Synopses & Reviews
The typical American neighborhood is impersonal, made up of large houses on large lots, with large garages whose remote openers provide residents instant access inside. There’s never any need to see or be seen! The good news is that a growing number of homeowners are saying they want more. Pocket neighborhoods are alternative living arrangements that provide shelter and security, convenience, comfort, and meaning. In a typical pocket neighborhood, parking is intentionally separated from houses, which surround a landscaped common area. Homeowners walk to their doors, past the neighbors they might otherwise never know. This book by architect and author Ross Chapin describes existing pocket neighborhoods and co-housing communities — and provides inspiration for creating new ones.
Review
“Anyone who’s looking for a way to live both simply and beautifully will love Ross Chapin’s notions about creating community. If you’ve enjoyed the “Not So Big House” series, you’ll also love this book.” – SARAH SUSANKA, author of The Not So Big House
Synopsis
Now available in paperback, the expanded 10th anniversary edition of Sarah Susanka's The Not So Big House is ready to inspire a whole new generation of homeowners and builders. Though a decade has passed, her deceptively simple message remains as powerful as ever: when it comes to our homes, quality should always come before quantity. With comforting guidance and clear language, America's favorite home architect shows how to create a house that emphasizes comfort, beauty, and a high level of detail. This anniversary edition of a contemporary classic features a new introduction by Susanka and 32 bonus pages that explore three additional Not So Big houses.
Synopsis
The Not So Big House proposes clear guidelines for creating homes that serve spiritual needs as well as material requirements. Topics include designing for specific lifestyles, budgeting, building a home from scratch, and using energy-efficient construction. 200 color photos. Floor plans.
Synopsis
Ten years ago, Sarah Susanka started a revolution in home design with a deceptively simple message: quality should always come before quantity. Now, the book that celebrated that bold declaration is back in a special anniversary edition. In this landmark home design book, America's superstar residential architect provides homeowners the guidance and language to get what they want: a house that is better not bigger and one that emphasizes comfort, beauty, and a high level of detail no matter how small it is. Featuring a new package and introduction by Susanka as well as 16 additional pages that explore three new Not So Big Houses, this 10th anniversary edition is very big news.
About the Author
Sarah Susanka is one of the leading residential architects in the United States. Her first book, "The Not So Big House," topped best-seller charts in Home and Garden categories in its first year of publication. Susanka has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Charlie Rose Show, and NPR's Diane Rehm Show. She is a former principal and founding partner of Mulfinger, Susanka, Mahady and Partners, Inc., the firm chosen by LIFE magazine to design its 1999 Dream House.
Sarah Susanka is known far and wide as the leader of a movement that has redefined the American home. She has shared her insights in many best-selling books, including The Not So Big House, the revolutionary title that started it all. Susanka has been invited to share her insights on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Charlie Rose, and HGTV; she is regularly profiled in leading shelter magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.Kira Obolensky has written for print, film, and stage. She co-authored Sarah Susanka's national bestseller, "The Not So Big House. Kira's book, "Garage, was published in 2001. She has received a number of writing awards and fellowships, including the Kesselring Prize and a Guggenheim fellowship. She lives in Minneapolis.
Table of Contents
Contemporary Pocket Neighborhoods featured in the book: Conover Commons, Redmond, WA Danielson Grove, Kirkland, WA Third Street Cottages, Langley, WA Greenwood Avenue, Shoreline, WA Groom Lane, Seattle Barrio Santa Rosa, Tucson, AZ Cota Street, Santa Barbara, CA Village Homes, Davis, CA N Street, Davis, CA Temescal Creek, North Oakland, CA Houseboat community, Sausalito, CA Berkeley Cohousing, Berkeley, CA Doyle Street, Emeryville, CA Swan’s Market, Oakland, CA Cheesecake Consortium, northern CA Poplar neighborhood, Boulder, CO Silver Sage, Boulder, CO Portland, OR Cambridge, MA Island Cohousing, Martha’s Vineyard, MA Elder Cohousing, Abington, VA Christie Walk, Adelaide, AUSTRALIA EarthSong, NEW ZEALAND Historic Precedents Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, MA Forest Hills, NY Sunnyside Gardens, NY Radburn, NJ Pine Street, Seattle Bungalow Courts, southern CA
Foreword, by Sarah Susanka
Introduction: What Is a Pocket Neighborhood?
Part One Precedents: Historic Pocket Neighborhoods
Chapter 1 Setting Up Camp
Chapter 2 Gardens of Compassion
Chapter 3 Visions of Garden Cities
Chapter 4 The Bungalow Courts of California
Chapter 5 Cottage Living
Part Two Contemporary Pocket Neighborhoods
Chapter 6 A New Cottage Court
Chapter 7 A Neighborhood within a Neighborhood
Chapter 8 A Pocket Neighborhood on a Challenging Site
Chapter 9 The Neighborhood the Neighbors Built
Chapter 10 Floating Communities
Chapter 11 Lanes, Woonerfs, and Mental Speed Bumps
Chapter 12 Back House, Front House, Lane
Chapter 13 New Urban Pocket Neighborhoods
Chapter 14 Lines of Enticement
Chapter 15 Pocket Neighborhoods within a Village
Part Three CoHousing Communities
Chapter 16 Danish Origins
Chapter 17 CoHousing in America
Chapter 18 Greening the Neighborhood
Chapter 19 Saging Communities
Part Four Creating Pocket Neighborhoods in Existing Communities
Chapter 20 Infill in a First-Ring Suburb
Chapter 21 Urban Homesteads
Chapter 22 Taking Down the Fences
Chapter 23 Taking Back the Alley
Chapter 24 Taking Back the Street
Afterword: A Tapestry of Pocket Neighborhoods
Resources
Index