UNDERSTANDING DENSITY
10 Flexible Unit Layouts for Multi-Family Dwellings
Design Your Home What layout works best for your household now?
The Holistic Housing Lab is a design-centered research platform dedicated to exploring housing as an interconnected system shaped by people and place. © 2026 Karla Sierralta & Brian Strawn
DESIGN YOUR HOME
In this set: • 10 Flexible Unit Layouts for Multi-family Dwellings
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DESIGN YOUR HOME
At a glance 10 Residential Floor Plan Options
TYPE
TRADE-OFFS
M1 Micro Unit
Small lānai, larger living space
M2 Micro Unit
Lānai as outdoor room
S1 Studio
Small lānai, larger living space
S2 Studio
Lānai as outdoor room
1B1 One-Bed
Long lānai, bedroom in back
1B2 One-Bed
Extra large lānai, bedroom in front
1B3 One-Bed
Lānai as outdoor room, bedroom in front
2B1 Two-Bed
Lānai as outdoor room, split bedroom
2B2 Two -Bed
Long lānai, bedroom in back
Co1 Co-Living
Multiple, shared living spaces with private bath and kitchens
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DESIGN YOUR HOME
What’s on the card?
Reference Number
Unit Type 5 types, 10 layouts
Description Key layout preferences and trade-offs
Illustration Furnished floor plans, focusing on bedroom location and indoor outdoor relationships
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DESIGN YOUR HOME
Think about:
What layout works best for your household now?
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DESIGN YOUR HOME
Sort by: • Unit Type
Pair with: • Design Alphabet Cards
Compare to: • Imagine Your Community Cards Unit Realm
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DESIGN YOUR HOME
Micro Unit #1
M1
• 250 – 300 square feet • Small lānai • Larger living space
Compact closet
Additional Closet
Built-in storage
Murphy Bed Sitting area
~ Interior 300 sf ~ Exterior 50 sf
Lānai
~ 12 feet
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M2
Micro Unit #2 • 250 – 300 square feet • Lānai as outdoor room
Compact closet
Murphy Bed Sitting area
Built-in storage
~ Interior 250 sf ~ Exterior 100 sf L ā nai
~ 12 feet
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Studio #1
S1
• 350 – 500 square feet • Small lānai • Larger living space
Potential for washer/dryer Closet
Built-in storage
Murphy Bed Sitting area
~ Interior 410 sf ~ Exterior 60 sf
Lānai
~ 16 feet
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S2
Studio #2 • 350 – 500 square feet • Lānai as outdoor room
Potential for washer/dryer Closet
Built-in storage Murphy Bed Sitting area ~ Interior 350 sf ~ Exterior 120 sf Lānai
~ 16 feet
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1B1
One Bedroom #1 • 500 – 800 square feet • Long lānai • Bedroom in back
Bedroom
Washer / Dryer Built-ins
Living
~ Interior 410 sf ~ Exterior 60 sf
Lānai
~ 20 feet
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1B2
One Bedroom #2 • 500 – 800 square feet • Extra large lānai • Bedroom in front
Living
~ Interior 430 sf ~ Exterior 200 sf
Washer / Dryer
Lānai
Bedroom
~ 20 feet
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1B3
One Bedroom #3 • 500 – 800 square feet • Lānai as outdoor room • Bedroom in front
Built-ins Washer / Dryer
Living ~ Interior 520 sf ~ Exterior 110 sf Lānai
~ 20 feet
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2B1
Two Bedroom #1 • 1,000 – 1,200 square feet • Lānai as outdoor room • Split bedroom
Bedroom
Open Living
~ Interior 800 sf ~ Exterior 160 sf Bedroom Lānai
~ 30 feet
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2B2
Two Bedroom #2 • 1,000 – 1,200 square feet • Long lānai • Bedroom in back
Bedroom
Open Living
~ Interior 770 sf ~ Exterior 190 sf
Lānai
~ 30 feet
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CO1
Co-Living #1 • 1,500 – 2,000 square feet • Multiple, shared living spaces with private bath and kitchens
Suite 2
~ 75 feet
Suite 1
Suite 3
~ Interior 1550 sf ~ Exterior 375 sf Holistic Housing Lab's Holistic Housing Design Toolkit
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