AIArchitect, July 16, 2001 - Calling All Great, Not-So-Big Houses

Practice

Calling All Great, Not-So-Big Houses
Examples of compelling residential design needed for book, TV series

Do you have a residential project so compelling and well designed that it oughta be in pictures—or maybe even featured on TV? If so, Sarah Susanka, AIA, could use your help. Susanka, author of The Not So Big House, and Creating the Not So Big House, currently is working on her third book, From House to Home, to be published by Taunton Press. The new book hopes to take readers through a series of architectural concepts that can help turn any house into Home.

In addition, Susanka is working with Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on a series about residential architecture highlighting many of her books' concepts. This series is designed to heighten public awareness of the benefits of both architect-designed houses and architecture in general.

For both the book and the TV series, Susanka Studios is seeking well designed residential projects that illustrate architectural concepts, including (among hundreds):
• Shelter around activity
• Ceiling height variety
• Light to walk toward
• Focal gathering place
• Layering
• Theme and variations
• Connecting views
• Light screens
• Texture variation
• Visual weight
• Window composition
• Brilliance in a dark place.

To minimize the number of locations for photo shoots, the studio hopes to select several projects that offer numerous examples of such architectural concepts. Projects of all budgets, scales, styles, and localities are needed. Owners must be comfortable opening their house to a film crew and be willing to sign releases for publication. (If a client wishes to remain anonymous, no personal names or locations need be used.)

Susanka Studios currently is developing the photo shoot list for the book, which will be submitted in October or November, with final selections made by December—so submit your projects soon. Click here for details. Submissions for the PBS series will be ongoing, so please keep it in mind as your new projects are designed and built. For a list of questions and answers about the PBS series projects, click here.

Reference

For more information about submissions, click here. For a list of questions and answers about the PBS series projects, click here. For more information about the concepts behind the "Not So Big House," visit www.notsobig.com. Also, Susanka's first two books, The Not So Big House, and Creating the Not So Big House, are available from the AIA Bookstore, 800-242-3837, option #4. Designed by architects Michaela Mahady, AIA, and Wayne Branum, this house exhibits all the characteristics of a Not So Big House—beauty, charm and comfort—a true expression of its owners (from the Not So Big House Web site.)