The Real Goods Independent Builder
Designing & Building a House Your Own Way
by Sam Clark
"A successful project requires getting a lot of simple decisions right. My goal is to help readers succeed at this process, and also realize their imaginative design goals." -- Sam Clark
This is a comprehensive manual of design and building methods for owner-builders as well as professional builders and their clients. In addition to presenting specific building techniques, the book explains the design principles and planning processes that underlie all good building, so that readers can develop their own exceptional designs, independently.
The Real Goods Independent Builder develops subjects not covered thoroughly in other books, but critical to success: Designing small houses that seem big; Understanding innovation; Estimating and controlling costs; Incorporating ergonomics and accessibility; Doing drawings and scale models, and making contracts that work.
"I am planning to build an owner-built house next summer, and have read upwards of 50 books on the subject. The Independent Builder is by far the best. It shared wisdom in addition to information."
-- Mark Harrison of Jaffrey, New Hampshire
The Not So Big House
A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live
by Sarah Susanka
Nearly a quarter-million people bought this ground-breaking book when it was published in Fall 1998. Since then, the book's simple message -- that quality should come before quantity -- has started a movement in home design. Homeowners now know to expect more. And the people responsible for building our homes have also gotten the message. Architects and builders around the country report clients showing up with dog-eared copies of The Not So Big House, pages marked to a favorite section.
Why are we drawn more to smaller, more personal spaces than to larger, more expansive ones? At parties, why do we spend more time in the kitchen and family rooms than we do in the formal living and dining rooms? What makes the sunny, intimate breakfast nook more inviting than the vaulted spaciousness of a cathedral-ceiling great room? The Not So Big House proposes clear, workable guidelines for creating homes that serve both our spiritual needs and our material requirements, whether for a couple with no children, a family, empty nesters, or one person alone. 200 pages. 1998. ISBN: 1-56158-376-6.
Creating the Not So Big House
Insights and Ideas for the New American Home
by Sarah Susanka
The Not So Big House (above) created a movement that is changing the way people think about the American home. That groundbreaking book proposed a new blueprint for the American home: a house that values quality over quantity, with an emphasis on comfort and beauty, a high level of detail, and a floor plan designed for today's informal lifestyle.
Creating the Not So Big House is the blueprint in action. Focusing on key design strategies such as visual weight, layering, and framed openings, Sarah Susanka takes an up-close look at 25 houses designed according to Not So Big principles. The houses are from all over North America in a rich variety of styles -- from a tiny New York apartment to a southwestern adobe, a traditional Minnesota farmhouse, and a cottage community in the Pacific Northwest. Whether new or remodeled, these one-of-a-kind homes provide all the inspiration you need to create your own Not So Big House. 258 pages. 2001. ISBN: 1-56158-605-6.
Not So Big Solutions For Your Home
From the Pages of Fine Homebuilding Magazine
by Sarah Susanka
Sarah Susanka has done it again. Following in the footsteps of her first two influential works, Not So Big Solutions for Your Home provides over 30 design solutions originally featured in Fine Homebuilding magazine. Ranging from selecting the site for a new home to figuring out where to put the afternoon mail, Susanka's new book helps you find practical, hands-on solutions to transform your living space -- regardless of your skill level or budget. The book includes details on:
- Site selection: avoiding the pitfalls
- Designing a gracious entry
- The kitchen/family room relationship
- A porch for all seasons
- Designing a pantry
- Using tile to personalize a kitchen or bathroom
- How to use skylights for maximum effect
- Making the most of your remodeling budget
- The art of adding on
The book includes 30 color photographs, along with over 150 drawings from Sarah Susanka's own sketchbook, illustrate practical home-design ideas for everyday living. You'll be able to transform any house into a great house that looks, works, and feels right for you.
