No Small Matter: What Makes Housing “Right?” – GreenBuildingAdvisor

By Rachel Wagner | February 9, 2026

In 1998 a revolutionary new book arrived: The Not So Big House, by architect Sarah Susanka. Susanka offered both theory and a “how to guide” – in the principles of good design, functional and flexible space, quality over quantity, and some fundamental parameters for privacy, community, and comfort in a home. The book enchanted readers and rapidly became a valuable tool for residential designers, including me.

I used the philosophies and examples in Susanka’s book to support my approach to design, including the important tenet of creating homes that fit how people actually live. I agreed with Susanka’s assertion that creating “right-sized” spaces that would be used year-round brought joy and comfort to the occupants and could also result in lower construction and operating costs.

Early on, I would lend my clients The Not So Big House book. By the mid- to late 2000s, my clients showed up already having read that book, and asking for a home design that fit the parameters outlined thus.

The Not So Big House wasn’t the only book that influenced my thinking as I considered what made a home “right” in my practice as a residential designer. A Pattern Language—also referenced by Susanka in her book—was a huge influence and aid, helping me broaden and develop my abilities. Taunton’s More Small Houses and countless Fine Homebuilding articles provided examples and inspiration for the idea that less could be more, in more ways than one.

I was very focused on energy efficiency and by the early 2000’s, I was learning about resource depletion and climate change, and the role of buildings in both, and trying to discover a meaningful and useful paradigm for “sustainability.” The last chapter of The Not So Big House discusses long-term relevance and sustainability, and rereading it…