Imagine, for a few moments — or if you’re as obsessed by the prospect as I am, a few years — that the local municipalities and banks and building departments and such did not have a minimum size limit on houses and a minimum size for each occupant, but instead, a maximum size limit.

Instead of a minimum dwelling size of 1400 square feet (or 2500 or whatever it is these days) for new construction, what if building codes stated that the maximum footprint of a new dwelling cannot exceed, say, 144 square feet for each adult?

What if?