project in progress: an ADU designed for years of enjoyment

While most people consider an ADU in practical terms, our client (a professional couple with three kids) has a more ambitious vision of creating a comfortable and refined environment with unique design details: "We want to be able to see the work and think we are glad we did this!" In terms of the users, the family also has a multi-generation and multi-year plan. In the near term, this dwelling will be a guest house for the visiting grandparents who hail from Australia and Japan. Later on, when the kids are older, this can be used as a teenage hangout or a young adult apartment. Further in the future, the couple thinks they would like to move in and rent out the main house.

Plan showing main house on the left and ADU on the right. The master plan is designed to ensure future phases in developing the main house will be effective aesthetically and functionally.

East elevation showing the profile of the accordion roof. The volume in the center is the family bath with a skylight directly above the soaking tub.

shapes, proportions, fun

With a packed program to accommodate lots of different users and visions of happy family gatherings, this ADU threatened to become very large. Although we could take full advantage of the recently adopted CA code (up to 1200sf), it was still a challenge to fit two bedrooms, a full kitchen, ample living room, a powder room, a very generous family bath, and a required garage space in a small lot. In order to maintain a sense of proportion, we tried to rein in the total volume and avoid building a big box with a flat roof. That's when the accordion roof idea came in. "it will create a much more interesting profile and articulate the interior spaces. Within the 15' height limit, we could create the peaks and troughs with a ribbon of skylights zigzagging across the 50' span of space," explained project designer Hideaki Kawato.

Looking west: the kitchen and living room are suffused with natural light. Tall trees outside create a shadow play that animates the interior.

Looking north: eat-in kitchen with ample seating at the counter.

Large sliding glass doors open to side garden; another set of sliding doors open to the garage which can offer additional space for entertaining.

Looking east: living room with wall mounted tv.

Roof framing completed. View from entry to kitchen (low horizontal window opening is where the future kitchen counter is located.)

Stephen reviewing the skylight framing and roof slope.

bathing is central

For our homeowners, bathing is a very important cultural tradition as well as a beloved family activity. In the initial stage of the design process, they envisioned a very large space with two tubs: a generous family tub and a separate individual one. Eventually, due to the need to restrain the overall square footage and the concern about saving water, we arrived at a compact tub that could accommodate three persons. The built-in bench minimizes the water volume but still allows a satisfying deep soak. Simple but elegant details, a restrained color palette, and matte black accessories make a statement. An operable skylight and super tall custom bifold doors open up to fresh air and greenery outside. "The inspiration came from the quietly luxurious ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn) with in-room private bathing facilities."

A modern take on a Japanese bath: one wall almost completely opens up to the outdoors; mirrors with integral light fixtures and a simple vanity with a Krion® integral trough sink.