Designers

The perfect backyard retirement home | News | Mountain View Online |

Uploaded: Mon, Jan 23, 2023, 10:13 am

Over the past few years, Judy Ousterhout had been pondering her future as a healthy older adult: Where would she retire? How could she generate extra income? Would she be willing to leave her Palo Alto home? The longtime Palo Alto resident, who bought her two-bedroom home on Channing Avenue in 1975, decided that building a home in her backyard was the answer.

Working with Stephanie Batties, her former business partner from The Right Touch Designs, Ousterhout custom designed her perfect “retirement” home tucked behind a garage at the end of her long driveway.

BRIGHT, LIGHT AND PRIVATE

In August 2022, the city did its final inspection on her 472-square-foot ADU and adjacent new one-car garage, which took two years to complete.

“One of the things I wanted was privacy for myself and privacy for the tenant,” said Ousterhout, who plans to rent out the backyard home.

Her design allows her and her labradoodle to use her backyard and pool without being visible from the new unit’s living area.

Because a garage was included in her project, she was able to position the new unit along the fence line, maximizing space for a private-access gated walkway leading to the home, which matches the property’s main gray stucco residence.

Clerestory windows let plenty of light into the living space, without sacrificing Ousterhout’s privacy. At the back of the home’s living room, a large sliding-glass door opens onto an ample wood deck, extending the living space outdoors.

The floors throughout the unit are synthetic material designed to look like wide-plank weathered wood.

Oil-rubbed bronze door and cabinet handles and fixtures offer rich contrast to the bright white walls throughout the home.

The kitchen is cleverly simple, with dark charcoal quartz counters, a four-burner Wolf induction cooktop, an under-counter refrigerator and a separate under-counter freezer. Ousterhout sacrificed an oven, but installed a microwave and toaster oven.

For such a small home, there is a deceptive amount of storage with cabinets tucked neatly into nearly every space. There’s even a specially designed desk nook off the kitchen.

FINDING INSPIRATION

Many of her ideas came from attending open houses for local homes with guest properties. She took pictures of things she liked and began curating her plan. Designer Batties was able to draw and submit elevations to the city for the permitting process.

Throughout her project, Ousterhout replicated things from her own home, including appliance brands and fixtures she liked, and created spaces like a desk nook that she thought she would use.

“My decisions were made on what would I want if I lived here,” she said.

Just past the desk down a short hallway lies the minimalist bedroom. The high ceilings continue here, along with an ample closet. The bathroom has a high window, streams of light and a glass-enclosed shower. The sink is one piece of white quartz on a custom-designed cabinet with two drawers cut around the under-the-sink pipe to maximize storage. A stacked Miele washer and dryer are tucked next to the shower with storage above. There’s also a white screen that can be pulled down to conceal the laundry nook. Again,

Ousterhout made decisions by asking, “Who will be living here? What do they want when they come home?”

Ousterhout said she zeroed in on the idea for a living unit on her property several years ago, around the same time the city of Palo Alto was making it easier for property owners to build extra living space.

“As I was embarking into my older years, I had two thoughts: I might eventually need help close by, and I might need the additional income,” she said. “As life goes on, it’s not a bad idea.”

A SURGE IN BACKYARD COTTAGES

Ousterhout isn’t alone in utilizing her property for additional living space. Local interest in accessory dwelling units has surged in Palo Alto in recent years. In 2015, the city received only 10 permit applications for these structures. The number climbed to 75 in 2019 and to 78 in 2020. In 2021, it soared to 136, according to a 2022 city report.

Ousterhout said she did her research, meticulously reviewing each requirement in the city’s ADU handbook.

The ADU, however, didn’t happen without challenges, she said.

Ousterhout said she started the project in early 2020, just as the world shut down because of the pandemic. That meant she could only meet with city planning staff by phone or over Zoom rather than in person.

Another early hurdle was complying with state and federal flood zone restrictions, and relying on the planning staff to discover and correct a surveying error, which would have mistakenly required her new dwelling to be higher than her original home.

After the plans were approved, the permit issued and the unit nearly complete, the city over-looked an installed utility box that was placed outside the unit. It turned out the box needed to be placed inside to protect it from the weather. Hence, the box was reinstalled inside, on the back bedroom wall, covered by a colorful quilt.

Ousterhout said despite a few unexpected challenges, building a secondary housing unit on her property has been worth it. Her next task, she said, will be carefully advertising her unit to the right tenant.

Elizabeth Lorenz is a freelance writer.

Uploaded: Mon, Jan 23, 2023, 10:13 am
Over the past few years, Judy Ousterhout had been pondering her future as a healthy older adult: Where would she retire? How could she generate extra income? Would she be willing to leave her Palo Alto home? The longtime Palo Alto resident, who bought her two-bedroom home on Channing Avenue in 1975, decided that building a home in her backyard was the answer.
Working with Stephanie Batties, her former business partner from The Right Touch Designs, Ousterhout custom designed her perfect “retirement” home tucked behind a garage at the end of her long driveway.
BRIGHT, LIGHT AND PRIVATE
In August 2022, the city did its final inspection on her 472-square-foot ADU and adjacent new one-car garage, which took two years to complete.
“One of the things I wanted was privacy for myself and privacy for the tenant,” said Ousterhout, who plans to rent out the backyard home.
Her design allows her and her labradoodle to use her backyard and pool without being visible from the new unit’s living area.
Because a garage was included in her project, she was able to position the new unit along the fence line, maximizing space for a private-access gated walkway leading to the home, which matches the property’s main gray stucco residence.
Clerestory windows let plenty of light into the living space, without sacrificing Ousterhout’s privacy. At the back of the home’s living room, a large sliding-glass door opens onto an ample wood deck, extending the living space outdoors.
The floors throughout the unit are synthetic material designed to look like wide-plank weathered wood.
Oil-rubbed bronze door and cabinet handles and fixtures offer rich contrast to the bright white walls throughout the home.
The kitchen is cleverly simple, with dark charcoal quartz counters, a four-burner Wolf induction cooktop, an under-counter refrigerator and a separate under-counter freezer. Ousterhout sacrificed an oven, but installed a microwave and toaster oven.
For such a small home, there is a deceptive amount of storage with cabinets tucked neatly into nearly every space. There’s even a specially designed desk nook off the kitchen.
FINDING INSPIRATION
Many of her ideas came from attending open houses for local homes with guest properties. She took pictures of things she liked and began curating her plan. Designer Batties was able to draw and submit elevations to the city for the permitting process.
Throughout her project, Ousterhout replicated things from her own home, including appliance brands and fixtures she liked, and created spaces like a desk nook that she thought she would use.
“My decisions were made on what would I want if I lived here,” she said.
Just past the desk down a short hallway lies the minimalist bedroom. The high ceilings continue here, along with an ample closet. The bathroom has a high window, streams of light and a glass-enclosed shower. The sink is one piece of white quartz on a custom-designed cabinet with two drawers cut around the under-the-sink pipe to maximize storage. A stacked Miele washer and dryer are tucked next to the shower with storage above. There’s also a white screen that can be pulled down to conceal the laundry nook. Again,
Ousterhout made decisions by asking, “Who will be living here? What do they want when they come home?”
Ousterhout said she zeroed in on the idea for a living unit on her property several years ago, around the same time the city of Palo Alto was making it easier for property owners to build extra living space.
“As I was embarking into my older years, I had two thoughts: I might eventually need help close by, and I might need the additional income,” she said. “As life goes on, it’s not a bad idea.”
A SURGE IN BACKYARD COTTAGES
Ousterhout isn’t alone in utilizing her property for additional living space. Local interest in accessory dwelling units has surged in Palo Alto in recent years. In 2015, the city received only 10 permit applications for these structures. The number climbed to 75 in 2019 and to 78 in 2020. In 2021, it soared to 136, according to a 2022 city report.
Ousterhout said she did her research, meticulously reviewing each requirement in the city’s ADU handbook.
The ADU, however, didn’t happen without challenges, she said.
Ousterhout said she started the project in early 2020, just as the world shut down because of the pandemic. That meant she could only meet with city planning staff by phone or over Zoom rather than in person.
Another early hurdle was complying with state and federal flood zone restrictions, and relying on the planning staff to discover and correct a surveying error, which would have mistakenly required her new dwelling to be higher than her original home.
After the plans were approved, the permit issued and the unit nearly complete, the city over-looked an installed utility box that was placed outside the unit. It turned out the box needed to be placed inside to protect it from the weather. Hence, the box was reinstalled inside, on the back bedroom wall, covered by a colorful quilt.
Ousterhout said despite a few unexpected challenges, building a secondary housing unit on her property has been worth it. Her next task, she said, will be carefully advertising her unit to the right tenant.

Elizabeth Lorenz is a freelance writer.

The perfect backyard retirement home | News | Mountain View Online |  Mountain View Voice

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Sacramento makes permit-ready ‘granny flat’ building plans available for free

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) — Sacramento released permit-ready building plans for accessory dwelling units, also known as “in-law units” and “granny flats,” as part of its effort to increase housing.

The plans for the detached units all meet the city’s 2022 residential building code requirements and are for all-electric housing.

-Video Above: Experts warn storm victims about home repair scammers

“The permit-ready plans are a helpful addition to streamline the process for customers and to produce more housing options in Sacramento,” said Garrett Norman, senior planner with the City.

There are three building plans available: studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom permit-ready plans.

All the plans are under 750 square feet, which the city said means no impact fees. According to the city, the plans are affordable, and the material for them should be purchasable at local hardware stores.

Those who want to build a unit will need to submit a site plan to show the city where on the property the ADU will be built. There is a submittal guide to help with the process.

“Having permit-ready plans means that a property owner can go straight to applying for permits as the plans are already pre-approved,” Norman said.

Sacramento said the permit-ready plans can be used by any resident. However, no modifications to the plans are allowed to be made.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) — Sacramento released permit-ready building plans for accessory dwelling units, also known as “in-law units” and “granny flats,” as part of its effort to increase housing.

The plans for the detached units all meet the city’s 2022 residential building code requirements and are for all-electric housing.

-Video Above: Experts warn storm victims about home repair scammers

“The permit-ready plans are a helpful addition to streamline the process for customers and to produce more housing options in Sacramento,” said Garrett Norman, senior planner with the City.

There are three building plans available: studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom permit-ready plans.

All the plans are under 750 square feet, which the city said means no impact fees. According to the city, the plans are affordable, and the material for them should be purchasable at local hardware stores.

Those who want to build a unit will need to submit a site plan to show the city where on the property the ADU will be built. There is a submittal guide to help with the process.

“Having permit-ready plans means that a property owner can go straight to applying for permits as the plans are already pre-approved,” Norman said.

Sacramento said the permit-ready plans can be used by any resident. However, no modifications to the plans are allowed to be made.

Sacramento makes permit-ready ‘granny flat’ building plans available for free  KTXL FOX 40 Sacramento

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Architecture students design a LEED Platinum home with an ADU in Kansas

Every year as part of Studio 804, University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design graduate students design and build an energy-efficient home for the community — and this year’s home not only achieved LEED Platinum certification but also comes with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to fight suburban sprawl. The 2020 project, known as 722 Ash Street House, consists of a 1,500-square-foot primary house with a contiguous 500-square-foot ADU located in North Lawrence. The modern and sustainable home is equipped with a south-facing, 4.9-kW solar power system and a highly insulated building envelope.

Continue reading below

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wood gabled building with solar panels

The 722 Ash Street House project was created as part of Studio 804, a yearlong comprehensive educational opportunity for Masters of Architecture students at the University of Kansas, which has completed 14 LEED Platinum buildings and achieved three Passive House certifications to date. The most recent project in North Lawrence takes inspiration from the Midwestern farmstead vernacular with its three gabled volumes clad in vertically oriented wood. The cladding, which was sustainably fabricated in the Austrian town of Sankt Veit an der Glan, is a composite material of raw pulpwood, recycled wood and natural resins selected for its durability and low maintenance.

Related: Students fight urban sprawl with a subdivision for two LEED Platinum houses

modern interior with gray sofa and patterned rug
kitchen with black cabinetry and a wall of glass

The primary 1,500-square-foot residence consists of two bedrooms, one full bath, one half bath, a great room and a full kitchen. The studio took advantage of the permissions in the zoning district to add a 500-square-foot ADU with a wet bar, full bath and flex space attached. Large windows bring an abundance of natural light indoors and frame views of the many mature trees for which North Lawrence is known.

gray sofa across from small kitchen space

bathroom with white walls and black tiles

“Studio 804 continues their long standing pattern of maintaining the highest level of sustainable design while remaining contextually sensitive to the surrounding community,” reads a statement by Studio 804. “This house, like every Studio 804 project since 2008, is USGBC LEED Platinum Certified.”

+ Studio 804

Photography by Corey Gaffer via Studio 804

gabled buildings with wood cladding

Every year as part of Studio 804, University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design graduate students design and build an energy-efficient home for the community — and this year’s home not only achieved LEED Platinum certification but also comes with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to fight suburban sprawl. The 2020 project, known as 722 Ash Street House, consists of a 1,500-square-foot primary house with a contiguous 500-square-foot ADU located in North Lawrence. The modern and sustainable home is equipped with a south-facing, 4.9-kW solar power system and a highly insulated building envelope.

Continue reading below

Our Featured Videos

The 722 Ash Street House project was created as part of Studio 804, a yearlong comprehensive educational opportunity for Masters of Architecture students at the University of Kansas, which has completed 14 LEED Platinum buildings and achieved three Passive House certifications to date. The most recent project in North Lawrence takes inspiration from the Midwestern farmstead vernacular with its three gabled volumes clad in vertically oriented wood. The cladding, which was sustainably fabricated in the Austrian town of Sankt Veit an der Glan, is a composite material of raw pulpwood, recycled wood and natural resins selected for its durability and low maintenance.

Related: Students fight urban sprawl with a subdivision for two LEED Platinum houses

The primary 1,500-square-foot residence consists of two bedrooms, one full bath, one half bath, a great room and a full kitchen. The studio took advantage of the permissions in the zoning district to add a 500-square-foot ADU with a wet bar, full bath and flex space attached. Large windows bring an abundance of natural light indoors and frame views of the many mature trees for which North Lawrence is known.

“Studio 804 continues their long standing pattern of maintaining the highest level of sustainable design while remaining contextually sensitive to the surrounding community,” reads a statement by Studio 804. “This house, like every Studio 804 project since 2008, is USGBC LEED Platinum Certified.”

+ Studio 804

Photography by Corey Gaffer via Studio 804

Architecture students design a LEED Platinum home with an ADU in Kansas  Inhabitat

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Bay Area backyard cottages boom as elderly parents and college students flee coronavirus

Bay Area companies that specialize in backyard cottages are seeing a surge in interest from homeowners who suddenly need to create additional living space for elderly parents or adult children displaced because of the coronavirus.

Some families are scrambling to move their parents out of assisted-living facilities, where the risks of contracting the coronavirus are high. Other erstwhile empty-nesters find themselves crowded as their young adult kids return from shuttered college campuses or look to escape small apartments in expensive cities like San Francisco or New York.

After California lawmakers embraced a series of statewide bills in 2017 to streamline building backyard cottages — also called accessory dwelling units or ADUs — the number of new units approved exploded to more than 7,000 in 2018, 50% higher than 2017. For many suburban residents, the backyard homes were seen as a more palatable answer to the housing crisis than large apartment buildings. But in a state that should build millions of homes to keep up with demand, critics said the cottages are a distraction from the need to build multiunit buildings at scale.

Abodu, a San Jose firm that makes ADUs, estimates that 10,000 will be permitted in California in 2020, based on a survey of city permits.

Adobu has seen orders for modular cottages more than double since the pandemic began, according to CEO John Geary. The units start at about $199,000, and with finishes, most come in at about $220,000.

Another manufacturer, Sonderpods of Novato, had 3,000 visits to its website in the 90 days before the shelter-in-place order in March, but has seen that number jump to 25,000 over the last 90 days. Within a few weeks of the health order, the company had signed seven contracts to deliver backyard cottages and was negotiating an additional 92 deals. Sonderpods average about $139,000.

“We are sprinting to keep up with things,” said Edward Stevenson, CEO of Sonderpods.

Hank Hernandez, who owns Alameda Tiny Homes, said he has been flooded with inquiries.

“I get calls all day, every day,” he said. “The basic request is, ‘I want to put my parents in my backyard as quickly as possible.’”

Before coronavirus, Redwood City resident Jen Parsons was exploring options for her widowed mom, who was looking to downsize from her longtime home. She was exploring nearby retirement communities and possibly buying a bigger house that could accommodate three generations when the pandemic hit. Suddenly there was a pressing need. With two young kids, Parsons didn’t feel safe moving to an unfamiliar neighborhood in the middle of a pandemic and was not keen on moving her mom to a senior housing complex.

“You hear all these stories about retirement communities being on lockdown — you can’t even take your elderly parent to lunch or dinner, only to doctors appointments,” she said.

Instead, they decided to purchase an Abodu AD unit, which will arrive in August or September.

“Having an ADU unit back there for my mom will feel like a safe and peaceful environment at a time when there is a lot of stress because of COVID-19,” she said. “We can meet her in the patio and have snacks.”

Faysal Abi, a retired police officer and yoga teacher in Redwood City, also ordered an Abodu. He said that the unit will provide housing for a friend who needs a place to live.

“A friend fell on hard times, and the Bay Area isn’t exactly cheap,” he said. “I feel like community is something we are lacking, especially since coronavirus. There is more isolation. One way to heal the world right now is through more community and knowing your neighbors and staying connected. I feel this will help accomplish that.”

Abi also persuaded his mother, Rabina Abi-Chahine, a 62-year-old social worker, to buy her own backyard cottage for her home in Millbrae. Abi-Chahine said she was motivated both by a desire to create some income as she approaches retirement and having a spot for her own father some day.

Geary said another client, a Palo Alto woman, had two children away at college suddenly return, joining two other teenagers at home, which immediately made the house feel crowded.

Stevenson, the CEO of Sonderpods, said that 70% of customers are older than 55 and 70% are women building units on their kids’ properties.

“A lot of it is Baby Boomers selling the family home and moving in into their kids’ backyards. People are re-evaluating what is important and trying to bring the family closer together,” he said. “We are not seeing a lot of people who are straight-up looking to make income.”

Thanks to a series of state and local bills, ADUs can be built relatively quickly with limited bureaucratic hassle in some cities. San Jose, which has been aggressive in encouraging the tiny homes, has seen permitted ADUs jump to 691 last year from 24 in 2014. So far this year, 321 applications have been filed.

The Abodu was the first ADU manufacturer preapproved by the city of San Jose — which cut multiple inspections and red tape. From the day the permit is pulled, Abodu can have the unit installed within 12 weeks.

Hernandez of Alameda Tiny Homes said that while his business has been steady for the past few years, clients’ motivation has changed. It used to be that most homeowners were looking for extra income. Now it’s to meet family needs.

Alameda Tiny Homes range from 250 to 675 square feet and generally cost $200,000 to $300,000. In the East Bay, they tend to work best in flatland communities such as Alameda, San Leandro and San Lorenzo, rather than the hills, which require expensive foundation work.

“It’s all about, ‘Can I build a place to put Grandma and Grandpa?’” he said. “If you think about the Bay Area housing market, this is the most affordable way to build housing. Every ADU we build means somebody has a nice place to live that, at the end of the day, is more affordable than the other options.”

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SFjkdineen

Bay Area companies that specialize in backyard cottages are seeing a surge in interest from homeowners who suddenly need to create additional living space for elderly parents or adult children displaced because of the coronavirus.

Some families are scrambling to move their parents out of assisted-living facilities, where the risks of contracting the coronavirus are high. Other erstwhile empty-nesters find themselves crowded as their young adult kids return from shuttered college campuses or look to escape small apartments in expensive cities like San Francisco or New York.

After California lawmakers embraced a series of statewide bills in 2017 to streamline building backyard cottages — also called accessory dwelling units or ADUs — the number of new units approved exploded to more than 7,000 in 2018, 50% higher than 2017. For many suburban residents, the backyard homes were seen as a more palatable answer to the housing crisis than large apartment buildings. But in a state that should build millions of homes to keep up with demand, critics said the cottages are a distraction from the need to build multiunit buildings at scale.

Abodu, a San Jose firm that makes ADUs, estimates that 10,000 will be permitted in California in 2020, based on a survey of city permits.

Adobu has seen orders for modular cottages more than double since the pandemic began, according to CEO John Geary. The units start at about $199,000, and with finishes, most come in at about $220,000.

Another manufacturer, Sonderpods of Novato, had 3,000 visits to its website in the 90 days before the shelter-in-place order in March, but has seen that number jump to 25,000 over the last 90 days. Within a few weeks of the health order, the company had signed seven contracts to deliver backyard cottages and was negotiating an additional 92 deals. Sonderpods average about $139,000.

“We are sprinting to keep up with things,” said Edward Stevenson, CEO of Sonderpods.

Hank Hernandez, who owns Alameda Tiny Homes, said he has been flooded with inquiries.

“I get calls all day, every day,” he said. “The basic request is, ‘I want to put my parents in my backyard as quickly as possible.’”

Before coronavirus, Redwood City resident Jen Parsons was exploring options for her widowed mom, who was looking to downsize from her longtime home. She was exploring nearby retirement communities and possibly buying a bigger house that could accommodate three generations when the pandemic hit. Suddenly there was a pressing need. With two young kids, Parsons didn’t feel safe moving to an unfamiliar neighborhood in the middle of a pandemic and was not keen on moving her mom to a senior housing complex.

“You hear all these stories about retirement communities being on lockdown — you can’t even take your elderly parent to lunch or dinner, only to doctors appointments,” she said.

Instead, they decided to purchase an Abodu AD unit, which will arrive in August or September.

“Having an ADU unit back there for my mom will feel like a safe and peaceful environment at a time when there is a lot of stress because of COVID-19,” she said. “We can meet her in the patio and have snacks.”

Faysal Abi, a retired police officer and yoga teacher in Redwood City, also ordered an Abodu. He said that the unit will provide housing for a friend who needs a place to live.

“A friend fell on hard times, and the Bay Area isn’t exactly cheap,” he said. “I feel like community is something we are lacking, especially since coronavirus. There is more isolation. One way to heal the world right now is through more community and knowing your neighbors and staying connected. I feel this will help accomplish that.”

Abi also persuaded his mother, Rabina Abi-Chahine, a 62-year-old social worker, to buy her own backyard cottage for her home in Millbrae. Abi-Chahine said she was motivated both by a desire to create some income as she approaches retirement and having a spot for her own father some day.

Geary said another client, a Palo Alto woman, had two children away at college suddenly return, joining two other teenagers at home, which immediately made the house feel crowded.

Stevenson, the CEO of Sonderpods, said that 70% of customers are older than 55 and 70% are women building units on their kids’ properties.

“A lot of it is Baby Boomers selling the family home and moving in into their kids’ backyards. People are re-evaluating what is important and trying to bring the family closer together,” he said. “We are not seeing a lot of people who are straight-up looking to make income.”

Thanks to a series of state and local bills, ADUs can be built relatively quickly with limited bureaucratic hassle in some cities. San Jose, which has been aggressive in encouraging the tiny homes, has seen permitted ADUs jump to 691 last year from 24 in 2014. So far this year, 321 applications have been filed.

The Abodu was the first ADU manufacturer preapproved by the city of San Jose — which cut multiple inspections and red tape. From the day the permit is pulled, Abodu can have the unit installed within 12 weeks.

Hernandez of Alameda Tiny Homes said that while his business has been steady for the past few years, clients’ motivation has changed. It used to be that most homeowners were looking for extra income. Now it’s to meet family needs.

Alameda Tiny Homes range from 250 to 675 square feet and generally cost $200,000 to $300,000. In the East Bay, they tend to work best in flatland communities such as Alameda, San Leandro and San Lorenzo, rather than the hills, which require expensive foundation work.

“It’s all about, ‘Can I build a place to put Grandma and Grandpa?’” he said. “If you think about the Bay Area housing market, this is the most affordable way to build housing. Every ADU we build means somebody has a nice place to live that, at the end of the day, is more affordable than the other options.”

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SFjkdineen

Bay Area backyard cottages boom as elderly parents and college students flee coronavirus  San Francisco Chronicle

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Alchemy Architects Launches the lightHouse ADU

Photos by Plant Prefab

Across the U.S. and Canada, cities are increasingly allowing homeowners to construct ADUs, or accessory dwelling units, on their property. ADUs not only add to density, but they can also serve as rental units (providing homeowners with income), mother-in-law apartments (encouraging multi-generational families on a single lot), or—especially when the ADU is modern—sustainable and luxurious as a cool Airbnb.

Alchemy Architects’ new lightHouse fulfills all that criteria. For nearly 20 years, since designing the first weeHouse®, the St. Paul-based firm has been refining its design thinking into various iterations on that original prefab modular home. The lightHouse, says principal architect and founder Geoffrey Warner, is an aspirational housing solution that allows residents to “live large with the luxury of less.” Pricing for the entry-level lightHouse begins at $170,000.

The super-mod lightHouse comes in a suite of five options—small, medium, large, extra-large, and 2X—that range from 310 to 600 square feet. The lightHouse also has a dozen floor plans, from a one-room studio to a one-bedroom unit above a two-car garage. Warner and his team designed the lightHouse to be delivered to a lot as a prefab modular or panelized solution built in a factory; the lightHouse, Warner adds, can also be built on-site with adequate road access.

A small footprint and factory construction (which eliminates construction waste) aren’t the only sustainable aspects. The lightHouse features a high-performance structure or envelope that’s thermally broken with a high-quality air and weather barrier. Storage and laundry are located alongside energy-efficient mechanicals in the building’s core.

The lightHouse comes with LED lighting, low-flow plumbing, no-VOC paint, Energy Star appliances, and energy-efficient windows. Depending on location, and because the team sites lightHouses to maximize passive solar in the winter and shade in the summer, a mini-split is sufficient to heat and cool the mini-residence.

The interior is fir plywood with built-in oak furnishings. The lightHouse comes with signature exterior “jewelry,” says Warner, including a prefabricated steel awning, steps, doorplate, and entry beacon, as “every lightHouse needs a light.”

The product of decades of research and design thinking, the first lightHouse was built in Sebastopol, CA, by Plant Prefab. The owners are living in the ADU while Alchemy designs and builds a weeHouse on the property. Alchemy recently joined with Plant Prefab, as the firm’s factory partner, to build lightHouses in California, Arizona, and Nevada.

Photos by Plant Prefab
Across the U.S. and Canada, cities are increasingly allowing homeowners to construct ADUs, or accessory dwelling units, on their property. ADUs not only add to density, but they can also serve as rental units (providing homeowners with income), mother-in-law apartments (encouraging multi-generational families on a single lot), or—especially when the ADU is modern—sustainable and luxurious as a cool Airbnb.
Alchemy Architects’ new lightHouse fulfills all that criteria. For nearly 20 years, since designing the first weeHouse®, the St. Paul-based firm has been refining its design thinking into various iterations on that original prefab modular home. The lightHouse, says principal architect and founder Geoffrey Warner, is an aspirational housing solution that allows residents to “live large with the luxury of less.” Pricing for the entry-level lightHouse begins at $170,000.

The super-mod lightHouse comes in a suite of five options—small, medium, large, extra-large, and 2X—that range from 310 to 600 square feet. The lightHouse also has a dozen floor plans, from a one-room studio to a one-bedroom unit above a two-car garage. Warner and his team designed the lightHouse to be delivered to a lot as a prefab modular or panelized solution built in a factory; the lightHouse, Warner adds, can also be built on-site with adequate road access.
A small footprint and factory construction (which eliminates construction waste) aren’t the only sustainable aspects. The lightHouse features a high-performance structure or envelope that’s thermally broken with a high-quality air and weather barrier. Storage and laundry are located alongside energy-efficient mechanicals in the building’s core.

The lightHouse comes with LED lighting, low-flow plumbing, no-VOC paint, Energy Star appliances, and energy-efficient windows. Depending on location, and because the team sites lightHouses to maximize passive solar in the winter and shade in the summer, a mini-split is sufficient to heat and cool the mini-residence.
The interior is fir plywood with built-in oak furnishings. The lightHouse comes with signature exterior “jewelry,” says Warner, including a prefabricated steel awning, steps, doorplate, and entry beacon, as “every lightHouse needs a light.”

The product of decades of research and design thinking, the first lightHouse was built in Sebastopol, CA, by Plant Prefab. The owners are living in the ADU while Alchemy designs and builds a weeHouse on the property. Alchemy recently joined with Plant Prefab, as the firm’s factory partner, to build lightHouses in California, Arizona, and Nevada.

Alchemy Architects Launches the lightHouse ADU  Midwest Home Magazine

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