. . . but we built an architect-designed passive solar house with a little over 800 s.f. heated and cooled. It had a full basement and an unheated solarium with a solar mass (huge concrete cube buried in the ground) on the south side, but the actual living space was just 800 s.f. + or -.
Nice spacious master b.r., big living room, galley kitchen, good sized bath with dressing room. Plenty of closet space on the north side (doubles as insulation).
It was perfect for a couple, plenty of room, but a bit crowded for 3, and when we had our 2nd child we had to sell. Now that our last kid is out of the house I'd happily build another, although I'd probably bump up to around 900 s.f. to get a bigger kitchen.
That kind of house really appeals to me. Can you tell us more? Where it was, how well the passive heating cooling worked, architect’s name, pictures?
Thank you for sharing - I’ll bet that is a hot property now.
It is interesting to note how the idea of a “small home” has changed in the US over time.
Levitown, NY was build between 1947 and 1951 - some call it the original suburban community - with the ‘large’ ranch homea a whopping 800 sq ft. Considered large at the time, today they are seen as tiny cracker box homes.
My daughter (and hubby + 3 children) live in a 900 sq ft home, a bit cramped at times - but they manage well. There are many homes in Anchorage that are under 800 sq ft, tho many have basements.
When you pay to heat a home for 9+ months a year, the home tends to be smaller. Not a lot of solar heating here, unfortunatly.
Anyway, we are amazed at the size of some homes we see on these cable channel shows - massive edifice complexs for one or two people....
I suppose in the end, we are blessed to live in a Nation where - up to now - these choices are a matter for an individual (and thier bank) for how they wish to live.