Alberta Arts ADU
At exactly 400 SF, this Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) was originally an alley garage crammed with junk and nearly falling over. Today, as a short- or long-term rental, family guest house, summer party spot, and potential future home for the clients, it lives larger than its actual square footage.
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Location: Portland, OR
This ADU has a full kitchen, dining, living space, long-term storage, and it also opens up to a landscaped patio. The homeowners wanted the space to be extremely energy efficient and budget conscious.
Using the existing footprint and a small portion of the garage to construct the new ADU enabled the homeowners to keep the structure very close to the property lines within current setback requirements. Although it ended up being a more expensive option than building completely new, this one move saved the small back yard from being fully overtaken.
We kept the plan simple and used a slim palette of finishes to make it seem larger than it is. White walls and cabinets are punctuated by black stained-wood doors and windows, and vertical-grain Douglas fir was used for window sills, shelving, and wall base.
We used a mix of the homeowners’ vintage door hardware and kitchen pulls with new fixtures to make it eclectic and personal.
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