Beijing's Capsule Apartments Not for Claustrophobics

BEIJING, June 21, 2010 -- As real estate prices continue to skyrocket in China's major cities, the dearth of affordable housing options has pushed low-income earners toward increasingly cramped quarters.

In March, Beijing's tiniest apartments hit the market. Measuring 7.9 feet long, 2.4-3 feet wide and 6.6 feet high, these "capsule apartments" are a twist on Japan's capsule hotels/ The compact housing does not include restrooms, so tenants must leave the building to use public facilities.

The capsule apartments are the patented invention of 78-year-old retired engineer Huang Rixin. The project began in 2008, when Huang saw a photo of a capsule hotel on the internet and was inspired to adapt the design to apartment-style housing.

Moved by the plight of Beijing's "ant tribes," communities of recent college graduates living in crowded, one-story houses on the city outskirts and struggling to get by on meager salaries, Huang felt there was a real societal need for new, affordable housing options.

"China is still a developing country and is still relatively poor," Huang told ABC News. "Its land is mostly fixed, but its people are alive and changing. My concept touches on an ongoing issue, which is how can you create enough housing to accommodate this growing population?"

Huang rented three rooms measuring 80 square feet each in a building in Liulangzhuang, Haidian district. He then divided the rooms into eight smaller rooms, or capsules.

With an area of about 21 square feet each, a capsule contains enough room to fit a twin bed with an adjustable desk. A wire-mesh ceiling provides ventilation, and power outlets installed in the units allow tenants to watch TV and surf the net.

"The capsule apartments protect people's right to life and right to privacy. The design also protects against burglars and fire, while the ventilation system protects people from extreme heat. People can sit, sleep, watch TV and live there for a relatively long time," Huang told ABC News.