Efficient Architecture Suggests a New Future for Design

What makes something efficient? Merriam-Webster defines “efficient” as “productive without waste.” Apple’s senior vice president of design, Jonathan Ive, applied the idea of efficiency to design when he sought to get rid of anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary.

The idea of an efficient home has grown in popularity over the last decade, largely in the context of energy efficiency. However, energy is only one important part of a home’s efficiency. The near-collapse of the economy has caused many potential homeowners to rethink what is important, weeding out the unnecessary and creating the potential for a fresh design aesthetic.

Here are several examples of efficiency that impacts all aspects of design, including beauty and cost.