When Smaller is Better

Check out this recent article from the Champlain Business Journal, in which Lee Grutchfield weighs in on why building smaller is better...

When smaller is better - More homebuyers becoming partial to smaller homes
By Joy Perrino Choquette

Published May 11, 2010

Rendering by TruexCullins, Photo by Susan Teare

Phrases like “make that a double,” “super-size it” and “bigger is better” are heard just about everywhere in today’s society. The belief that bigger is better has long been common: kings in ancient times strategized to grow their kingdoms further than other kings; during the Victorian Age, terms like “small” and “simple” were mocked.

While the long-held belief in the housing market has been that bigger is better, that appears to be changing. “I prefer to design with an emphasis on quality rather than quantity, and this value resonates with my clients,” said Christian Brown of Christian Brown Design in Jericho.

Brown said he’s noticed a trend of individuals seeking out smaller homes for a number of reasons. “Some clients are in a position of wanting to downsize once their kids have left home,” he said.

Others are interested in building a home that has a smaller environmental impact. According to Brown, this is one of the most significant ways that clients can decrease their carbon footprint: by building as small as possible. A third reason to build smaller? Cost.

Lee Grutchfield, an architect with TruexCullins in Burlington, readily agrees with Brown’s assessment of the current trend toward smaller houses. “We are definitely seeing more clients telling us they want a house that is reasonably sized,” said Grutchfield.

“As architects, we can help them understand the benefits of building smaller, such as less expensive, less energy usage etc., but we can also help them use space efficiently and give them something that is very satisfying,” said Grutchfield. “There is an art to making small houses.”

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