FAAB Homes: Small, Smart, and Ready for the Future

The FAAB Small Homes research project—short for Functional, Affordable, Accessible, Buildable—has wrapped up, and the message is clear: small homes can make a big difference for Aotearoa New Zealand’s housing future.

At their heart, FAAB homes are compact (45–75m²), but they’re designed to be more than just small. They are functional, supporting everyday life across all ages and stages; affordable, helping whānau manage costs; accessible, enabling older people and those with disabilities to live well; and buildable, offering practical solutions that can actually be delivered at scale.

The research found that demand for small dwellings is only growing. One- and two-person households now make up the majority of new household growth, yet most new homes being built are still too big and too expensive. FAAB homes show how housing can be better matched to today’s needs while easing pressure on affordability and sustainability.

Importantly, the FAAB project worked alongside hapū and iwi to bring cultural perspectives forward. Ngāti Kapu, based in Ōtaki, reminded us that small homes are not new—they are part of Māori heritage. Traditional whare built from raupō and timber were warm, sustainable, and connected to whakapapa, whenua, and whānau. Today, these values continue to shape aspirations for housing that is both practical and deeply rooted in place.

Our small research team wanted to know what FAAB homes might mean for Māori. Through interviews, design activities, and kōrero with 17 Māori participants, we explored whether small homes can truly be homes for whānau. Using Te Whare Tapa Whā, a Māori model of wellbeing, participants highlighted that a home is more than shelter—it’s a place of whānau connection, manaakitanga (hospitality), cultural identity, and future security. Many saw potential in small homes for rangatahi (young people), single parents, and papakāinga (village) developments, provided the designs were grounded in Māori values and accessible across life stages.

So what’s next? The FAAB research has shown that small homes can be part of the solution to some of our biggest housing problems—affordability, ageing, and sustainability. But for this to happen, planning rules and building practices need to catch up. FAAB homes aren’t about squeezing people into tiny boxes. They’re about smart design that fits how we live now and into the future; that is, homes that are smaller, but better.