What Not To Build: The New American Home

I wish to retract my negative comments about last year's New American Home at the NAHB builders show, where I complained about its size. After all it was on an urban lot and had a few green features. I should have saved my venom for this year's home.

Here, in a year where house prices are falling and McMansion owners are mailing in their keys and going home to momma, they have decided to flame out with a bang, a 6,725 square foot monster home that sets a new standard for excess.

They are not burning enough fuel keeping it cool inside, so they put these outside just to top it off.

The master bath looks bigger than a New York apartment and probably uses enough water to fill Lake Lanier.

They call it "The New American Home makes an important – and very positive – statement about the future of home building." ..."The New American Home is part of an initiative to test new concepts demonstrating “Builders Best Practices” using innovative building materials, cutting-edge design, and the latest construction techniques, providing production homebuilders with an example for producing more energy efficient, durable homes without sacrificing style."

I call it a last monument to an industry in trouble, that has to change its ways if it is going to survive, and that for next year should demonstrate how this can be turned into a quadroplex. ::The New American Home