Accessory Dwelling Units Are Coming

Accessory Dwelling Units are not new, but their adoption into Single Family Residential zoned cities on a more consistent basis is a fairly new phenomenon. Driven by the need to create more housing and density in our urban areas, cities and states are allowing these to be built in backyards, as well as carving out spaces in homes to accommodate them - think basement, garage, and attic conversions as well as renovating larger floorplans to carve out multiple living spaces within existing walls.

This last week, I had the opportunity to attend ADU Academy in Berkeley, California hosted by Earth Advantage. In addition to connecting with ADU aficionados from the west coast, Montana, and all the way to Florida, I learned quite a bit more about what is going on in markets that are ahead of most of Washington State in terms of design, building solutions, financing, and even challenges that others have overcome.

In addition to the learning and networking, I also joined in on an exclusive tour of ADUs in and around Berkeley. These are not only providing housing options, but they are also solving problems for the future owners or tenants.

Let's take a look at some of my favorite things I saw on the tour!

CITYSPACE STUDIOS

This unit, a tiny home on wheels, is only 160 square feet, but it contained a living space, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It can be hooked up to permanent facilities, installed on concrete, or it can remain on the trailer. They can also be stacked! In fact, 39 of these are being used to create an apartment building to house formerly homeless people. Check it out:

•  Supportive Housing for 39 Formerly Homeless Residents Breaks Ground on University Avenue

What's awesome about this one? The price tag! At $75,000, this was the least expensive unit around AND the trailer costs $35,000 of that. So if it is removed from the trailer and the trailer reused for other purposes, that makes this unit a cool $40K. This was also a very durable unit - metal siding and all.

STUDIO FOR GRANDMA

This unit was in the backyard of a primary residence - the back housed Grandma while her kids and grandkids lived in the primary residence. This studio was only 390 sq ft and it was the cheapest to build of all the permanent ADUs on the tour at about $92,000 ($235 per square foot). However, she put in a lot of sweat equity and was very selective and frugal in the finishes she selected (such as an Ikea kitchen). In addition, this was formerly a garage, so some of the infrastructure was able to be reused.

This home featured a number of space-saving amenities such as a Murphy bed, and a walk-in closet with mirrors. Also, this structure was created to not interfere with the two amazing trees in the backyard.

HIDDEN GEM

Isn't the entry into the backyard for this unit amazing? Orange tree, bougainvillea, and trumpet vine make walking to the ADU feel like a sanctuary. This ADU was 1 bedroom with 1 bathroom and was built when the height limit for an ADU in Berkeley was 16 feet. At that height, a full second story was a challenge which is why there is a non-bedroom loft space at the top of the stairs. Great for an office, yoga, etc.

In Washington State, having the height limit be no less than 24 feet as per HB 1337 is a game-changer in terms of having a second story.

This unit also has solar panels (as the owner has the roof slope facing south) and smooth Hardiplank siding. The owner indicated that building the ADU was her retirement plan to allow for cashflow from rental, but she also designed it for when she can't live in the main house anymore for a space to age in place - with open space and curbless showers.

PAINTERS' STUDIO

This ADU was the most controversial on the tour as it wasn't intended to be used as a rental or for permanent housing, but several of the tour members thought it was intended for housing. An ADU for occupancy locally must include permanent cooking facilities. However, this unit sported a hot plate, so it really didn't qualify.

According to the owner, this was designed as a Painter's Studio. At 380 square feet and tucked behind the primary residence, this ADU did the best job, in my opinion, in working with the existing tree infrastructure.

I absolutely loved the pop-out window above the sink on this home as well as the wide and welcoming driveway.

A PLETHORA OF TILE

This ADU was under construction during the tour. We had the privilege of meeting with the owner who had prepared an entire spec sheet on how she was able to secure quality tile for under $3 a square foot. They wanted tile throughout because they have dogs and wanted a surface that would stand up. The structure was designed by InspiredADUs.com, but the owners were doing some of the finish work themselves and had some very custom selections.

For example, they had chosen a Portuguese tile for the backsplash, but could not find a quartz that was complementary. They decided to choose something different for their countertops - a high-quality walnut slab!

This owner was another who currently lives in the primary home, but having the ADU will allow them to move to the back when they were ready to downsize. They intend to rent the ADU out to others now, but when they move into the ADU, they will rent out the primary home. They really love their neighborhood and did not want the need to downsize chase them into another area.

I really loved all the windows in this home - from the triangle window in one of the bedrooms upstairs to the wide garden window in the primary bedroom to the corner window on the stair landing.

INDOOR-OUTDOOR ESCAPE

This was a very interesting garage conversion since the garage was shared with the neighbor next door on a zero-lot line. Half of the garage frontage remained. The garage was housed behind a primary residence that had been converted to multifamily housing.

What I loved about this ADU was the outdoor spaces and the blending of the indoors and out with wood and green paint. The front door area had covered porch area with a bench to remove one's shoes. The olive tree in the front made the entry feel very set apart from the back of the multi-family house. There was a small fenced grass area (presumably for dogs) and a great patio for relaxing. Big windows, a neutral background, and wood accents in the home still let the outside shine through no matter where you were in the home. Even the tile in the bathroom was green to continue the indoor/outdoor feel and the toilet was positioned to float about it, lending to the feeling of space.

STORAGE GALORE

This ADU was something else! It was originally designed as a single story due to the 16-foot height max, but as the build got underway, Berkeley allowed ADUs to go up to 20 feet. They stopped the build and went back to the drawing board to add a second story. That is part of the reason the price tag per square foot on this unit was so high. But the solutions that are packed into this space are also to blame. And did I mention the tile? Oh my goodness!

This ADU was built for two tall men, one of whom looked for storage opportunities at every corner. Above doors, in wall cubbies, over the shower, in the toe-kick in the kitchen, even in the banquette that is under construction. The kitchen is custom-custom-custom with counter cubbies for a compost collection bin and knife block. The countertops are about 6” higher than standard to support their tall frames.

They even invested in soundproof flooring for workout room. They have two sets of lights in the living room - one set for functionality and the second set to highlight their art. The tile is to swoon for (which I may have already mentioned). Did you see the super-small powder room sink, perfect for narrow bathrooms?

The goal of this build was free up the primary house as a rental and they will live in the ADU.

Teak Masterpiece

I heard that one of the companies that had a booth at the ADU tour afterparty was hosting an open house in which they had not one, but two modular teak ADU units on display in their showroom. I had to check it out. That company is Masaya who harvests and reforest teak in Central America. Although their primary focus is on furniture, they also have seven modular ADUs ranging from 120 square feet up to 1200 square feet with two bedrooms and an office that can be purchased and installed on individual lots. Check them out:

•  Masaya Homes

Other cool stuff

What else is new? Panelized designs! Although you may not have 15 minutes to watch this video, start it and skip through it to see how fast a build can come together. In this case, a local designer has created some plans that another company has panelized for super-easy and less waste installation.

It is also worth noting that the most captivating ADUs had really thought about the relationship between the primary residence and the ADU with care given to shared and private outdoor spaces. This is a very big deal when thinking about how someone might live in that ADU space. Designers need to be careful to avoid the feeling of living in a fishbowl, especially when using a lot of windows to let in light. Carefully situating the ADU on the lot and giving it its own private courtyard is a good way to make a small space feel special.

Final Thoughts

I was very surprised to see the number of people who currently live in the primary residence who were building an ADU in their backyards for themselves to move into as they age. This speaks to the power of neighborhoods and the power of Aging in Place. ADUs are a wonderful solution to building additional density in neighborhoods. In most cases, one couldn't even see the ADU from the street and I would not have guessed there was one hiding in the back. They can fit seamlessly into our communities and I am excited for what the next chapter brings!