WASHINGTON, DC — The prolonged downturn in the U.S. economy and the nation’s housing market, coupled with growing concerns about rising utility costs, has resulted in greater interest among consumers in smaller homes, a newly released survey by the American Institute of Architects concludes.

According to the latest in a quarterly series of Home Design Trends Surveys conducted by the Washington, DC-based AIA, the growing desire for smaller homes is being accompanied by broader lifestyle changes, with U.S. households eschewing upscale amenities and opting instead to invest in more low-maintenance projects, particularly for property improvements.

The findings from the AIA survey, which focused on overall home layout and use in the first quarter of 2010, were buttressed by a report issued last month by the National Association of Home Builders which found that the size of new single-family homes declined last year, reversing some three decades of increased growth.

According to the AIA, accessibility within the home continues to be a concern, especially for an aging population, and there is an increasing demand for more flexible design and informal space within homes.

“We continue to move away from the ‘McMansion’ chapter of residential design, with more demand for practicality throughout the home,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. 

While kitchen and bathroom remodeling continues to remain the most promising sector in residential construction, there has been a drop off in the popularity of such upscale property enhancements as formal landscaping, decorative water features, tennis courts and gazebos, according to Baker.

“There has been a steady decline in both the square footage and volume in home design in recent years,” he noted. “The preference instead seems to be for more flexible, open and informal layouts that allow for both ease of movement and fostering a space more conducive to family living.”

According to the NAHB, the size of new single-family homes declined last year, dropping to a nationwide average of 2,438 sq. ft.

After increasing continually for nearly three decades, the average size of single-family homes completed in the U.S. peaked at 2,521 sq. ft. in 2007. That number was essentially flat in 2008, and then it dropped in 2009, so that new single-family homes were almost 100 square feet smaller in 2009 than in 2007.