This 635-Square-Foot Santa Monica ADU Glows Like a Lantern – Sunset

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This 635-Square-Foot Santa Monica ADU Glows Like a Lantern

Laser-cut screens add a sculptural moment, plus privacy.

As ADUs (accessory dwelling units) become more and more popular, their designs become more sophisticated. Take for example, this Santa Monica ADU and garage with its angled faรงades and laser-cut aluminum screens that create a lantern-like effect at night.

The homeowners (a family of four with two teenage boys) wanted to add two new structuresโ€”the ADU and garageโ€”to their property which already included a two-story home. โ€œThe design objective was to create additional space for the immediate family and a future home for extended family members with communal space between structures,โ€ explains Lisa Little, principal and founder of Vertebrae. โ€œThe existing contemporary home, with an open floor plan and a yard-facing expanse of floor-to-ceiling glass created a design challengeโ€”the new structures would be highly visible from many parts of the home.โ€

Aluminum Screens in Santa Monica ADU by Vertebrae
Because the garage and ADU was visible from many parts of the main house, โ€œthe solution was to create a two element composition where the new structures read as sculptural forms using a laser cut aluminum faรงade to maintain privacy,โ€ Lisa says.

Art Gray

For the design concept, the team (which included contractor Mike Ward of AB Concepts) focused on creating the structures as sculptural elements in the garden, especially since theyโ€™d be very visible from the main house. The design team also focused on creating privacy between the structures, filtering daylight, and creating the lantern-like effect.

Living Area in Santa Monica ADU by Vertebrae
The screens give an indoor-outdoor feeling.

Art Gray

โ€œThe angled faรงades of the garage and ADU form a strong diagonal line in relation to the main house to produce a trapezoidal yard, complete with pool, deck, and outdoor kitchen,โ€ Lisa explains. โ€œThe main house and ADU face each other, equally sharing the exterior space. When open, the screens of the ADU extend the interior living space into the shared yard. When closed, they ensure privacy, filter daylight, and create a lantern-effect in the evening. The roof orientations intentionally differ, one optimized for solar collection throughout the day and the other positioned for peak demand hours.โ€

Stairs in Santa Monica ADU by Vertebrae
The ADU lets plenty of light in.

Art Gray

The patterns on the screens are not just random, either. Lisa and team used a custom algorithm to define exactly where and how big each cutout on the screen should be. The screens adjacent to the bed in the bedroom have smaller openings so itโ€™s easy to see outside but not that easy to see inside, and the screens that are higher up have bigger openings to allow more light in.

Bedroom in Santa Monica ADU by Vertebrae
โ€œWhere more light was needed, the openings are bigger, where more privacy was needed, they are smaller,โ€ Lisa says of the aluminum screens.

Art Gray

Inside the ADU is an open floor plan on the first floor with a full kitchen, living area, built-in storage, and a powder room tucked under the stairs. The second floor has a bedroom with a built-in desk, full bathroom, more storage, and a stacked washer/dryer. Although the ADU has a smaller footprint of 635 square feet, it does have the full functionality of a single-family home, thanks to its plethora of built-in storage and multipurpose details.

Kitchen in Santa Monica ADU by Vertebrae
โ€œThe small, efficient kitchen with bar island seating has all the needed appliances: fridge, cooktop, built-in cabinet hood, combination microwave/oven, and apartment-sized dishwasher,โ€ says Lisa.

Art Gray

โ€œBuilt-in storage and furniture are necessary in small spaces to provide everything needed to attain a calm and organized space,โ€ Lisa says. โ€œIt is important to be able to compartmentalize certain spaces like closets and work desks, while living spaces need to perform double duty. What is sometimes a dining room can also be a lounge, library, or theater. This is made possible through ample storage and careful programming.โ€

Bedroom Office in Santa Monica ADU by Vertebrae
The bedroom has plenty of built-ins, like closets, shelving, and a desk.

Art Gray

The homeowners say that the ADU has increased the enjoyment, beauty, and functionality of their homeโ€”it can be used for private space, or it can be opened up for parties and entertaining. โ€œBut in some ways the biggest improvement has been the view from the main house looking out over the yard to Vertebraeโ€™s inspired design,โ€ they added.

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