10 Smallest Houses and Buildings in the World

The world's population exceeded 7.4 billion people in 2018. And every day, the space available for living is decreasing. With this in mind, many people prefer to build small and even super-compact houses. Here is a list of 10 Smallest Houses and Buildings in the World. Whether it will be comfortable to live in such a building - decide for yourself.

10. North Queensferry Lighthouse, Scotland

The smallest lighthouse on the planet, North Queensferry in ScotlandThis lighthouse in Scotland, built in 1817, is only 3.3 meters high. To get to the top from the bottom, you need to take 24 steps. Once you reach the top floor, you will find that there is enough space for two people.

The world's smallest inhabited lighthouse is now a tourist attraction run by the North Queensferry Heritage Society.

9. Riverside House in Japan

Riverside House in JapanHousing is very expensive in Japan. However, resourceful people have found a way out by turning to the experience of the past - Kyosho jutaku, a version of a micro-city. This practice dates back to the 13th century, when the poet Kamo-no-Chomei wrote an essay about the joys of living in a hut. Of course, modern Japanese do not build huts for themselves, replacing them with micro-houses with all the amenities.

One of these miniature houses is the Riverside House, created by architect Kengo Kuma. It is built on a plot of 55 m², and is spacious enough for 2 adults and one child. The two-story building, despite its super-small size, is very elegant and comfortable. It has a children's play area, a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, a recreation area and a work area. But there are no closets in the house; instead, special storage spaces have been invented.

The entire end of the building is occupied by a vertical window, which lets in a lot of light and thus saves electricity.

8. Square House in Idaho

Square House in IdahoDivorce is a traumatic experience that can leave a person emotionally drained, apathetic, and depressed. But that’s not the case for architectural designer Macy Miller. Miller went through a divorce a few years ago and was faced with the need to find a new home. She spent $11,400 building a small, 200-square-foot home. Now she lives there with her new boyfriend, child, and Great Dane.

7. Prince Edward Island Library in Canada

The smallest library in Prince Edward Island, CanadaLibraries are something that modern civilization cannot do without. We are used to thinking of a library as a large room filled to the brim with books. However, there are also very tiny libraries, and one of them is located in the smallest province of Canada - Prince Edward Island. It occupies an area of 3.3 x 3.3 meters, contains almost 1800 books, and their issuance and storage is done by a father and daughter.

6. Tiny Victorian Cottage in New York

Victorian Cottage in New York

You've probably heard the slogan, "Make your dream come true." We don't know if the owner of this beautiful home has heard it, but she's made her ideal home come true. The woman from the city of Catskill has transformed a hunting cabin beyond recognition, turning it into an amazing Victorian cottage. It has no toilet or kitchen, but it has everything else you need for normal life. The tree trunks that supported the roof of the porch have turned into antique columns, and the inside of the house is light and cozy. The luxurious sofa, small table, floor, walls, and even a huge crystal chandelier are all dazzling white.

5. House on a Rock in Serbia

Tiny House on a Cliff in SerbiaThis small house balances on a rock and survives all weather changes for 50 years. In 1968, a group of young swimmers were relaxing on a large boulder in the middle of the Drina River and decided that they needed to create a more comfortable place to relax. This decision was not accidental, the guys were "regulars" of the boulder, they sunbathed and fished on it.

At first, a platform was built from boards taken from an old barn. But, as they say, appetite comes with eating, and gradually walls and a roof were added to the platform. And now a lonely house proudly towered where it was hard to imagine.

For a long time, only local residents knew about the building. The house on the rock gained wide popularity after Hungarian photographer Irene Becker took photos and posted them online. Now it is one of the tourist attractions of the city of Bajina Basta.

4. Newby-McMahon Building in Texas

The smallest skyscraperWichita Falls became famous for the world's smallest skyscraper, although it didn't want to. In 1919, engineer J.D. McMahon convinced investors to invest $200,000 in building a skyscraper. The investors didn't study McMahon's project properly, and they should have. He mistakenly indicated the height of the building in inches instead of feet. As a result, it was only 12 meters.This little thing certainly won't be a contender for the title of the tallest building in the world.

3. House on the pier in Wales

House on the pier in WalesThis 3.05 x 1.8 metre building is considered the smallest house in the UK and is also a popular tourist attraction. The house once belonged to a rather tall (1.85 metre) fisherman named Robert Jones.

The only drawback of the dwelling is the lack of a toilet.

2. Ochopee Post Office, Florida

The smallest post office in the worldRussian Post has many shortcomings, but few complain about the size of its post offices. And compared to the post office opened in the American city of Ochopee, its Russian "colleagues" are simply giants.

The town's first post office was destroyed by fire in 1953. Instead of rebuilding it, local authorities simply took a gardener's hut where the watering hoses were kept and turned it into a post office. The post office is fully functional, accepting and sending mail regularly. However, visitors have to stand outside; there is only enough space inside for one employee.

1. House of nanoparticles in Besançon

House made of nanoparticles in Besancon is the smallest in the worldHere it is, the smallest house in the world. But you won't see it without a really, really, really powerful microscope. It's too small for a human, or even a ladybug. And it's only 15 micrometers tall. It was created by nanorobot researchers at the French Femto-ST Institute.

The world's tiniest building is made from a 1.2-micrometer-thick silicon wafer. To build it, the researchers used a device called the μRobotex system, which combines a dual scanning electron microscope, a focused ion beam, a gas injection system, and a tiny, maneuverable robot. The process of assembling the micro-house was somewhat similar to the art of origami.

  • A focused ion beam cut through silicon dioxide as well as scissors cut paper.
  • To make the joints between the base and the walls thin enough, they were irradiated with gallium ions.
  • Gas spraying was used to weld the house at the seams.
  • Two roof sections, cut from a silicon wafer, were delivered to the house by a micromanipulator and then welded together using gas spraying. The finished micro-building even has a chimney, because “it’s cold and snowy in Besançon in the winter.”

The project was an interesting way to demonstrate that μRobotex can operate with a deviation of less than two nanometers.