n. A small building or structure that has been added to an existing, larger building, particularly when the styles of the two structures are noticeably different.
2014
Small-scale densification: Alternatives such as tiny laneway houses and 'parasite' buildings are popping up in lieu of big-box condos.
2013
The interplay of new and old varies greatly from a totalizing wrap (Enric Miralles’s Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona, blanketed by a roof of colorful tiles) to an opportunistic parasite (the glass ribbon grafted onto a fire and police station in Berlin by Sauerbruch Hutton). Even within the same category, differences emerge: One parasite-building surrounds and hides its host, while another, the 100-square-foot Rucksack House, perches lightly on the side of any host-building from which it’s slung.
2004 (earliest)
Charlie Luxton wants to buck the system and solve Britain's housing crisis. His answer? A modified shipping container fitted out as a mini-home that he tries out in different locations over the next four nights. Tonight he puts it on a rooftop, and visits other successful "parasite buildings" here and abroad.