In our cities, small footprint living is associated with tightly packed, dark homes. But they don't need to be that way. In the Netherlands, Heren 5 is designing small footprint 110sqm/1180sqft Houthaven homes that are open, bright and functional for families, using the building's surroundings as extensions of it’s living spaces. In Melbourne architects Nic Aguis and Brad Swartz are drawing inspiration from cities like Amsterdam with their infill projects as they ‘fill in’ unused space in city blocks. These are homes designed to contribute to their communities, putting happiness above profit for an investor.