MARIANNE CUSATO And i ts ef fect on our l ives & communi t ies T H E V A L U E O F D E S I G N M A R I A N N E C U S A T O 26300 La Alameda, Sui te 250 Mission Viejo, California 92691 1.866.4.HARDIE 1.866.442.7343 [email protected] www.James Hardie.com Plain Paper Press ISBN: 978-09760250-8-5 The Value of Design Design matters. Design adds value to our homes and communties in terms of dollars and cents, but its value is deeper than monetary. Design can greatly improve our quality of life and the condition of our fragile environment. How we build our homes and communities is a choice, not a given. It is within our reach to build nice places, to find change and to live more sustainably on our planet. This is the true value of design.

Why is it that certain streets or neighborhoods are alluring while others are entirely forgettable? Many times, something doesn’t feel quite right, yet you can’t articulate exactly what is wrong. The reason is that we’re affected by our built environment. We’re born with the natural ability to understand design. Even without training, we can sense what is good design and what doesn’t quite work. The purpose of this book is to provide a resource to help you articulate what you want and why the space outside of the house matters as much as the space inside. Once you know what to ask for, you will...