Podcast appearances and mentions of Sarah Susanka

Build Show Expert Steve Baczek joins Matt to discuss the most recent Build Original Series, Multigenerational Home on a Budget. Initially, the discussion highlights how remodeling projects reveal past construction flaws, emphasizing the need for proper techniques to avoid future issues. Experts like Energy Vanguard are praised for their precise HVAC system designs, which ensure air tightness and energy efficiency, avoiding the costly mistakes of oversizing equipment. Matt & Steve encourage builders to invest in better materials and planning to save costs in the long run, advocating for smaller, well-built homes rather than larger, poorly constructed ones.Further, the Experts touch on the European approach to housing, where quality and longevity are prioritized over mere cost per square foot. They provide examples of smart budgeting, such as using cost-effective materials and designs that do not compromise on air quality or insulation. Since they are talking about a project for a multigenerational home, Steve & Matt delve into family dynamics in home design, suggesting shared spaces for children to foster closer relationships. This approach contrasts with the American tendency to prioritize space and cost over quality and interaction.Overall, both emphasize the value of thoughtful, quality-focused construction and remodeling. They advocate for hiring knowledgeable professionals, investing in durable materials, and considering family needs in design. Finally, Steve & Matt emphasize the value of educational events and resources for builders, underlining the importance of passing on expertise to ensure better building practices in the industry.Resources:Energy Vanguard: https://www.energyvanguard.com/“Not So Big House” & More by Sarah Susanka: https://susanka.com/Find Steve Baczek on the web:Steve's Build Show Videos: https://buildshownetwork.com/go/stevebaczekInstagram: @stevenbaczekarchitectWebsite: https://stevenbaczekarchitect.com/info/YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@stevenbaczekarchitect9431UnBuild It Podcast: https://buildshownetwork.com/podcast/unbuildit-podcastFind Matt and The Build Show on the web:Build Show Videos: https://buildshownetwork.com/go/mattrisingerInstagram: @risingerbuild and @thebuildshowTikTok: @thebuildshowYouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@buildshowWebsite: https://risingerbuild.com/ and https://buildshownetwork.com/Join us at Build Show LIVE this November 7-9 in Austin, TX. Click here to stay in the know. Don't miss a single episode of Build Show content. Sign up for our newsletter.

Things that hold other things, and a store that sells them. A store that sells those things but also groceries! Tiny things. And drawing people out about all the things. You can learn a lot about what you value by examining what you love, the way Katie helped me do in this edition of Doing What Works.Here are your show notes…Marie Kondo suggests you keep only what's beautiful or useful.The Container Store is my favorite!Sarah Susanka is a fan of better, not bigger, spaces.Barbara Sher said horses run because they love it, and suggested you do things for the same reason.

You may have spotted one in a park, at the edge of the woods, or in a parking lot in the middle of the countryside. Tiny houses on wheels or up on a trailer have been springing up like mushrooms for a number of years. The tiny-house trend is a social and architectural movement that demonstrates a desire to return to simplicity by downsizing living spaces.  The tiny-house revolution started in the United States in the 1970s. The idea gained momentum thanks to English-born architect Sarah Susanka, the originator of the “Not So Big” residential architecture philosophy. Further exponential growth of their popularity can be linked to a number of events, including hurricane Katrina that swept over the United States and prompted the need for fast mass housing construction.  Where does this idea come from? But what are the perks of going tiny? How do you move into a Tiny House? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is the internet of senses? What is goblin mode? What should I eat before going to bed? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes you have to start with a memoir (that you never publish) to figure out who you are and where you're going. Today's guest has a nice impressive bio—but 8 years ago, she was just a writer staring at a screen and working on, as many of us do when we first start, a memoir. Emily Grosvenor is the editor of Oregon Home magazine, Willamette Week's design publication Nester. She's also written for The Atlantic, Salon, Good Housekeeping, and others. But ALSO like so many of us, she started as a generalist, freelancing from the familiar “write what you know” place. New place, children, parenthood, cooking, trying to navigate finding adult life or living with a partner? Write about it.But a funny thing happened on the way to that memoir: She realized she didn't want to keep living in that space. And when the memoir didn't sell, Emily found the opportunity to write about something she really wanted to explore—and figured out how she fit into the market. Links from the podFoundry Media Literary Agency “exploded”Sarah Susanka's Your Not-So-Big LifeSeth Godin's Purple CowPia somebody, Badass Your BrandBonus: Rachael Herron's Fast-Draft Your Memoir in 45 Hours (because that might be the way you plow your way through what you need to write to find out what you want to write)Sign up for Emily's Design Shift Newsletter HERE.(Our episode on email lists 151: #StartHereforEmailLists)Emily on Instagram @EmilyGrosvenorBook: Find Yourself at Home: A Conscious Approach to Shaping Your Space and Your Life#AmReadingEmily: Marie Kondo's Kurashi at HomeKJ: Start More than You Can Finish, Becky BladesHEY NOVELISTS—Did you finish NaNoWriMo? Would you like to know what to do next with that pile of words you worked so hard to create? Here's a group of Author Accelerator certified book coaches dedicated to walking you through the process of finishing your draft or tackling revision—and they have put together a host of free resources to get you started.Check out  www.nanonowwhat.com to learn more about these fantastic book coaches and how they can get you from NaNo success to a draft that's ready to pitch or publish.Want to BE one of those book coaches? Our partners at Author Accelerator have super-fun BONUSES for anyone who signs up book coach training before the end of 2022. Learn more at bookcoaches.com to find out if 2023 will be the year you launch a book coaching business or level up the one you already have. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Sarah Susanka is an architect, prolific author, and visionary thinker credited with starting the tiny house movement. She's changed the way huge amounts of people see the world, but she insists the way to create change is by thinking small and attending to the everyday challenges you see in front of you. I talked to Sarah with a co-host, returning podcast guest Ross Chaplin—creator of “pocket neighborhoods.” This was an incredible opportunity to speak with two highly influential figures in architecture and design who both see their work as being in service to humanity and wellbeing. We spoke about how they were both deeply influenced by the work of Christopher Alexander and his book A Pattern Language, the importance of building with love, the authenticity of designing for human well-being, and how to create change that truly shifts culture. To learn more about Sarah's ideas and work, visit susanka.com and watch her TEDx talk. 

This episode we're talking about Architecture Non-Fiction! We discuss statement architecture vs everyday architecture, subway stations, terrible people, and a big book of fun facts! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | RJ Edwards Things We Read (or tried to…) Tadao Ando: Houses by Philip Jodidio  The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live by Sarah Susanka and Kira Obolensky The Man in the Glass House: Philip Johnson, Architect of the Modern Century by Mark Lamster Soviet Metro Stations by Christopher Herwig and Owen Hatherley There, unfortunately, isn't another book, Matthew just misunderstood what the essay was called. Matthew's photos of Soviet metro stations The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you've never noticed (YouTube) Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace by Nikil Saval Other Media We Mentioned 99% Invisible The Gentrification of the Mind: Witness to a Lost Imagination by Sarah Schulman The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape by James Howard Kunstler Landscape Architecture: A Very Short Introduction by Ian H. Thompson @brutal_zen (Instagram) @sosbrutalism (Instagram) Soviet Bus Stops by Christopher Herwig Soviet Bus Stops, vol. 2 by Christopher Herwig Mini Metro Corridors: Passages of Modernity by Roger Luckhurst Icebergs, Zombies, and the Ultra Thin: Architecture and Capitalism in the Twenty-First Century by Matthew Soules Anime Architecture: Imagined Worlds and Endless Megacities by Stefan Riekele Links, Articles, and Things Nonfiction Is Cool, and Our Kids Know It (article RJ mentioned about the five different types of non-fiction) Matthew's Lego version of Vancouver 12 Architecture books/publications by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) Authors Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers' Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here. My Life as An Architect in Tokyo by Kengo Kuma Zaha Hadid: The Complete Work by Zaha Hadid The Surreal Visions of Hernán Díaz Alonso/HDA-X by Hernán Díaz Alonso Architecture by Hiroshi Sugimoto Hattiesburg: An American City in Black and White by William Sturkey The Black Skyscraper: Architecture and the Perception of Race by Adrienne Brown Black Built: History and Architecture in the Black Community by Paul Wellington Race and Modern Architecture: A Critical History from the Enlightenment to the Present edited by Irene Cheng, Charles L. Davis II, & Mabel O. Wilson In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki Indigenous architecture through indigenous knowledge : dim sagalts'apkw nisiḿ [together we will build a village] by Patrick Robert Reid Stewart (thesis) The First Nations Longhouse : our home away from home by Verna J. Kirkness and Jo-ann Archibald (WorldCat) Voices of the Land: Indigenous Design and Planning from the Prairies edited by Reanna Merasty, Naomi Ratte, Desiree Theriault, and Danielle Desjarlais Give us feedback! Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email! Join us again on Tuesday,  January 18th we'll be discussing how (and why) 2022 is the Year of Book 2! Then on Tuesday,  February 1st we'll be talking about Amish Romance!

Over the last two decades, tiny homes have taken up a firm place in the collective consciousness and despite no single definition, they generally refer to small buildings (less than 400 sq ft) where space is maximized to create a long-term residence. The wider tiny house movement has gained immense popularity among various demographic groups, and is underscored by a minimalist ethos that “less is more” utilizing formal design and architectural concepts. However the main assumption is that homeowners can increase affordability while reducing the impact of their environmental footprint. Proponents of the movement are keen to work alongside policy makers and planners to address a number of complimentary housing issues. For example, as a solution to a growing housing shortage and affordability crisis in large cities and conurbations on a global level. Also, as a temporary form of housing for frontline workers and to meet the demands of a rising digital workforce. Indeed the tiny house movement is not only gathering momentum but it's also confronting these challenges head on. Tiny homes have a small footprint but they offer a great deal to those people with an open mind; In particular, to adventurous homeowners, to investment property owners and to individuals looking for a simpler lifestyle or vacation. In this episode we invite Jennifer McCarthy, President and Founder of Teacup Tiny Homes based in Lethbridge, Alberta to explain various aspects of the operational side of her business. She discusses the plan models which her company designs and builds; How conforming to the latest building and efficiency codes produces a more sustainable Tiny House; How smaller spaces can be maximized to make them look and feel bigger, and her leadership insights regarding the Tiny Home Industry. We trace the origins of the tiny house movement from early thinkers and adopters such as Sarah Susanka and Jay Shafer, who both influenced the broader conversation about creating a better, more thought out space, emphasizing quality over quantity. We introduce fascinating research which confirms the growing trend of conventional houses getting bigger over the past five decades. New US homes today are 1,000 square feet larger than in 1973 and living space per person has nearly doubled. Interestingly, while houses are getting bigger, family size is getting smaller. We also cite a UCLA social science study reprinted in 2017 which highlights the effects of consumerism and material culture, explaining how empty space has been repurposed for storage use. But on a darker note, how consumer societies are drowning in a “culture of clutter.” In contrast, Tiny Homes offer homeowners the opportunity to value, quality of space over quantity of square footage. Clearly Tiny Homes are an alternative to traditional forms of housing by making us re-examine the underlying housing trends which have created undue societal pressure for decades but most importantly, how we view our quality of life

In this episode, Olivier and Jarrod go in-depth into The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka. Sarah Susanka's best-selling first book, The Not So Big House, “has given homeowners the language they need to ask for the house that they want: a house that values quality over quantity, and emphasizes comfort, beauty, and a high level of detail. Each book in the series, from Creating the Not So Big House to Home By Design, to Not So Big Remodeling, is unique and expands upon this message with fresh writing and new projects to illustrate the Not So Big Principles.” She calls the philosophy “A blueprint for the way we really live.”Website: susanka.comLinks to Resources:Measure and Construction of the Japanese House by Heino EngelJapanese Homes and Their Surroundings by Edward Sylvester Morse101 Things I Learned in Architecture School by Matthew FrederickJapanese ‘engawa' verandasUC Berkeley College of Environmental Design - Wurster HallFollow us on Instagram @makers.on.a.mission!Visit Makers on a Mission to explore more.

 My guest today is like a secret rock star of the tiny house world. I'm sure that she has inspired many of the well-known tiny house designers and thinkers that you know of today. Sarah Susanka published her world-changing book, The Not So Big House, in 1998 and I can't stress enough how inspiring this book was to me when I was designing my tiny house. I think that this conversation will give you a taste of the wisdom and insights that you will gain from Sarah through her book that has now become an entire franchise. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/185In This Episode:The 'Not So Big House' isn't exactly about sizeAbout Sarah's tiny house experienceThinking about space differently because it's in short supplyWho really works with architects and what can they do for you?Reflections on the growth of the tiny house movementThe evolution of social and utilitarian spacesThings you can do to "hack" your house without major renovationsCan ceiling height affect your perception of a space?This Week's Sponsor: Tiny House DecisionsTiny House Decisions is the guide that I wish I had when I was building my tiny house. And it comes in three different packages to help you on your unique tiny house journey. If you're struggling to figure out the systems for your tiny house, how you're going to heat it, how you're going to plumb it, what you're going to build it out, then tiny house decisions will take you through the process systematically and help you come up with a design that works for you. Right now I'm offering 20% off any package of Tiny House Decisions for podcast listeners. Head over to https://www.thetinyhouse.net/thd and use the coupon code tiny at checkout!

Thursday, February 25, 2021, 12 noon WPKN 89.5 FM www.wpkn.org Host: Duo Dickinson Everyone lives somewhere. We all talk about where we live, but more, we think about it. A lot. Especially when we have been under House Arrest lo this entire year. There are two worlds that we go to to consider our options in creating our own home. One is everywhere, especially now in a Connecticut Covid Bounce that has seen prices jump 20%, the Real Estate world. It is a world of marketing, dumbing down everything to a “Style” or “the latest trend”. Whether HOUZZ or Home Depot, our home love is seen a Profit Center Opportunity, and the language of “Buy Now And Save” is the same as that for selling anything, hype over insight, let alone listening to our fondest dreams. The second world of those you can talk to about your biggest asset and risk, where you live, are the designers, builders, architects who make the homes you are thinking about everyday. But a different hype happens. Rather than feign sentimental intimacy of Your “special” needs, architects and designers pose as oracles of cool, hiding their preconceptions in language that you do not understand, but, they hope, will confer wisdom, insight and value. Rooms are “Zones”. Windows and doors are “Openings” or worse,”Fenestration”. Trim becomes “Datum”. Walls become “Planes” and doorways become “Voids”. Seeing outside becomes “Transparency” and spending less on heat is “Sustainable”. Why can’t architect’s just talk the walk of homemaking? Today on HOME PAGE we ask that question of three who have dealt with how we communicate in design in ways that. Give them exceptional insights. Peter Chapman has worked at The Taunton Press for over 30 years and is currently executive editor for Taunton Books. Peter has had a hand in most of the home design books that Taunton has published since 1998, including two from our host, Duo (Staying Put and The House You Build), as well as Sarah Susanka’s best-selling Not So Big House series. In earlier lives, Peter worked as a house painter (church steeples a specialty), educational test compiler, and apple picker.” Gina Calabro is the Executive Director/CEO of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Connecticut). AIA Connecticut serves as a resource to architects and the public. Its membership of over 1,500 is comprised of architects, professionals working towards licensure, architectural students, and business professionals in affiliated fields. Prior to joining AIA Connecticut, she has worked with or lead trade associations as the CEO for the Home Builders and Remodelers Association (HBRA) of Fairfield County, and as the Division Director of Membership and Marketing for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. Kurt Andersen is a writer. His latest book Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America (2020) about how U.S. society was re-engineered during the last quarter of the 20th century to serve big business and the well-to-do at the expense of everyone else. It was a New York Times bestseller, like its companion volume Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire (2017), Andersen’s prize-winning history of America’s weakness for exciting untruths. In addition, he’s the author of four critically acclaimed, bestselling novels –– You Can’t Spell America Without Me (2017), True Believers (2012), Heyday (2007) and Turn of the Century (1999). Andersen also writes for television and the stage, appears regularly on MSNBC and contributes to the New York Times. He co-created and hosted the Peabody Award-winning weekly public radio program Studio 360, co-founded Spy magazine, and was a columnist and design critic for The New Yorker, New York and Time, as well as editor-in-chief of New York. Born and raised in Omaha, he graduated from Harvard College and lives with his wife Anne Kreamer in Brooklyn

A new year. A time to take stock. Each year, at just this time, I sit with pen and journal, cup of tea and as much time as I can eke out, and answer the thought provoking questions found at the back of the book “the not so big life: making room for what really matters” by Sarah Susanka. This annual process helps me to conglomerate my annual history and plan for my future year. Continue reading →

With the Tiny House movement and the Not So Big House idea we're going small, saying goodbye to the old way of thinking that bigger was always better. We're talking with the bestselling author Sarah Susanka. She believes that Not So Big should be the first step in sustainability, both for our own well being and for the well being of the planet as a whole. Susanka is the acclaimed author of nine best-selling books including The Not So Big House. Theresa shares news of Kohler's hybrid energy faucet. She shared her surprise at the McCormick Place in Chicago's dedication to recycling and composting. She shares her top drink pick, the TreeTini, the drink plants a tree for every order. Mark talks about super high-end kitchens, Dead-on Tools 14″ wrecking bar/utility bar, and gives a scoop on a few tools he shared with Men's Health magazine as top tools for guys.  Theresa and Mark also share tips to selecting the perfect wood stove.

With the Tiny House movement and the Not So Big House idea we're going small, saying goodbye to the old way of thinking that bigger was always better. We're talking with the bestselling author Sarah Susanka. She believes that Not So Big should be the first step in sustainability, both for our own well being and for the well being of the planet as a whole. Susanka is the acclaimed author of nine best-selling books including The Not So Big House. Theresa shares news of Kohler's hybrid energy faucet. She shared her surprise at the McCormick Place in Chicago's dedication to recycling and composting. She shares her top drink pick, the TreeTini, the drink plants a tree for every order. Mark talks about super high-end kitchens, Dead-on Tools 14″ wrecking bar/utility bar, and gives a scoop on a few tools he shared with Men's Health magazine as top tools for guys.  Theresa and Mark also share tips to selecting the perfect wood stove.

Thanks for tuning in today to Take the Upgrade Podcast Episode 46! We're joined by a few members of Leanne's book club to discuss The Not So Big Life by Sarah Susanka. The book draws comparisons between making your home work for you and building a life that works for you. Bigger isn't always better. How can you have relationships, a career and a life that feels just right? Listen in to learn more! If you are interested in Aligning your life and working with Leanne and Carolina one on one here is a program you will love: https://www.leannepeterson.com/course

Architect and author Sarah Susanka explains why bigger isn't always better when it comes to building a house. Check out the show notes for more information.

How we inhabit our homes, our lives, and the planet. Architect Sarah Susanka observed that houses in the U.S. were getting larger – but some rooms were seldom occupied, and often not even furnished. She found clients frequently did not get the immense satisfaction they expected from living in their “dream house.” How this relates to the way we inhabit our lives, and even the planet, is the subject of this conversation. Sarah Susanka’s observations of Americans’ dissatisfaction with their “starter castles” sparked her to write Not so Big House, about how making a house bigger doesn’t necessarily make it better. The book was a major success, leading to appearances on major network morning shows and Oprah. More observation and reflection led Sarah to pen, several years later, The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters. It was a landmark book, important for its perspective on quality vs. quantity, and its encouragement to reflect on what we want “more” of. We’re sharing the best episodes from Season One while we take a break between seasons 2 and 3. This 2008 interview is interwoven with a lively presentation Sarah made at the University of Denver.

This episode features Sarah Susanka on how to bring useful beauty to every room in your home, how to schedule your passions and actually act on them, plus why Sarah emphasizes "not so big" over small. The post The Not So Big Way to Have Useful Beauty Every Day with Sarah Susanka – SASM 117 appeared first on JoelZaslofsky.com.

On this week's holiday episode our News & Views segment starts at Krispy Kreme to see if we can extract any good take-aways from the recent class-action lawsuit filed against the chain. Then, it's on to a recent study about what happens when you don't feed your gut bacteria...what do they eat instead? The segment is rounded out with coverage of recent research on whole milk for kids and a new—somewhat strange–non-pharmaceutical weight-loss pill. The Moment of Paleo segment offers thoughts on restriction and upcoming holiday feasts. And After the Bell features a talk about life's invisible feast. Enjoy the show! Links for this episode:Latest in Paleo on Facebook — Leave a Comment About this Episode or Post a News LinkWhy & How to Support Latest in PaleoRecommended Food & ProductsRecommended Books & AudiobooksKrispy Kreme Lawsuit Claims Company Misled Over Doughnut FruitA Fruitless Suit?: Krispy Kreme Sued Over Fake Berry-Flavored Donuts - Law Street (TM)Kreme-filled lies — Doughnut company faces a Krispy $5M lawsuit - NY Daily NewsA Dietary Fiber-Deprived Gut Microbiota Degrades the Colonic Mucus Barrier and Enhances Pathogen Susceptibility: CellHigh-fiber diet keeps gut microbes from eating the colon’s lining, protects against infection, animal study shows | University of Michigan Health SystemEating fiber keeps gut microbes from eating you - Medical News TodayEat Fiber: Whole Grains Prevent Gut Microbes From Eating Intestine Lining, Increasing Infection Risknew The Hungry Microbiome: why resistant starch is good for you - YouTubeWhich Foods to Eat: The Hungry MicrobiomeRelation between milk-fat percentage, vitamin D, and BMI z score in early childhoodDo we have it backward on giving kids low fat milk instead of whole? - Health - CBC NewsKids who drink whole milk slimmer than those who don'tUses for skim milk before it was marketed as a nonfat diet product: Hog slop and wool.A 6-Month Swallowable Balloon System Results In Sustainable Weight Loss At 1 Year: Results from A Prospective, Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial - Surgery for Obesity and Related DiseasesBalloon-in-a-Pill Helped Obese Patients Lose Weight: MedlinePlus Health NewsThis Weight Loss Pill Inflates a Balloon In Your Stomach | TIMEWeight-loss balloon helps shed twice the weight, research says - CNN.comWatch "Possibilities—life's invisible feast: Sarah Susanka at TEDxSanDiego" Video at TEDxTalksVisit PuraKai to shop for eco-friendly clothing and stand-up paddle boards. Be sure to use coupon code "latest in paleo" for 15% off all clothing purchases.

https://entrearchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/hood300.jpg ()When did you discover architecture? At what age did you learn that architecture was something you could do as a profession? When did you decide to become an architect? What was it that inspired you? Why did YOU choose to become an architect? Those are questions Mark asks every guest at EntreArchitect Podcast. Were there places; Were there people in your life that guided you or inspired you to make a difference through buildings? This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, we dive deep into one entrepreneur architect's story. She shares her very early influences, her inspirations, her passions and her reconsideration of her entire life plan. This week, The Journey to Design the Thrivable Home with Architect Stacia Hood. Stacia knew in the second grade that she wanted to be an architect, inviting her friends over to draw and build playhouses complete with elevators and balance beam. When she moved to a small mountain town across the country, she created an amazing friendship with a young woman with disabilities who taught her how to laugh, and inspired her to design things accessible to all ages and abilities. She taught as a special education substitute teacher for several years, working to understand how people with unique abilities interact with the world and vise versa. She attended school at the University of Oregon and worked at a small commercial firm, where she felt disconnected from the people that the buildings were being created for. Grappling with the belief that it was too hard to make money in residential architecture, she found a firm who was succeeding in residential architecture, http://salaarc.com/ (SALA Architects), and read everything she could find about them. SALA was educating the public about what architects do and how they can serve homeowners. Stacia attended a local event where SALA architect Sarah Susanka, author of http://amzn.to/2d3M2fy (The Not So Big House), spoke and, on Sarah’s recommendation, she eventually worked up the courage to call SALA and speak with Dale Mulfinger. Through a progression of conversations, she found herself interviewing there several months later and moving her whole life (golden retriever included) to Minnesota in 2001 to work in the newly opened Excelsior office. When projects came in with clients who had interests in accessibility, adaptability and universal design, many of them were handed to Stacia because of her interest there. She was able to meet with clients and recognize the needs they had, and found the connection in the emotional pieces of living spaces. Stacia began to realize that it wasn’t just about creating homes for specific people’s needs, but that we’re all connected: “It’s about creating homes that support and embrace all needs and all abilities because we don’t know what’s going to happen to us and what’s going to happen to those we love. Maybe someone we love wants to come over for Thanksgiving dinner in a wheelchair, and it’s asking, “Can they get into our homes to visit and to be a part of the family?” Stacia’s mission is to create a bridge to connect people to what this approach to design looks like and why it matters to all of us, not just the clients asking for it: this is a Thrivable Home. Stacia left SALA and the architecture world after her son was born and stepped into the role of “mom” for seven years. Following that, she’s spent the last several years on a journey to figure out how to step back into architecture in a way that supports her as a mom and as a woman and allows her to practice in a new, different way than before. She found that when women lead from a place of authenticity, that’s when they’re most effective. She learned to embrace emotions and feelings and all of the things that traditional architecture steers away from. Embracing...

Architect Sarah Susanka observed that houses in the U.S. were getting larger – but some rooms were seldom occupied, and often not even furnished. She found clients frequently did not get the immense satisfaction they expected from living in their “dream house.” How this relates to the way we inhabit our lives, and even the planet, is the subject of this conversation. Sarah Susanka’s observations of Americans’ dissatisfaction with their “starter castles” sparked her to write Not so Big House, about how making a house bigger doesn’t necessarily make it better. The book was a major success, leading to appearances on major network morning shows and Oprah. More observation and reflection led Sarah to pen, several years later, The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters. It was a landmark book, important for its perspective on quality vs. quantity, and its encouragement to reflect on what we want “more” of.

Sarah Susanka is an internationally-known architect and author of the best-selling "Not So Big" series of books, which kicked off with The Not So Big House in 1997.  Over the years, she has been featured on Oprah, Charlie Rose, and many architecture and design publications.  She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.Monique Lombardelli is a San Francisco filmmaker, CEO, Realtor, and developer. She produced three documentary films, including Little Boxes and People in Glass Houses: The Legacy of Joseph Eichler. From her work on Eichler's much-loved homes in California, long out of production, she revived the brand and is launching them nationally. What's up with America and big houses? Learn more about the people and topics mentioned in this episode:  Sarah Susanka / Monique Lombardelli / Joseph Eichler / The Not So Big Life Workshop / Las Vegas Eichler / Where Steve Jobs Grew Up Houses like Eichler:  Stoneson Brothers / Brown & Kaufman / Mackay Homes / Robert Rummer  

Sarah Susanka of Not So Big House joins Matt for an intimate chat. http://www.notsobighouse.com

Ross Chapin Design, Body Knowing, and the Inner Life On Whidbey Island, north of Seattle, the imprint of architect Ross Chapin’s vision of enchanting small homes and livable pocket neighborhoods is palpable. Ross came to Whidbey in the 1970s, drawn by the vision of the Chinook Learning Center, founded by Fritz and Vivienne Hull. Chinook later became the Whidbey Institute. Ross designed Thomas Berry Hall, the Woodland Sanctuary, and the Whidbey Island Waldorf School on the Chinook land. In addition to his professional life as an architect and planner, Ross has an inner life enlivened by a sustained engagement with body and spirit. His work has been deeply influenced by the iconoclastic British architect Christopher Alexander. Join Michael Lerner in conversation with Ross about his work, about Christopher Alexander, and about the evolution of his inner life in a wide-ranging conversation. Ross Chapin, FAIA Ross is a passionate advocate for sensibly-sized homes and pocket neighborhoods—a term he coined for small groupings of households around shared common spaces, which he sees as building blocks for vibrant and resilient communities. Ross has designed and partnered in developing six pocket neighborhoods in the Puget Sound region. He and his colleagues have designed dozens of communities for developers across the US, Canada and the UK. Many have received international media coverage and design awards. Ross is a member of the American Institute of Architecture College of Fellows and the William S. Marvin Hall of Fame for Design Excellence. Ross is author of Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small Scale Community in a Large Scale World (Taunton Press), a Nautilus Book Award Winner and listed by Planetizen as one of the Top Ten Planning and Design Books of 2012. Ross’s work has appeared in more than 35 books, including Sarah Susanka’s Not So Big House series, The Good Green Home, and Solving Sprawl. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Architect and author Sarah Susanka shares why scale is such an important aspect to consider when building a house. She also explains how a 'not so big' philosophy can be applied in many areas of our lives.

Sarah Susanka, FAIA, is leading the movement to redefine the American home and lifestyle. Through her “build better, not bigger” approach to residential design she has demonstrated that the sense of “home” we seek has to do with quality, not quantity. In her Not So Big House series, Susanka helps readers understand that we feel “at home” in our houses when where we live reflects who we are in our hearts. Susanka recently unveiled the highly anticipated plans of her Not So Big Showhouse design for SchoolStreet Homes in Libertyville, Ill. Susanka’s Showhouse in Libertyville is a landmark event. For the first time, the best-selling author has agreed to design a house for a major development. Her goal is to introduce a semi-custom product into the mainstream residential housing market. The Showhouse will open in the fall of 2011. Susanka is the author of nine books that collectively weave together home and life design, revealing that a Not So Big attitude serves not only architectural aims, but life goals as well. Her books have sold well over one million copies and continue to rank highly on best-seller lists. Her titles include The Not So Big House, Not So Big Remodeling, Home By Design, and The Not So Big Life. Her most recent book, More Not So Big Solutions was released in March 2010 by The Taunton Press.

Living large is out - and living not so big is way in. When it comes to your home and lifestyle - downsizing is good. Architect, author and founder of the Not So Big movement - Sarah Susanka - joins Tom and Leslie. Learn why you might not need to clean Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Living large is out - and living not so big is way in. When it comes to your home and lifestyle - downsizing is good. Architect, author and founder of the Not So Big movement - Sarah Susanka - joins Tom and Leslie. Learn why you might not need to clean Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Making the most of a small house can be a big challenge, but compact spaces also present opportunities for creativity. Jean Nayar will talk to designer Libby Langdon, author of Libby Langdon’s Small Space Solutions, and architect Sarah Susanka, author of Not So Big Remodeling for their secrets on how to live large in a little space and tailor your house for comfort and function.

Making the most of a small house can be a big challenge, but compact spaces also present opportunities for creativity. Jean Nayar will talk to designer Libby Langdon, author of Libby Langdon’s Small Space Solutions, and architect Sarah Susanka, author of Not So Big Remodeling for their secrets on how to live large in a little space and tailor your house for comfort and function.