This project is nestled in a small back yard in NE Portland. At 250 square feet it’s a stand-alone studio house. The only interior walls in the project enclose the compact bathroom. It features a split gable roof with north facing clerestory windows that provide wonderful natural light. Large south facing windows and a fully glazed door create a connection to the back yard patio space by which the unit is accessed. A bump out to the east creates space for a built in couch with storage below. Opposite the bump out is a Murphy bed to allow the main multi use space to function as both living and bedroom.
Positioned at the end of the property’s existing driveway this building replaced the aging one car garage that was built at the same time as the main home. The new structure includes a 290 square foot garage and 152 square foot detached bedroom with half bath on the ground floor. The second floor is a 563 square foot one bedroom ADU. A double door with a custom railing creates a Juliette style opening on the front of the unit. This provides a visual connection to the street and excellent natural ventilation. Large dormers allow for greater head room in the body of the unit and make space for large windows providing lots of natural light and ventilation and a further connection to the surrounding area.
Located in a terraced backyard in SE Portland this project has a large one car garage at the end of the existing driveway with an 800 square foot ADU built behind and above the garage. We took advantage of the change in grade to give the kitchen/living/dining area on the ground floor a much higher ceiling than the garage. The second floor has a full bath and two bedrooms. An exposed stair gives access to an open walk way. The south bedroom is accessed by a short bridge. All of the structural beams and decking are exposed from below which accentuates the drama of this small simple space.
