Small house movement
Encyclopedia
The small house movement is a popular description for the architectural and social
movement that advocates living in small home
s. It is particularly vocal in the USA, where the book The Not So Big House is credited with starting the backlash against supersized homes.
Sarah Susanka
has been credited with starting the countermovement toward smaller houses when she published The Not So Big House in 1997.
In the USA in 2005, after Hurricane Katrina
, Marianne Cusato
developed the Katrina Cottages that start at 308 square feet (28.6 m²) as an alternative to FEMA trailer
s. Though these were created to provide a pleasant solution to a disaster zone, Cusato received wider interest in her design from developers of resorts, for example.
With the financial crisis of 2007–2010 the small house movement has attracted more attention as it offers housing that is more affordable in acquisition and maintenance and ecologically friendly.
Concurrently with these events, the interest in very small homes has been revived in other countries: in Japan
, where space is at a premium, Takaharu Tezuka has built the House to Catch the Sky in Tokyo
, a 458 square feet (42.5 m²) home for four; in Barcelona, Spain
, Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores presented 300 square feet (27.9 m²) House in a Suitcase; in England
, Abito created intelligent living spaces apartments of 353 square feet (32.8 m²) in Manchester
; and the Micro Compact Home (M-CH) is a high end small house developed by the British architect Richard Horton and the Technical University of Munich
. The M-CH is a 76 square feet (7.1 m²) cube, designed for 1–2 persons, and has functional spaces for sleeping, working/dining, cooking, and hygiene.
Small houses represent not just a reduction in size but emphasize design over size, utilize dual purpose features and incorporate technological advances of space saving equipment and appliances.
Ironically though, as small houses are very attractive to people looking for a second home, their increased utilization may lead to development of more land. People interested in building a small home can encounter institutional “discrimination” when building code
s require minimum size well above the size of a small home. Also, neighbors may be hostile because they are afraid of a threat to their property values. However, this concern may be baseless as there is evidence that they actually increase property values through increases in density. Ironically, there has also been opposition based on this fact, due to concerns about increased taxes.
Social movement
Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals or organizations focused on specific political or social issues, in other words, on carrying out, resisting or undoing a social change....
movement that advocates living in small home
Home
A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...
s. It is particularly vocal in the USA, where the book The Not So Big House is credited with starting the backlash against supersized homes.
Background
While in developed countries family size has been generally shrinking, in some countries family homes have grown in size, notably in the United States where the average size of new single family homes grew from 1780 square feet (165.4 m²) in 1978 to 2479 square feet (230.3 m²) in 2007. Reasons for this include increased material wealth and prestige.Sarah Susanka
Sarah Susanka
Sarah Susanka, FAIA is an English-born American-based architect, an author of nine best-selling books, and a public speaker...
has been credited with starting the countermovement toward smaller houses when she published The Not So Big House in 1997.
In the USA in 2005, after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, Marianne Cusato
Marianne Cusato
Marianne Cusato is a designer, educator, author, and urban designer based in Greenwich Village in New York City. She was the designer of the "Katrina Cottage," conceived in 2005 as an alternative to the FEMA emergency trailers supplied to some of the newly-homeless survivors of Hurricane Katrina...
developed the Katrina Cottages that start at 308 square feet (28.6 m²) as an alternative to FEMA trailer
FEMA trailer
The term FEMA trailer,or FEMA travel trailer, is the name commonly given by the United States Government to many forms of temporary manufactured housing assigned to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita or other events, by the Federal Emergency Management Agency...
s. Though these were created to provide a pleasant solution to a disaster zone, Cusato received wider interest in her design from developers of resorts, for example.
With the financial crisis of 2007–2010 the small house movement has attracted more attention as it offers housing that is more affordable in acquisition and maintenance and ecologically friendly.
Concurrently with these events, the interest in very small homes has been revived in other countries: in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where space is at a premium, Takaharu Tezuka has built the House to Catch the Sky in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, a 458 square feet (42.5 m²) home for four; in Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores presented 300 square feet (27.9 m²) House in a Suitcase; in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Abito created intelligent living spaces apartments of 353 square feet (32.8 m²) in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
; and the Micro Compact Home (M-CH) is a high end small house developed by the British architect Richard Horton and the Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich
The Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
. The M-CH is a 76 square feet (7.1 m²) cube, designed for 1–2 persons, and has functional spaces for sleeping, working/dining, cooking, and hygiene.
Pro and con
“Supersized” homes, however, are costly in terms of building, taxes, heating, maintenance and repair. But the advantages of a small home exceed basic economics; such houses change the way people live and are attractive for people who want to lead a less cluttered and complicated life and reduce their ecological impact. The typical size of a small home seldom exceeds 500 square feet (46.5 m²).Small houses represent not just a reduction in size but emphasize design over size, utilize dual purpose features and incorporate technological advances of space saving equipment and appliances.
Ironically though, as small houses are very attractive to people looking for a second home, their increased utilization may lead to development of more land. People interested in building a small home can encounter institutional “discrimination” when building code
Building code
A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. The main purpose of building codes are to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the...
s require minimum size well above the size of a small home. Also, neighbors may be hostile because they are afraid of a threat to their property values. However, this concern may be baseless as there is evidence that they actually increase property values through increases in density. Ironically, there has also been opposition based on this fact, due to concerns about increased taxes.
External links
- Small House Society
- Small House Style, web magazine featuring small house and home designs, plans, kits, etc.
- Sarah SusankaSarah SusankaSarah Susanka, FAIA is an English-born American-based architect, an author of nine best-selling books, and a public speaker...
, Kira Obolensky The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live Taunton (1998), ISBN 1-60085-047-2 - The Not So Big House website
- Buyers Flock To Ridiculously Small Homes During Downturn - slideshow at The Huffington PostThe Huffington PostThe Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...