apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Wow. Interesting idea.

I attended a political rally in the fall at what I'd call a MacMansion, and that place would be really hard to change without gutting the place -- weirdly shaped and sized rooms with high celilings but not a lot of floor space, big arches to not much else, bad flow -- it would be interesting to see what that kind of architecture could become!

Back in the 30's, 40's and 50's, gigantic old victorians were commonly divided up into apartments if they weren't simply demolished...

...Same concept, different time - only now we have neighborhood associations and zoning laws that can legally prevent owners from dividing their monstrous white elephants into more reasonably-sized living units.

Fabulous, finally people are cluing in to absurdity of the McMansion - got to Northern VA - have at it!!!

How much do homeowners get paid?

Can't get the Web site right now... anyway, great idea, but yeah, I'm wondering how they divy up those odd rooms. If we were talking square footage alone, many of these places would make ample duplexes, but not with the walls as they are.

Wonder if we'll ever see something like this in the US. Sadly, TX would probably be one of the last to catch on.

It sounds to me like they aren't going to divy up the rooms, they're taking the place apart down to the ground and re-using the materials.

Cool idea.

From a Big Mac to two cheeseburgers, if you will.

Funny :)

It is a really cool concept, though! And I had no idea Aussies had McMansions, too. Although considering how "American" Australia is in some ways, I guess it's no surprise.

This project was created by Australian artist Matthieu Gallois.

This will never catch on. it's mostly exciting to self loathing NYC apartment dwellers with square footage envy....- yes i read that this is in Australia.

I am happy to live in an apartment with limited square footage in NYC because it is amazing, but come one, i would never begrudge someone else a larger place. I dream most nights of a larger place. God Bless.

I don't know how anyone looks at the house pictured in this post - or others like it - and even finds it attractive.

That half of the house is made of garage just makes my stomach turn.

And I'm from the Great Plains - transplanted to a mountain state. Not a NYC small space dweller. !!

To sally305, spoken like a true American...
We also have cars too!

Can I ask what you thought Australian's live in????

Yes, sally305, we Aussies have McMansions. We also have electricity and the internet.

There's something rather ominous about the line "McMansion owners will be petitioned to engage the Reincarnated McMansion project". If I were a McMansion owner and this coterie of self-appointed professional eco-scolds started pestering me, I'd set the hounds on them. Or the lawyers. Or the hounds with law degrees.

I applaud anyone who wants to build efficient new green houses - heck, I'd probably buy one. There's no need to do it with all of this empty moral posturing.

It's still sprawl. Poorly-built houses, and poorly-designed communities. Instead of a McMansion, it's a McDuplex. I'm not impressed.

The only solution I see for fixing cul-de-sacs in the suburbs is by tearing them all down. Some may be restructured for urban life; the majority should be restored to nature. They can't be fixed by renovating the houses. The whole system is broken (it always has been), therefore it can only be fixed by renovating the land.

In sally's defense: I admit I also thought the McMansion was a uniquely American bit of ugliness and stupidity. It's a compliment really, to assume that the Aussies were less idiotic.

Was just about to comment that the house in the photo is not what I would call a mansion...and then I saw the comment about northern virginia.

(I was born and raised in nova)

My bad. carry on.

Why can't we just burn all the McMansions and sow the ground with salt?

come friendly bombs and fall on slough
to get it ready for the plogh
the cabbages are coming now
the earth exhales

I don't really buy this idea.

My main problem with homes like the one pictured is that they are too big for their lot (fat man in a little coat). It seems that two homes on the same amount of space would be equally crowded.

A good documentary about this is called, "The End of Suburbia." It's worth watching.

You know, I really hate the word "up-cycling".

I've never really understood the problem with these big houses. There have always been communities with large houses...the Jersey Shore, Newport, etc. I don't know that I'd live in one, as I don't have a family and don't make a million dollars a year, but if I did I'd probably want a larger place than the 1100 sq. ft. condo I now have.

If people choose to live on cul-de-sacs in the suburbs, what's it to me? They aren't telling me how to live-why should I tell them how to? Urban dwellers always have disdain for those in the 'burbs, but lots and lots of people choose to live in 'burbs, and enjoy it. They wonder how people can be crowded into cities.

Why do all the city dwellers get to decide which is the right way to live?

There is a fundamental problem.
Most MCM's are poorly build to boot.

how many square feet constitutes a "McMansion"? I live in a 2000 sqft house in the 'burbs and am surrounded by homes that are 3000-4200 sqft. They seem enormous and wasteful, but I can't imagine they could be dismantled and reconstructed into two homes...are we talking 5000 sqft? As a project, it's interesting. As a solution to McMansions and suburban sprawl, it's not logical.

This is probably 3x the size of my house, but if someone likes that much space and can afford it I don't see the problem...

All over Queens I keep seeing these truly hideous McMansions being built with the most grossly ostentacious details. I don't know why the city keeps issuing these permits because it's destroying the neighborhood. And I'd still feel this way even if 5 families lived there instead of 1.

To Ms. Pea, and everyone else wondering what's so bad about McMansions.

I can only speak to the local phenomenon, but here you go. Here in the Silicon Valley there were many many modest houses built Post War. They were built on lots that happily accommodated their average of three bedrooms, and two baths (give or take).

In the intervening years, housing prices in the Silicon Valley have skyrocketed. I'm currently sitting in a three bedroom Eichler (post and beam constructed MCM house.) She has a little over fifty years on her, and yet neighboring like houses are (still!) selling for a million dollars, plus. It's not so much the house but the land.

Back to the McMansion phenom. Here in the Valley, it's become common practice to purchase a tiny house with it's appropriately small lot, plow down the original house and put a McMansion on it. The McMansion invariably takes up every possible, permit-able inch of the lot, towers over it's tiny neighbors, casts their sunny gardens into shadow, and makes the neighbors' backyard privacy a thing of the past. Frequently the McMansion is in a style completely out of synch with the rest of the neighborhood, like a faux half-timbered monstrosity between to flat roofed, single storied Eichlers.

Don't know about anyone else, but I see a problem here.

Thank you, Margie. That was my point exactly. I guess I also didn't realize Australians could be so defensive (if in fact it is defensive to claim McMansions as their own...).

And for the record, I am only half-American, and I have close friends in both Brisbane and Toowoomba--none of whom live in McMansions.

Okay wait... someone wrote MCM as short for McMansion... and another wrote MCM for Mid-Century Modern.

If we must resort to abbreviations..... Mid-Century Modern claimed MCM first....

McMansions will have to be McM or else spelled out. or maybe McMans.