Not So Much
Small House
You may not be surprised to learn that downsizing homes is the popular thing to do these days. It makes sense in this challenging economic cycle. The Californian (Jan. 17, 2009) ran an article about the trend toward smaller houses. The National Association of Home Builders stated that the average house size, which grew from 1,750 sq. ft. to 2,479 sq. ft. in 2007 was starting to reverse. The article cited a survey by the American Institute of Architects taken in April, 2008, which found twice as many architects reporting a size decline rather than an increase in their residential projects. Ten years ago, architect Susan Susanka wrote the book, Not So Big House, which has sold more than 400,000 copies according to its book jacket. Its success has spawned a number of similar titles by the same author, not to mention others who have jumped on the bandwagon. The biggest house we ever designed was 7,500 square feet for a Silicon Valley couple who were planning to relocate to a thirty-acre site in Carmel Valley. Besides the main house and garage, we designed a detached office and art studio, plus a guesthouse. The dot-com bust put an end to that project, and the property remains undeveloped. Our clients are now asking for smaller homes. With thoughtful design, interior space can be used more efficiently and construction costs can be lowered. It may be that homeowners are looking to maximize their investment with a reasonably sized home, well designed and fitted to current budgets.
-TJC