MINI Living - Breathe
In April 2017, an installation called Breathe was unveiled in the MINI Living space at Milan’s Design Week. Built by the New York firm SO-IL, the prototype house is described as ‘resource-conscious’, offering a sustainable solution to shared, compact city living.
Positioned in a narrow courtyard site, the designers had to build the house as stacked up living spaces, creating a slim, three-storey modular structure, with a white mesh PVC exterior that is designed to filter and neutralise polluted city air. The roof contains a garden filled with plants to further improve air quality and the urban microclimate.
The structure can accommodate three people and includes up to six room possibilities. The four levels of the house are connected via a spiral staircase, while light-permeable textile walls separate the different spaces.
The house is capable of being dismantled and re-assembled in other locations, and the exterior skin can be replaced with one that performs appropriately to different climates.
SO-IL co-director Ilias Papageorgiou said: "MINI Living – Breathe brings its residents into direct contact with their environment. By making living an active experience, the installation encourages visitors to confront our tendency to take resources for granted.”
Oke Hauser, creative lead of MINI LIVING, said: "We view the installation as an active ecosystem, which makes a positive contribution to the lives and experiences of the people who live there and to the urban microclimate, depicted here by the intelligent use of resources essential to life – i.e. air, water and light.”
Content and images courtesy of SO-IL.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Guide to ISO 19650 for Architecture Firms (2026)
A user gives their low down.
A UK training and membership provider for mould remediation professionals.
Building Safety recap April, 2026
A short and longer run-through of the month, with links to further information and sources.
CIAT May 2026 briefing.
Independent NSI and BAFE study exploring how organisations are changing the way they buy fire safety services.
From medieval scribes to modern word art.
ECA welcomes crackdown on late payment and push for clean energy, whilst CIOB seek fixed cladding removal timeframes.
Cyber Security in the Built Environment
Protecting projects, data, and digital assets: A CIOB Academy TIS.
Managing competence in the built environment
ITFG publishes new industry guide on how to meet the ICC principles.
The UK's campaign to reduce noise pollution: Mythbusting, articles and topic guides.
Setting Expectations on Competence Management
Industry Competence Committee.
New Scottish and Welsh governments
CIOB stresses importance of construction after new parliament elections.
The sad story of Derby Hippodrome
An historic building left to decay.
ECA, JIB and JTL back Fabian Society call to invest in skills for a stronger built environment workforce.