It's hard to believe that it's been ten years since my first book,
The Not So Big House, came out. My life has changed dramatically in the intervening years, but the excitement of receiving my first copy of the book still stands out in my mind as though it happened yesterday. I was so thrilled when The Taunton Press asked me to write some new material for the 10th Anniversary edition.
I was able to correct a few errors (such as making Frank Lloyd Wright two inches shorter than he actually was -- my sincerest apologies, Mr. Wright), and in a new introduction, I was able to fill readers in on my move from Minnesota to North Carolina. But more importantly, with a new last chapter featuring the ten most prominent not so big principles, the 10th Anniversary edition has given me the opportunity to more clearly explain the essence of "not so big-ness."
To illustrate these principles I asked some of my favorite residential architects for examples of not so big houses that came about as a result of their owners reading the first edition. The three homes that were chosen are very "green" in their construction techniques and materials selections, and they beautifully illustrate the potentials of this smaller but better approach to house design.
The Not So Big House 10th Anniversary Edition is available in bookstores or at online.
Click here to order your copy from Amazon, or if you would prefer to get it from your local independent bookstore through IndieBound,
click here.
To whet your appetite, here is one photo from each of the three new houses:
Architect: Bernie Baker, Bernie Baker Architects
Photographer: Ben Benschneider
Location: Washington State
Architect: Eric Odor,
SALA Architects, Minneapolis Office
Photographer: Doug Smith
Location: Minnesota
