Very small buildings have a special appeal, and the constraints of space and cost can actually liberate the imagination.

Most of the projects in this book consist of no more than a few key spaces, in many cases just a single space. They are united only by their compact nature, the pleasure that they can provide and the intelligence that they embody.

A brief introduction is followed by five thematic chapters: Public Realm, Community Spaces, On the Move, Compact Living and Extra Space.

The 53 case studies include a park bench that transforms into a shelter for the homeless in Australia, an inflatable treetop structure for rainforest observation, a portable house for victims of hurricane Katrina, a transportable church in Finland, and a suspended office in France.