The Starter Mansion

September 22, 2025 | Boston Design Guide

How Meyer & Meyer brings luxury-level design to smaller homes.

While Meyer & Meyer Architects is renowned for crafting grand landmark estates infused with detail and artistry, Principal Architect and Co-Founder John Meyer recently uncovered a surprising new passion: designing elegant, thoughtfully crafted homes through an accessible, budget-friendly approach.

Many homeowners have access only to developer-built houses, designed to be “just good enough” to sell quickly. Aesthetics and personalization often come last. Over the last 45 years, Meyer’s work for high-end clients has taught him how to use premium materials wisely, detail them correctly, and design homes that quietly and gracefully fit into their neighborhoods. In his recent venture, the Starter Mansion Project, premium-level design principles can be applied into smaller, more attainable homes.

As Meyer explains, the biggest challenge for architects with smaller homes is economics. A modest home does not always generate the design fee that a large estate does, which is why many premium architects lean toward larger scale projects. Meyer has decided to flip the equation: by applying simple, cost-saving design principles, the architects can create smaller houses that are elegant, durable, and timeless.

The Guiding Principles

Limit Surface Area
The exterior surface of a house accounts for about 35% of its cost and has major implications for heating, cooling, and maintenance. Compact floor plans reduce this expense dramatically.

Use Straight Lines and Rectilinear Shapes
These are far more cost-effective than angled or curved forms, and can be applied without sacrificing aesthetic beauty.

Maximize Visual Presence
By stretching the home’s long side along the street, the façade creates a sense of scale and presence, especially valuable in neighborhoods where surrounding homes are larger.

Choose Durable, Moderately Priced Materials
Certain solid composites and other mid-range materials can take paint, trim, and detailing beautifully while holding up for generations.

Redundancy Saves
Using the same windows, trims, or details repeatedly, often in symmetrical patterns, keeps costs down while creating architectural harmony.

Invest in a Few Premium Details
Select one or two standout features, and place them in highly visible locations.

Build for Longevity
Strong structure, insulation, waterproofing, and mechanical systems may not show immediate savings, but over time, they ensure that the home grows in value and avoids costly repairs

A House for All Stages of Life

Meyer’s Starter Mansions are designed to evolve with their owners. “We try to build something that can safely accommodate a young family without any waste of space,” he explains. “That’s usually a four-bedroom with the potential for a fifth, all in as compact an area as possible. The idea is that a young family can buy such a house and grow old in it.” In addition, the home is designed to remain manageable for the parents to age in place, without the stress of the maintenance that a larger home might require. Elegantly proportioned and well-built, these homes would fit seamlessly into high-end neighborhoods and serve as a source of pride for those who live in them.

Energy, Efficiency, and Sustainability

Energy performance is another cornerstone of the Starter Mansion. Meyer encourages geothermal planning, whether installed immediately or designed for a seamless future upgrade. He notes that ensuring insulation and air sealing are maximized does not need to require additional costs.

As for solar, Meyer prefers the discreet placement of solar panels behind parapets, within flat roof sections, or screened by landscaping. His early interest in sustainable design dates back to his MIT graduate thesis: The Cost of Passive Solar Energy. Even today, he emphasizes passive strategies such as siting, orientation, and natural heating and cooling as essential to long-term performance.