What happened to the art of building? Let’s talk.

Even armed with good design intentions, sometimes cost makes it a slippery slope to building a McMansion. Let’s find out what happened to the art of building.

The trendy days of McMansions are so over. The Tiny House that brings the delights of sustainability and less stress zen-like living are what’s happening now. But we’re still obsessed with square-footage costs. Who can afford good craftsmanship? Well, maybe craftsmanship is something worth investing in.

But what does good craftsmanship cost? How do you balance a smart budget with a well-built home, so you don’t end up building a smart small home that’s really a mini-McMansion? And what happened to the art of building? Where are the craftsmen and craftswomen?
What happened to craftsmanship?

We’re talking with expert Brent Hull, author of ‘Building a Timeless House in an Instant Age.’ Trained in the art of

museum quality preservation at the prestigious North Bennett School in Boston, Brent believes that what we build defines us. Over the last 60 years, he says we have become fixated with building homes as cheaply and fast as possible. New homes today are often built without much care or consideration and have no design philosophy or lasting appeal to them.

“For Hull, the main goal in writing this book is to help people understand that the house they build defines them and in turn defines our society.”

Check out our hangout with Brent  and share your comments about building more timeless homes, building a McMansion, the art of building, or modern craftsmanship below in the comments section, or send us a note on myfixituplife@myfixituplife.com.

If you’ve never watched Google+ hangouts, here’s what you need to know to check it out.

MyFixitUpLife hosts Mark and Theresa are hosting LIVE Google+ Hangouts every weekday at 1pmET.

You’ll be able to ask your questions and make comments on G+, Twitter, FB, and/or YouTube during every interview. And we’ll be ready to share the answers live on MyFixitUpLife LIVE!

So here’s the lowdown on Google+ Hangouts:

What is a G+ hangout?
It’s a live video chat hosted publicly by MyFixitUpLife on the MyFixitUpLife talk Google+ account. You don’t need a Google+ account to watch.

How can I watch?
You can watch on the Google+ Hangout event page on MyFixitUpLife.com or Google+. If you have a G+ account, you can RSVP and let your friends know you’re going. You can also email, tweet, Facebook, or even face-to-face invite friends to watch.

Do I need a G+ account?
You do not have to have an account to watch the hangout. You can watch on YouTube, on Google+ or on MyFixitUpLife.com.

What if I miss the hangout?
You can watch every Google+ Hangout later on our MyFixitUpLife YouTube channel.