This is an interesting article, mainly because it shows up the differences between the European attitude and the American one. 1. Europeans build smaller, but

This is an interesting article, mainly because it shows up the differences between the European attitude and the American one. 1. Europeans build smaller, but with higher quality. Americans are not so fussy about quality as long as it's big. Witness the spread of 3000+ sq ft homes across our exurbs. 2. With cheap energy costs predominant, a large house can be built cheaply - thin walls, vinyl siding, asphalt roof, cheap windows - and even still, the costs of heating and cooling can be manageable, even though much more energy is used. It would be interesting to compare point by point, the area, cost structure, including labor, of a European house and an American house. I agree with gcv, and with the article, that the cost of building like this in the US is probably prohibitive for most homebuyers in the US. The interesting question, in parallel with cars, is can the direction of US policy and custom be steered towards smaller and smarter without a failure of house builders and car companies alike?