ADUs: The Perfect Housing Solution

(Hardback)

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Description

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are good for people and communities. An inside look at 25 charming, ultra-functional, extra living spaces will inspire you to build one of your own!

An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a smaller housing unit built on the same lot as a primary dwelling (also known as Additional or Auxiliary Dwelling Units) think granny flat, in-law unit, laneway house). It has an arrangement for sleeping, cooking, and lavatory. An ADU can be detached, attached, a garage conversion, or a basement conversion. The uses are myriadfor family members, guest spaces, rental income, or more.

These attractive, well-designed ADUs are located from coast to coast across the US and Canada. Each house includes information about the type of construction, the major green features, and how it is used. A variety of styles (e.g., laneway houses, garage conversions, and stand-alone independent structures, and ones connected to the primary house) show versatility and ways to blend new ADUS into the architecture of the primary house and neighborhood.

Each featured ADU shows how to make the most of the small space for comfortable living without the burden of a big house to care for.

Reviews

This attractive coffee table book by journalist Koones (Prefabulous for Everyone) explores the benefits of the accessory dwelling unit (ADU), or a small secondary home "on the property of a main house that has its own entrance," kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area. Showcasing a variety of ADUs in the U.S. and Canada alongside the stories of their owners, Koones takes readers inside a Los Altos, Calif., unit that a husband and wife built so their adult daughter could live near them. Many homeowners cite energy efficiency as a top concern, such as the Minneapolis couple who installed on their ADU solar panels that distribute surplus energy to a utility company, which reimburses them. The homes range in size from a cozy 227-square-foot studio hideaway above a Palo Alto garage to a more spacious, two-floor abode in Avon, Conn., constructed for the owners' aging parents. Though Koones contends that "a big motivation to build an ADU is the vast shortage of housing... in many areas of North America," most of the homeowners report using theirs as guest quarters for visiting friends and family, raising questions about whether ADUs are really "the perfect housing solution." Still, the contemporary architectural designs are sleek, and the environmentally friendly features offer insight into how housing can be made more efficient. This is worth a look. (Mar.)-- "Publishers Weekly" (1/22/2024 12:00:00 AM)

Author Bio

Sheri Koones is a widely respected author and journalist who helps readers better understand that getting the house of their dreams can be done in an ecologically responsible way. She is the recipient of the prestigious Gold Award Robert Bruss Real Estate Book Awards from NAREE for Downsize: Living Large in a Small House. She is the author of Bigger Than Tiny, Smaller Than Average (Gibbs Smith, 2022). She has authored numerous articles about home construction for AOL Real Estate, Smart Homeowner, Builder magazine, and is a regular contributor to Forbes.com. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.