Return of McMansions! What happened to the "Not So Big House" Idea?
Updated: 4 days ago
The forgotten lessons from the 2008 Crash and the future of sustainable living
As I look around at the today's residential market and see the return of the ever larger homes, it makes me wonder what happened to the lessons of 2008 crash! More and more builders around town seem to try to distinguish themselves in the luxury market by building larger more elaborate homes than ever.
The bigger house once looked like the safest bet in American life. Then 2008 arrived, and many families learned that square footage can become more of a liability and a burden as quickly as it becomes a status symbol.
The “Not So Big House” idea offered a different promise: build less, but build better. Instead of measuring success by square footage, bedroom count or total area, it asked whether a home fits real life, uses space well, and supports daily comfort without waste.
That lesson matters again. Housing costs remain high, energy bills are a concern, and many homeowners want places that are easier to maintain. The Not So Big House Lessons From the 2008 Crash and the Future of Sustainable Living point toward a more grounded way to design, build, and inhabit homes.
The Not So Big House began as a design correction
The phrase “Not So Big House” is closely tied to architect Sarah Susanka, whose 1998 book helped popularize the movement. The timing was telling. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, new homes in many US markets kept growing. Formal dining rooms, two-story foyers, bonus rooms, and oversized primary suites became common markers of success.
Susanka’s argument was simple and lasting: many homes were large, but not necessarily better or more livable.
A Not So Big House does not mean a tiny house. It means a home scaled to actual needs. Its value comes from quality, proportion, and thoughtful details rather than unused space. The approach favors:
Rooms that serve more than one purpose
Clear connections between kitchen, dining, and living areas
Built-ins that reduce clutter
Natural light and carefully framed views
Human-scale spaces that feel comfortable every day
Better materials used in fewer, more meaningful places
This was never only an aesthetic idea. It was also practical. A smaller, better planned home usually costs less to heat, cool, furnish, clean, and repair. It also asks fewer resources from the start.
The 2008 crash exposed the hidden cost of excess
The housing crash did not happen because homes were too large. It involved lending practices, speculation, weak underwriting, and broader financial failures. Still, the crash made one thing painfully clear: a home should not depend on endless appreciation to make sense.
Before 2008, many buyers stretched for larger houses because they believed values would keep rising. Extra square footage seemed like an investment. After the crash, that logic broke for millions of households.
Some lessons from that period have faded, but they are worth remembering.
A home that is affordable only under perfect conditions is not truly affordable.
The forgotten lesson is not that people should live small at any cost. Families have different needs, and space can support comfort, privacy, and care. The lesson is that more house brings more risk when it leads to higher debt, higher utility costs, longer commutes, and maintenance that competes with everyday life.
The Not So Big House concept offered a quieter form of resilience. It encouraged homes that could adapt through life changes, support lower operating costs, and stay useful without relying on constant expansion.
Smaller spaces shaped modern architecture
Many current architecture trends trace back to Not So Big House thinking, even when they use different language.
Open plans became popular for many reasons, but the best versions use openness with care. They connect daily activities while still creating smaller zones with ceiling changes, partial walls, cabinetry, rugs, or lighting. The goal is not one huge room. The goal is a home that feels connected without becoming noisy or shapeless.
Modern residential design also places more emphasis on transition spaces. Mudrooms, entry benches, laundry zones, pocket offices, and covered outdoor rooms help compact homes work harder. These features solve real problems instead of adding showy square footage.
The movement also influenced how architects think about luxury. Luxury can mean a quiet reading corner with morning light. It can mean a kitchen where everything is within reach. It can mean durable floors, deep window seats, or a covered porch that extends living space for much of the year.
In stronger designs, every square foot has a job.
Sustainability starts with using less well
Sustainable design often brings to mind solar panels, high-performance windows, or electric appliances. Those tools matter. Yet one of the most powerful sustainability choices happens earlier: deciding how much house to build.
A smaller home generally needs fewer raw materials. It has less exterior wall and roof area to weatherproof and maintain. It takes less energy to condition. It also leaves more land available for trees, gardens, stormwater absorption, and habitat.
The Not So Big House idea fits naturally with key sustainable strategies:
Passive solar orientation
Cross-ventilation
High insulation levels
Durable, low-maintenance materials
Efficient mechanical systems
Smaller paved areas
Flexible floor plans that reduce the need to move or remodel later
This does not mean every sustainable home must be minimalist. Comfort still matters. Beauty matters too. A home people love and care for tends to last longer, which is a sustainability benefit in itself.
Current housing trends are bringing the idea back
Today’s housing pressures are different from 2008, but the size question has returned. It reminds us of the failure of the past and how to be more mindful of the future and possibly another burst of the housing bubble. High land costs, construction labor shortages, interest rate changes, and limited inventory all should push buyers and builders to reconsider what a home really needs to be.
Several ideas and trends reflect that same core values:
Accessory dwelling units
ADUs add small, independent living spaces on existing lots. They can support aging parents, adult children, guests, renters, or caregivers without requiring a full-size second house.
Missing middle housing
Duplexes, courtyard homes, cottage courts, and small multiplexes offer more options between single-family homes and large apartment buildings. They can preserve neighborhood scale while adding needed housing.
Smaller custom homes
More homeowners are asking for quality over size. They want efficient plans, lower bills, and spaces tuned to their habits.
Aging in place
Right-sized homes with fewer stairs, wider circulation, good lighting, and adaptable bathrooms can support people through more stages of life.
Work-from-home adjustments
The pandemic years showed that homes need flexible spaces, not necessarily more rooms. A small office nook with acoustic separation can be more useful than a rarely used formal room.
Habitat Architecture and the next step in sustainable design
At Habitat Architecture our approach to sustainable design starts with the site, the climate and most importantly the people who will live in the home. Rather than treating sustainability as a product package added at the end, it treats the whole home as an integrated system.
That means asking practical questions early:
Where does the winter sun enter?
Which windows need shade in summer?
How can the plan reduce wasted hallways?
What materials will age well in this region?
Can outdoor space make the home live larger?
How can rooms change use over time?
This approach pairs well with the Not So Big House philosophy because both value intention. A compact home must be designed carefully. Storage, daylight, acoustics, privacy, and circulation all matter more when there is less room for mistakes.
The best sustainable homes do not feel like compromises. They feel comfortable, inviting, durable, and well fitted to daily life.
The future is right-sized
The lasting power of the Not So Big House is that it never asked people to give up comfort. It asked them to define comfort more honestly.
The 2008 crash reminded the country that housing choices carry long-term consequences. Bigger can mean more freedom for some households, but it can also mean more fragility. Smaller, smarter, and better built can create a different kind of wealth: lower stress, lower energy use, stronger neighborhoods, and homes that age gracefully.
The future of sustainable living will not be measured only by technology. It will be measured by restraint, care, and design that respects both people and place. A not-so-big home, done well, is not a step down. It is a clearer idea of what a home can be.
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