ADU Progress Report

The latest on (beautifully designed) accessory dwellings in CA ‌ ‌

May 31, 2023

This week, we’re looking at California's *still* buzzing topic of Accessory Dwelling Units (known as ADUs) through the lens of the intersection of design and lifestyle — the place we love to explore most. The often-tiny, versatile secondary homes on existing properties have been stirring up excitement since their introduction through legislation in 2017. ADU permits are still on the rise, and thanks to talented designers who have reimagined what a tiny home can offer, they’ve changed the lifestyle of Californians across the state.

While there was an initial intention for ADUs to play a significant role in revolutionizing housing affordability—and even solving homelessness—people have found that ADUs are more than problem-solvers for the housing crisis. They're disruptors of established housing norms, sparking a new wave of creativity and California living akin to the groundbreaking 1950s case study program as pointed out by BunchADU founders Bo Sundius and Hisako Ichiki. Our friends at BunchADU have consistently recognized the myriad of purposes ADUs can serve, from accommodating aging parents and returning children to generating rental income or providing a peaceful home office—and are leaders in designing these “less-is-more" spaces beautifully.

This article by Mimi Zeiger in The Architect's Newspaper further supports this notion, proposing that ADUs represent a paradigm shift that challenges traditional financing, design, and construction for single-family homes. They beckon us towards a more collective way of living, redefining our relationship with housing. Many firms are now offering chic ADU designs, and design media entities like Dwell are even getting on board with the launch of The Dwell House, a 540-square-foot, one-bedroom ADU that fits in most backyards.

Scroll on for a few spaces that caught our eye recently. Each stands as a testament to the vibrant and dynamic landscape of California's ADU movement, revealing the boundless possibilities and untapped potential that ADUs offer, both now and in the future. And we’d happily live in any one of them.

Atwater Village, 750 square feet

A color-blocked ADU by BunchADU that takes a cue from Talking Heads. The 750-square-foot home, aptly named Stop Making Sense, recalls the chunky proportions of David Byrne’s iconic gray suit.

Pacific Palisades, 290 square feet

Designed by Studio.Ashten, this 290-square-foot ADU stands just thirty feet from the family’s home, serving as a retreat, potential rental, and office space.

Photos: Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times / ft. CléxZio tile collection (kitchen)

Echo Park, 480 square feet

Designer Ben Warwas and architect Chris Skeens turned this Echo Park garden into an ADU and whimsical retreat for a writer.

Healdsburg, 540 square feet

As seen in Sonoma Magazine, the 540-square-foot, one-bedroom Dwell House from Abodu has a minimalist Scandinavian style with vertical cedar siding and a 12-foot-wide folding glass wall.