This stunning 550-square-foot guest house, The Hive, designed by Nicole Blair in Austin, Texas, showcases innovative spatial solutions within a compact footprint. Carefully tailored to the owner’s needs, this one-bedroom dwelling maximizes its limited 320-square-foot footprint through strategic three-dimensional design, evoking the shape of a beehive.
By closely examining the occupants’ movements and needs, the Hive’s interior spaces are shaped to feel both intimate and grand, blending Dutch and Japanese design influences to create a highly efficient and functional home.

About The Hive
Embracing Spatial Constraints: The Hive
The Hive, a captivating 550-square-foot (51-square-meter) guest house located in Austin, Texas, United States, stands as a testament to the power of innovative design. Conceived by the talented Nicole Blair, this compact dwelling challenges the conventional box form, offering a creative solution to the spatial constraints of its 6500-square-foot (604-square-meter) residential lot. Sculpting Space, Maximizing Efficiency
Defying the limitations, the Hive’s walls tilt from the slab, hugging building setback planes and an angled utility easement, to add volume where needed. This strategic approach, reminiscent of a beehive, allows for a one-bedroom dwelling within the maximum 320-square-foot (30-square-meter) footprint permitted by the City of Austin’s pervious cover requirements.
Tailoring for Comfort and...