As some will know...I've been in the Architecture game for 37 years now..... and a recent news item here in Oz had me thinking.
Australia leads the world [if that's the PC term for excess] in seemingly wanting 'bigger is better'. We outstrip even the US, where you'd expect space, pricing, demand to put them on top.
OK, so it's only 14 sq Metres more [about 2 squares], but the more sobering thought is Aussie homes are almost THREE TIMES the size of the average home in the UK.
Sure, we have the 'space'....Oz is a big country.... but the Urban sprawl and demands on materials and infrastructure are borderline obscene.
I guess I was prompted to comment as I've just completed a sketch design for 2 units on a 'standard' subdivision lot...and each is over 18 squares [1800 sq. feet] excluding Garage and balconies, etc.... yet still fitted within the 50% built-on area requirement.
Clearly Urban Planning needs to change....particularly when the 'Greater Melbourne' [Oz] is the same area as the Greater London.....yet the later has about 4 or 5 times the population.
Interestingly I can still remember the first house I drew....37 years ago. It was 13 squares....
