(no subject)

[sobelle]

They've been building on this monstrous house for over a year... it's over 11K sq ft... and from what the neighbors tell me, an older couple will be living there... no children... so what does one do with 11K sq ft of house?

The pool house is bigger than my cottage fer godssake! The construction sounds have been annoying... especially when they were cutting the tile for the huge pool that's directly behind the house... and now, finally, it appears they might be finishing up... there's only the sounds of the big earth moving machines and dump trucks (replacing what they scraped away to build the house in the first place) getting the back yard area ready for landscaping...

I've got the creek and a goodly number of trees and forest growth between me and them... but I'm really looking forward to the ceasing of continuous noise!

Comments

[kittenexploring.livejournal.com]

A bigger house in a hot area (i.e. doesn't need to be heated) can just sit there doing nothing when not in use. If you want a big kitchen and a big lounge or just like the feel of extra space around you it's really not so bad. The extra space has no downside, it's just not essential. Depending on location, of course. If you had to clear the remaining rainforest of the Amazon to fit it in then you may have gone a bit too big. A bigger house doesn't have to be a foolish extravagance.

That house, however, is also hideous.

[sobelle.livejournal.com]

I totally take your point... but the difference here is that the space is more a "representation of wealth"... taking more than it's share of resources... because, arguably, 12 months of the year that house will be using either heating or cooling because of temps and humidity of this area.

I have several friends who have large open floor plan style houses...mostly in California where you *can* open windows and get air flow for cooling and circulation... and it could be argued that *my* little cottage is big... even if it didn't have a cathedral/pitched ceiling, the space and layout is pure luxury... and 900+ square feet for one person? I love it...

I can imagine a big, open floor plan house sitting on the side of a hill open to sea breezes and fresh air... a perfect size and setting... and not at all what we have going on here...

Here...there's this *SuperSizeIt* movement that's developed in the US... conspicuous consumption ...while everyone is talking about the need to be *green*... development after development of these huge sprawling multi roof lined McMansions with pools & pool houses, 4 car garages (on zero lot line) with the promise of massive demands on utilities with little or no consideration of conservation... that's what freaks most of us out...

And I suspect that there are some people that are living in the McMansions that would prefer something a little less ostentatious and a little more green, but it's just not out there... most of the builders (back here) only know one size and one style... and there aren't any incentives (tax or otherwise) to change it...

And I agree, bigger houses don't have to be an extravagance... but these? they really are...