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  • From: tvoivozhd <tvoivozd AT infionline.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Homestead] Re Susanka and my favorite AP House of the Week design.
  • Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 17:23:07 -0500

Lisa Perry wrote:

Architect Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House series, was featured this morning in an article in The Roanoke Times. Roanoke was chosen as the city to host the international C2C Home Design Competition (C2C stands for Cradle to Cradle, from a book entitled Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way we Make Things). She was one of the architects to judge the winning design which will be built in Roanoke.

www.notsobighouse.com/
www.*susanka*.com/

tvoivozhd---yeah, I wish I were in good enough shape to go talk to her. I agree with Gene---the houses she actually builds are two times or more larger than my mental picture of a good small house, and the damned things have a too-complicated roof structure, in addition to two stories---hardly a Usonian clone. I suspect giantism is still too firmly imbedded in the housing market for an architect to make a living designing small houses in the 1000 to 1300 square foot range.. When I was in the land development and tract housing business, most of my houses were 1000 to 1200 square feet. Used an onsite mobile home for sales, and it was so busy it looked like a doctor's office.


Here is my favorite, which my oldest daughter will probably build on this property---The view unfortunately is north, so those windows will require some type of ihsulation---I favor double glass with a foam-generator. Years ago I would have gone for a Zomeworks beadwall. A foam-generator is a lot less complex.



http://www.orderhomeplans.com/main.asp?hspos=HOWNET&action=plandetail&hsgv=1&sessionid={40BBC2C4-F81B-4073-AB8C-FFD6A9B04B2D}&view=main&planid=11025

Plan No. K-688-D 1340 square feet.


http://www.orderhomeplans.com/main.asp?hspos=HOWNET&action=plandetail&hsgv=1&sessionid={40BBC2C4-F81B-4073-AB8C-FFD6A9B04B2D}&view=floorplans&planid=11025#views

(floor plan)

I would make some changes---no basement and use the stair well as a pantry.

Also, take out the partition between kitchen counter and dining room.

The main entry should point straight south and a greenhouse wall run from the corner of bedroom #2 to the far corner of the garage.

The fireplace should be removed---and at the corner of that wall and bathroom wall, a bricked corner to receive a small backup woodstove, with double-wall stainless stovepipe going through roof above. Nobody needs a fireplace stuck in the center of the best view, and nobody needs a fireplace anyway. I might add a tip-in firewood container to feed the backup woodstove---but would add it later in any event. The greenhouse and house slab thermal storage should do sufficiently well to heat the house even in our coldest weather.

I would probably also alter the eyebrow ---the plan says it is a clerestory (a good idea) but it really isn't. Clerestories are great for light and ventilation, with enough overhang to keep out the summer sun. I guess the eyebrow thing is supposed to be cute---I do not find it to bel I would extend it to light the interior better and forget about being cute.





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