Revelations Architects, a small Wisconsin based firm, seeks to make a point with a project called EDGE (Experimental Dwelling for a Greener Environment). They want to show how people can live larger and greener in small, beautiful spaces. This tiny box house has special furniture that allows the dining/living room to quickly transform into a bedroom at night.
Mary Louise Schumacher writes about her stay in the house, and what struck me most was the last sentence:
The experience of staying at the EDGE has remained large in my mind. In the end, this petite home asks a monumental question: What do we truly need to be happy? More than that, it suggests that it may be a lot less than we imagine.
This is a question that everyone, including economists, should ask themselves. More stuff, but for what purpose? Maybe it is a lousy (and dangerous) assumption that more is always better.
Open Economics 