We have a 1940s kit home - 1000 sq ft for the four of us in a great, walkable, diverse neighborhood. The big issue with the older small homes is that they're inefficient and have poor indoor air quality.
We decided to do a Deep Energy Retrofit on our home (you can see it at www.thegreenedhouseeffect.com) where we paired energy efficiency measures like new, triple-pane windows with an exterior foam curtain wall to make the house tight (air-sealed R-30 walls, R-60 roof). Then we added a 4kW PV array.
Not only are our energy bills miniscule now, but we're more comfortable, and our Energy Recovery Ventilator gives us a more healthy indoor environment. We also upgraded the 70-year-old structure to look like new.
Now we have the best of both worlds - a 21st century home in an early 20th century neighborhood.
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The case for smaller homes
- David Maurer
The American dream for the single family detached home is deeply ingrained in our past and present desires, but the future deliverable of this ideal must change. With the recent bust, we've all come to realize that we can no longer live beyond our means in too-large homes on too-large lots. Land is more scarce, construction costs have increased, and natural resources are depleting.
Because of all the pain – and fear – that's been endured with the economic setback, and a sense of environmental responsibility, there seems to be this national desire to downsize and simplify.
The small house is witnessing a strong comeback, not to designs of yesteryear but addressing the needs of a contemporary lifestyle. With this new model – small but livable – there is also a huge responsibility for designers to address the needs of affordability, sustainability, energy efficiency and healthy environments.
Sustainability and affordability can go hand-in-hand if done right. At the simplest level, smaller homes incorporate fewer construction materials. Sensitive design that utilizes standard lumber and material sizes diminishes waste. While it may be true that some sustainable building materials are more expensive than some common mass-produced products, the smaller building size and associated cost savings can more than offset specifying sustainable materials and products.
And think of maintenance. I can't tell you how often I've heard, "I'm just so tired of maintaining a larger home." Whether a new or historic home, we all know that size does significantly matter when it comes to the upkeep of the structure.
When it comes to land usage, we're starting to see more narrow lots, which allow more lots per acre or for the road frontage. This additional density lowers the land costs per unit. With the typical homebuyer's desire for the public front yard and the private rear yard, side yards are becoming increasingly unnecessary. And think of the savings – in both time and money, not to mention the pollution – if everyone didn't have to mow their extensive sideyards...
Smaller homes can contain much the same amenities as much larger homes. Shared open spaces and efficiently designed rooms live much larger than one might first think. In reality, the actual "living" space of most people's living room is quite small; in a larger house the rest of the room is simply excessive space or circulation. By combining the living room and the dining room, for example, the circulation space is halved from a design that has separate rooms. Throw in the kitchen open to this living/dining area and the result is a more socialized layout and utilizes far less space than a conventional 'compartmentalized' house design. Oh, and think of all the furniture you won't have to buy to fill up a larger home...
And then there's energy efficiency and consumption. Properly constructed homes, no matter the size, utilizing the latest in advanced framing, insulation, caulking, and air-sealing techniques can dramatically reduce the usage of energy. It's only obvious then that a smaller home with this same attention to efficiency will result in remarkably low energy usage. For example, some of the small homes that we've designed operate on an average of as little as $30 per month for heating and cooling costs.
Like icing on a cake, the selection of toxic free finishes and materials (or at least with reduced toxicity), can provide a healthier haven for the homeowner. Mechanical systems should strive for better filtration of air and the introduction of outside air (to mitigate recirculation of the same air.) We live over half of our lives in our home - imagine the intangible aspect on your life if you lived in a healthy environment with cleaner air resulting in sleeping better and getting sick less often (and fewer doctor visits.)
So, a small home can offer lower initial costs, less construction materials, less maintenance, lower energy usage, and a healthier environment.
If it's designed right, what's not to like?
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David Maurer
As president of TightLines Designs, David Maurer, AIA, LEED-AP, designs small, energy-efficient and sustainable single-family detached homes. He consults with developers, builders and owners on conservation-based community design, green architecture and historic revitalization, and is a frequent contributor at industry conferences.
