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The Well-Designed Accessory Dwelling Unit: Fitting Great Architecture Into Small Spaces

by Lydia Lee

A practical and visual guide to accessory dwelling units

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Hardcover New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A practical and visual guide to accessory dwelling units

Lydia Lee’s guide brings together the planning questions and design decisions involved in creating an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). It covers zoning, financing, construction, material choices, prefabrication, green building, and storage, alongside 15 projects from the United States and Canada. Floor plans, project photography, and accounts from architects, builders, and homeowners connect broad considerations with individual design solutions—including ways to make limited space work and challenges encountered during projects. The book presents ADUs as flexible additions to a property, with possible uses ranging from guest accommodation and workspace to rental housing.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Homeowners exploring whether an ADU could meet household or rental needs
  • Architects and interior designers seeking residential project examples and space-planning ideas
  • Builders and developers interested in ADU design and planning considerations

Themes

Accessory dwelling unit planningSmall-space residential designZoning and financingGreen building and materialsProject-based architectural solutions

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

ADUs offer homeowners opportunities to host family and friends, add studio or office space, or generate passive income through a long-term rental on their existing property. Combine these practical benefits with broad and preferential rezoning in many municipalities throughout the US, and ADUs are one of the biggest developments in housing.

Written by award-winning architecture and design writer Lydia Lee, this thoughtful exploration of ADUs answers many of the questions that arise when thinking about investing in an ADU. From design strategies and challenges to understanding zoning regulations to financing and material selection, this title covers the need-to-know basics on ADUs in addition to presenting expert advice from architects, builders, and homeowners.

Accompanying this information are extensive looks at 15 carefully designed ADUs from the US and Canada, complete with showstopping photos, floor plans, and informative text boxes. Readers will learn unique perspectives from each project, including green building solutions, practical architectural solutions to optimize limited space, and the pitfalls homeowners encountered and resolved.

Content includes

- insights shared by architects and ADU owners from 15 projects in the US and Canada;
- floor plans and high-end interior and exterior project photography;
- discussion of prefabricated materials, green building, and storage solutions; and
- a primer on zoning, financing, building, and more.

With so many possibilities and opportunities for ADUs, this book is ideal for homeowners, architects, interior designers, builders, and developers.
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