Design Your Future

What if your home could grow and change with you—adapting to every phase of your life instead of fighting against it? In Future Home Design, architect Farinah Husodo explores this powerful idea, arguing that homes should be designed not just for the present, but for the future lives of their owners. She believes that every homeowner deserves a space that nurtures growth, comfort, and legacy—not simply a transaction in the property market. Through years of experience and research, Husodo has identified how a home can be both practical and visionary, balancing emotional fulfillment with smart investment.

The core argument of the book is simple yet revolutionary: we’ve been building homes for short-term resale instead of for long-term living. Husodo urges homeowners to reject the mindset of temporary ownership encouraged by real estate culture and instead reclaim the concept of home as a personal, evolving sanctuary. A Future Home, in her definition, is one that adapts to life’s different phases—raising children, downsizing, supporting parents, or leaving a legacy for the next generation. It is both a functional dwelling and a vessel for identity, history, and connection.

Rethinking What Home Really Means

Husodo’s journey began in Aceh, Indonesia, where she saw families resettled after the 2004 tsunami. Despite receiving new concrete houses, survivors lamented, “It’s not the same as my old home.” That moment impressed upon her how deeply home is tied to memory, community, and belonging—not merely bricks and mortar. Back in Australia, she heard similar confusion among clients: Where should I start when building? How much should I spend? Should I hire an architect or follow what the property market dictates? These stories revealed a widespread crisis of clarity, and Future Home Design was born as a solution to empower ordinary people to build with vision, purpose, and foresight.

The SMALL Framework: Five Pillars of a Future Home

To make her ideas concrete, Husodo introduces the acronym SMALL, which sums up the five essential characteristics of every Future Home: Smart, Millennial, Adaptable, Livable, and Low Energy Consumption. This framework acts as both a design philosophy and a checklist for homeowners to ensure long-term functionality and value. “SMALL” doesn’t mean minimal in ambition; rather, it stands for intelligent, efficient, and human-centered design—homes built with ingenuity, not excess.

• Smart homes feature integrated technologies that offer convenience, safety, and control over your environment.
• Millennial homes embrace sustainability, compact living, natural materials, and a strong connection between indoor and outdoor space.
• Adaptable homes can flex for changing needs—accommodating children, ageing parents, or income-generating spaces.
• Livable homes are safe, inclusive, and comfortable—in other words, designed for all life stages and abilities.
• Low Energy Consumption homes minimize running costs while protecting the environment, combining efficiency with well-being.

Each of these five elements is explored in depth throughout the book, showing how they can be implemented not only in custom new homes but also in renovations and extensions. The framework fuses the emotional and practical—that a home should feel good and work well—creating designs that uplift daily living while improving long-term value.

Industry Secrets and the Fight Against Misinformation

One of Husodo’s strongest chapters exposes the “industry secrets” that often mislead ordinary homeowners. She explains how energy rating systems, air leakage, and so-called “overcapitalising” are frequently misunderstood or misused. For instance, the official energy ratings of homes in Australia measure design intent, not actual performance—a fact many homeowners never learn until their homes fail to stay warm in winter. She argues that better-informed clients can hold the construction industry accountable for quality and performance, rather than relying on superficial real estate metrics.

Similarly, the fear of “overcapitalising”—spending more on your home than the market might repay—has trapped generations in underperforming, uncomfortable homes. Husodo insists that time is the homeowner’s friend. A well-designed, energy-efficient, intelligent home appreciates in both market value and emotional worth over the years. Short-term thinking, however, erodes comfort, quality, and resale appeal alike. “Future Home Design” reframes investment: not as chasing buyers, but as building legacy.

Rebuilding Trust and Empowering Homeowners

The final section addresses the human side of the construction industry—trust, professionalism, and collaboration. Husodo candidly shares stories of poor workmanship, careless tradespeople, and the clients who paid the price. She argues that rebuilding trust begins with knowledge: when homeowners understand how architects, builders, and consultants should work together, they can demand integrity and accountability. She clarifies what architects really do, dispelling the myth that their services are only for the wealthy. Architects, she explains, are not just designers; they are advocates, coordinators, and protectors of a homeowner’s interests, ensuring that every dollar spent produces lasting value.

Why It Matters Now

In a world shaken by the pandemic, rising costs, and environmental challenges, Husodo’s message feels urgent. Home, she writes, is the centre of human life—a place of refuge, connection, and continuity. The Future Home model isn’t just about better architecture but about rethinking how we live and build for the generations yet to come. As more people face housing crises, multigenerational families, or the dream of ageing in place, these principles offer both moral and practical guidance. In essence, Future Home Design redefines success in housing: it’s measured not by square metres or resale price, but by the life a home supports and sustains.

Farinah Husodo begins by asking what “home” really means to you. Is it just shelter, or the story of your life? Drawing from her volunteer experience rebuilding after the 2004 Aceh tsunami, she discovered that people’s sense of home extends far beyond physical structure—it’s an emotional and cultural anchor. When she handed over new concrete houses to survivors, their gratitude was mixed with grief: “It is not the same as my old home.” The feeling of belonging, community, and memory was absent. This moment led her to question how modern construction often misses this intangible essence.

Listening to Modern Homeowners

Back in Australia, Husodo encountered another kind of loss—homeowners overwhelmed by choice, misinformation, and fear. Through stories of families like James and Anna, who wanted to leave a legacy for their children, or Sam and Margaret, hoping to accommodate ageing parents, she identified a repeating challenge: conventional houses rarely fit evolving lives. The designs felt static while people’s needs were dynamic. She compared these to “wearing jeans that are two sizes too small—you can’t breathe comfortably or move naturally.”

In each of these stories, homeowners sensed that their houses constrained rather than supported them. They either endured high energy bills, lacked space for growing kids, or couldn’t find homes suited for retirement. This gap between life and design is the root problem Future Home Design was written to solve.

Beyond Property as Commodity

Husodo critiques the way real estate markets have commodified homeownership. With national holdings for 11.3 years on average, most Australians treat houses as temporary investments. Real estate advice—“only spend on things buyers can see”—rewards superficial upgrades over long-term planning. The result is homes that look nice on inspection day but fail to sustain comfort or efficiency. Husodo flips this perspective, arguing that your home is both your life stage and your legacy. A Future Home is not just a commodity; it’s your story made livable.

Home carries memory, identity, and continuity. It’s where life unfolds, not just where it’s contained.

Clarity, Confidence, and Capital Growth

To restore clarity, Husodo organizes her guidance through three pillars: knowledge, confidence, and capital awareness. A homeowner must understand how design decisions serve both immediate comfort and future safety. Whether renovating or building anew, thoughtful architecture adds not just resale value but emotional and social wealth—what she calls the “legacy dividend.” By the end of this section, you see that homebuilding is not about chasing trends but about creating timeless spaces that nurture your evolving life story.

Husodo synthesizes years of design experience into the acronym SMALL, a framework that captures what makes a home future-ready. It stands for Smart, Millennial, Adaptable, Livable, and Low Energy Consumption. Each element complements the others, forming a holistic vision of how homes can meet current needs, anticipate change, and extend their usefulness over generations.

Smart: Integrating Simplicity and Technology

A Smart home isn’t necessarily futuristic or expensive; it’s about thoughtful integration. Husodo recounts the daily morning rush of a family—Margaret running late to work, forgetting to lock the door, and frantically returning home—which could all be avoided with a simple touch of smart automation. Smart systems—like integrated security, lighting, and heating—transform daily hassles into seamless routines. They offer flexibility for everyone, from parents to retirees traveling abroad.

Millennial: Designing for Future Living

Millennial refers not to an age group but to an attitude toward sustainability and modern lifestyle. It combines natural materials (timber, bamboo, stone, and low-VOC paint), compact footprints that prioritize quality over quantity, and a strong indoor–outdoor connection. Husodo draws inspiration from Singapore’s compact apartments, where efficiency replaces excess. Her examples show that bright, airy, smaller homes often bring greater joy and wellness than oversized but disconnected houses. The Millennial mindset also redefines luxury as light, air, and sustainability.

Adaptable: Homes That Flex and Grow

Adaptability is the heart of the Future Home. Whether it’s turning a study into a guest room with a Murphy bed, sharing laundry space with a craft nook, or building multigenerational layouts that bring families together, adaptability saves money and stress. Husodo uses stories like Matt and Joni’s, who rented part of their home after their children moved out, to illustrate how careful planning allows homes to generate income and foster community. Designing with flexibility from the start prevents future crises and reduces costly renovations later.

Livable: Safe and Comfortable for All Ages

A Livable home is accessible and inclusive—ideal for parents with strollers as well as elders with walkers. Drawing from Australian Livable Housing guidelines, Husodo outlines how to plan level entrances, wide doorways, and non-slip floors that ensure lifelong usability. It’s not just about growing old; it’s about dignified and independent living for every stage of life, avoiding exodus to aged care facilities later on.

Low Energy Consumption: Saving Costs, Saving the Planet

The fifth feature, Low Energy Consumption, addresses both environmental responsibility and personal comfort. Through better insulation, airtightness, and passive design (like orienting rooms for sun and natural ventilation), homeowners can reduce bills and increase health. Husodo references data from Australia’s CSIRO showing most “6-star” homes don’t perform as rated because air leaks are untested—a call for homeowner vigilance and reform. Together, these five SMALL pillars form a living blueprint for creating homes that endure, adapt, and uplift.

Adaptability transforms a house from a fixed object into a living organism. Husodo challenges you to think beyond your current stage of life and consider how your household might evolve. Will your elderly parents move in? Will your children return after college? Can one room someday become an office or rental suite? The key is planning ahead—‘It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark,’ she reminds.

Four Principles of Long-Term Planning

• Know your why. Define your home’s purpose—security for your children, comfort in ageing, or building generational wealth.
• Determine your time frame. Are you staying for 10, 20, or 30 years? This determines what features are worth investing in.
• Plan for life changes. Anticipate transitions like retirement, remote work, or changing mobility.
• Establish a legacy. Consider how your home can serve your children or even future tenants.

Designing Flexible Spaces

Husodo offers practical design ideas: convertible home offices that double as guest rooms, family rooms that transform into media or recreation zones, or garages that function as workshops on weekends. Every design decision multiplies functionality. For families like Mark and Megan with musical teenagers, adaptability even dictates acoustics—soundproofing a room means peace for everyone else.

Economic and Emotional Benefits

An adaptable home saves tens of thousands over a lifetime. Each avoided move spares agent fees, taxes, and emotional upheaval. More importantly, adaptability builds resilience. Instead of being forced to leave when life changes, you can transform your home to meet new circumstances. This philosophy redefines stability not as sameness but as sustainability—embracing change without being uprooted.

Husodo’s concept of a Livable home champions inclusivity, dignity, and safety. It’s about designing a home that remains usable no matter your age or mobility. She cites Nigel and Doreen, a couple in their 70s struggling to find a comfortable downsized home. Market options were oversized, multi-storey, or poorly planned for eventual wheelchair access. A Livable Future Home would have solved their dilemma by anticipating accessibility from the beginning.

Designing for Any Stage of Life

Drawing from Australian Livable Housing Guidelines, Husodo identifies elements like step-free entrances, wider corridors, and reinforced bathroom walls for potential grab bars. These universal design features serve everyone: mums steering prams, people recovering from injuries, or ageing homeowners. You don’t need all modifications at once—what matters is planning the structure so installation later is simple and inexpensive. Prevention, she insists, is better than cure.

The Case for Ageing in Place

Husodo points to the growing costs and emotional toll of retirement facilities. Keeping elders at home improves mental health, reduces isolation, and delivers cost savings for families and taxpayers. A Livable home permits elderly independence and family connection simultaneously—creating grace instead of fear around ageing. This mirrors global advocates of ageing-in-place movements (referenced also by authors like Lisa Cini in Hive).

“You can future-proof dignity,” Husodo writes. “It begins with thoughtful design, not expensive renovation.”

Ultimately, livability bridges generations. It isn’t charity for the aged—it’s intelligent design for everyone. A Livable Future Home merges practicality with compassion, ensuring that your space will support health, safety, and happiness through life’s entire arc.

Low Energy Consumption is where environmental sustainability meets personal comfort and savings. Husodo unpacks the misconceptions around Australia’s energy rating system, exposing how the official six-star rating typically reflects computer predictions, not real performance. Without post-construction testing, insulation gaps, or air leaks often nullify any promised efficiency. The result: homes that hemorrhage warm air in winter and cool air in summer.

Four Pillars of Energy Efficiency

• Passive Design: Orienting rooms for sunlight, maximum ventilation, and thermal mass storage ensures natural heating and cooling.
• Passivhaus Standard: A German certification demanding tight construction and excellent insulation, reducing heating/cooling needs by up to 90%.
• High Star Ratings: Homes should exceed the six-star minimum to prepare for future building codes and increase resale value.
• Airtightness: Husodo explains that Australian homes average 15 air changes per hour, while Passivhaus achieves 0.6; every leak wastes your dollars and comfort.

Her recommendation? Demand a “blower door test”—a procedure to identify hidden leaks—and ensure insulation is installed properly before walls are sealed. These small actions recoup costs quickly and elevate your home’s comfort for decades.

The Broader Payoff

Energy-efficient homes reduce household bills, prevent pollution, and improve health by maintaining stable indoor conditions. Husodo also explores the resale angle, referencing University of Melbourne research showing energy-efficient homes earn up to 9% higher prices—a measurable financial return. Her message is clear: energy consciousness isn’t a fad, it’s the future foundation of wealth, wellness, and environmental stewardship.

Husodo calls the fear of “overcapitalising” one of the most destructive myths in housing. Too often, it deters families from building better homes. She distinguishes investor-driven decisions from true homeowner goals: investors seek short-term profit; homeowners seek long-term stability, comfort, and legacy. Mixing the two mentalities leads to confusion and paralysis.

Time as Your Ally

For homeowners staying long term, time turns spending into investment. A home built with future-ready features increases capital growth while offering immediate livability. Husodo shares the story of Mike and Heather, who rebuilt their ageing 1970s home not to resell, but to improve their children’s health by eliminating mould and leaks. The project wasn’t an expense—it was an act of stewardship. Over the next decade, their family’s quality of life became the return on investment.

Budgeting Smartly

She advises homeowners to control their budget the way they control their diet: know what you have, what you need, and what provides nourishment. Engaging independent experts—architects, valuers, cost consultants—is not “extra cost” but insurance against waste. A registered valuer can forecast post-renovation value; a cost consultant keeps plans aligned with your budget. Husodo argues that “not taking charge of your budget is like handing over your wallet for someone else to spend.”

Transforming Fear into Foresight

The solution to overcapitalisation anxiety is better planning, not avoidance. Husodo’s system reframes money spent on quality materials, airtightness, or smart design as “cost of longevity.” Over time, comfort compounds like interest. Her claim mirrors sustainable design experts such as Sarah Susanka (The Not So Big House): investing less in size, more in soul, yields both value and wellbeing. For Future Home owners, capitalising intelligently means building your story, not merely your equity.

Trust is the cornerstone of the homebuilding journey—and also the element most eroded. Husodo recounts her parents’ experience being overcharged by an unqualified tradesman who botched their driveway, a small incident that exposed a bigger systemic issue: too many “cowboys” prey on uninformed clients. Her advice to readers is blunt but compassionate—trust must be earned through transparency, process, and professionalism, not mere price.

Hire for Integrity, Not Bargains

A lower quote is meaningless if the work must be redone. Husodo urges homeowners to work only with qualified architects and registered professionals who follow a code of conduct and carry proper insurance. Paying for independent advice, she emphasizes, is like buying peace of mind—it’s your protection policy. “Those who charge nothing,” she writes, “often cost the most in the end.”

The Architect’s Role

She devotes a full chapter to clarifying what architects really do. Beyond creating drawings, architects act as advocates, quality controllers, and communicators between you and builders. They ensure fairness, validate cost claims, and design for safety and longevity. She compares this to needing a surgeon rather than a general practitioner for major operations—expertise saves pain later. A builder constructs; an architect orchestrates the whole composition.

Reclaiming Your Power as a Homeowner

By understanding processes and roles, you regain agency over your largest investment. Husodo dreams of an industry where clients and professionals work as partners, bound by honesty and respect. Just as homes should evolve with your life, she envisions a construction culture that evolves with your trust—an industry guided not by piecemeal promises, but by shared responsibility to create lasting spaces that serve humanity.

The closing chapters of Future Home Design turn outward—from individual homes to the bigger picture. Husodo argues that collective homeowner awareness can reshape the global housing industry. The pandemic, she writes, revealed that home is not just where we sleep but where we work, study, and heal. Architects, builders, and citizens alike must respond with a shift from quantity to quality—from building more to building better.

A Call to Homeowners as Changemakers

You hold the power of demand. When you choose future-ready features—energy efficiency, adaptability, lifespan planning—the market follows. Husodo calls homeowners “the new architects of industry change.” Instead of being sold quick-fix houses, you can set expectations for design integrity, sustainability, and inclusion. This demand compels the industry to evolve beyond speculative trends toward human-centred building.

Home Ownership and Social Responsibility

With home ownership in decline and homelessness rising, especially among millennials, Husodo challenges today’s owners to think generationally. By building adaptable, multigenerational homes, families can provide security and inheritance for their children. Citing the story of “Ben,” who became homeless after losing his rental during economic downturn, she warns that housing insecurity can happen to anyone when homes are treated purely as investment commodities. Legacy homes—those built to last and be shared—are a social solution as much as a personal one.

A New Vision for the Future

Husodo ends on a hopeful note: industry transformation begins with the individual. When you design with intention and foresight, you gift stability and dignity to your descendants. When many households act this way, the collective result is transformative—communities of resilience rather than speculation, beauty that serves people and planet alike. The Future Home is more than architecture—it’s a movement toward sustainable humanity.