Is Small the New Big? New Trends in a Slowing Building Industry*

This panel looks at the national trend toward quality spaces, away from the McMansion to smaller, better-built homes, such as the Katrina Cottage. The demand for building smaller comes from homeowners who want comfortable places to live that are “right-sized.” The panel will explore the topic of smaller houses from the perspective of design, development and marketing, while looking at the ties between many of the issues that are blaring on the evening news and in the pages of our newspapers: the sub-prime loan debacle, aging boomers, empty nesters, rise of single-adult households, affordable housing, climate change, energy concerns, lower housing starts and a slow economy. Smaller, smarter houses built in traditional communities are more sustainable, energy-efficient, and economic to build, all while meeting practical requirements. In an industry where selling square footage has become second nature, this panel looks at ways to offer better living and provides tools and case studies to help participants apply these principles.