Sarah Susanka’s ‘not so big’ design ideas for the post-recession economy

The plans and photos shown here are of the Not So Big Showhouse at SchoolStreet, in Libertyville Illinois, a bungalow inspired New Urban community of 26 single family homes being built on a previously foreclosed property in Libertyville, Illinois.  The land, which sits just a block away from Libertyville’s main street, was originally platted for attached townhomes. 

The new developer, John McLinden of StreetScape Development, decided to keep the lot widths—just 29’ wide—but propose single family homes instead of townhouses.  The city agreed, and the result is a charming street of reasonably priced and beautifully designed bungalow-inspired homes.  You can learn more about the project at www.notsobigshowhouse.com.

You can read more about the energy efficiency and sustainability features of this house at: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs092/1101567186420/archive/110924564....

And you can read more about the home’s design features here: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs092/1101567186420/archive/110929340....

1.    Sustainable in a Not So Big, and Not So Expensive Way

In the current economy there’s a new focus on green design as buyers look for ways to keep their long-term utility and maintenance costs down.  One of the key tenets of Not So Big House design is that the home be right-sized to fit the real needs of the homeowners.  This doesn’t mean small though.  Not So Big is about creating homes that are livable, comfortable, beautiful, and functional.  It’s about eliminating the seldom-used spaces so that every available dollar goes into square footage that’s in use every day.  And it’s about using materials, practices and technologies that are energy efficient and sustainable, as well as cost effective.

One of the key features of the Not So Big Showhouse shown below is its sustainability, with every component selected for both effectiveness and price.  The house also allows its owners to monitor and control their own consumption habits, much as hybrid vehicles today allow drivers to monitor and adjust their driving habits to reduce fuel and power consumption.  This isn’t rocket science, and with today’s technologies, it doesn’t have to be expensive either.  All that’s required is that we be able to see what we’re consuming and where.  I firmly believe that our houses will become a lot more energy efficient when we recognize that our own monitoring of what’s happening is a key ingredient in keeping costs down. 

2. Front Porches that Really Work for an Increased Sense of Community

After the tough economic times we’ve been through recently, homebuyers have come to value a sense of community and engagement with neighbors. Many people love the notion of having a comfortable front porch, where they can hang out in the evenings and on weekends and connect with friends and neighbors strolling the neighborhood, just as it was with communities of a century ago.  But no matter how beautiful that porch might be, if it’s separated from the everyday living space within the house by a formal living room, dining room, or front parlor, it’s not likely to get much use—out of sight, out of mind. So to facilitate movement outside when the weather allows, the primary living space—in this case the kitchen and eating area—have been placed adjacent to the front porch.

By giving every house its own comfortably proportioned front porch accessed from primary living spaces, placing the front porch close to the street, and keeping the width of the street to a reasonable minimum so that the two sides feel like part of one thing, the opportunity for those neighborly connections rises dramatically.

Private space is also important, of course, but having the option to move out toward the street to enjoy the neighborhood and each other is an asset that’s hard to put a price on.