As architects we are often conflicted: what do we do when we have clients who want really big houses, houses that by any measure surpass anything they could really need" How do we walk them back from the idea that they need 3,500 square feet of home for a family of four"

Courtesy of Henry Louis Miller

As architects we are often conflicted: what do we do when we have clients who want really big houses, houses that by any measure surpass anything they could really need" How do we walk them back from the idea that they need 3,500 square feet of home for a family of four"On one hand, we want to design it for them. In fact, a bigger project keeps us employed and financially solvent much longer. On the other hand, how do we reconcile that with the idea of sustainability and the architect's responsibility to promote it"To complicate things, builders don't want to build small houses, either. The smaller the house, the harder it is to find someone reputable to construct it. I have worked with contractors who won't even consider projects that are under $2 million.I don't know why we as Americans feel like we need an excessive amount of space in order to survive and live comfortably. I have designed homes for people with rooms I know they will never use. Yet, they still have to maintain it, heat it, cool it, etc. In other words, the costs don't end with the construction.Every time I've tried to talk a client out of building a bigger house, I h...