Sarah Susanka

Few architecture books have had the staying power of Sarah Susanka, FAIA's The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live. Ten years (and several sequels) later, the book's core message about the value of thoughtful, personalized design continues to resonate with an ever-expanding range of homeowners, giving them the tools to recognize good design and the language to express their design needs. More

sarah susanka's "not so big" message is more relevant than ever a decade after its debut. More

The first time I remember hearing about green building was in the early-'70s, when a perfect blend of hippie culture and rising oil costs resulted in, among other things, houses called "earth ships" that incorporated wall systems made from old tires filled with dirt. But also, through some hits and mostly misses, that period also led to a greater understanding of energy efficiency, moisture control, and comfort, and many of today's lasting improvements can be directly tied to those early "experiments." More

In her latest book, The Not So Big Life (Random House, $24.95), residential architect Sarah Susanka, FAIA, focuses her formidable problem-solving skills not just on our houses but on our very lives. More

As Sarah Susanka's Not So Big Showhouse aptly illustrates, we've come a long way from the days when sustainability was unsightly. Thousands of attendees at this year's International Builders' Show in Orlando toured the 2,660-square-foot house, which marries earth-friendly features with innovation and style. More

By now familiar to most builders, SIPs are made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) or polyisocyanurate rigid foam insulation sandwiched between two structural sheets of oriented strand board. About 12,000 homes were built with SIPs in 2002, according to the Gig Harbor, Wash.-based Structural Insulated Panel Association.Considering how many houses are erected annually, this number is barely a blip on the national radar. The technology, however, is gaining acceptance. Even the nation's largest home builder, Pulte, is testing the viability of producing large quantities of SIPs houses. More

Ever since it rose to nationwide prominence as one of Levittown's main house types, the Cape's spare, one-and-a-half-story elevation has captivated home buyers. “People feel a Cape looks like home,” says Sarah Susanka, AIA, author of the More

By most measures, it was one of the most successful home-building conventions since the '80s. So, why did I come back with a little dark cloud over my head? More

The next best thing to cloning yourself is to clone your plans, tweaking the design to make it appealing to a variety of clients and sites. More

Susanka is on a mission to demystify and improve residential architecture. And in teaching the lay public to understand and value well-designed houses, she's also helped them to appreciate the skills of residential architects. More