An additional home deserves a complete way of living
An accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, introduces another home into a property that already has its own relationships. Independence, privacy, arrival and shared outdoor space all need thought.
We work with you to shape that home around the people who will live there and the place it will become part of. A compact footprint should still support ordinary routines with care and character.
Detached buildings, attached arrangements and conversions offer different possibilities. We help examine which direction fits the ambition and what needs to be established before relying on it.
Begin with the people sharing the property
Who is the home for now, and how might that change? What should remain shared? Where does independence matter most?
These questions influence more than the floor plan. Entrances, paths, windows and places to spend time outdoors shape the relationship between households. Storage, cooking, bathing and everyday comfort give the additional home its own life.
Residential Interior Design connects those routines with personal expression. Space Planning helps make the relationships understandable before the discussion narrows to a particular building form.
An additional home should offer independence without making connection an afterthought.
Compare possibilities in the context of the site
A detached ADU may create one set of relationships with the main home and outdoor areas. An attached arrangement creates another. A conversion begins with an existing structure whose conditions need investigation.
We examine the options with you through desirability, feasibility and viability. What would each approach make possible? What would it ask of the property, the budget and the delivery process? Which assumptions need specialist confirmation?
Applicable requirements, service connections, structural questions and approvals are established for the actual property with the appropriate team. A general design discussion does not determine eligibility or permission for a proposed use.
Shape independence and connection together
When we work with a family planning a separate home for a parent, we discuss what closeness should feel like in everyday life.
How does someone arrive without passing through another household's private space? Where can people spend time together by choice? Which windows and outdoor areas need privacy? What makes the home comfortable to use independently?
Inside, Kitchen Design and Bathroom Design bring attention to routines that should not be treated as secondary because the dwelling is smaller. We explore storage, movement and changing needs with the people involved rather than assume a particular arrangement based on age.
The conversation helps the family develop a shared understanding of the home they are creating.
Connect the design to the wider property
An ADU can affect how the existing home and landscape are used. Landscape Design and Exterior Design help consider arrival, transitions and the outdoor places that remain.
Where the approach involves extending a building, Building Addition Design provides connected thinking. A separate new structure connects to New Construction Design. Those subjects support the ADU page without making every addition an independent dwelling.
We coordinate the relevant architectural, engineering and construction contributions, with responsibilities clear for the engagement.
Carry the home toward use
Architectural and Interior Documentation develops the information needed for the relevant stage, including permit coordination where scoped. Implementation support connects selections, changes and outstanding decisions through the project team.
Our process follows Discover → Define → Explore → Design / Develop / Market → Learn → Advance → Discover. We begin with people and property, explore the options and retain what we learn as the home takes shape.
The result should be understandable to live in and care for, with room to consider future changes thoughtfully. Bring us the property and the life you want an additional home to make possible.