Not So Big House, The A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live

243 Pages·2008·31.94 MB·English

by  Sarah Susanka

Sarah Susanka
with Kira Obolensky
EXPANDED
EDITION
the
not so big
house
A Blueprint for the
Way We Really Live
“Sarah Susanka shows how to
downsize the dream house
without diminishing the dream.”
—the washington post
the not so big house
has sold over 400,000
copies since it was first
published in 1998 and is
widely acknowledged as
the quintessential book
in homebuilding and
design. The author’s “build-
better-not-bigger” message has been embraced by a
generation of readers who are looking for alternatives
to soulless, oversized houses in sprawling subdivisions.
Ten years later, the message is even more relevant.
This special anniversary edition includes a new
introduction and an additional chapter that features
a number of new Not So Big houses whose owners
were inspired by the original book. Focusing on houses
that value quality over quantity and that emphasize
comfort, beauty, and a high level of detail, this new
edition of the home-design classic is sure to be
treasured by fans of Sarah Susanka and embraced by
a new generation of readers.

t
Cover photo: George Heinrich
(Architects: Michaela Mahady and Wayne Branum)
Cc
Text © 2008 by Sarah Susanka
Photos © 2008 by The Taunton Press, Inc., where noted
All rights reserved.
Printed in China
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
The Taunton Press, Inc., 63 South Main Street, PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
e-mail: [email protected]
The first edition of The Not So Big Housewas published in 1998 by The Taunton Press, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in Publication Data
Susanka, Sarah.
The not so big house : a blueprint for the way we really live / Sarah
Susanka with Kira Obolensky. -- 2nd ed.
p. cm.
1st ed. published in 1998.
E-Book ISBN 978-1-62710-161-5
1. Architecture, Domestic--Psychological aspects. 2. Space
(Architecture) 3. Interior architecture--Psychological aspects. I.
Obolensky, Kira. II. Title.
NA7125.S873 2009
728--dc22
2009018546
The following manufacturers/names appearing in The Not So Big House
are trademarks: Corian®, DisneylandSM, Electrolux®, IKEASM, Interface®,
Jaguar®, Lego®, Lexus®, Lutron® Grafik Eye® System, Mercedes®,
Nike®, Nintendo®, Scrabble®.
For our grandchildren
A c k n o w l e d g
University of California, Berkeley. Their remarkable
book, A Pattern Language,published in 1977, struck
me early in my education as the most appropriate
way to think about architectural design, buildings,
and the people who inhabit them. It is largely as a
result of their work, which has provided inspiration
for a generation of architects, that I came to write
my own book.
Next, I want to thank all my past partners and col-
leagues at SALA Architects, Inc. There’s a firmly
held myth in the architecture profession that you
can’t make a living designing homes. The success of
this firm is living proof that you can. Most of the
W images in the book come from the work of my
henever I pick up a book for the colleagues. The individuals responsible for each
first time, I turn straight to the ac- project illustrated, together with the names of the
knowledgments. I’m always im- photographers, are listed in the credits at the back of
pressed by all the people who have the book. Without their creativity and dedication
provided inspiration and helped the author as semble to good design, this book would have been greatly
thetomeinhand.Now,asIneartheendofthisbook’s diminished.
production, I too am in a position to extend thanks I also want to thank architect Robert Gerloff,
to all those who have made this book possible. once an associate with my old firm. Robert wrote a
First, I wish to acknowledge the debt I owe to pivotal article in the 1980s for our local AIA
Christopher Alexander and his colleagues at the Chapter magazine, Architecture Minnesota. In the
m e n t s
article, entitled “Bigger Isn’t (necessarily) Better,” ity and gentle encouragement of young architects
he identified a theme that became a guiding light around the country have been of enormous value.
for our firm. Although we take on projects of all In the actual making of the book, I want to thank
shapes and sizes, it was Robert’s insightful article all the people at The Taunton Press who helped me
that made us realize we could interest our clients through the process. Together with friend, play-
in houses with less square footage built with more wright, and freelance writer Kira Obolensky, we
care and detail. all worked long and hard to make this not only a
A very special thank you to Balthazar and Monica beautiful book but also one filled with ideas to help
Korab, who very kindly supplied images of some change the way we design and build houses today.
of the landmark homes presented here of Frank Kira helped craft my original manuscript into a far
Lloyd Wright, Greene and Greene, and Le Cor- more accessible and readable volume; a better writ-
busier. Balthazar Korab is one of the premier archi- ing partner would have been hard to find.
tectural photographers of his generation, as well as And finally, I must thank all the clients and friends
the father of Christian Korab, whose photographs who graciously allowed us to use images of their
also appear throughout the book. homes to illustrate the ideas in this book, as well as
My admiration for the spatial qualities of Prairie all the builders and craftspeople whose work made
School architecture led me to the work of E. Fay each house sing. Every concept described in this
Jones, whose houses and chapels sing with a beauty book evolved out of a need to find a solution to a
that radiates from within. He inspired me to follow problem presented by a client or clients over the
my heart and design homes that put their emphasis past 25 years. Through their generosity, others are
on beauty and habitability, rather than on unique- being given the opportunity to learn from their ex-
ness. He taught me that it is only through standing periences. Thank you all, and may your homes live
on the shoulders of those masters who have gone up to your dreams and continue to nurture the lives
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before that we can really learn our craft. His humil- of your families for many decades to come.
C o n t e n t s