Average Home Shrinking in Size
Source: Cincinnati Post
Publication date: June 30, 2007
Homes finally appear to be getting smaller. That’s one of the findings from the latest Design Trends Survey by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). This survey focuses on overall home layout and use in the first quarter of 2007, and compares trends with survey results seen in 2006. “This is the first time in three years that respondents said homes were decreasing rather than increasing in size,” said AIA chief economist Kermit Baker, in a phone interview from his Boston office. In the survey, more residential architects report home sizes to be decreasing (26 percent) than report them to be increasing (21 percent). It appears that households are putting less focus on the amount of space in their homes and more focus on how that space is being used. According to the survey, many households are finding that improved use of existing space in their homes reduces the need for more square footage. When they’re asked, baby boomers mostly say they don’t want to move, and the remodeling that people are doing is among evidence of their long-term plans to stay in their homes, Baker said. The strongest trend is homeowners’ desire for accessibility, the survey shows. This is probably due to baby boomers’ being interested in making homes more accessible to themselves as they grow older, or as they care for parents, Baker said. Accessibility generally means wider hallways, fewer steps and single-floor design. Seventy-four percent of the 500 architects who took part reported clients’ interest in greater accessibility. In second and third places, 63 percent noted a focus on outdoor living space, and on informal space. “Accessibility is enhanced when there’s more flexibility in a home’s space,” Baker said. Another point Baker brought up: Households are making the most of their property. “Lots are smaller, land prices are increasing, and there’s much more interest in outdoor living.” To make full use of their outdoor space, design trends architects are seeing include landscaping, fireplaces, courtyards, gazebos and swimming pools, he said. The complete survey is posted on the AIA Web site: www.aia.org/ aiarchitect/thisweek07/0504/0504b — res.cfm.
(c) 2007 Cincinnati Post. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
These are all the materials, excepting the timber, stones, and sand, which I claimed by squatter’s right. I have also a small woodshed adjoining, made chiefly of the stuff which was left after building the house.
-Thoreau’s Walden
-Thoreau’s Walden
Replies
It doesn't really say - Is this information anecdotal, or based on researching ACTUAL home sizes?
Talk is cheap. It doesn't matter what home sizes people TALK about building. What mattters is what goes in the ground.
Also - I wonder what percentage of new homes actually have an archy involved? Around here I'd guess it's less that 1%. But I'm sure that varies a lot.
BossHog,
It doesn't matter what percentage of homes are professionally designed.. What matters is what influeance the professionals have on home design.. plans are copied and changed just enough to avoid copyright laws.. If the pros are designing ranch homes then a lot of ranch homes will be built..
Man, I don't know. Here's the link to the archy board. http://www.aia.orgI intend to build me a house which will surpass any on the main street in Concord in grandeur and luxury, as soon as it pleases me as much and will cost me no more than my present one.-Thoreau's Walden
A lot of clients will also say they're interested in something, such as accessibility . Too often, though, it's further down the list of importance than they'll want to admit.
And accessibility doesn't tend to reduce a building's spatial needs, but just the opposite.
Off topic here:My favorite Mike Warnke quote is...If you just DO the do's, you won't have -time- to do the dont's.
Yeh... That'll work.
I remember that line from some of his albums. Unfortunately it never seemed to work for me.(-:
When a thought is too weak to be expressed simply, it should be rejected. [Vauvenargues]
Being from Cincinnati and getting into a number of new homes every week, I can say this is not my experience. In my particular neighborhood, they are going down the side streets and doing bash and builds of nice ranch homes from the '60s and '70s and putting up McMansions and Garage-Mahals. Just up the street is this year's "Home-a-rama" with homes going for 5-10 times the average home in the neighborhood. Across the street they are starting to build 4000-5000 sq. ft. "retirement homes."
But I am a fan of "The Not So Big House." I just don't see them.
About 20 years ago there were a number of books published like "Boom, Bust and Echo" that purported to predict future trends based on demographics. Our own government (CMHC) also told us all houses would shrink, and I got all excited.
Still waiting. My own experience is that the older the client, the more space they want. Our area is full of retirees who build upwards of 4000sf houses, move in and move away to be closer to town a couple of years later. The only thing that seems to limit house size is money.
"Garage-mahal" is a good one.
Garage-Mahal
I like it! Where did you first hear that term?
Not in Austin, TX. For a laugh (read the posts in reaction to the photo) see the contest the local paper there had. This is one fugly house, but one of an infestation of mushrooms over here in GA as well.http://www.austinchronicle.com/mcmansions/gallery.php?timestamp=0.55745600%201142015057
Garage-Mahal - a large house with a 4+ car garage Courtesy of Click and Clack on Car Talk.
Maybe that's the trend in Cincinnati.
It sure does not seem that way here (DE), everthing I see being built new in my county and the adjacent counties in MD and PA is getting bigger.
Rare to see new construction smaller than 3500 sq. - most is larger.
I remodel so I don't get into much new construction.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
I blame it on global warming. Causing everything to shrivel up.
Ya, shriviling up as they get old and list to the left.
be and no that aint no polijive talkI intend to build me a house which will surpass any on the main street in Concord in grandeur and luxury, as soon as it pleases me as much and will cost me no more than my present one.If I seem to boast more than is becoming, my excuse is that I brag for humanity rather than for myself; and my shortcomings and inconsistencies do not affect the truth of my statement.-Thoreau's Walden