The size and functionalism of future houses

A new study focuses on the size of future houses required to meet the global demands towards more environmental-friendly structures.

Nowadays, the construction industry and energy consumption of residences are responsible for a large part of the total carbon emissions, a phenomenon that can be exacerbated in the future since the population is constantly growing. Therefore, designers of future houses are focusing on using intelligent features and renewable energy to mitigate their environmental footprint.

The study, published in Housing, Theory & Society journal, emphasizes on the new features of houses' size in wealthy countries. According to Maurie Cohen, the author of the paper and Professor at Department of Humanities of New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), the construction of bigger houses is currently encouraged creating an imbalance between supply and demand of residential buildings. Therefore, there is a need to reduce the size of houses in the future. "There is no question that if we are serious about embracing our expressed commitments to sustainability, we will in the future need to live more densely and wisely,” Prof. Cohen emphasizes.

The research aims at evaluating the required space that could satisfy a person's needs, taking into account the demand for reduced emissions. According to building codes applied in the United States and other countries, the minimum size of an efficient house for a single person and for a 4-person cohabitation is 14m² and 42 m², respectively.

Nevertheless, the study mentions that those sizes could be slightly higher in order for houses to meet their environmental demands. In particular, the size of homes for a single person and for a 4-member family should not exceed 20m² and 80m², respectively.

Implementing the derived size limits in nowadays society will be a challenging task. Oversized houses are common in wealthy countries since they provide extra space and comfort. However, from an environmental point of view, they pose a big threat towards sustainability. Since the 1950s, the size of United States houses has tripled while the average number of residents has decreased from 3.3 to 2.5 in a house. 

Currently, the average home size in the United States is 177m² and 148m² in the United Kingdom.

Fortunately, efficient housing and minimalism are currently being adopted, especially by the new generation. “One of the most popular contemporary design trends focuses on minimalism and especially Millennials express a desire to live in cosmopolitan urban centers rather than car-dependent suburbs. In some cities, micro-luxury apartments are becoming a fashionable alternative,” Prof. Cohen, stated.