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Space
that is "rarely" used is not the same thing as unnecessary. Single use space is
not necessarily bad.
Until
it snowed yesterday (NYC) I haven't been in my tool shed since I put away my
lawn mower. (Yes there is grass in NYC ) in October. Still this space is
necessary. Some single use space is desireable. I don't like playing the
piano with anyone around, including my wife. My wife doesn't like to do
yoga with anyone around. Personal meditation space is desired by both of
us. Maybe if we lived in the country (we're in the process of doing so) we would
need less space, but after going from home to subway to work to subway to home
we both need personal space.
Rarely
used but necessary space:
tool/garden shed
work
room (wood working/ car repair, etc...)
Single
use space includes
study
exercise room -- example: currently I go
to gym. I might not own the building but the building material, HVAC, etc... is
there for my use.)
laundry room
the
list can go on and on and change per individual needs.
This
is not to say that some people aren't incredibly wasteful, only that less
in not necessarily better. What ever you have, no matter how much, if you
use it, it's not wasted. No matter how little you have, if you don't use it, it
is wasted.
I have
a ton of books -- I use them ALL, not each one all the time, but all of them
some of the time. There are people I know who have 10 books and never look at
them. My 1000+ books are used, their 10+ are wasted. At the same time others
have 1000+ of records and use them. I have a few and I don't. Mine are being
wasted.
--
glm
-----Original Message-----
From:
Mary Ann Lynch [mailto:m.lynch21@gte.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 08,
2002 12:05 PM
To: greenbuilding@crest.org
Subject: [GBlist]
Re Monster Buildings
I have been following this discussion and am also acquainted with the
"Not So Big House" book. I am planning to sell my "overly big" suburban
house and build a "not so big" energy efficient home and have been thinking
about size and design issues a lot. I agree that there seems to be a
tendency to build a monster house, if you can afford it. I think some of
that has to do with our culture in which one of the ways that affluence and
power is measured is by the size of one's house. The bigger it looks,
the better it is. I live in a Dallas suburb and that has certainly
shaped the way houses are built here. Also, we fall prey to the dictum
that for a house to be marketable it must have certain features, namely formal
living rooms and dining rooms, rooms that are rarely if ever used but occupy a
large amount of space and decorating dollars. I have heard this over and
over again. In the past, I have accepted it and allowed it to shape my
choices in housing. A final thought - As one's financial means grow, it
becomes more affordable to have more single use rooms and appliances.
Stories I have read about monster houses describe rooms dedicated to such
purposes as wrapping gifts. (Another sign of wealth, not only can they
afford to have a room used only for gift wrapping, but the implication is that
they are so wealthy and generous, they can afford to do a lot more gift giving
(and wrapping) than most of us do.) Gourmet food magazines offer us
specialized food preparation tools, items that will rarely be used but will
need to be stored (...more space requirements generated).
My personal experience tells me that Susanka is right. Sole purpose
rooms, especially if off the beaten track, will rarely be used. Most
activity will take place in a few areas of the house, even if that wasn't the
original design plan. So, while I am not a fan of very large houses, I
think the real issue has to do with how the house is designed. Space
that is rarely if ever used is a bad investment for the owner and the
environment. Space that is not comfortable for use or that doesn't meet
the owner's needs may also be a poor investment in that it won't be enjoyed
and will probably be stimulate the owner to move or add more space onto the
house in an attempt to make it more comfortable. Ironically, while
additions often times do create more useable space, I think what often really
happens as a consequence is that use patterns shift and the original space in
the house becomes unused. Such an interesting topic... Meanwhile, I
continue to strive to optimize the design of my "not so big" house to
be. Thanks for an interesting and thought provoking discussion.
Mary Ann
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