Nest Micro-Housing is a new 38,000sf residential building of 122 micro-unit apartments, offering a progressive alternative for young professionals seeking privacy, modern amenities, and economy. Located in the Journal Square neighborhood of Jersey City, the project promotes a sustainable urban living agenda with the building design maximizing density with units approximately 220sf in size. Automobile parking is replaced with bike parking for each unit, thereby promoting the use of nearby public transportation and an overall sustainable lifestyle for residents. The individual micro-units are expressed boldly at the facade on Academy Street as metal-clad window boxes that project towards the street, organized into a grid that forms a collective that speaks to the relationship between the individual and community.

The compact size of the unit interior is complemented by large common amenity spaces including a lounge, cafe, and laundry room on the ground floor, a gym and recreation room centrally located on the second floor, and a large roof deck with views of Manhattan. The units themselves are custom designed to be highly efficient and flexible as a 24-hour life cycle is considered for the dwelling, allowing for living and dining or sleeping configurations, and multiple variations in between. Unique to the design is the organization of the unit into a wet zone and dry zone. Entry into the unit is into the wet zone in which we have located a decentralized bathroom with separately enclosed toilet and shower compartments. The kitchen is a transitional space that mediates between the wet and dry zone, with the vanity and kitchen sinks sharing a wooden countertop, but are mirrored and separated by a glass partition. The dry zone comprises a fold-down work desk, murphy-style bed, and coffee table that slides neatly below or can pop up to transform into a dining table. The upholstered window seat expands the living space towards the public. The size of the unit pushes the boundaries of compact living, complying fully with building code requirements as a unique single-occupancy dwelling unit.

Multiple construction strategies were explored during design including modular and pre-cast solutions, but ultimately the project utilizes prefabricated metal wall panels to streamline and optimize the building.