Studio flat
A studio flat is a self-contained habitable space in which the living room, bedroom and kitchen facilities are all incorporated into one space, sometimes with partial walls or other forms of divider used to separate the different areas.
A bedroom may be positioned in one corner, while a small kitchen (or kitchenette) may be in another corner, with the space between them allocated as the ‘living room’. The bathroom facilities are typically contained in a smaller room within the flat.
Depending on the building complex, studio flats may also include storage spaces, fold-away beds, garden areas, balconies, and so on. According to London’s planning guidance, the minimum size recommended for a studio flat, is 37 sq. m.
A one-bedroom flat (often referred to as a ‘single flat’ or ‘bedsit’), has separate spaces for the bedroom, living room, and kitchen areas instead of a single multi-purpose room. The similarity between a one-bedroom flat and a studio flat is the separate bathroom space.
In terms of the market, studio flats tend to be targeted at young professionals, graduates and new renters who wish to live in a relatively central urban location at a more affordable rate.
Even smaller micro flats, of as little as 13 sq. m are offered for student accommodation, and as an affordable-rent solution for dense areas of cities such as central London
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
Edmundson Apprentice of the Year award 2026
Entries now open for this Electrical Contractors' Association award.
Traditional blue-grey slate from one of the oldest and largest UK slate quarries down in Cornwall.
There are plenty of sources with the potential to be redeveloped.
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.
Level 6 Design, Construction and Management BSc
CIOB launches first-ever degree programme to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
Open for business as of April, with its 2026 prospectus and new pipeline of housing schemes.
The operational value of workforce health
Keeping projects moving. Incorporating unplanned absence and the importance of health, in operations.
A carbon case for indigenous slate
UK slate can offer clear embodied carbon advantages.
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.




















