Yeah, I know that at first blush, that looks like the title of one of a million articles about ‘how we live - NOW’ and ‘new homes for a new age’, that sort of thing. In some ways this will be about those buzzword topics, but I also want to really get into the details of it. I want to think about ways we can modify construction to make homebuilding more efficient, less environmentally detrimental, and cost effective - while at the same time making homes more beautiful, personalized, simpler, and flexible. Specifics like utilities and landscaping are also due for a big overhaul, as is the standard way we light our homes - I don’t think there is nearly enough discussion in general society about the crimes that can lighting has been committing against society for decades.

Full disclosure, I’m not preparing this little essay while studying for a doctorate, utilizing a whole university’s worth of research and a deep reservoir of time in which to delve into the cost differentials of varying types of concrete. My perspective here comes from years of being in a LOT of houses, and of living through the process of designing houses and renovations for myself and for clients. I mention that concept of ‘living through the process of designing’ because I have learned that all that stands between applying ‘typical’ design answers and the option of delving a little deeper and being more creative is one act of choice committed by designer and client. Likewise, all it takes for progress to stop is for one party to say ‘that’s good enough’ or ‘just do it how everyone else does it’, and then we stay stuck in 1998. I’ve heard those statements far too many times! Of course there are rules we need to respect - those governing building safety, manufacturing standards we need to work around, cost limitations, code requirements, etc, but honestly even within those constraints there is a awful lot of room to be creative and create new, forward-thinking standards for building. If you do a little research, there are small companies, and even a few big ones, that have new products and systems just waiting there, ready for a few creative minds to launch them into their destiny. Opportunity abounds if you have the right mindset for what could be, as opposed to what has been there for ages.

I am struggling to find the right format in which to lay out this post, so i’m just going to take the easy way out and use a list. The first section is a collection of ideas I have for structural changes, and the second section considers ergonomic and user-focused changes to how we fit out our homes.

1.Elimination of concrete foundations.

If you have watched how a typical permanent home is built in most of the parts of the world, you’ve seen how much effort goes into destroying the ground both below and around the home, and then watched as it’s backfilled with concrete sufficient to protect us from a myriad of natural and manmade disasters. The 12” thick walls of poured or stacked block concrete hold up the house, fight back geological forces, and provide living space if they are deep enough. Don’t get me wrong - having grown up in the midwest, I have a spot in my heart for those concrete basements of yore. Not only is it where you go when the tornado sirens go off, but it’s where you can make a mess without your parents really caring, it’s cool down there in the summer, and it’s where all the stuff goes that everyone forgets about and you get to enjoy finding it years later. It’s where the workshops, craft rooms, and cat litter boxes go, too. On the other hand, though, it’s also where water wants to be… ALL THE TIME. I have never gone on a vacation in which I didn’t have constant fear of a failed sump pump. Basements are there to give mother nature a fun challenge - how to get tiny undetected trickles of water or maybe even gushing deluges to destroy a lifetime of memory boxes while everyone is asleep upstairs. They are also where the mold is, where the unidentified smell is coming from, where the radon enters, and where the cricket is that kept you up all night. Ask any contractor what the biggest cost will be in making that tiny little extension to the kitchen or adding a bathroom off that office on the first floor, and they will tell you it’s the foundation. If you want to learn some new and terrible things, do a search on where the sand comes from that makes the concrete that is making all these basements and covering the surface of the planet, or how much of the earth’s surface is being sealed in concrete every day. If you want a quick primer, read this article by The Guardian. If you have any concerns about rainwater runoff, soil drainage, and landscape preservation, search up how concrete interferes with all these important processes. So what can be done? To keep this section brief, there are ways to manage both the spaces inside our homes and the foundations that support them without requiring basements - pier foundations are a great way to start, but there’s room for plenty of other methods. It’s not revolutionary - it just deserves a shot at being mainstream. And really, the less crickets in the basement, the better. I’ll discuss this further when I finish the house i’m designing that has no basement, but for now let’s move on.

2. Modular construction.

I don’t mean pre-ordered panels meant to compose tract housing plopped down by the dozens - I mean using modular pieces that can combine in a myriad of ways to make infinite designs, while also saving time and material by arriving on site ready to go. Think ‘Lego’ style houses, as opposed to massive piles of lumber that is individually cut on site, causing waste and taking time. This requires a bit of a push-and-pull between the architects adapting designs to fit the size offerings of things like precast slabs, ready-made steel, and stock window sizing, and also the manufacturers that adapt their offerings to fit a multitude of design applications while still allowing the cost and material savings of mass production.

From one of my projects - there is so much buried in every wall…

3. Fewer ‘layers’ to the building process.

Inside the walls of a typical frame home are a web of pipes, wires, insulations, structural pieces, ducts, and none of them like to make room for the others. Outside of the walls are layers of paint, trim, caulk, moldings, papers, tiles, and decoration, and much like the web inside the walls, they don’t cooperate well with each other. The effort, material, and cost that goes into covering up the imperfections that result when these materials meet is both silly and permanent. To remove anything we can see, aside from paint if you are RE-painting over it, you have to demolish everything. To make repair to the pies or wires inside the wall, you have to bust holes and use saws and make a massive mess. Again, celebrating and showing off the parts and pieces of the workings of the home is not revolutionary, but for some reason the capacity for this aesthetic to greatly simplify and streamline residential design has never found mass appeal. That needs to change, and I really do think it’s possible for people to like it if they try it.

4. Inclusion of the natural landscape.

Yes, I love an old tree that a house is built around. Yes, I die a little inside when I see a developer clear-cutting a forest to build tract homes. Yes, I think there is no reason to build an 8000 s.f. neo-georgian box with a 4000 s.f. concrete patio and waterfall pool. But that’s me. I’m here to say maybe it’s both more ecologically responsible to work the existing site into your design, find a way to plant trees and wildflowers on your lot instead of paving it, and to considering the size of home you really need. Some need bigger homes, and that’s ok, but they can be done without plopping a massive chunk of masonry into a former forest.

5. Alternative energy and utility accomodations.

Solar, geo-thermal, micro-grid, composting, on-site waste and water, and electric car charging docks. All of it, and as much of it originating as close to the property as possible. It’s taken me a few weeks to compose and edit this piece, because I am chronically scattered, but while writing it the news has reinforced the need to have less dependency on places and systems far away from us in order to carry out our daily lives in the best way possible. Imagine if the majority of what powers us didn’t need to be extracted, stored, and delivered via massive networks of infrastructure and wasn't dependent on volatile markets? Just a thought….

Part II

1. Outlets need to be re-thought.

Old school outlet placement was because lamps and such required plugs, and keeping them low kept them out of view. But now we need access to mobile device charging, and we need it everywhere. Wireless charging is great, but you can’t USE the device while it’s charging on a pad. Anyone that has gotten a shock while stabbing around with a cord behind a couch for the outlet will agree that higher outlet placement, multi-port docks that can charge and then be placed on a coffee table during the day, and outlets that are under the cabinets and not on the wall behind the counter can agree that the easier the access to outlets and the less we have cords covering our counters, the better.

2. No more can lighting.

I cannot say this enough. Uplighting, wall washers, directional tracks, strip lighting, sconces, ANYTHING but searing downlight from white cans permanently inserted into our ceilings. All it takes is a little effort to find ways to sufficiently light a room without 45 cans in the ceiling.

3. Less hardwiring of entertainment and security

It’s all in our hands, it’s mobile, and it changes so fast that anything you install will be obsolete immediately. The less you wire into the walls, the better. I can see an exception for fire/smoke detection though, because while it’s not a life threatening situation if the wifi goes out and you can’t all watch separate TV shows on your individual devices, it would be bad if only one detector in one room worked if the wifi was out.

4. Bigger mudrooms, less living space.

decorating-delectable-open-breezeway-ideas-outdoor-enclosed-design-mudroom-garage-designs-interior-preserving.jpeg

By this I mean more ‘utility’ spaces that manage and accommodate mess, projects, gardening, and useful pursuits, and less space for sitting around. Ideally this is an indoor-outdoor transition space that functions differently for different users without needing to be renovated. It could be an art studio, sports equipment storage and cleaning space, workout area, workbench and tools, gardening and greenhouse, etc. By positioning it with access to outside and/or the garage and fitting it out so as not to be precious, it allows for mess and therefore encourages both frequent use and creativity. Goodbye 24” deep coat closets and formal sitting and dining rooms, and hello 16’x16’ breezeway with a wall of cabinets/closet, a durable foam or cork floor, and double doors that open to the yard!

5. I could go on and on, but at this point i’ll stop and refocus on designing my example of an actual house plan that includes a lot of these elements in it - I like having an actual focal point for discussions, since the visuals can foster further exploration.

So what is the main point I’m trying to make? Obviously there are a myriad of ways to make ‘new’ houses, or to update styles and trends, but so often those efforts are simply focused on aesthetics and gimmicks. What I would propose we discuss is much deeper, and promotes change not just to how homes look, but how they function, how they are assembled, how they fit into the landscape, and how they adapt to forthcoming changes as they arrive. I would love to hear of any examples you know of that are moving in this direction - builders, architects, products, anything! Please feel free to email me - I’ve loved the emails I’ve received regarding my hiking posts, so lets keep it coming! More hiking posts hopefully to come this year, too!

Thinking about better ways to approach residential design.