Ten years ago, as McMansions were being built across the country and few blinked twice at the thought of two- or three-story foyers and kitchens with two and three sinks and dishwashers, architect Sarah Susanka became a contrarian. Having grown up in England, Susanka moved to the U.S. when she was 14 and quickly understood that Americans lived differently. “In England, we lived in all our rooms, including living and dining rooms. We set the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here, people rarely used those spaces,” she says.

After helping to found an architecture firm that grew to 45 people, she wrote her first book, “The Not So Big House” (Taunton Press, 1999), about the value of building smaller and better. Interest in her concept was immediate, though the roaring economy made some doubtful whether people would really take the leap. Through the years – and particularly now – an increasing number of homeowners have seen her wisdom and built smaller, better homes. Susanka, an author of eight books, also has addressed remodeling smaller homes and landscaping outdoor spaces. She recently talked about her ideas and the fact that the average American home is shrinking rather than growing larger.

Can you share more about what led you to write your first book?

It developed from my work as a residential architect. Clients told me what rooms they wanted and often they were the ones they had used the least – formal living and dining rooms. I thought that writing the book would facilitate my practice and help people have rooms they really would use. It did, but I also helped a lot of other architects in the Minneapolis area where I used to live and work understand this huge untapped middle-class market. A lot wanted a better house – even if smaller.

What’s changed in the last 10 years in how houses are designed?

I think the big ripple effect is that people are more aware of design and understand that architects can help them achieve a better quality design, whether it’s new or remodeled. Since my first book was published, a lot of other architects have written about this subject; there’s also been more discussion about making design more accessible through TV shows and using money more effectively on a space’s quality rather than its quantity. All this is also more important because of the economy. Energy costs have skyrocketed; more people are aware that their house may no longer increase in value. I say: Build the house you love since it will increase over time. You just won’t get a quick turnaround.

How has the increased interest in going green influenced your work?

I was into sustainability before many people were. I cut my teeth in architecture on energy efficiency. Sustainability is an integral part of a not so big house.

What effect do you think that your books and speeches have had on other houses you’ve seen built?

It’s clear that formal living rooms have diminished in size or disappeared if the house includes a family room. The dining rooms may not have disappeared but they’re often doing double duty as formal and informal eating space at least in less expensive homes. I’m also seeing two- and three-story foyers go away since they don’t make much sense. Most children still get their own bedroom and sometimes each bedroom has its own bathroom, though that’s shifting, too. Many developers are reconsidering that trend since it’s an easy way to save dollars. There’s less need for a media room with flat-screen TVs.

On the other hand, are any rooms being added?

Yes, the exercise room if they have a lower level or a space off a master bedroom or near a garage.

You went on to co-author with Marc Vassallo a book about other changes in the home – including remodeling – in “Not So Big Remodeling” (The Taunton Press, 2009). Is remodeling a smaller house different from redoing a larger home?

It is. The problem with a kitchen may not be the kitchen, per se, but its placement. It may be too isolated from other rooms in the house, so it needs to be opened to the living or dining room. I advise people to make better use of what they’ve got and give rooms a better connection.

How did your original concept influenced the exterior?

The interior and exterior should relate since you often enjoy your yard from interior rooms. The same concept holds for the outside: Make the most of the space, whatever its size.

Houses are more difficult to sell today. What effect has the economy had on what you’ve advocated?

People are coming around to a greater appreciation of what I’ve been talking about – that a better house is not necessarily a bigger house. It’s a house that provides spaces homeowners care most about for the way they live. It also shelters them and lets them connect with others.

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