Every room -- indeed, every square foot . . . has been designed as everyday living space, ... and the money saved by reducing the volume of space has been invested instead in tailoring to fit its owners to a T: on beautiful design and craftsmanship, on healthy and resource-efficient materials, and on better building practices.

This is what Seattle is doing — getting architects, builders, designers, etc., on the same page. This is huge.

In the same way that music inspires us to certain feelings, space can do the same thing.

Build about one-third less square footage than you planned for, but build it at a slightly higher dollar cost per square foot, in order to get the character and quality of the space you want.