I heard a great interview with noted residential architect Susan Susanka today on Minnesota Public Radio. She had a practice for years in the Twin Cities area, where she made a name for herself publishing “The Not So Big House,” which espouses her philosophy of smart, human-scaled, right-sized residential design.

Minesota Public Radio “Midmorning” host Kerri Miller asked if the “gotta build my dream house” segment of the market had fallen away with the recession. Susanka responded that if it had, it might not be such a bad thing. “A lot of people are looking at how they can make the home they’re in right now their dream home, by making it work better for them,” she said, or something to that effect.

Susanka also recommended budgeting at minimum 10 percent of your remodeling project for an energy audit — more, we might add, if you want to begin addressing some of the issues an energy audit uncovers. A thorough energy audit includes not only a blower door test to pinpoint air leaks but a strategic plan to make sure air-sealing, insulating and window-replacement is done in the most bang-for-buck manner.

For one caller, who complained of a large “80’s era” addition on the back of a charming 1930s home, Susanka advocated hiring an architect to just spend an hour or so helping you refine your needs and consider some solutions beyond just tearing down and starting over. A skilled architect who can analyze your space and how your family functions can wring lots more use out of the same square footage of home.

Functional, aesthetic design is green building, when you look at it.