Avi Friedman and Maria Pantalopoulos's article "The Wartime Home as a Paradigm for Today's Affordable Housing Design" (1996) focuses on how families during the post World War II era utilized the small square footage of their homes to meet their everyday needs.  "In the same way that the proud new householders of wartime homes made numerous accommodations and undertook several modifications as a means of coping with the small size of their residences, so too can designers of contemporary affordable housing devise methods of living comfortably in a space no larger than 1,000 square feet," states Friedman and Pantelopoulos of McGill University (1996, 184).  This idea can be adapted during the design process so that the residents of theses future homes are able to make adjustments to the compact sizes.  It is also important to focus particularly on the layout of the floor plan, so that it is flexible and can meet the spatial needs of the residents.

SPACE
There are numerous ways a space can be designed so that it feels more comfortable and inviting.  The relationship of rooms whether they are adjacent or removed can interrupt or guide the circulation patterns in a home.  The amount of natural light that enters a room is also important.  Usually, a space will feel larger when there is a plentiful source of natural light entering the room.  Floor space is extremely valuable in today's compact houses.  Built in furniture is an excellent way to maintain maximum floor space, especially in bedrooms where built in furniture eliminates the need for dressers and desks.

STORAGE
Abundant storage is necessary in the design of today's compact houses.  Storage is a key selling point, because families accumulate more and more belongings the longer they live in one home.   Therefore, the designer must be receptive to the demands for ample storage when designing a small, compact house (Friedman and Pantelopoulos, 1996, 191).  There are many ways unused spaces should be used for storage, such as in the corners of rooms, and areas near the ceiling.  Attics and basements are also ideal areas for adequate storage space.  As you can see, alterations were made to this wartime home to accommodate the storage space a particular family needed.
 

Friedman, 1996, 191

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