'When it comes to houses, quality, not quantity, is what truly matters. Architect Donna Kacmar's eloquently written and beautifully illustrated BIG little house underscores this point again and again. The book's comprehensive introduction coupled with twenty, carefully curated, examples answer not just What but also How and Why. BIG little house is a valuable resource for architects and clients alike.' - Naomi Pollock, AIA, author Modern Japanese House, Japan
'A rigorous examination of the history of the small house is presented in both sumptuous photography and in floor plans at comparative scales, which are both useful and very revealing. Common to all of the houses is an attention to the importance of detail in small spaces, the importance of opening to the exterior to borrow space from the landscape, and the belief in quality over quantity, an idea that should guide all residential design in an era of diminishing resources.' - Mark McInturff, FAIA, architect, McInturff Architects, USA
'This is a book I can read again and again, both for inspiration and admiration. For anyone exploring a small home lifestyle this is your all in one reference book. In Kacmar's words, it's time to slow down and absorb a quiet architecture.' - Jenny Tranter, State of Green
'Plenty of gorgeous photos stoke serious house envy and the rigorous analysis grounded in the philosophical underpinnings of what it means to dwell and how architects and theorists have explored this concept sets the book apart from a Tumblr. Kacmar is a professor at the University of Houston so it's no wonder she takes an academic approach. She argues that the economy of small spaces allows for a deeper, undiluted understanding of an architect's sensibility.' - Diana Budds, fastcodesign.com
'With photographs, floor plans, and information from the architects, Kacmar demonstrates that small dwellings are not always dollhouse-size knockoffs of larger ones. When thoughtfully designed, they are painstakingly integrated into their surroundings; deeply reflective of the priorities of the people who live in them; and compelled to address issues of space, light, and form in highly specific ways. Small structures, she writes, are not necessarily simple nor cheap. Building small can be a deliberate design strategy in its own right.' - Kristin Hohenadel, Slate
'Donna touches on a number of different factors influencing the rise in popularity of the small home. Affordability and changing lifestyles are of course major factors, as is the desire for a reduction lifestyle in contrast to a consumption-fuelled lifestyle. There is significant architectural power in the small house, which is not to be overlooked or dismissed.' - Holly Cunneen, Grand Designs Australia
