A Prefab Tiny Home Takes Root in a Northern California Vineyard

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Surrounded by rows of cabernet grapevines, olive trees, a centenary oak, and bright blue sky, this cedar-clad prefab looks as if it has always stood on its cinematic site in Healdsburg, California. But the 540-square-foot Dwell House landed on the lot only a few months agoโ€”just in time for Thanksgiving, which was homeowner Leslie Scharfโ€™s plan.

One of the first Dwell Houses recently landed near Leslie Scharfโ€™s vineyard home in Healdsburg, California. Norm Architects led the design of the 540-square-foot prefab, which is wrapped in Real Cedar siding.

After living on the property at the start of the pandemic with her adult daughters, Sophie and Sarah, and their families, Leslie decided she could use more square footage. “I needed flex space so that we could comfortably spend time together here,” she says.

“Natural materials bring tactility and warmth,” says Norm partner Sofie Thorning. Marvin windows and a folding NanaWall provide epic views of the landscape.

It turns out that Sophie was feeling slightly squeezed as well. “It was really tight, and we didnโ€™t know how long the pandemic would last,” she says. She started researching accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and she was drawn to the materials and detailing of the Dwell House. “My mom and I love design, and the Dwell House is beautiful compared to a lot of other ADUs,” Sophie adds.

Abodu managed the build and delivery of the turnkey one-bedroom ADU. “The cost is up-front, transparent, all-inclusiveโ€” excluding taxes, fees, and custom site-specific workโ€”and locked in before construction begins,” says cofounder Eric McInerney. The kitchen  includes a full suite of Bosch appliances.

Designed by Norm Architects, the backyard house is as artful as it is efficient. “Natural materials bring texture and depth, and we always strive for richness in our detailing,” says Norm partner Sofie Thorning. “The different scales of the cedar cladding align, creating a thoughtful rhythm that gives the house a calm appearance. The presentation is never flat, but it blends in wherever it goes.”

A Ravenhill Studio sconce hangs on the exterior siding.

“The interiorโ€™s muted palette is calming anddoesnโ€™t overpower the homeโ€™s relationship to nature.When youโ€™re inside, you note whatโ€™s outside.”

โ€”Sofie Thorning, architect

Strategically placed glazingโ€”including a 12-foot-wide folding glass wall that opens the living area to the deckโ€”frames the bucolic setting. “I love the homeโ€™s relationship to the outdoors,” says Thorning. “No matter where you are, you catch a view of the landscape, which enlarges the feeling of the small house.”

“The interiorโ€™s muted palette is calming and doesnโ€™t overpower the homeโ€™s relationship to nature. When youโ€™re inside, you note whatโ€™s outside,” says architect Sofie Thorning.

Leslie and Sophie were taken with the design, but they also loved that home-builder Abodu would oversee construction and transport the ADU to their property in a seamless process. “After the Dwell House is fully constructed in-factory, itโ€™s loaded onto a flatbed truck for transport to the homeowner and arrives as a complete, ready-to-move-in unit,” says Abodu cofounder Eric McInerney. “Prior to arrival, we handle all on-site construction workโ€”from building the foundation to preparing plumbing and electrical.”

According to McInerney, prefabricating the unit off-site limits the on-site construction time to about six weeks. “This allows for greater control and oversight of the construction process and materials, which decreases the timeline to completion and lets Abodu deliver the Dwell House in as little as six months,” he says.

Leslie and her daughter, Sophie, stand on the deck with their labradoodle, Bean. “The two things about the home that caught my eye were the cedar siding and the folding glass wall that opens it up,” says Leslie. “You donโ€™t get a better view than this,” Sophie adds. “We pretty much live on the deck, so to be able to walk in and out is ideal.”

On delivery day, Leslie, Sophie, and Sophieโ€™s four-year-old son, Luca, watched Abodu crane the Dwell House over the grapevines in only a couple of minutes and then situate it between a massive oak tree and the main house on the property. Once it was in place, they couldnโ€™t help but think that their new flex space was more than theyโ€™d hoped for. “I looked inside, and I was surprised that there was really nothing for me to do,” says Leslie. “It was all thereโ€”appliances and everything.”

So far, the Dwell House has made the familyโ€™s special gathering place that much more special. “My parents bought this land in 1982, and I kind of grew up here,” says Sophie. “When I was younger, my sister and I would run through the vineyards all the time, chasing rabbits and birds. Now, my son explores while we sit and watch from the deck or the living area. Our family is growingโ€”and we finally have the space we need.”

โ€” 

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