We’re told the way to reduce our carbon footprint is to embrace eco-friendly living. But what does this look like? Perhaps purchasing energy-efficient appliances, maintaining your own garden, and installing solar panels. 

While these may be great strides toward a greener lifestyle for homeowners, what about renters?

One of the biggest barriers to entry to a sustainable lifestyle is not owning your own home. It’s not feasible for everyone to install new appliances or afford property of their own. This is especially true for city dwellers in densely populated areas.

When trying to live sustainably, most think about what daily actions they can take. We challenge you to think about something else: where you live. 

And no, we don’t mean buying a tiny home, a house made of shipping containers, or a van to cram into.  

Renters can be more mindful of the location they choose as a way to live more sustainably. This includes renting near public transit and selecting walkable neighborhoods, both reducing carbon emissions. Renters can also do extensive research before they lease to see if a complex has a good efficiency score, green spaces, or composting. In the best cases, an apartment building can be net zero: when the greenhouse gases produced during construction are mitigated by efforts to remove them. 

Better yet, renters can live in an Ori Apartment – a sustainable solution that challenges the status quo of urban living.

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Ori Makes Sustainable Apartments

Our vision is simple: Empower people to live where they want, without sacrificing the space and functionality they need. Our innovative apartments are designed to maximize living spaces while minimizing their environmental footprint. We do this by making our apartments expandable and semi-furnished.

Ori systems like the Cloud Bed and Pocket Studio are designed to give renters more square footage in a smaller floor plan. The Cloud Bed lifts to reveal either a sofa, table, or desk, and the Pocket Studio is a media center, closet, and bed all in one. This means getting a clear division of space between work and play is as simple as pushing a button.

But how is expandable sustainable?

While we do not sell direct-to-consumer just yet, we sell Ori systems to developers. This is because we want our approach to sustainable real estate to extend beyond the construction phase. By installing Ori into their apartment buildings, developers are able to build smaller units. This means they can use less land, less resources, and less energy to house more city dwellers. 

Flexible space is not only possible, but rather long overdue. One of the most significant advantages of Ori is our ability to efficiently utilize limited urban space. This adaptability allows residents to make the most of their available space, reducing the need for larger, less sustainable real estate. 

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Why are smaller apartments more sustainable?

Bigger isn’t always better. As pressure continues to build on cities for more housing, a wave of high-density housing is on the horizon. A bigger building isn’t a sustainable housing option because it requires more land, materials, and energy to build – in addition to the amount of hazardous materials needed to create adequate parking for these complexes as required by many state laws.

Living in a smaller apartment can help reduce energy consumption by reducing the need for additional lighting, heating, and cooling costs. This not only lowers your utility bills, but it reduces the carbon footprint associated with apartment living. Additionally, Ori systems use a simple three-prong outlet as their power source. They only use 30 watts of energy to open or close, which is less than the average microwave.

A main concern of living in a smaller place is not having enough space to fully enjoy your lifestyle. To balance affordability for renters and profitability for developers, apartments require innovations that make smaller floor plans more attractive to tenants. A smaller space means a smaller carbon footprint, but shouldn’t be at the expense of your lifestyle. By making every square foot count, Ori’s sustainable architecture contributes to more efficient land use and minimizes a building’s impact on the environment.

How does Ori allow me to live sustainably?

The modular nature of Ori Apartments also translates into a reduced demand for renter resources. Ori apartments are semi-furnished. Included in your rent, all furniture essentials are provided for you on move-in day. No assembly necessary.

Traditional fixed-layout apartments often require renters to purchase or repurchase furniture they may only use for one lease. Fully furnished apartments are another option, but they tend to be very expensive to lease and located in undesirable areas. In contrast, Ori is specifically designed to solve this problem. Renters no longer have to purchase a new mattress, bedframe, sofa, desk, or table. Not only is it convenient, but reduces furniture waste and lowers the environmental impact of transporting large furniture during distant relocations.

Furthermore, the ability to transform a single room into multiple functional spaces allows residents to purchase and maintain fewer items, resulting in less material consumption and waste in landfills. This leads to a significant decrease in the environmental footprint just by living in an Ori Expandable Apartment.

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Sustainability is not limited to homeowners; it can be embraced by renters, too. For those of us living in small apartments, Ori is a big stepping stone toward a future where technology and design work together to help the environment.

In a world where urbanization is on the rise and space is at a premium, the need for sustainable housing solutions has never been more critical. We want to challenge the world to see the potential in all spaces for a more affordable, accessible, and sustainable urban future. Sustainable design will make for a happier and healthier planet.

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If you want to learn more about Ori, you can read our FAQ here.

If you’re interested in living in an Ori Apartment, we are available in the best neighborhoods in 30+ cities across the country. 

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