Communication Creates Education

For those of you who don't already know, my day job is Realtor, and I work with a custom builder.  We talk all the time about maximizing the usefulness of square footage, calculating value of square footage, energy efficiency.  He wants profits, and I want minimalism.  We have awesome debates about how to change the world.

There are restraints that keep us from building really progressive, compact, energy efficient homes.  You might be surprised what those restraints are.  The popular theory is: The government doesn't want us to, and there is some truth to that.  HUD analyzes the status of community all across the nation, determines any unmet need, and creates a direction.  This can cause red tape, like in regional zoning.  There may or may not be square footage limitations.  However, before the government makes their recommendations there is human flow and societal direction.  This is based on population centers, infrastructure needs, and ultimately their plan is determined by supply and demand.  Supply.  That's everything our demands have already built.  Demand.  That's us.  That's you.  That's me.  That's all of our friends and neighbors.

I just met with future new home owners.  They are a retirement age couple.  They have new needs determined by aging biology.  Keep in mind, that their opening statement at our design meeting was that they knew exactly what they wanted because they have built before and because they are old and experienced (their words, not mine).  They currently live in a 1700 square foot home, and saw our marketing for efficiently designed floor plans, and desired a similar slab on grade, single level living and wanted to meet to discuss a custom design.  They desired simplification and efficiency customized to meet their new needs.  We proposed an all one level 1200-1400 square feet 2 bedroom 2 bath.  Their idea was a 2500 square foot meandering and sprawling rambler with a 3 car garage.

We were not on the same page.  We began to negotiate a middle ground.  We ended at 1700 square feet, right where they began but without stairs.  I thought to myself that some people seeking simplicity are perhaps thinking that more space is the answer to clutter.  And that minimalism, having the appearance of excellent organization, comes across visually as wide open spaces.  While others are proactively creating space within the same space by removing the unnecessary.

My point is this:  Who is there to reign in our habits of excess? and How do we approach simplicity? Some of us have discovered our own ways to reduce.  To reevaluate need vs want.  To embrace the crucial.  To discard the glut.  But most of us have yet to discover reduction as a solution to our complications.  Even when they are specifically shopping for simple, they might be buying more.  Its almost as if there is a need there, the soul knows it, but the brain hasn't assessed it yet.  We need to be having these conversations with everyone.  We also need more people to be acting responsibly about living spaces.  1000 square feet is plenty of space for two people.  I know because CS and I live in less than that and we still have two rooms that are mostly unused.

Who do you know that desires simplicity, but can't calculate it?  And have you talked with them about it?

How do you think we can help those who feel it but don't act rationally on it?