A studio apartment is a compact and functional living solution, particularly suited to the needs of those who live in large cities or are looking for a small accommodation. However, to be considered habitable, a studio apartment must comply with specific regulations in terms of height and minimum surface area.
With the entry into force of the Save the House Decreethese rules have been changed, influencing not only the way of designing spaces, but also the living comfort itself.
In this article we will explore the innovations introduced by the Decree and see what effects they could have on the quality of the environments and the livability of studio apartments.
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The new minimum dimensions required by the Salva Casa Decree
Before the entry into force of the Save the House Decreethe law established that a studio flat had to have a minimum surface area of 28 m² for one person and 38 m² for two people, as provided for by the Ministerial Decree of 5 July 1975.
This constraint, although aimed at ensuring a certain level of living comfort, limited the possibilities for construction, especially in large cities where the demand for small, affordable housing is increasingly high.
With the Save the House Decree, these dimensions have been reduced: now a studio flat can have a minimum surface area of 20 m² for a person and 28 m² for two people. This change aims to promote the creation of more affordable and accessible living spaces, without compromising the essential requirements of livability.
Despite the reduction in surface area, in fact, it remains essential to respect other parameters related to lighting, natural ventilation and hygiene and health standards, which we will analyze later.
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Minimum height of rooms and new provisions
In addition to the minimum surface area, another fundamental aspect for the livability of a studio apartment is the internal height of the rooms.
Before the changes introduced by the Salva Casa Decree, the Ministerial Decree of 1975 required that the minimum height of rooms used for housing was 2.70 meterswith the possibility of reducing this value to 2.40 meters only for corridors, hallways, bathrooms and closets.
This parameter was intended to ensure adequate air circulation and a feeling of spaciousness within living spaces.
With the Save the House Decreethe minimum height has been further reduced to 2.40 meters for all living spaces, including studio flats.
This change opens up new possibilities for the design of residential buildings, allowing the creation of rooms with lower ceilings, which can be advantageous in terms of construction costs and energy efficiency. However, the impact of this reduction on habitability and the perception of space is still a matter of debate.
A lower height could, in fact, limit the sensation of openness and brightness of an environment already reduced in terms of surface area.
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Health and hygiene requirements: what changes?
Despite the reductions in the size and minimum height of the rooms, the Save the House Decree does not compromise hygiene and health requirements, which remain fundamental to guaranteeing the quality of life in living spaces.
According to the Ministerial Decree of 5 July 1975these requirements mainly concern the presence of adequate windows and openings, natural ventilation and lighting. In particular, each habitable room – such as the bedroom, living room and kitchen – must be equipped with windows with an opening surface of at least 1/8 of the floor area of the room. This ensures good natural ventilation and adequate lighting.
The Save the House Decreewhile reducing the minimum surfaces, does not make concessions on the healthiness requirements of the spaces. It therefore remains mandatory that every accommodation, including a studio flat, meets these conditions.
Furthermore, the Presidential Decree 380/2001modified by the decree, requires that the qualified designer provide a certification confirming the project’s compliance with health and hygiene standards. This step is essential to ensure that, even in the presence of small surfaces, the accommodation is still livable and safe.
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The adaptability and flexibility of spaces
A crucial aspect that emerges from the legislation is the concept of adaptabilityintroduced by the DM 236/1989 relating to the removal of architectural barriers. Adaptability refers to the possibility of modifying living spaces over time, at low cost, to make them accessible to people with reduced motor or sensory capacity.
This requirement becomes particularly relevant in studio apartments, where space is already limited and every design detail must be thought out to maximize usability.
In the context of studio flats, adaptability mainly concerns the positioning and sizing of furniture, doors and toilets. For example, to ensure the possibility of rotation of a wheelchaira free space of at least 300 cm must be provided 150×150 cmwhich can go up to 170×170 cm for greater convenience.
Doors, moreover, should preferably be sliding to avoid clutter, and the bathroom must offer adequate space for movement, with at least 135×150 cm of free space.
These design features are essential to ensure that the studios are not only habitable, but also flexible over time, allowing for any changes for future needs. Even if the Save the House Decree does not explicitly mention adaptability, it is expected that the engineers in charge will have to demonstrate compliance with this requirement during the design phase.
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Conclusions: a balance between reduced space and living comfort
The changes introduced by the Save the House Decree represent an important evolution in building regulations, allowing the construction of studio apartments with reduced surfaces and heights. Although these new provisions allow for greater flexibility in design and respond to the growing demand for compact housing in urban areas, compliance with hygiene and health requirements and adaptability remain central to ensuring living comfort.
In particular, the reduction of minimum surfaces, from 28 m² to 20 m² for one person, offers new opportunities for the construction of micro-apartments, which can still be comfortable if designed with attention to details, such as natural ventilation, lighting and distribution of space. The challenge will therefore be to find the right balance between reduced space and livability, a theme that will continue to be at the center of the debate in the construction sector in the coming years.
These changes to the regulations will certainly lead to a change in the way of conceiving living spaces, but it will be essential to evaluate whether they will be able to maintain high standards of quality of life. Only time and practice in the field will be able to confirm whether the new rules will actually offer the right compromise between economic needs and living comfort.
