Power of Design

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Conventional Suburban SprawlThe experience we have going to and from our daily activities greatly affects our state of mind. Many times, we tolerate long commutes, not because we want to, but because we dont think we have any other option.

Less Is More Do less, but do it really well. Use Common Sense From the design of the street to the size of shutters on a window, if it makes sense, it will be more valuable. Design Matters Good design adds value both to an individual building and to a community as a whole. Everything Relates These universal principles apply to all ends of the design spectrum.

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1 We All Want to Live in a Nice Place Each of us may dene this differently, but we are all unied by the desire. 2 We Understand That Our Choices Can Matter We can make choices that create better lifestyles, relationships and environments. 3 We See What Is Happening to the Planet We are learning to care more about the environment and the impact we as humans have on the earth. This affects each of us to a different degree, but it is something that we are nding harder and harder to ignore. 4 Realities of Daily Life Often Force Us to Ignore Items 1, 2 and 3 As much as we may care about these issues, when it comes down to living our daily lives, we often put aside what we want and desire, and settle for what we feel we can tolerate. Unless you live in a cabin in the woods, the built environment directly affects your life. It determines the experience you have going to and from work, how much your home is worth, and even your health. The building industry impacts our lives with every new development. Yet, despite its inuence on us, it often seems that we as individuals have very little effect on what gets built and how.

When purchasing or building a new house, we focus intently on the selection of the granite for our counters or the latest plasma TV, but dont consider what goes on outside our front door. We treat the space between our garage door and the parking lot at work as something that we travel through, not something for living in. But new trends in the building industry are showing that people want to see the big picture and stay connected. We want to live in communities, not just subdivisions. We want to be able to walk to some of our daily needs, in places that look nice, and were willing to pay a premium to do so. It is possible for each of us to live in a nice place, make a difference and help the environment. Even more, it is possible to do these things while increasing the value of our homes and living a better lifestyle. We can do this through the design of our communities. Building Places, Not Just Spaces Nothing speaks louder to an industry than market demand. In the recent turn in the housing market, more and more the industry is required to add more value to its product. For the rst time in decades, value is being added with elements of design, not just square footage. Were considering how people will live in their homes, how they will care for them and what their quality of life within the community will be. The First Step to Recovery Is Admitting You Have a Problem Knowing that you want change is one thing; making a change is more difcult. The key is identifying and getting to the real issues, not just the symptoms. This book is intended as a resource to help you articulate what you want and why it matters. Once you know what to ask for, you will have the tools necessary to make a change in your life and in your community. Better the Devil You Know Change is hard, even when it is for the better. The fear that comes with change is understandable. We may not like where we are today, but what if we try to change and end up making things worse? The problem with letting this fear guide us is that, although staying put often does mean that things wont get worse, it also means they will never get better.
It is desirable to live in communities that feel good. The distance between our home and work can be more than a space that we travel through. It can be an engaging environmentit is all in the design. 7 7

5 Steps to Building a Great Community 1 Consider the impact of the community on the
environment and the people who will live there. 2 Design a community with a mix of uses and connected streets. 3 Design an outdoor room that is safe for pedestrians to share with cars. 4 Arrange the houses on the street to support the streetscape. 5 Select materials that create beauty, can stand up to the elements and are easy to maintain over time.

Adding Value with Design Development will happen; that is a given. What is not set in stone is what this new development will look like. It is up to us, both as individuals and as a society, to determine how we build our homes and communities. This path starts with understanding design.