 At Parkland Middle School in Montgomery County, Kate Ryan, WTOP News. 823, it looks like houses are starting to get smaller. A new report on architecture says that new homes will begin to shrink in the coming years, mainly due to the rising price per square foot. Last year, about 25% of floor plans by architects were downsized to save money. What's the first thing to go? The report says that hallways will start to be eliminated.