Across the Pond…

Last Spring, I traveled to London, Paris, and Amsterdam for vacation but also managed to spend some time comparing U.S. housing to homes that folks live on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

First stop London. I was fortunate enough to stay at a friend’s “flat”, which is the equivalent of an apartment in the United States. The unit was very compact, living space-wise. In addition, its heating system and appliances were very energy efficient, compared to most apartments in the U.S.

To maximize the use of space, for instance, the flat had a stacked washer and dryer unit instead of separate, freestanding, washer and dryer units. The flat also had a “tankless” water heater to provide on-demand hot water and eliminate the huge 80 gallon water heater typically found in most American homes. What’s more, the flat’s windows fully rotated or flipped to allow cleaning of the outside glass from inside the unit.

In one curious way, however, Europeans are expansive in the use of space when it comes to bathrooms: the flat’s toilet, for instance, was partitioned off from the rest of the bathroom for privacy and unlike most American homes, even many non-luxury homes in Europe have a bidet in addition to a toilet. What’s more, many European bathrooms I saw typically had a hot and cold shower and/or bathtub knobs instead of the single lever faucet control found in many newer American homes.

After experiencing the British lifestyle, I took a day trip to Paris. Paris was everything I had expected and more. The neoclassical architectural style was captivating and remarkable. From the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre, the scenery was beautiful and serene.

As a person who is fascinated by intricate designs, I was intrigued by the conceptual designs behind some of the city’s illustrious structures. For instance, the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, which translates to the Arch of Triumph of the Star, is a staggering 162 feet tall gateway, aligned strategically in the heart of the Place Charles de Gaulle. The Arch was definitely the highlight of my day trip in Paris.

The last destination of my European voyage was Amsterdam, a city in The Netherlands. Exploring Amsterdam’s canals, bicycle paths and other transportation infrastructure was a journey in itself. The houses along the canal were small and narrow but still managed to create visual interest. Also, this is the city of bicycles. They are everywhere and often outnumber cars on the road.

While American homes—especially those in newer “sunbelt” cities in the South and West—often seem built for a market that values spaciousness and amenities like garages, central air-conditioning and garbage disposals, many older European structures lack such bells and whistles. Nevertheless, European housing appears to satisfy the needs and lifestyles of our neighbors across the pond and could provide a blueprint for greater energy efficiency in U.S. homes.