One trend that is growing in popularity especially among small home builders, is the placement of the Air Handling Unit (or AHU for short) in the ceiling; or (our preference) suspended from the ceiling.  The primary advantage is obvious, You gain more usable space in your home. There are certainly drawbacks (you need a ladder to change the filter), as there is with any compromise. But overall it can be a very effective way of getting the right sized pantry, or broom closet, as those are often the spaces that are affected, or negated the most.   Here are some very recent photos of a Merritt Island home where we designed the AHU to be placed in the ceiling of the garage.