It's not much, but it's home. Francis Chan, an engineer, lives in Hampstead, north London, in a flat that's just 4ft wide by 21ft long. He loves it. Tiny though it is, it has got all the comforts. Peter Baynes, Chan’s architect (建筑师),has achieved a clever piece of design, according to architectural experts. The Chan mini-house was built on what was once a path down the side of a big Victarian house. Not an inch of space is wasted. When you step in through the front door, you're standing in the shower, on Britain' s only self-cleansing doormat (自动清洁门垫). A door opens on to an equally tiny toilet with washbasin. Two steps further in comes the kitchen, complete with full-sized cooker and fridge, and washer/ drier. A worktop folds down from the wall. Another step and you're into the dining/ office area. Four people can sit here for dinner, says Chan as he sets the table-top into place. He even has a fold-down drawing-board for when he's working at home. The bed is hidden under a cover board right at the back. "I don't even have to make the bed," Chan says." I just put the cover down. " Chan's business suits hang neatly on the wall over the bed. Daylight comes in through the skylight. The house feels like a very small boat and Chan admits he toyed with the idea of naming it the "boat-house". "It cost around ￡4,700 to build last year. Now it's been valued at ￡30,000. It proves that good design doesn't need to cost more. It just needs a lot of care." says Chan. 小题1:By saying "It's not much" (line 1, para. 1), the author means that Chan's flat______.
|