Eartheasy Book Review:

The Not So Big House
       by Sarah Susanka

This review of Sarah Susanka's book The Not So Big House also includes review of her two companion books: Creating the Not So Big House, insights and ideas for the New American Home and Not So Big Solutions for your Home

In thinking of houses, do we assume that bigger is better? Is it right to build houses as large as we can possibly afford? The author gently encourages us to question our society’s basic assumptions about the benefits of larger homes, and to realize the benefits to the environment of smaller, greener constructed homes. Sarah Susanka explains how it is possible to combine the beauty of a large home with the efficiency of a small home.

Because some of these ideas are new, she wishes to provide homeowners with the design language they need to ask for what they want: a house that values quality over quantity and that emphasizes comfort, beauty, and a high level of detail. Because much of our dreams of home are unconscious and intuitive, this evolving language will explain what we want from our dwellings. She credits much of her inspiration for this project to the landmark book A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander and U.C.Berkeley collegues, published in 1977. This study is a fascinating collection of concepts or patterns about human space.

As an architect Ms. Susanka met many people who were discouraged about new home plans which had too much space and not enough substance. These homeowners want an alternative to the huge impersonal “starter castles” that are filling up new developments. Starting in the ‘80’s, this notion that bigger is better led to houses designed to impress rather than nurture. As the author says, “The problem is that comfort has almost nothing to do with how big the space is. It is attained by tailoring and personalizing homes to fit the way we really live and the scale and proportion of the human form.”

In other words, when building or remodelling, evaluate what really makes you feel at home. Concentrate on putting your money toward what you like rather than settling for sheer volume and size. For instance, how often do you use a formal dining room? It’s a common perception that when space is overscaled in relation to our own size, more often than not it doesn’t feel comfortable. The use of very high ceilings is an example. Ms. Susanka’s books assure us that it is possible to have a new home with the quality and character of an older one but designed for today’s more informal lifestyles, reflecting the unique personality and needs of its inhabitants.

The author’s first two hardcover books feature photos of beautiful and intriguing homes across North America. Although I enjoyed these books, I mused that the homes looked quite big and expensive, leading me to wonder “How big is not so big?" The author's response is that "not so big" does not necessarily mean small, just not as big as you thought youmay have needed. Her rule of thumb is that it is approximately a third smaller than your original goal, but about the same price as your original budget. The house will have smaller square footage but actually feel much larger. How this can be creatively achieved is demonstrated page after page.

The smaller paperback Not So Big Solutions for Your Home represents a collection of articles she wrote for Fine Homebuilding Magazine. Practical and achievable answers are offered for a range of household challenges. I found especially informative, “Understanding the effects of ceiling height” and “Planning makes recycling easy”. Her discussion on light sources like skylights, windows, and fixtures is well-detailed. I felt much of the material presented in her first book, The Not So Big House, was repeated in the other two books of the series.

Sarah Susanka believes there is a vast audience for the simple message that we can do more with space, resulting in a home that feels bigger and works better. She is optimistic that we will find answers which are less resource consumptive and far more satisfying to the soul. We appreciate her endeavors and look forward to her future contributions.

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reviewed by:
Lindsay Seaman
Reviewer, Eartheasy.com

The Not So Big House, by Sarah Susanka

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