audience?
Two groups. Hong Kong residents living in small flats who want practical, professional-level design thinking applied to their actual situation — not generic IKEA hacks. And an international English-speaking audience curious about urban living done deliberately, who find the HK nano flat context fascinating precisely because it’s so extreme. If you’ve ever looked at your home and thought it could be more — this is for you.
How can readers get in touch with you?
Through the contact form on this site, or find me on Xiaohongshu where I’ve been documenting this flat for the past few years. If you’re a brand interested in working together, or a media outlet wanting to feature the flat, use the contact form and I’ll get back to you.