Local studio Byben has created an accessory dwelling unit in southern California called Offset ADU, which features ipe-wood cladding and curved elements that "soften the feel and look" of the building.

The project is located in the rear yard of a family home in Los Angeles' Mar Vista neighbourhood. It was designed for a couple with two young kids who sought more living space, as well as a space for entertaining guests.

The accessory dwelling unit (ADU) replaces a one-car garage that had been doing double duty as a home office and a place for storing a car and bikes.

The clients debated between replacing the garage with a standalone ADU or an extension to their house.

"I convinced them that the ADU was the best route because the size can be defined, which helps controlling the budget, whereas doing an addition on a house can get out of hand quickly," Byben founder Ben Warwas told Dezeen.

To make way for the ADU, the garage was partly razed, with the foundation and two walls kept in place.

Utilising these existing elements, Byben created a two-storey, 890-square-foot (83-square-metre) dwelling with design elements that cleverly respond to site constraints.

In plan, the building is roughly rectangular, with large portions carved away to form setbacks and openings. The upper level cantilevers over a recessed entryway at ground level.

A large portion of the upper level was cut away due to power lines, and in its place, the architect created a terrace.

"The second level is offset to accommodate the present zoning envelope and the power lines in the rear of the property," said the studio.

"This offset provided a roof deck on the second level, more space for some existing trees and bike storage, and a covered front entrance to the ADU."

The two facades visible from the home are wrapped in an ipe-wood rainscreen, which was selected for performance and aesthetic reasons. The remaining two facades have stucco cladding with ipe accents.

Certain edges of the wood siding are curved rather than straight – a technique to help "soften the feel and look of the ADU", said Warwas. Curved elements are also found inside.

Within the dwelling, a large room on the ground level holds a kitchen, dining space and lounge area, as well as a small bathroom and laundry room.

The ground space opens onto a deck, providing an opportunity for indoor-outdoor living.

Upstairs, one finds an office that doubles as a bedroom.

A notable feature in the upper area is a tall, U-shaped window that extends into a cove above the ceiling line. A mirror in the cove provides "an infinite-height feeling".

The two levels are connected by a slender, skylit stairwell that is painted bright yellow and lined with white oak slats.

Warwas said he wanted the experience of going up and down the stairs to feel like a "surreal transition".

"Stairs are such a unique opportunity to have a new feeling as you travel through space," Warwas said.

"That is also why the skylight is in there – the natural light with the yellow work together."

The interior decor was overseen by Emily and Jason Potter, who are the founders of DEN, a showroom in Los Angeles that specialises in vintage 20th-century furniture.

The project also involved landscape interventions. A driveway leading to the old garage was mostly removed, and a gate was installed between the front and rear yards.

"This really transforms the experience of a yard," said the architect, noting that the clients use the backyard more frequently now.

"There are still some changes to the house that are in the works, but for now, the ADU has brought completeness to their property that they did not have before."

Other ADU projects in the US include an Austin dwelling by Specht Novak that is devoid of windows and a small building by Mork-Ulnes that balances on a hillside in northern California.

The photography is by Taiyo Watanabe.

Project credits:

Architectural designer: Byben
Designer: Ben Warwas
Interior designers: DEN (Emily and Jason Potter)
Contractor: Manchen Construction

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Local studio Benjamin Hall Design has attached an accessory dwelling unit made of concrete block to an existing house to accommodate a multi-generational family in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Known as Moon Valley Residence, the 1,756-square-foot (163-square-metre) dwelling was designed to intentionally contrast the original 1970s suburban main home, set in a golf community that looks eastward to a rock formation called Lookout Mountain.

Completed in 2025, the ADU shares an access door with the main house, but maintains self-sufficiency and privacy both spatially and from the curved wall that shields the dwelling from the cul-de-sac.

Constructed with grey concrete masonry units (CMU) as both the exterior and interior finished material, the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) draws inspiration from studio founder Benjamin Hall's childhood memories of travelling through the Southwest US with his father.

"We explored the ancient Native American ruins called Montezuma Castle – this experience subconsciously embedded itself into my thinking of this project," the founder of Benjamin Hall Design told Dezeen.

"It was used as a reference on scale, stacking forms and how to mitigate the desert's natural heat and light by undulating mass and aperture."

Set lower than the profile of the main house, the ADU is composed of four volumes with apertures strategically carved out to curate views of the surroundings.

"These four rectilinear volumes each identify themselves at different elevations," he said. "On the interior you can feel the scale – compression and release – of each of the volumes and their relationship with the body and program of the space."

This passes to the second volume, containing a living room and kitchen with a view of Lookout Mountain. A glazed interstitial volume leads to the sleeping quarters with a guest suite and a primary suite with another private patio.

The first volume connects the ADU to the main house via a wedge-shaped dining space with sliding glass doors that open to a private patio.

The layout allows a retired couple to age in place privately while directly connected to their children and grandchildren who occupy the main house.

In addition to strategic spans that allowed for self-supporting masonry ceilings, the continuous material of the CMU block required all of the utilities to be contained within built-in millwork.

"The integration of utilities is carefully moulded into the cohesive strategy that embeds itself into the thickness of masonry and the mailability of concrete," Hall said.

"You will notice that no outlets reside in the masonry and the day-to-day haptic experience with the architecture – light switches, door pulls, countertop surface – are embedded into the experience of engaging with the architecture."

Other residential projects recently completed around Phoenix include a weathering steel micro-building by Kendle Design, a Corten cabin designed to act as a telescope by Wendell Burnette Architects and a white ranch house styled after its mid-century modern neighbors by The Ranch Mine.

The photography is by Logan Havens.

Project credits:

Architecture: Benjamin Hall Design
Contractor: Rare Form Builders
Structural Engineering: Structurology

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The office of New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced the launch of a WXY-designed platform to streamline the building of accessory dwelling units across New York City.

Designed to promote accessory dwelling units (ADU), small infill structures on city lots, the ADU for You site is a resource organised through the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) for the grant-funded Plus One ADU Program.

"One of the solutions to the housing crisis can be found in our backyards, our attics, or our basements – in an Ancillary Dwelling Unit," said Mamdani.

"By making it easier for New Yorkers to turn their homes into an extra place for a loved one or a little more income, we're allowing our city to grow while keeping the character of the neighborhoods we love."

It is a resumption of a plan to incorporate ADUs into expanded housing options under former mayor Eric Adams's City of Yes initiative.

American studio WXY Architecture + Urban Design (WXY) led the branding, design, content, and web product development for the digital platform, including the development of the guidebook and Pre-Approved Plan Library, a catalogue featuring a total of ten designs from eight different architects.

These studios include Situ, VL Architects, EEREE, and more, with prices ranging from $185,000 to $450,000.

Each of the designs was sourced through a national open call that concluded in September.

"We designed the platform to make that process as clear as possible, and to support what we think of as an architecture of care," WXY principal Adam Lubinsky told Dezeen.

He echoed Mamdani's comments on urbanism, saying ADUs are a "gentler form of growth that respects the character of existing neighbourhoods".

This comes as New York City is facing a layered affordability crisis brought on by exploding rental prices.

The Mayor's Office hopes to see its housing stock increase dramatically by 500,000 units over the next ten years.

The platform includes a metric for establishing cost estimates, plus advice for navigating the building permits process and tailoring the units to the existing lot size.

ADUs, called ancillary dwelling units by the city, were legalised in New York City in 2024.

In total, 25,000 such units are called for under the City of Yes housing agenda, and 37 permits have been approved so far through the programme.

For years, WXY has been active in helping city officials achieve their various objectives concerning infrastructure and the built environment.

This includes work on the standardisation of outdoor dining shed designs for New York and a Queens visitor centre meant to demonstrate the benefits of sustainable architecture as part of the planned 1,650-residence Arverne East community.

"The throughline of our practice is that people are at the heart of everything we do. Whether we're working on housing, infrastructure, or public space, the goal," said Lubinsky.

"That human-centered approach is a big reason this kind of civic collaboration has remained such an important focus for the firm."

WXY was also recently behind a new welcoming centre reinterpretation for a visitor centre at the Storm King Art Center in the Hudson Valley.

Last month, Dezeen covered the completion of an all-season weathering ADU prototype designed by Francois Abbott for a private client in Toronto.

Earlier in the year, Dezeen talked to architects about the January inauguration of Mamdani as mayor of New York, with many expressing "enthusiasm" for his housing agenda and environmental commitments.

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Local outfit Fabrication Studio has completed an accessory dwelling unit in a private garden in Toronto, clad in copper so that the building can "register time alongside the trees".

The 60-square-metre (645-square-foot) ADU, known as Copper House, was completed in 2025 on the edge of the quiet Sunnybrook Park neighbourhood in Toronto.

The client enlisted architect François Abbott and his practice Fabrication Studio, which specialises in ADUs and garden units, to create a place where their grown children could visit, while maintaining privacy and independence.

The self-contained guest house, designed to blend in with its landscape, is set along a line of trees that shade the private lot from the adjacent public park.

"We were interested in building something that felt clearly contemporary, yet capable of belonging to the site over time," Abbott told Dezeen, noting that copper appears throughout the neighbourhood in the form of gutters and roof details, weathering in shades of brown and green.

"It offered a way for the building to register time alongside the trees."

The bright and reflective material – placed in vertical panels along the walls and overhanging roofline – will soften as it is exposed to the elements and will colour, mirroring the cycle of plants throughout the year.

Abbott selected wood finishes for a similar reason, wrapping each facade opening in a warm, natural finish.

"Rather than fixing the house in a single moment, we wanted it to participate in seasonal and long-term cycles – to begin new, but carry the potential to age quietly into its surroundings," the studio said.

The single-storey building rests on helical piles, lifting it slightly higher above the ground than a traditional foundation. This allows air and water to move below the house and protects the root systems of the surrounding trees.

"The raised base draws the underside into shadow, giving the volume a sense of lightness," the studio said.

On the interior, a monolithic wooden core holds the kitchen, bathroom and storage space with the rest of the program encircling it. On one side, the living space opens to the garden with bifolding glass doors, while on the other side, the bedroom is more private with deep window frames that play with light and shadow.

"Copper House recedes quietly into its setting – a deliberate and modest structure that supports the landscape and the lives unfolding within it," the studio said.

Abbott explained that a high level of trust between the client and the architect allowed decisions to be made quickly and for construction to proceed smoothly.

"Moving forward, we hope to continue fostering that kind of working relationship – one where the building can respond carefully to its setting and to the lives it supports," he said.

ADUs are popping up all across North America as homeowners look to increase the capacity of their properties.

In Austin, Specht Novak created a corten-steel ADU with no exterior windows. Outside of Pasadena, Cover Architecture designed a white concrete ADU to "challenge" the 1961 main house and in Austin, Moontower Design Build constructed a plant-based ADU out of cork products.

The photography is by Alex Lesage.

Project credits:

Architect: François Abbott - Fabrication Studio
Construction: SevernWoods Fine Homes

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Samara, the factory-built ADU company co-founded by US chief design officer Joe Gebbia, has installed the first of a series of units in Los Angeles on the site of a home that burned down in the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Last Thursday, Samara lowered a factory-built home into concrete foundations in Altadena, one of the areas most affected by the wildfires in January 2026 that destroyed more than 16,000 buildings across the city and county.

Samara worked with non-profit Steadfast LA to build the two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit for free to an individual who had lost their home in wildfires. It is just one of the units committed through the charity for the ongoing rebuild effort in the city.

"Our hope is to help families move forward," a representative from Samara told Dezeen. "This home is the first in a series of homes Samara plans to deliver throughout the year."

Most of the company's steel-framed units are put together in a factory in Mexico, shipped to building sites in sections and laid side by side on concrete foundations.

xgThe fibre-cement panels, standing-steam roof, windows and interiors will then be installed and inspected on site.

Though the company was founded to provide backyard units to expand the occupancy of lots, it says its approach is well-suited to the needs of the rebuild.

"Many of the homes lost in Altadena were 1,000 square feet or smaller," claimed the Samara representative.

"Samara's 950-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath homes are designed to function as full residences. While these designs originated as backyard accessory dwelling units (ADUs), they have since evolved to function as full, primary residences for those who need them most."

Samara said that the system allows for streamlined installation after approvals and claimed that only 34 days passed between the approval of the permit for the site and final installation. It took just under two months for the permit to be approved.

Both LA County and the City of Los Angeles have programs that allow for expedited planning approval, with pre-approved designs displayed on websites that homeowners can choose from for faster production.

Samara said that its system cuts down on time as the modular units can be built during the approval process and not afterwards, given their serial, mass-production method.

"Factory-built homes allow much of the construction to happen offsite, which is especially valuable after a disaster," said Samara.

"While permitting and site prep are underway, the home itself can be built in parallel, rather than waiting for all approvals until construction begins."

Samara also said that the houses "meet – and in some cases exceed" the fireproofing code requirements laid out by the city.

Finishing touches and utility connections will take place over the coming weeks on the recently installed unit.

Begun as a sub-company of Airbnb, Samara was spun off into a separate company in 2022 by Gebbia and American businessman Mike McNamara. Gebbia was recently named the US's first chief design officer by president Donald Trump.

Last year, Dezeen spoke with the businessman-designer about the appointment.

The fire rebuild efforts in Los Angeles continue more than a year after the flames were extinguished. Last week, Dezeen talked to local architects on the ground about the rebuilding efforts.

Elsewhere in the city, US home builder Cosmic Buildings has set up a robotic factory for on-site building initiatives.

The photography is courtesy of Samara.

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Architect Scott Specht has completed an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in Austin that is clad entirely in corten steel with no exterior windows.

Known as the Stealth House, the 1,300-square foot (120-square metre) home sits on a 3,500-square foot (325-square metre) portion of a narrow, mid-block lot.

Accessed by a gravel alley, the house maximized the buildable area for an ADU that was allowed when it was completed in 2024.

Scott Specht, who is both the homeowner and architect as the principal of Specht Novak, chose to orient the home internally – drawing on ancient courtyard dwellings like the Roman domus and Moroccan riad – since the property offered no view.

"By turning inward, we are not only able to reclaim underused urban lots but also create a sanctuary where natural light, landscape and self-sufficiency coexist in harmony," Specht told Dezeen, referencing the contemporary necessities of privacy, security and sustainability.

Two interior courtyards are carved out of the single-story box wrapped in corrugated, weathered corten steel.

The courtyards place the private outdoor spaces within the home's interior, bringing light into the space and making it feel larger than its footprint.

"Eliminating perimeter windows was a deliberate move to redefine how a home interacts with its surroundings," Specht said.

"This inward focus not only guarantees complete privacy and acoustic separation but also concentrates design energy on crafting those courtyards as vibrant living rooms under the sky."

"In doing so, the home's plan becomes simple yet richly experiential," he continued.

"Each room transitions seamlessly between enclosed solidity and open landscape, creating a dynamic ebb and flow that a traditional windowed façade could never achieve."

Inside the entrance – characterized by a green tile mosaic set under a thin-prile metal awning – the kitchen and living area are oriented to the primary courtyard, where an olive tree creates dappled shadows at the heart of the home.

The mixture of Bisazza glass tile, wood fibre wall coverings and knotty oak flooring complements the leafy plantings and warm glow from the corten that can be seen across the courtyards.

Off-the-shelf materials also help the home feel rooted while keeping to the modest budget.

Every space – including two bathrooms and two bedrooms set on opposite corners – opens to the courtyards through frameless glass walls.

The Stealth House employs both passive strategies and active systems to meet its sustainability goals.

The lack of windows eliminates heat transfer, while the courtyards provide daylighting and natural ventilation. A photovoltaic array and battery backup supplies 84 per cent of annual electricity demand, and roof runoff is captured to irrigate the courtyards.

"The project reinforced my belief that constraints fuel creativity," Specht said.

"By embracing the alley lot's tight setbacks, area limitations and windowless envelope, we thought about every inch, eliminated any areas we wouldn't use with frequency, and honed a plan that works incredibly well for our needs."

Previously, Specht Novak reimagined a Usonian design for a lakefront house in Pennsylvania and designed a symmetrical glass pavilion house to display art in the Berkshires.

The photography is by Leonid Furmansky.

Project credits:

Builder: Smock Build / Austin Smock
Architect: Specht Novak

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US studio Schwartz and Architecture has completed a sensitive renovation and expansion of the Green House, which was built in 1966 and designed by Aaron Green, an associate of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Located in the Silicon Valley city of Palo Alto, the house was revamped for a couple with three kids. When the clients bought the house, it was "virtually untouched by the original owners", said San Francisco-based Schwartz and Architecture, or S^A.

The house is named after its original architect – Aaron Green, who served as Wright's West Coast representative starting in 1951. In addition to working on dozens of Wright's projects, Green also ran his own practice.

For this house, Green conceived a low-lying structure with a footprint that was roughly triangular in shape.

Walls were made of concrete masonry, and the home was topped with a sculptural roof with exposed wooden beams. Long drainage scuppers folded down toward the ground.

In addition to its designer, the house is also notable for its developer.

It sits within the Palo Verde neighbourhood, which was developed starting in the 1950s by Joseph Eichler, who is credited for introducing modern-style tract housing to America following the Second World War.

Of the 11,000 homes Eichler built in California, about 2,700 of them were in Palo Alto.

The remodelling of the Green House – much of which took place during the Covid pandemic – involved a full overhaul of the 1960s dwelling, along with the addition of an attached volume and two detached outbuildings.

The architects approached the project with the attitude, "First, do no harm" – a dictum credited to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates.

"When we first met on site, we discussed the importance of respecting the integrity of the original home and landscape," said Schwartz and Architecture.

"Our challenge was to protect the design integrity of the home while adding a substantial amount of space to make the home viable for a young family with three children."

It is nestled into a "flag lot", which has a long, narrow driveway connecting to the main road.

The original house totalled 1,590 square feet (148 square metres) and contained three bedrooms and two bathrooms, along with public areas. Figuring out how to enlarge the home was a challenge, according to the studio.

"Given the spider-like sculptural roof and scuppers of the original, the home already was a complete thought, with no obvious solution of how to add to the composition," the team said.

"Our first design move was to head off the existing downward sloping roof beams mid-span and add a small rear addition along the entire length of the house, under a new upward-sloping roof."

Lifting up the roof brought more light into the existing kitchen and bedrooms, which formerly had very low ceilings, and allowed for hidden cove lighting.

The team also raised the roofline and scupper in the front of the house, forming a new carport. The original carport – which was low and no longer met local code requirements – was transformed into a family room with a sunken conversation pit, drawing upon the home's "mid-century vibe".

The team also added a boxy volume to contain a primary bedroom suite, which is tucked behind a board-formed concrete wall.

"Taking inspiration from the home's existing concrete block walls, our addition peeks out behind the new wall – referential but deferential," the firm said, adding that a clerestory in the addition counters the heaviness of the original roof.

The concrete floor slab could not be punctured, so the team replaced the original flooring with large-format tiles made of terrazzo.

Certain custom furnishings were retained and updated. For instance, chairs were re-upholstered with patterned fabric. Michigan-based interior designer Sarah Sherman Samuel worked with the team on material selections and furnishings.

Among the special features is a secret bookcase/door in one of the kid's rooms, which connects to the primary bathroom.

In total, the firm added 1,512 square feet (140 square metres) to the house. It now encompasses 3,102 square feet (288 square metres) and contains four bedrooms and three and a half baths.

The studio also added a gym and office building totalling 288 square feet (27 square metres) and an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, containing 215 square feet (20 square metres).

The landscape – created by local firm Boxleaf Design – features patches of tall grasses, flowers and trees laced with stone pathways.

Throughout the overall project, the team was guided by the notion of letting the "modern interventions shine" while always asking: "What would Aaron do?"

Other work by Schwartz and Architecture includes a Silicon Valley courtyard-style house that is fronted by a tall "acoustic wall" and a cedar-clad ADU that serves as a "jumping off point" for modern design in California's wine country.

The photography is by Ayla Christman.

Project credits:

Architecture and interior design: Schwartz and Architecture (S^A)
S^A team: Neal J.Z. Schwartz (founder and principal), Christopher Baile (principal), Wyatt Arnold (principal), Neil O'Shea (senior specialist)
Interiors: SSS Atelier
Lighting design: Loisos & Ubbelohde
Landscape design: Boxleaf Design
Contractor: Marrone & Marrone
Structural engineer: SWM & Associates

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A large circular opening offers a glimpse through the white wall in front of this California accessory dwelling unit, designed by architect Yan M Wang of Cover Architecture for his mother.

The LA-based architect created the additional unit on his property in Altadena, north of Pasadena, so that his mother and her partner could be closer to the family after retiring.

The 620-square-foot (57 square metre) building was constructed between the main house and the street and is divided in two to make room for a pathway to the back of the lot.

Living spaces are located in the larger section on the right, while storage is housed in a narrow volume to the left – both rendered entirely in white.

The minimalist form was intentionally designed to "challenge" the 1961 ranch-style, single-storey house where Wang and his young family reside.

"This deliberate contrast in building styles and eras is an interplay between the ordinary and the extraordinary," said the architect.

The ADU's living volume is partially obscured by a wall that slopes up from the path and includes a round portal that punctures through at the taller end.

This feature gives the project its name, Moongate, after the circular gateways found in traditional Chinese architecture.

"Its expressive sloped partition wall with a large circular opening, at once, conceals and reveals what's beyond the parapet," said Wang.

The wall creates a shaded, decked patio area in front of the dwelling, providing an outdoor seating area with privacy from the street.

Curved elements in the roof eaves and an arched entry into the storage space help the two volumes to read as one.

Inside, the modest structure includes a kitchen and living area, a bedroom, a bathroom and a small office.

"Cheerful geometries extend from the exterior to the interior of the ADU, alongside a light, natural material palette," the architect said.

Baltic birch plywood millwork with round cabinet handles used throughout is complemented by light grey Pietra Artica marble used for the kitchen counter and onyx marble atop the bathroom vanity.

Skylights in the kitchen and bathroom bring additional natural light into these spaces, and a back patio opens to a courtyard area shared with the main house.

"The three structures, in dialogue with one another, help foster a sense of connection to the outdoors while bridging three generations, providing ample room to commune together and also retreat into private spaces," Wang said.

ADUs have grown in popularity across states like California and Texas, where revised zoning laws allow for higher density in urban and suburban neighbourhoods.

Others in California include a mountainside dwelling in Marin County with wooden interiors and a loft space, and a Bay Area live-work unit that consists of two gabled volumes connected by a glazed bridge.

The photography is by Leonid Furmansky.

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Texas-based studio Moontower Design Build has constructed a "plant-based" cabin in Austin that features cross-laminated timber structural elements and a facade clad in cork.

Known as Cross Cabin, the accessory dwelling unit measures 1,000 square feet (93 square metres) in an 8,000 square foot (743-square metre) sloping yard that offers views of the horizon through the tree canopy.

Moontower Design Build completed the cabin in 2023 as a direct response to the AIA Architecture & Design Materials Pledge to centre design on the holistic impact of a building.

Motivated by author Michael Pollan's book Food Rules – which advocates for eating real food in moderation with an emphasis on plants – Moontower Design Build prioritised materials that were not heavily processed or synthesized and are mostly plant-based.

The team curated a material palette that created a compelling architectural experience, completed in 2023.

"These natural materials like wood and cork are repeatedly presented throughout the home in ways that are intended to provoke an unconventional sensory engagement with building materials," studio co-founder Greg Esparza told Dezeen.

The cabin is composed of an elevated cross-laminated timber box "blanketed with plant-based insulation like cork, hemp and wood fiber."

Seen through the screen of surrounding trees, the rectangular, two-storey cabin's facade resembles tree bark, with fluctuating tones of silver, amber, brown and black cork cladding that will intentionally weather over time.

The box has a single-sloped roof that stretches out to shade protruding windows, nooks and a large porch.

The cork-clad exterior transitions to a wood-focussed interior with cross-laminated timber, solid-sawn lumber, plywood and thermally treated Larch floor.

The different wood finishes were either left raw or finished with linseed oil. Additionally, the interiors feature expanded cork – 100 per cent cork bark – and a laminated recycled paper called Richlite.

The plant-based palette challenged the team to find creative solutions for different spaces – like shower coverings – rather than rely on "default setting" materials like drywall, latex paint or tile in the house.

Esparza said the most common comment he receives is about how good the interior smells due to the lack of polyurethane sealants.

"Thinking about smell, touch, heat, and sound as critical design considerations along with sight helped to guide the design and reinforce the singular advantages of minimally processed, natural materials," he said.

"When you are in an intimately scaled space and you are interacting with materials by touching, holding, pulling, and pushing them there are numerous opportunities to appreciate subtle material qualities like the delicate striations, slight iridescence and rich color variations on the surface of the cork or the pleasing texture of a tree’s growth rings on wood floor or handrail."

In addition to smell and texture, the studio said the house interacts with light and shadow more naturally, referencing another layer of biophilic design.

"The intentional restraint with artificial lighting too means that we are much more in tune with the weather and qualities of light outside than we typically would be," Esparza said.

"If it's bright and sunny outside, it is bright inside, if it’s cloudy, the light is lower and more subdued, at sunset, the light inside takes on reddish, orange hues and long shadows stretch across the living room."

After working with the plant-based palette, Esparza launched Cross Cabin Build + Supply to advocate for and distribute low-carbon, healthy, bio-based building materials in Texas and across the southern US.

Other projects that prioritized plant-based materials include an apartment block in Madrid by Spanish architects Teo Nuñez and Almudena Ribot and a farm house in Navajeda, Spain by Guera Arquitectura Cooperativa both with a similar cross-laminated timber structure and cork cladding.

The photography is by Daniel Cavazos and Casey Woods.

Project credits:
Architect and builder: Moontower Design Build (Project Team: Greg Esparza, Frank Farkash, Hanna Johns, Leland Crosby, Jessica Cain, Jessica Painter)
Structural engineer: Apex Engineers (Matthew Umberger)
Landscape: Casey Boyter Gardens
Materials supplier/consultant: Cross Cabin Supply
Cork: Amorim Cork Insulation

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International studio Mork-Ulnes Architects has created an angled accessory dwelling unit in the mountains of Marin County, California with wooden interiors and a loft space.

Completed in the spring of 2023, the Crest Guesthouse measures 411 square feet (38 square metres) and was built on the old foundations of a former garage by Mork-Ulnes Architects, which has offices in San Francisco and Oslo, Norway.

"The building's sharply angled roofline mirrors the slope of the site and gives a high clerestory window light above the cabinetry wall, while a playful flip in the roof provides a punched window from the loft viewing the trees," the studio said.

Accessed from a northside driveway that slopes down to the primary residence, the house is balanced on the steep slope and uses a longitudinal wooden deck on the east side of the house to double the usable area and take advantage of the mild California climate.

The compact dwelling is clad in light grey Cembrit fibre cement panels, selected as an easy-to-maintain, fire-resistant cladding in the densely wooded setting.

Light comes in through sliding floor-to-ceiling glass doors with metal frames and a small square window in the loft, both of which look down the hillside to the east, and clerestory plate glass windows on the western hillside.

Currently serving as a temporary residence while the main house is being renovated, the ADU was built as a small guesthouse and a rental unit — following the footprints of the former garage, but utilizing a flexible program to maximize the area.

Inside the primary room is wrapped in Douglas Fir veneer plywood for a smooth, natural-toned, multi-use space.

The Murphy bed folds up into the wall during the day and the kitchen island can be rolled into place when needed.

The compact kitchen with square white tile backsplash and Caesarstone counters runs along the western wall and a small seating space with a padded green bench is tuned into the millwork that creates the closet.

Small nooks like a triangular cubby under the roofline and a square portal into the loft break the planes of the interior walls.

Other than white globe lights and a television set on the wall, the space is mostly unadorned, leaving the view to be the decoration.

The bathroom is split into two smaller rooms with the toilet and sink tucked into the corner of the house.

Meanwhile, the shower room, tiled entirely in forest-green Daltile Keystones, serves as a pass-through to the exterior with a frosted glass door. The inside of the interior door is mirrored to bounce light around the small space and is accented by chrome fixtures.

The loft space, which is accessed through a narrow ladder tucked behind the kitchen wall and an exterior staircase, is a small reading nook or could be used as a temporary sleeping space.

In addition to the ADU, Mork-Ulnes recently completed a gabled home clad in black-stained cedar in San Francisco and an eight-sided residence made of cross-laminated timber in Bend, Oregon.

The photography is by Bruce Damonte.

Project credits:

Project design team: Casper Mork-Ulnes, Phi Van Phan, Robert Scott, Lexie Mork-Ulnes, Kaoru Lovett
Job captain: Kaoru Lovett
Engineering structural: David Strandberg
Civil: Adobe Associates, Inc. (Aaron R. Smith)
General contractor: Damner Construction Axelson Builders
Communications partner and press office: The Architecture Curator

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The founders of California-based 3R Studio have created a compact, live-work unit for themselves called Evelyn ADU that consists of two gabled volumes connected by a glazed bridge.

Located in the rear yard of a 1938 home in Albany, a town near Berkeley, the project was designed "in response to the increasing density within the urban landscape of the Bay Area," said local firm 3R Studio.

The architecture firm's married co-founders Mai Tran and Le Pham bought the home in 2015, moved into its tiny basement and rented out the upper portion. Their goal was to save money to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for themselves on the 3,800-square-foot (353-square-metre) property.

Last year, they completed the ADU – a 630-square-foot (59-square-metre) building that "navigates the limitations of a compact site".

"Encircled by tall apartment buildings, it addressed challenges related to privacy, sunlight, and integration with neighbouring structures," the studio said.

"Situated amidst urban density, it's a backyard retreat in a bustling urban context."

Rather than a single block, the wood-framed building consists of two offset bars clad in white stucco and linked by a glass-enclosed corridor. The bars are topped with gabled roofs, mimicking the style of the property's main home.

The ADU is organised around its own private courtyard and is separated from the main house by greenery.

"By breaking the conventional form into smaller volumes, the ADU effectively defines private outdoor spaces and buffer zones," the team said.

"Upon entering, visitors often express surprise and are immediately drawn to the courtyard, which showcases trees, light and towering bamboo."

The building serves as both a primary residence and the main office of 3R Studio.

One of the two volumes holds a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. A wooden ladder provides access to a guest loft. The other volume contains a multipurpose room with a library loft.

"The living spaces are compact yet highly efficient, conserving cost and energy," the team said.

The building has an energy-recovery ventilation system and radiant floor heating.

The fenestration is highly strategic to prevent glare, provide ventilation, offer views and usher in daylight — all while maintaining privacy.

The material palette was driven by concerns for durability and local availability, and salvaged materials were used when possible.

The formwork used to build the ADU's foundation was repurposed to frame roof rafters, and wood from a demolished shed was used for retaining walls. Shower flooring is made of salvaged ipe wood from another site.

Overall, the home is meant to harmonise form, materials and energy efficiency while standing the test of time.

"Our approach prioritises what truly matters over accumulating details or decorative features," the studio said.

"This holistic approach underscores our commitment to lasting, eco-conscious design."

Other ADUs in America include an Austin unit by North Arrow Studio that is clad in corrugated metal and has a birdhouse-style circular window, and a Los Angeles two-storey unit by Assembledge+ that features blue fibre-cement cladding and an asymmetrical gabled roof.

The photography is by 3R Studio.

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Green fibre-cement siding that blends with the trees is among the modifications made to a century-old house in California that has been revamped by local studio Martin Fenlon Architecture.

The project, called Denton House, involved updating and expanding a 1920s home situated in Los Angeles's historic Highland Park neighbourhood. The owners are a designer and an artist with three children, one of whom recently left for college.

A key intent for local studio Martin Fenlon Architecture was to thoughtfully integrate the house within the existing site, both visually and spatially.

The revamped house totals 2,740 square feet (255 square metres), following the addition of 980 square feet (91 square metres).

On the ground level, the team added an L-shaped volume in the rear that allowed for a new kitchen, bathroom and laundry room, along with the extension of the pre-existing dining area and family room.

The new volume is sunken below the main level, enabling a smooth flow between the communal spaces and the backyard. Formerly, these spaces were a half-storey above the yard.

In addition to the spaces mentioned above, the ground level holds a living room, bedroom, and office.

A central stair leads to the upper level, where one finds two bedrooms and a primary suite. The latter is housed within a new bar-shaped volume that extends outward and is slightly kinked.

"A new primary bedroom suite added to the second floor was cantilevered to minimise the footprint of the project, while angled to follow the irregular property line and take advantage of the view," the team said.

The extensions allowed for the creation of a long terrace on the upper level. The project also involved the conversion of a detached, 340-square-foot (32-square-metre) garage into an accessory dwelling unit.

Facades are wrapped in fibre-cement siding – a material chosen for its durability and cost-efficiency. The board widths and woodsy green colouring were influenced by the surrounding context.

"The variegated pattern of the siding references the clapboard siding of nearby Craftsman bungalows, while its green colour – selected by the owner's daughter – blends the house into the surrounding foliage," the team said.

A number of biophilic elements were incorporated into the project. Within the home, one finds wallpaper that mimics foliage and ample use of wood such as French oak and cedar.

Outside, shade trees and a lush garden were added to the front yard.

"The 'rewilding' of the front yard forms a nice counterpoint to the current trend of creating walled-off, isolated houses in the area," the studio said.

Sustainable features include ample daylight and the reuse of the original home's foundation and framing.

The team also incorporated a clever rainwater collection system, in which roof runoff is directed to an oculus near the front door. The water then flows downward to a filtration planter – "turning an obligatory mitigation measure into a feature".

Other projects by Martin Fenlon include a wood-clad home that represents a merging of architectural styles and an extension to the architect's own home, which dates to the 1920s.

The photography is by Eric Staudenmaier.

Project credits:

Architect: Martin Fenlon Architecture
Interior design: Grant Denton & Sheryl Cancellieri
Kitchen cabinetry: Taidgh O'Neill Design
Contractor: Ariel Construction

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US architecture studio Kendle Design Collaborative has designed an accessory building for a family home with a metal roof extension meant to frame an outdoor garden while "celebrating the Arizona sky".

The Flex Pavilion was designed as a companion to a modern-style residence that was built in 2016 and was also designed by local studio Kendle Design Collaborative.

Dotted with cacti, palo verde trees and other native vegetation, the property is located in Paradise Valley, an affluent town in the Phoenix metro area.

A natural wash – dry creek beds that occasionally fill with rainwater – runs between the house and the pavilion.

The multi-purpose building is used as an office, gym, guesthouse, entertainment space and "however else the homeowner sees fit", the architecture studio said.

Its design is meant to work in sync with the main residence and fulfil the original vision for the site.

"This micro building is a standalone structure that complements and stands proudly alongside the existing Desert Wash Residence while completing the original envisioned composition for living within a desert garden," the team said.

The pavilion is roughly rectangular in shape. Its material palette – of weathering steel, stucco and glass, along with bronze accents – helps tie the building to the main home and the natural landscape.

A wraparound clerestory gives the impression of the roof floating over the house.

One side of the roof cantilevers outward as a metal frame, "celebrating the Arizona sky while defining an outdoor garden and relaxation space".

Inside, the building contains a central room flanked by a bathroom on one side and a small gym on the other. Interior finishes include dark-toned wood and white three-dimensional tiles.

Ample glazing and retractable walls help strengthen the connection to the site.

"Floor-to-ceiling glass walls invite the desert in while framing views out," the architects said.

The team incorporated a sunken entertainment area outdoors, where the homeowners can enjoy a fire on a cool evening.

The space is partly enclosed within walls made of weathering-steel panels.

The area helps manage stormwater during the region's monsoon season, which runs from June to September.

"During the heavy monsoon storms, this zone converts to a retention basin to hold the extra rainwater before it filters through gabion walls filled with rocks from the site that also double as benches," the team said.

Overall, the accessory building is meant to honour the landscape and enhance the living experience for the owners.

"The Flex Pavilion is sensitive to where architecture meets nature by seamlessly integrating itself with the surrounding environment, respecting the land, and enhancing the experience of those who call it home," the team said.

Other projects by Kendle Design Collaborative include a "zen-like" Phoenix residence that was constructed using concrete blocks, stucco and glass. Several curved elements soften the rectilinear appearance of the single-storey home.

The photography is by Michael Woodall unless stated otherwise.

Project credits:

Architect: Kendle Design Collaborative
Lead architect:  Brent Kendle
Interior designer: Ownsby Design
General contractor: Brimley Development
Owners representative: Advocate Residential Construction Advisors

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American studio Schwartz and Architecture has completed a cedar-clad accessory dwelling unit on a California property that is meant to serve as "a jumping off point for a modern wine country design".

The Diamond ADU is part of a family estate in Sonoma, a historic town in northern California's winemaking region.

The property has a main house and several outbuildings, each of which competes for attention, said San Francisco-based Schwartz and Architecture.

The architects set out to create an ADU that would appear demure from certain perspectives yet "come alive" upon approach.

During the design process, they looked to farm structures that dot Sonoma Valley, many of which are dilapidated and have "their own strange elegance", the team said.

"Their original, steeply sloped roofs are now drooping into low-slung structures, peeling apart, allowing in unexpected puddles of natural light, and revealing fragments of their interior framing to the outside elements," the team said.

"How might we use the qualities of these decaying yet compelling utilitarian buildings as the jumping off point for a modern wine country design?"

In response, the team conceived a 1,200-square-foot (111-square-metre) dwelling that consists of two volumes with a foyer and sheltered patio running between them.

One volume is square-shaped and holds an open-plan communal space. The other, which is set at an angle, holds a bedroom and bathroom.

Exterior walls are wrapped in Alaskan yellow cedar with a weathered finish. The structural system is mostly wood with an occasional steel beam.

Clad in standing seam metal, the multi-faceted roof has a low pitch that helps compress the home's visual appearance, the team said.

"From the road, the home appears relatively conventional," the team said.

"Yet from certain angles the conventional-looking roof entirely disappears, and the structure takes on a lighter, more refined, pavilion-like character."

Inside, one finds bright rooms, a neutral colour palette and earthy materials.

European white oak was used for flooring and kitchen cabinetry. The kitchen countertops are quartzite, and the island is clad in the same cedar found on the exterior facades.

A portion of the roof is sliced away to form a linear skylight that stretches from the public space to the bedroom.

"Neither an unconsidered ‘modern farmhouse' nor the literal ruins of a de-constructing rural barn, we hope this modern country home feels alive – complete but always in process," the team said.

Other projects by Schwartz and Architecture include a home studio for the firm's founder that has built-in nesting boxes for birds, and a guest house for a mobility-impaired resident that features a sheltered patio with a large oval skylight.

The photography is by Bruce Damonte.

Project credits:

Architecture and interior design: Schwartz and Architecture (S^A)
Architecture team: Laura Huylebroeck, Wyatt Arnold
Contractor: Fairweather Modern Homes
Structural engineer: Strandberg Engineering
Lighting design: Loisos + Ubbelohde
Landscape: Huettl Landscape Architecture

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Students in the Studio 804 design-build programme at the University of Kansas took cues from farmstead vernacular to create a primary home and accessory dwelling unit called 722 Ash Street.

Named after its address, the residence is located in the city of Lawrence in northeastern Kansas. It was built as a speculative project, and the house was sold upon completion.

The project was created by Studio 804, a design-build programme affiliated with the architecture school at the University of Kansas.

Students in the graduate-level programme spend a year designing and constructing a project, with a focus on "sustainable, affordable and inventive building solutions".

Abutting a trail that runs along the Kansas River, the Ash Street home sits in a transitional area in North Lawrence, where urban conditions begin to give way to agricultural fields.

"North Lawrence is known for its quality soil, large trees, curb-less streets and random-size parcels before it breaks into larger farms further from the urban center," the team said.

"The rumble of freight trains and farm trucks in the shadows of the towering grain elevators are only blocks away."

The team took cues from the region's farmstead vernacular to design the project, which features a string of gabled volumes on a slanted, rectangular lot. The volumes are positioned at different angles, giving the home a dynamic appearance.

The two front volumes comprise the main residence, which has one storey and totals 1,442 square feet (134 square metres). The rear volume is a 516 square-foot (48-square-metre) ADU with a ground level and a loft.

The main residence and ADU are connected by a small volume that acts as a shed, providing space for the storage of lawnmowers, gardening tools and other equipment.

The buildings have timber frames, and their walls and roofs are clad in continuous siding made of phenolic resin, a durable material.

"We were after something that would hold its colour and not fade in our hot summer sun," said Dan Rockhill, the professor who leads Studio 804.

Inside, one finds polished concrete flooring, painted drywall and IKEA cabinetry with fronts and countertops made of Richilite – a composite material made of resin-infused paper.

The main residence has a straightforward layout.

The street-facing volume contains an airy kitchen and living room, where the ceiling rises to 18 feet (5.5 metres) at its highest point. The volume behind it holds two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Connecting the two areas is a corridor with a green wall filled with philodendron plants.

The ADU contains flexible rooms that enable the building to be used as guest quarters or as a rental property, thus generating income for the homeowner.

"It also supports the city of Lawrence's goals of increased density close to downtown, rather than continued sprawl into the countryside," the team said.

The project – which earned LEED Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council – has a number of sustainable features, including a highly insulated building envelope and a 4.9-kw rooftop solar array.

"The buildings use technology and common-sense design to reduce the building's footprint and assure the owners' low-energy use and costs," the team said.

Founded in 1995, Studio 804 has completed 29 projects, all in Kansas. Others include a Passivhaus-certified home clad in yellow cedar and topped with a gabled roof, and a residence made of salvaged materials such as reclaimed metal and wood from railroad trestles.

The photography is by Corey Gaffer Photography.

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Architects John Friedman and Alice Kimm have stacked a concrete mass with sinuous cutouts into a hillside as a home for their family in Los Angeles, complete with a crane in the kitchen and an accessory dwelling unit.

Named the JArzm house – using the first initial of each family member – the home is set into a 60-foot slope in Los Angeles' Silver Lake neighborhood.

The 3,725-square foot (346-square metre) residence is "intensely livable and playful, as well as architecturally inventive, open, and highly crafted" according to the architecture studio.

John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects (JFAK) completed the house – and 540-square foot (50-square metre) accessory dwelling unit (ADU) – in November 2021.

The white cement plaster envelope is "neither box nor blob" with curved cutouts and large expanses of glass removed from a flat cube combining the arched influences of Alvaro Siza (for whom Friedman worked in the late 1980s) and the crisp detailing of Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler and John Lautner (whose designs are scattered throughout the neighbourhood).

Accessed from the top of the slope, the house is inverted and sits below the street level preserving views out to the Silver Lake Reservoir and Dodger Stadium for the surrounding homes.

The entry's curving concrete steps transition to a stainless steel staircase that leads down into the open living, kitchen and dining area, as well as two children's bedrooms.

"Designing our own house was great because we didn’t have to ask permission," Friedman told Dezeen. "We could do whatever we want, and we did in fact integrate some ideas and elements that other clients turned down for their particular houses."

The studio included a yellow construction crane mounted into a linear skylight above the kitchen and dining room that lifts the mirrored aluminium dining table, extends it out over the balcony and lowers it to the pool deck two storeys below.

A large central staircase with open teak treads, a glass railing and a powder-coated aluminium bookcase wall connects all three levels.

The middle floor contains the primary suite, laundry room, two home offices, and the third child's bedroom, which is separated from the rest of the house by a small glass bridge that spans a triple-height light well adjacent to the staircase.

The ground floor includes a multipurpose family room that leads out to the pool deck, which is set at the same height as the roof of the pink accessory dwelling unit (ADU).

The ADU sits atop an embedded garage and is topped by an urban roof garden with a sinuous aluminium sunshade structure.

"The pool deck and roof garden together create a 'middle ground' suspended between the streets at the site’s top and bottom," the team explained.

Because the house is lowered in the steep terrain, it doesn't align with the neighbouring properties.

Large windows open the various rooms to the forest-like landscape on each side of the house, while skylights and interior glazing allow sunlight to reach deep into the plan.

Disappearing sliding glass walls dissolve the transition between interior and exterior.

The studio said that "functional domesticity" was a key requirement for the home.

"The functional and workaday are the foundation for achieving artfulness and architectural innovation," said the studio. "[These traits] are hallmarks of JArzm House that place it firmly within the rich lineage of experimental Southern California domestic architecture."

Established in 1996, JFAK Architects is the only studio to receive two Rudy Bruner Silver Medals for Urban Excellence and was longlisted for the website of the year in the 2021 Dezeen Awards.

Nearby in Los Angeles, Anonymous Architects recently embedded a concrete house into a hillside with a two-storey pool.

The photography is by Benny Chan.

Project team:

Architect: John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects, John Friedman FAIA (lead)
General contractor: Bonomo Development
Landscape contractor: Pablin Arevalo
Special fabrications: Chris Berkson, BerksonFab
Cabinetry: Evan Pohlmeier
Structural engineer: Parker Resnick
Landscape architecture: Kathleen Ferguson Landscapes, Matson Walter
Civil engineer: JMC-2

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North Arrow Studio has completed a compact, corrugated metal accessory dwelling unit in East Austin's Chestnut neighbourhood featuring a custom, circular pivot window that is reminiscent of the round opening in a birdhouse.

Aptly named the Birdhouse, the 900-square foot (84-square metre) ADU shares a narrow 5,900-square metre (550-square metre) lot with a 1939 single-storey house and three large protected pecan trees.

North Arrow Studio's principal architect Francisco Arredondo described the two-bedroom, two-bath house as "simplicity carried to the extreme".

"There's simplicity in the footprint, the massing, and the material palette throughout," Arredondo said. "But it's also a smart little house that makes me smile."

The home was strategically placed around the trees to create a courtyard between the main house and the ADU while providing privacy for the separate living quarters.

The L-shaped plan features a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room featuring a roll-up garage door on the ground floor, all wrapped around an external pecan tree.

Upstairs, the main suite sits within the vaulted ceiling of the double-gabled form. Four five-foot (1.5-metre) diameter circle windows sit under each gable and use the surrounding tree canopy for privacy.

"They create a resemblance to a traditional birdhouse and bring a sense of whimsy to the design," the studio said.

One of the custom-fabricated steel windows serves as the required egress for the room.

"We began with a pivot design and worked our way towards a final swing design that opened up to the pecan tree's canopy," the team explained.

The rounded-window motif carries throughout the house with miniature custom steel circle windows.

"Strategically selected walls are curved to soften edges and draw you into the spaces," the studio said. "Interior finishes are simple and restrained apart from a few accent walls that give life to each room."

The monotone ADU is wrapped in light corrugated metal that "is a nod to the many metal sheds and accessory buildings already found throughout the neighborhood, but with a modern and playful twist".

The soft, rounded edges and neutral colour complement the existing house and provide an accent along the alley, and the metal runs up the walls and becomes the roof material as well.

In the courtyard, a curved polycarbonate wall brings light into the hallway and creates a softly glowing, semi-transparent effect.

Corrugated metal was selected for its sustainability and resilience as the envelope is 100 per cent recyclable, repels sun and heat in Texas summers and is durable and low-maintenance, according to the studio.

"Working with a tight budget and constrained footprint can be very helpful in creating a story for the design," the studio said. "The constraints begin to guide you and lend opportunities to be creative with traditional materials and spaces in ways that typically wouldn't be considered."

In 2014, North Arrow Studio created a stilted home in the Texas Hill Country that references Mies Van der Rohe's glass Farnsworth House.

The photography is by Chase Daniel.

Project credits:

Builder, developer, owner: Brita Wallace, Digs ATX
Styling: Ben Newman Studios

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California studio Assembledge+ has created a two-storey accessory dwelling unit that features blue fibre-cement cladding and an asymmetrical gabled roof.

The project, called St Andrews, entailed the construction of a 708-square-foot (66-square-metre) ADU in the backyard of a craftsman-stye bungalow dating to 1916.

Designed by local studio Assembledge+, the project also included an extension to the main home, which is set on a rectangular parcel in the historic Los Angeles neighborhood of Hancock Park.

For the ADU – which will be used as guest quarters and as a space for growing children – the architects wanted to relate to the context but also exhibit a contemporary look through a "distilled sculptural form".

The architecture studio conceived a two-storey building that is rectangular in plan and topped with an off-centre gabled roof.

Facades are clad in V-groove, fibre-cement panels that are a rich shade of blue. This shade is meant to cohere with the dark green siding found on the main residence.

On the ground level, an oversized, glazed door provides a seamless connection between inside and out. The compact dwelling has a clear and efficient layout.

The ground level has a kitchenette and living room, while the top storey holds a bedroom and full bathroom. A vaulted ceiling helps the upper level feel bright and airy.

Interior finishes include polished concrete, white oak and black granite.

"Clean lines and geometry emphasize the modern gestures while large windows and pocketing glass doors allow for plenty of natural light and connectivity to the exterior," the architecture studio said.

In addition to the ADU, the team expanded the lower, rear portion of the main residence by 311 square feet (29 square metres).

The new volume – which holds a primary bedroom suite – features a slender, arched entryway that alludes to original features in the bungalow.

The decor includes magenta curtains, a vintage storage case from Italy and a bed frame wrapped in velvet.

Hanging on one wall is colourful work by Mexican artist Jaime Dominguez. The team also added a new, stepped deck in the backyard that is shaded by a steel trellis.

Together, all of the project elements are meant to create a "warm and inviting" atmosphere and represent a blending of classic, modern and eclectic styles.

The home is owned by a couple with three teenage children. The family runs a local Italian restaurant called Vernetti.

Other projects by Assembledge+ include an LA house designed for the firm's founder that features low-clad volumes with walls that seem to completely disappear.

The photography is by Yoshi Makino.

Project credits:

Architecture: Assembledge+
Design team: David Thompson (principal in charge), Raul Aguilera, Ignacio Bruni
Landscape: Outer Spaces
Contractor: Brunswick Builders
Styling: Lisa Rowe

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US startup Cosmic has created a solar-powered accessory dwelling unit that is built using a special construction process and generates far more electricity than it needs.

Based in San Francisco, Cosmic was founded by Sasha Jokic, an entrepreneur, inventor and trained architect who has worked in the design and construction field for over 14 years. Previous ventures include Formdwell, a startup company that is creating new construction tools powered by intelligent robots.

For his latest project, Jokic and his team at Cosmic have developed an efficient construction system and an all-electric, zero-emissions home that is meant to be "a new, bold step in solving the housing and climate crisis".

"We've developed a unique, self-powered home platform that enables us to build carbon-neutral, healthy and incredibly efficient homes at high speed and lower cost," the company said.

The Cosmic buildings diverge from the norm in a few ways. According to the company, they are constructed using a streamlined process that is faster, more economical and less wasteful than typical methods.

Moreover, the buildings are designed to generate their own power while using minimal energy and no fossil fuels. Plus, they can generate extra power that is stored and redistributed.

The team has completed its first model unit, an ADU called Cosmic Studio, which has one level and totals 350 square feet (33 square metres). The compact dwelling holds a bathroom and an open area for sleeping, living, dining and cooking.

While this initial unit was conceived as housing, the company emphasized that the buildings could be used for other functions, such as playrooms and offices. The need for flexible buildings has become amplified due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The ‘American Dream' 2.0 is a home where we live, sleep, work, school and play – a flexible space that keeps us and the planet healthy," the company said.

Cosmic creates its units via a "hybrid prefab approach", with parts of the building made in a factory and other components built on-site.

The frame, or chassis, is a modular system made of standardized components.

The modules come in different sizes – ranging from 18 to 45 square feet (1.7 to 4.1 square metres) – and modules are combined to form buildings of varying scales. Fourteen standard modules were used to create the chassis for the Cosmic Studio unit.

"The chassis is both exceptionally strong for greater structural performance and highly adaptable to accommodate a wide range of home layouts," said Jokic.

The chassis is made of metal and wood. The joists, joints and decking are fabricated using thin sheet metal and tubes, while other structural elements are made of sustainably sourced wood. The roof is standing-seam metal.

The module's components are built in a factory, put into flat-pack containers and then transported to the site via a flatbed truck. A module's maximum weight is 600 pounds (272 kilograms), making it relatively easy to offload and assemble with a small telehandler. No cranes are required.

"Unlike other prefab ADUs companies that deliver pre-assembled big and bulky modules, making them expensive and difficult to ship, Cosmic is transporting chassis modules as a flat-pack on a small-size flatbed," said Jokic.

Also delivered to the site are roof underlayment, facade and interior walls, and doors and triple-glazed windows that are manually attached using Cosmic's "click-in joinery system". These elements are built on-site.

"We drive significant cost and performance improvements on the chassis, leaving less expensive and simpler components, such as walls and finishings, to be done by professional builders on site, in the relatively cost-effective way they already do," the team said.

The home sits atop a proprietary foundation that consists of underground anchors, above-ground legs and self-levelling joints. Screw threads or concrete footing can be used for the underground portion, depending on the soil type.

Wall panels are made of cross-laminated timber and different types of plywood, while flooring is made of engineered hardwood. Cladding options include stained cedar – in black, grey or natural – or composite panels in a copper hue.

Units with kitchens are fitted with quartz countertops and premium cabinetry. Bathrooms have tiled shower walls and high-end fixtures. Other features include high-efficiency LEDs, a smart thermostat and an accompanying app to monitor electricity usage.

The home is designed to minimize energy consumption through features such as continuous insulation and air-tight windows and doors.

While designed to tie into public water and sewage systems, the Cosmic ADU is able to generate all of its own electricity.

The units come with pre-assembled systems for mechanical, engineering and plumbing, which includes a sizable battery pack for lithium-ion and thermal energy storage.

The units are also equipped with a rooftop solar array that can generate from seven to 20,000 kWh per year in the California region – much more than the ADU is expected to need.

The team envisions the extra energy being stored and then distributed to the main home on the ADU's property, or to an electric vehicle.

"The ADU is able to generate and store both electricity and thermal energy when it's most efficient and cheapest, and then distribute it into the household when it's needed," said Jokic.

Owners can purchase the solar array and battery pack or borrow them from Cosmic. In the latter scenario, Cosmic owns the excess energy generated by the ADU.

Cosmic is presently housed at the Autodesk Technology Center in San Francisco, where it will produce the chassis modules for its first batch of homes. It also works with local material suppliers and manufacturers.

It currently takes four to six months to build and deliver a Cosmic ADU. The company is not releasing pricing at this time.

Cosmic's ultimate aim is to transform the building industry.

"Our homes are changing," the company said. "Climate warming and the global pandemic have reshaped our living environment, and we are not going back."

Other revolutionary building ideas include customized backyard dwellings by the design-build firm Cover that are created using computer algorithms, and "nomadic" hotel units by the startup Moliviing that are prefabricated and intended to be moved around.

The photography is by Milos Martinovic.

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Smart systems and salvaged materials feature in an accessory dwelling unit by architecture firm Tres Birds that city officials have designated as low-cost housing.

The project is located in Boulder, which sits in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and is home to a major university and growing tech industry.

Built on a 2,100-square-foot (195-square-metre) property with a single-family home, the detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is meant to serve as a guest house or an in-law suite. Currently, it is occupied by a family member of the owner.

Designed by Tres Birds, a studio based in the nearby city of Denver, the ADU totals 800 square feet (74 square metres) and has two levels.

The ground level contains a kitchen and living room, along with a bedroom and bathroom.

A spiral staircase leads to a loft space above, which can be used as a second bedroom, an office or a den. Lined with a metal railing, the loft is open to below.

The wood-framed, rectangular home is topped with a gabled roof designed to quickly shed snow. Windows and roof overhangs were strategically positioned to maximise natural light while also providing adequate shade in the summer.

Facades are clad in bonderised steel – a durable material that helps the home be low-maintenance. Inside the dwelling, walls were made of exposed plywood.

"We insulated from the outside so that the plywood sheathing structure of the building could be exposed to the inside," the team said.

Tres Birds used salvaged materials for several parts of the building. For instance, wood from bowling alley lanes was used for flooring and framing.

"The warm-toned, 50-year-old bowling alley wood is used as a structurally independent, mezzanine floor system and laminated together to create the east-side, timber-frame window system," the team said.

Other salvaged elements include "reject tile" from a local artisan, which was used in the bathroom and kitchen.

For the home's operable skylight, the team used dichroic glass – multi-coloured glass with reflective properties – that was left over from a past Tres Bird project.

"As the angle of the sun changes throughout the day and season, so do the visual effects within the living space, creating a vibrant show of coloured light throughout," the team said of the skylight.

The building has a number of features that promote energy efficiency, including an air-tight envelope and a radiant floor system for heating and cooling.

Several elements can be controlled by smartphone, including lighting, security, heating and cooling, and the operable skylight.

The home has scored high on the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index, which is one of the leading energy-efficiency assessment tools in the US.

A score of 100 represent the energy use of a standard building in America. The lower the score, the higher the energy efficiency.

"The home received a HERS score of 33, not far off from Europe's stringent Passive House requirement of HERS 20," said the studio.

The small building has been designated an "Affordable Accessory Unit" rental property by the city of Boulder as part of its affordable housing programme. The Colorado city is facing a housing shortage, particularly in regards to middle- and low-cost housing.

A maximum rental price was not disclosed, but the architect's publicist said if the ADU were listed, the cost would be limited to about 75 per cent of the area's median price for a comparable unit.

Founded in 2000, Tres Birds has placed a focus on economical and sustainable design.

Other projects by the studio include S*PARK, a mixed-use project in Denver with facades made of reclaimed brick, and a Wisconsin art museum that has concrete exterior with screens made of angled, timber slats.

The photography is by James Florio.

Project credits:

Architecture, interior design, landscape: Tres Birds
Facade cladding and roofing: Signature Services Roofing
Doors: Tres Birds
Windows: Anderson
Stairs: Paragon Stairs
Base cabinets: IKEA
Countertops: Porcelanosa
Appliances: KitchenAid
Plumbing fixtures: Kohler
Furniture: Isamu Noguchi, Sori Yanagi, Charles and Ray Eames, Tres Birds
Artwork: Berger&Fohr, Gregg Deal, Michael M Moore

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US architecture firm DUST has completed an accessory dwelling unit for a family in Marfa, Texas, who decided to relocate permanently during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 1,300-square-foot (120-square-metre) building was added to a property in the desert city, which is located roughly halfway between Ciudad Juarez and San Antonio.

Despite a population of only roughly 1,900 people, the town has established itself as an arts hub for the Southern United States, and is home to Donald Judd's Chinati Foundation and Ranch amongst other cultural institutions.

"With the onset of Covid and lockdowns, the owners decided to change up their life plans, packed up their belongings in Tennessee, and move full-time to Marfa," said DUST, which is based in Tucson, Arizona.

The ADU is built from compressed earthen blocks, drawing cues from some of the local area's vernacular construction techniques.

It encompasses a bedroom and toilet, which are private, and a more public lounge and patio where the owners can host visitors.

"The impetus behind the project was a desire to build a new private primary suite for a couple to seek refuge when their children, grandchildren, and friends visit," said the studio.

"The suite became a calm respite and a place to work remotely, full time."

Within the lounge, a long desk runs along an entire wall and faces a large window.

There is plenty of room for two people to set up a workstation overlooking the property's cacti and shrubbery.

"The living and work lounge receives early morning light and offers a place for the owners to view the reverse sunset, as it opens to the east and allows for unobstructed viewing across a soft grass and gently sloping valley towards Haystack Mountain," said DUST.

In the bedroom, a large skylight is centered over the bed, which the architects said is useful for letting off excess heat built up during the day. Additionally, it offers an opportunity for stargazing in Marfa's clear night skies.

A full-height sliding glass wall opens the bedroom to a small courtyard, where the owners keep a vegetable garden and can relax away from their guests if desired.

The compressed earth bricks are left exposed throughout the interiors, creating a contrast with the simple concrete flooring found throughout the home.

DUST is led by Cade Hayes and Jesús Robles, who founded the studio in 2007.

The team has completed several desert homes in Arizona, including a property with concrete walls made using volcanic residue, and a rammed-earth home in the Sonoran Desert.

The photography is by Casey Dunn.

Project credits:

Architects: DUST, Cade Hayes, Jesus Robles
Structural engineer: Dan Ray
Builder: E&C construction, Eric Martinez
Compressed earth block: Dave Moshel
Millwork: Architectural Surfaces
Millwork install: Jimmy Magliozzi, Laszlo Thorsen
Plumber: Trever Warren

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Fibre cement panels and stainless steel are among the low-maintenance materials used by architectural practice TEAM to create an accessory dwelling unit in Michigan.

The project, called Northwood ADU, is located in Ann Arbor and is one of the first accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to be built under new zoning regulations in the city.

The two-storey dwelling has a living room, dining area, kitchen and bathroom on the ground level, and a sleeping area up above.

The project was designed by a group of architects and architectural designers who teach at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. The first letters of their names – Thom Moran, Ellie Abrons, Adam Fure and Meredith Miller – were used to form their firm's name, TEAM.

The dwelling – built on a $225,000 (£170,463) budget – sits in the rear of a lot belonging to Abrons and Fure. The lot totals 8,276 square feet (769 square metres).

The couple lives in the property's main dwelling and plan to rent out the backyard structure, which measures 730 square feet (68 square meters).

"While the size is limited by zoning regulations, the addition reaches as far back as possible to the lot line and a public wooded area," the team said.

L-shaped in plan, the building has a boxy form and sloped roof. The team used low-maintenance and low-waste materials throughout the project.

Facades are clad in fibre cement boards and Galvalume coated-metal panels. In certain areas, the team added stainless steel mesh that can accommodate greenery such as climbing vines.

Walls are constructed of structural insulated panels (SIPS) that form an air-tight envelope. The building has a high R-value – 28 for the walls and 36 for the roof – which indicates it has good insulation.

The team took a novel approach to the home's foundations.

"It is the first building in Ann Arbor to utilise frost-protected, shallow foundation technology common in Scandinavia, which allows it to be constructed directly on the ground and reduces the need for labor-intensive site work," the team said.

Inside, the dwelling has an airy atmosphere and features white walls, concrete flooring and laminated strand lumber ceilings and staircase.

"The experience of the space is expanded by reducing visual noise and expressing the volumetric interior of the SIPS shell where possible," the team said.

The home has a hydronic floor heating system and a "mini-split" that allows an occupant to control the temperature in each room. The team also incorporated a heat pump and an energy recovery ventilator.

Glazed openings bring in natural light and provide a connection to the outdoors.

"Windows are located strategically to maintain privacy from the main house and connect the interior with the forest and sky," the team said.

ADUs have been popping up in North American cities that face housing shortages and a lack of affordable housing.

Others include a colourful granny flat in Los Angeles by Bunch Design and an asymmetrical dwelling in Seattle by SHED.

The photography is by Chris Miele.

Project credits:

Design and architect of record: T+E+A+M
Team: Reid Mauti, Delaney McCraney, Hannah Perrino, Thom Moran, Ellie Abrons, Adam Fure, Meredith Miller
Structural engineer: David Arnsdorf
Contractor: Maker Design Build
Foundation: ByggHouse WarmForm
Facade: American Fiber Cement Corporation, Banker Wire, Luthy Metals
Fenestration: Andersen 400 Series
Kitchen: Cliq Studios

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American practice Bunch Design has completed a colourful granny flat modelled on an oversized suit at the back of a home in Los Angeles, with sliding doors that enable it to become a single open space.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), commonly known as "granny flats", were enabled by a 2016 change in state law to tackle California's housing shortage, and the local studio wanted to challenge the expectation of these buildings as something deferential to a main house.

The 72-square-metre building, which has been shortlisted in the small interior category of Dezeen Awards 2021, was designed to create a bright and breezy alternative to the client's dark and compartmentalised existing home.

The concept by Bunch Design drew on an unusual reference: the huge, oversized suit worn by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne in the 1984 movie Stop Making Sense. This lends the project its name of SMS ADU or Stop Making Sense Accessory Dwelling Unit.

For the structure, the wide shoulder pads of Byrne's suit that caused it to hang from his body become a series of oversized triangular rafters from which the rest of the home "hangs". These features are emphasised by clerestory windows that angle outwards like broad shoulders.

"Byrne comically and awkwardly creates an inflated body mass around his skinny body," said the studio.

"We did not want the walls to limit the house or feel like tight clothes around a body. Instead, we wanted to create a sense of lift and expansion, like loose and comfortable clothes, dissolving barriers between indoor/indoor and indoor/outdoor."

The home is split into four roughly equal sections: a double bedroom; a kitchen and bathroom; an entrance hall; and a study. Each is separated by blue doors that slide along the triangular wooden rafters.

Coloured areas such as blue and red walls in the bedroom, green kitchen cabinets, pale blue bathroom tiles and a peach-coloured wall in the study demarcate each of these spaces.

"The simple colour selection adds an almost toy-like, colour-coded space which keeps the house from feeling too singular," the studio explained.

The angled clerestory windows beneath the roof, as well as voids in the centre of the triangular frame that are glazed at either end, bring large amounts of light into the home

"Standard clerestory windows were installed at an angle to break the common notion of 'wall meets ceiling', with unexpected reflections of the landscape and trees on the tilted glass," the studio explained.

This bright and dynamic interior is contrasted by a simple pale exterior clad in wooden planks, with yellow window frames alluding to the colourful spaces inside.

In 2019, the Los Angeles Design Festival highlighted a range of architect-designed granny flats, including a previous ADU by Bunch Design built for the studio's founders, Bo and Hisako, in LA's Highland Park neighbourhood.

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A scalloped roofline defines this playful backyard studio that Los Angeles architects Byben & Skeens completed for a writer and filmmaker to have a "solitary space for creation".

The compact project replaces a derelict shack in the steeply terraced back yard of a new homeowner's property in LA's Echo Park neighbourhood.

"The previous owner decorated the backyard in a lyrical antique style, with circuitous crumbling stairs winding up the hill and a hand-made shack on the brink of collapse," explained architects Byben & Skeens.

"Inspired by the whimsical setting, the client wanted to replace it with a writing studio and guest house that evoked the past but was firmly contemporary."

The 480-square-foot (45-square-metre) building is rendered in white stucco, with arched openings that recall the Art Deco style that can be found all over LA.

It contains a single room that the client uses as a writing studio or occasional guest house, with a toilet at the back.

"To the west a full-length skylight illuminates the room, the light modulated and diffused by a curved wall sweeping into the space below," said Byben & Skeens.

Two separate entrances lead into the building: one from the back yard, where large double doors allow the interior to be open to the elements; the other from the street.

This allows the owner to invite clients or collaborators over without needing to go through the main house.

The project makes the most of its steep site, which offers it a degree of separation from the owner's home below.

"The arched windows and doors avoid views into the house to focus on the surrounding trees and sky, creating a sense of escape and immersion in nature," the architects explained

The slope also facilitated building in theatre-like seating outside the building's double, doors, allowing the owner to put on small plays in the yard, or to sit and work with rehearsing actors.

Towards the back of the property, an exterior staircase leads to the roof, which overlooks the home below and enjoys views of the LA skyline beyond.

"A sun deck is bound by the peaks and arches of the crown-like parapet of the building," said the architects. "Facing East, the deck has an intimate interior feeling produced by the dappled light of a closely overhanging tree canopy while to the South and West, it provides clear views of downtown LA."

Small buildings like this, which are sometimes known as accessory dwelling units (ADUs) when they contain a bathroom and kitchenette, have long been prevalent in Los Angeles, where the relatively large land parcels and high cost of living have driven up demand for accommodation.

In recent years, the trend has accelerated, as the city has offered incentives to homeowners to build these structures in an effort to make more housing available.

Those working on replicable ADUs for LA include a startup called Cover, which uses proprietary software to create a design suited to a specific site, and architects SO-IL, which unveiled a prefabricated, flower-shaped design earlier this year.

The photography is by Taiyo Watanabe.

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New York architecture studio SO-IL has created Pebble House, a flower-shaped prefabricated house, for the Los Angeles Accessory Dwelling Units scheme.

Clad in corrugated metal, Pebble House would act as a self-contained residential extension, raised on a rounded platform that doubles as an exterior deck.

SO-IL designed the floor plan in the shape of a flower, with a sheltered glazed wall on the side of each petal. A central block would contain a bathroom, separating a bed area on one side and a kitchenette on the other.

Living spaces would occupy the open loop around the perimeter, spilling out onto the cloud-shaped deck.

Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs, are a scheme from the Los Angeles planning department to offer architect-designed granny flats for people to extend their homes with.

"This program is about making ADUs more accessible, more affordable, and more beautiful," said Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti.

"Making them part of the blueprint of our efforts to tackle our housing crunch and create more affordable communities citywide."

ADUs can be up to 1, 200 square feet (112 square metres) and must contain their own bedroom, kitchen and bathroom facilities.

SO-IL's imagined client for Pebble House is a "free spirit" who wants to live in connection with the California landscape.

"Living in LA means living close to nature," SO-IL told Dezeen. "The presence of the environment is inescapable. This house, with its extended facade, maximises that relationship."

Pebble House's frame would be made from cold-formed steel with a floor and ceiling made of epoxy-coated wood.

"It's very easy to assemble, and is a system amenable to pre-fabrication as well," explained SO-IL.

"The structural elements are readily available, but the pieces would be pre-fabricated on a case-by-case basis. Prefabrication can greatly reduce the amount of work that has to happen on-site."

SO-IL estimates each Pebble House would cost in the region of $170,000 to $200,000 (£122,000 to £144,000).

The practice is currently working with engineers on the project and hopes to get Pebble House approved for the ADU scheme by April.

Designer Yves Behar has also created a range of ADUs for California, with a modular design and a flat roof, and prefabricated housing company Koto has an ADU that can be built in just two weeks.

SO-IL was founded by Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu and is based in Brooklyn. Previous urban living projects from the practice includes MINI Living – Breathe in Milan, a tiny home with breathable mesh walls.

Images courtesy of SO-IL.

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Seattle architecture firm SHED has designed this compact home for a couple who wanted to live in a smaller dwelling on their own property.

The project, called Alley Cat, was created for a couple who reside in a craftsman-style house in Seattle's Ballard neighbourhood.

Because the clients travel frequently, they decided to rent out their main residence and create a "compact home base" for themselves in the backyard.

They turned to local firm SHED Architecture and Design to create what is known as a detached version of an auxiliary dwelling unit (ADU).

The clients had several requests for their small abode. They wanted it to have a separate identity from their primary home, as well as a strong relationship to the existing garden and easy access to an alley. Moreover, they requested that it be low-maintenance and able to accommodate photovoltaic panels.

"In addition, the client was hoping for an interior space open to the sun, and with primary rooms on one level for aging-in-place," SHED said.

The team conceived a modern dwelling that totals 800 square feet (74 square metres). The building is located on the eastern side of the clients' property, between the garden and an ADU parking space that is required by law.

Rectangular in plan, the building has an asymmetrical, gabled form that is scaled in accordance with neighbouring homes.

"In appearance the building is reminiscent of a cat whose back is flattening to the ground, ready to pounce," the studio said.

Exterior walls are clad in standing-seam, aluminium panels in a dark grey hue, which the studio chose to create a "durable, maintenance-free skin".

The front door is located on the building's southeast corner. This is carved away to form a sheltered space featuring caramel-toned cedar and potted plants.

Inside the home, the ground level holds a living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Overlooking the double-height living area is a loft used as a den. A steel ladder accesses the space and is bordered by a steel-and-cable handrail.

Windows were carefully placed based on natural lighting and privacy needs. In the kitchen, a vertical "peek-a-boo window" allows light to trickle in.

The main living space has a sliding glass door that brings in ample daylight and enables the home to merge with a patio. Skylights provide additional illumination in the compact dwelling.

"Four parallel skylights in the lofted space provide daylight from above, while allowing for nighttime stargazing," SHED said.

Pine plywood was used for wall cladding and cabinets. A radiant concrete slab provides heat and visual uniformity.

The home's material palette is meant to be "elemental and purposeful", added the studio.

Rooms are fitted with mid-century and contemporary decor such as a black futon, wooden coffee table, salvaged chairs and a saucer-shaped pendant by American industrial designer George Nelson. A slender desk is lined with a pair of Eames Wire Chairs.

The home is intended to have a cosy interior and a tough exterior. "Hard on the outside, warm on the inside, Alley Cat is a street-smart modern dwelling curled up in the corner of the city," the studio added.

ADUs have become increasingly popular in cities that face housing shortages. Also in Seattle, Best Practice Architecture converted an unused garage into a small black cottage for an elderly family member, while Wittman Estes and NODE have created a prefabricated unit that runs on solar power.

Founded in 1998, SHED has completed a number of residential projects in Seattle, including a refurbished 1950s dwelling that was originally built for cartoonist Irwin Caplan and the conversion of a horse stable into an art studio and guest house.

Photography is by Mark Woods.

Project credits:

Architect: SHED Architecture & Design
Structural engineer: Todd Perbix
Metal siding: Nu-Ray
Windows: Anderson, Fakro
Sliding door: La Cantina
Lighting and furniture: Modern Forms, Herman Miller
Kitchen countertops: IKEA
Fixtures: Hansgrohe
Soaking tub: Kohler
Fan: Big Ass Fan

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University of Hawaii architecture graduate Joey Valenti has designed prefabricated and low-cost housing units made entirely from invasive albizia trees on the island of Oahu.

The prefab Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) – a type of small residence typically built in backgardens – form part of Valenti's greater Albizia Project, which spawned from his seventh-year dissertation.

The initiative aims to address Honolulu's affordable housing shortage, while restoring native forests. Like other island economies, Hawaii's heavy dependence on imports contributes to sky-high housing prices and the cost of living.

"A concern for homelessness in Hawaii is part of our core values, but we must also solve for the supply chain and ecosystem restoration challenges before pursuing commercial applications," Valenti told Dezeen.

Valenti aims to also solve another problem of thirsty Albizia trees, which can grow up to five metres annually and are problematic as their proliferation chokes out water sources for endemic flora.

They were originally introduced to Oahu in 1917 to reforest land previously used for cattle farming. In an ironic twist, the Hawaii Invasive Species Council now encourages eradicating albizia trees to support the native ecosystem.

"There's a surplus of this invasive species that people previously considered to be rubbish, just a problem," he said. "I challenged that we think of it as a resource instead."

With funding from sources including the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and the US Forest Service, Valenti built a proof-of-concept called Lika on the campus of his alma mater, the University of Hawaii's Manoa School of Architecture.

Lika's design references traditional Pacific Islander architecture that uses solid timber, like the round thatch-roofed Samoan fale.

"In school we learned to base design concepts on elements of cultural significance, so I began investigating various low-tech, indigenous architecture in the Pacific Islands," Valenti said.

"The beauty of indigenous architecture is in its simplicity and structural integrity."

Since albizia is a soft, low-density timber, he employed new technologies in wood engineering and CNC digital cutting to fortify and cut out boards, which were then glued into layered panels before being shaped into arches and beams.

Valenti describes it as a "new version of cross-laminated timber".

"It's laminated all in the same direction, but these panels are almost like a thick layer of plywood," he added. "This would stabilise the wood and give it additional strength before cutting the parts."

Lika's dome-like design is not just low cost, but it also promotes air circulation by using wood louvers.

By eliminating three walls of a standard rectangular structure, natural airflow would reduce the need for air conditioning in Hawaii's tropical climate. The ADU is covered with a waterproof canvas roof sourced from a locally owned manufacturer that creates fabric commercial awnings.

"The bulk of the time and labour intensity happens in the shop," Valenti said. "Once everything is prefabricated, the entire structure can be installed in about a day."

A number of American cities that face housing shortages are seeing a rise in ADUs, including Seattle, where Best Practice Architecture converted an unused garage into a small black cottage for an elderly family member, and in Toronto, where Measured Architecture added a laneway house to a narrow, residential property.

During this year's recent Los Angeles Design Festival, a series of architect-designed granny flats were open for public tours. Also in California, British startup has teamed up with prefabricated housing company Koto to create a prefab, cabin-like unit that can be delivered to sites in San Jose in two weeks.

Photography is by Michelle Mishina.

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Prefabricated housing company Koto has designed a cabin-like ADU, or Accessory Dwelling Unit, that can be delivered to sites in San Jose, California in two weeks.

Koto, a British startup that designs and manufactures modular, prefabricated cabins, teamed up with American homebuilder Abodu to bring the latest version of its pared-back, tiny homes to the US.

Called Koto x Abodu, the prefab units are designed top be used to form vacation homes, guest accommodations, or extra space in a back yard. They are produced by a Bay Area fabricator and can be delivered to local sites in two weeks, or other areas in the US within four to 12 weeks of purchase.

"Homebuilder Abodu have developed a permitting programme, which allows for super fast delivery of these modular homes to the US consumer," said the team.

The Koto x Abodu model is designed with a limited width of 14 feet (4.26 metres) so they can be transported by truck straight to site. Abodu uses various installation methods to place the home on its plot, such as rollers or cranes, depending on the space available.

The city of San Jose has also approved the model is an ADU, or Accessory Dwelling Unit, which can be built in back gardens and rented for profit so long as they meet certain criteria.

"San Jose recently pre-approved the first in the series of Koto x Abodu apartment models as part of its new plan to incentivise more housing stock through pre-approved ADUs," said Jonathon Little from Koto.

"The initiative allows residents to buy and install the Koto x Abodu prefab house in as little as two weeks, cutting out the lengthy process of applying for a permit and construction," he continued.

Little told Dezeen that the city is also considering introducing tax incentives for those that would buy a backyard dwelling and rent it out at an affordable rate for a set duration.

ADUs have become more popular in California since the state made changes to laws in order to address housing shortages and rising rents prices with a quick and easy way to provide affordable housing. During this year's recent Los Angeles Design Festival, a series of architect-designed granny flats were open for public tours.

Other cities that face housing shortages are also seeing a rise in the units, including Seattle, where Best Practice Architecture converted an unused garage into a small black cottage for an elderly family member, and in Toronto, where Measured Architecture added a laneway house to a narrow, residential property.

As the latest in Koto's prefab series, this model is designed to demonstrate "Scandinavian simplicity with a Californian twist". Each comprises a simple structure clad in weathered wood siding and topped by a sheet-metal, gabled roof.

The compact layout fits one bedroom and a bathroom, an open-plan living room and dining room, and a galley kitchen.

A floor-to-ceiling pivoting glass wall allows the interior of the home to open to the exterior, making the most of California's warm climate.

Inside, the units encompass 495 square feet (45.98 square metres) of living space. A number of space-saving elements are included allow the occupants to maximise the tight quarters. Storage is available under the bed, for example, as well as inside a built-in bench along one wall of the living room.

Different degrees of customisation are also available to buyers, ranging from a barebones shell to a furnished home. According to Abodu's website, homebuyers can choose different cladding materials, such as fibre-cement panels or stucco, or have additional features like solar panels.

Buyers can also chose finishes and premium appliances from Wolf and Fisher & Paykel, and request a "curated furniture package", along with landscaping and an outdoor deck.

Koto, meaning cosy at home in Finnish, was founded in January 2018 by husband and wife duo Johnathon Little and Zoe Little. Last year, it designed a series of prefab cabins for he for a Nordic lifestyle, with add-ons such as saunas and outdoor showers.

Photography is by Joe Fletcher.

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American firms Wittman Estes and NODE have created a prefabricated accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, that is wrapped in charred wood and runs entirely on solar power.

The building was created for a homeowner in west Seattle who wanted a one-bedroom studio in her backyard, which she could rent out or list on Airbnb.

"The client wanted a second unit to create an additional rental income that would be self-sustaining and affordable, generating economic and environmental productivity," said local firm Wittman Estes in a project description.

She asked the architects to design the dwelling, and it ended up becoming one in a series of models offered by NODE, a Washington-based company that creates eco-friendly, prefabricated dwellings.

"As a system of components, the entire home can be shipped almost anywhere and assembled in days," the architects said. "The simplicity of the home embodies a 'poetic pragmatism', believing that good design can be accessible to anyone."

Called Solar Studio, the project takes its name from the photovoltaics that line the sloped, south-facing roof. The solar panels generate enough electricity to power both the backyard cottage and the main house, according to the team.

The building's shell and interior finishes were fabricated in an Oregon factory and then assembled on-site.

Facades are wrapped in cedar planks that were charred using shou sugi ban, a traditional Japanese technique. Beyond enhancing the dwelling's appearance, the burnt wood helps reduce the need for upkeep. Dark grey corrugated metal was also used on the exterior.

Shallow steps lead to the home's main door, which is fronted by a small wooden deck. Rectangular in plan, the interior is divided into three zones. One side contains an open-plan public area, while the other encompasses a craft room and storage space. The bedroom was placed at the centre of the dwelling.

Low-emitting, locally sourced materials were employed throughout the dwelling. White walls and light-toned bamboo flooring are contrasted with darker elements, such as black window frames and black lighting fixtures. Tropical plants add pops of colour to every room.

The compact living room is fitted with an IKEA cowhide rug, a floor lamp by France and Son, and a replica of the Hans J Wegner CH07 Lounge Chair. The dining area features a tulip-style table and Modernica shell chairs.

In the kitchen, the team installed stainless steel appliances and white countertops, along with carbon-steel shelving designed by the architects.

In the bedroom, a stool designed by architect Alvar Aalto serves as a sidetable. The bathroom is equipped with low-flow fixtures, such as a glossy white D-Code sink by Duravit.

Solar Studio is the first detached ADU in Seattle to earn "zero energy certification" from the International Living Future Institute, which works to foster a more sustainable built environment.

"The studio demonstrates how modern building techniques can create human spaces, filled with light and warm materials, and achieve a high level of environmental sustainability," the team said.

ADUs have become increasingly popular in cities that face housing shortages. In Seattle, Best Practice Architecture converted an unused garage into a small black cottage for an elderly family member, and in Toronto, Measured Architecture added a laneway house to a narrow, residential property. During the recent Los Angeles Design Festival, a series of architect-designed granny flats were open for public tours.

Photography is by Andrew Pogue.

Project credits:

Design: Wittman Estes with NODE
Architecture and landscape: Wittman Estes Architecture + Landscape
Builder: NODE (Don Bunnell)

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The Los Angeles Design Festival is spotlighting architect-designed granny flats with a series of tours this week. Here are look at four of the city's best.

ADUs, or Accessory Dwelling Units, have become more popular in California since it made changes to state laws.

Facing housing shortages and rising rents prices, the state wanted to find a quick and easy way to provide affordable housing, so ruled that homeowners could build "accessory units" on their properties, as long as they have a kitchen and bathroom.

The small-scale properties, often nicknamed granny flats or in-law units, are typically built in back gardens and rented out for profit.

The Los Angeles Design Festival, which takes place from 20 to 23 June, is spotlighting the trend with its ADU Home Tour. It is offering tours of several architect-designed ADUs across the city, in areas including downtown, Highland Park and Echo Park.

US editor Eleanor Gibson picks out the four best ones to visit:

Bunch
Highland Park

Architects and partners Bo and Hisako, who run Bunch Design together, built this 850-square-foot property in the city's Highland Park neighbourhood for themselves.

The ADU has a stepped ceiling, propped up by staggered wooden columns, along with skylights and flashes of colour that help create a bright interior. The exterior is a simple gabled form with a rough stucco surface to help it blend in with its surroundings.

Cover
Miracle Mile

This dwelling was prefabricated in a Los Angeles factory and then transported to the backyard of a Miracle Mile dwelling, where it was built in less than a week.

The one-bedroom house was designed by Cover, which creates custom prefabricated homes specifically for the gardens of LA homes. For this property, the team chose to clad the prefab panels with dark untreated wood panels that will patina over time. Interior details include dark wooden flooring and bright custom-made cabinetry.

Paul Gasiorkiewicz (5+Design)
Echo Park

Paul Gasiorkiewicz, a principal of LA firm 5+ Design, designed this top-heavy ADU for himself and his wife to live in. The duo now rent out the main property.

Among the key features of Gasiorkiewicz's design is a double-height living area, comprising the kitchen, dining room and lounge, and large expanses of wood-framed windows that bring in plenty of natural light.

Oasys
Palm Springs

Architect Alexis Rochas and design and technology StereoBot have teamed up to complete a number of prefab ADUs, including this one in Palm Springs. In this version, the duo added a pair of sheltered outdoor areas on either side of the main volume.

The walls flanking these outdoor areas feature striated windows that allow plenty of light into the interior, while maintaining privacy. An abundance of wood features inside, including sliding doors that separate a bathroom from the living area.

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Designer Yves Behar has launched a range of prefabricated accessory dwelling units that aim to tackle rising house costs and increase urban density in California.

The San Francisco-based designer has partnered with custom home company Plant Prefab – which recently gained funding from Amazon – to create LivingHomes YB1, the first in a line of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) intended to fill gaps on existing properties.

The micro homes are marketed as potential accommodation for young family members, elderly parents, students or others struggling to afford their own houses.

Unveiled at the Summit ideas festival in LA this week, the YB1 has a modular design that can be fully customised depending on site conditions, functionality and personal taste.

Béhar, founder of design studio Fuseproject, believes this is a step onward from his Ori robotic furniture system for transforming space-poor homes, created with researchers at MIT.

"Following our work on efficient living with robotic furniture company Ori, I'm excited to extend the passion for tiny homes and prefab by partnering with LivingHomes," he said.

"For me, the next frontier of design is to think of the entire home as a product that a home owner can shape to their needs in terms of size, usage, aesthetic and lifestyle."

Based on a four-foot (1.2-metre) grid, the ADUs can be built to sizes between 250 and 1,200 square feet (23 and 112 square metres).

Full, half-height and clerestory windows can be positioned anywhere around the exterior, depending on views or privacy requirements.

YB1 is initially available in three options, with different floor plans and roof styles. Two flat-roof options are designed for warm dry climates like LA's, and can be installed with solar panels or planting.

A pitched roof version is available for colder wetter weather, such as in San Francisco. Units can be configured to include a kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom or office.

The model on show at Summit incorporates a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and a television that Behar designed for Samsung to look like a piece of art when not in use.

The homes are fabricated at Plant Prefab's facility, and assembled on site using helical metal piles as ground anchors.

"This is why we're interested in the customisable nature of prefabricated ADUs: people want their living environment to be a reflection of their specific life needs," said Behar.

"The design goal of the LivingHomes ADU is adding urban density with a range of sizes and home designs, while providing a building system that delivers on sustainable and efficient living in urban areas."

The YB1 is priced around $280,000, with plans for models starting at $100,000 in the future.

Plant Prefab's recent Amazon investment came from the retail giant's Alexa fund, with the goal to integrate its suite of voice-controlled devices into affordable easy-to-build houses.

Behar has previously worked on a variety of products for connected living, from home security cameras to a robotic crib.

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Design-build firm Cover, which uses computer algorithms to create customised backyard dwellings for homes, has completed its first project: a small studio in Los Angeles.

The 320-square-foot (30-square-metre) prefabricated building is situated on a hillside in northern LA, and serves as an office and music studio for an Oscar-nominated sound editor.

The white, rectangular structure consists of a steel framing and floor-to-ceiling glass. Inside, the building's single room is fitted with wooden flooring, contemporary decor and built-in storage. An air-tight building envelope and a radiant heating-and-cooling system help keep energy costs low.

The unit, which took three months to design and build, was assembled in Cover's LA factory and then shipped to the site. The project cost $110,000 (£83,450), which included foundation work.

It is the first completed unit by the company, which produces customised backyard homes often referred to as accessory dwellings — touted by some as a way to increase density and provide affordable housing in growing metro areas.

Ranging from 100 to 1,200 square feet (nine to 111 square metres), the dwellings can be used to accommodate guests, in-laws or rent-paying tenants, or they can serve as studios, workshops, pool houses or lounges.

"Cover sets out to make living and working in a thoughtfully designed and well-built space a reality for everyone," said the company, which was launched in 2014 and is backed by venture capital funding. The cofounders, Alexis Rivas and Jemuel Joseph, have architecture degrees and formerly worked at design studios.

The company uses digital tools to streamline the design and construction process. Clients provide details – such as design preferences and site conditions – which are fed into a proprietary computer program that generates multiple design options. Within days, clients receive renderings and plans, along with a full quote.

After the design is chosen, Cover obtains the necessary permits, installs the foundation, assembles the structure in its factory, and ships the components to the site. Assembly and installation take 12 weeks, according to the company.

"Unlike other prefab companies and builders, Cover is a technology company first, armed with a team of full-time software engineers, designers, manufacturing engineers and architects who have developed technology that streamlines the entire process of designing, buying, permitting, manufacturing and assembling Cover units," said Rivas.

The Cover dwellings are the latest in a series of projects that utilise generative design tools, which experts say could transform both the physical world and the role of the designer. The emerging technology uses algorithms to generate every possible permutation of a design solution.

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