Posted by Derek Leavitt on Fri, Jun 26, 2009 @ 01:54 PM
Our last post about the advantages of small homes got me thinking, what really constitutes a small home? What is the size cutoff for a home to be considered small?
LEED for Homes (the industry standard for green homes) quantifies this well. Before you can even begin counting points for certification, your level is adjusted according to the size of your home. The smaller your home, the easier it is to get certified.
The chart below shows the home sizes they consider to be "neutral". If your home is larger than the "neutral" size, you're penalized; smaller, you're rewarded.
LEED for Homes Rating System
Threshold Adjustment Equation - "neutral" home sizes
1 Bedroom
| 2 Bedrooms | 3 Bedrooms
| 4 Bedrooms | 5 Bedrooms |
900 sq. ft.
| 1,400 sq. ft. | 1,900 sq. ft. | 2,600 sq. ft. | 2,850 sq. ft. |
I was relieved that my 1,400 sq. ft. two-bedroom townhouse falls directly into the "neutral" home size threshold. How does your home stack up?
The following is the full chart as it is found in the LEED Homes Rating System.
