In March 2021, the Biden Administration released the American Jobs Plan, earmarking $213B for “quality,” “resilient,” “affordable,” and “multifamily” housing. A constituent bill that comprises $20B of these funds is The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) which finances home building as tax credits for “homes containing four or fewer residential units, condominiums, or houses or apartments owned by cooperative housing corporations.” The NHIA devotes an incredible amount of capital to low density housing, yet the bill (like similar programs tied to the proposal1) lacks any specificity on how houses are to be built. Here housing’s problem is split into two: a social one of accessibility and equity, and a material one of wood, metal, and rocks. Architects can play a…

A true tiny house, this Accessory Dwelling Unit transforms an existing garage in north Oakland, converting 294 sf of unusable space into an efficient quadrant of bedroom, kitchen, shower, and bath. A skylight at the roof ridge spills light into the tight space. The walls that divide each individual space stop at the beams overhead, allowing light to bounce off the ceiling and reflect back into the unit.

A ground up accessory dwelling unit, the Skylit Cottage provided an opportunity to increase density on the site and create a new home for a knitter and community activist. Propelled by a shared interest in the relationship between solids, voids, and colors, the project explores the concept of a volume-within-a-volume as a way to create variations in scale, organization, and light.  The central figure houses storage, a wet wall, and a split skylight that washes light over multiple spaces.

Built for the homeowner’s father, this accessory dwelling unit has an L shaped floor plan to allow for both a private and a shared condition. Five large windows and a patio face the back yard, creating a generous relationship with the main house, and a tall, slender window defines the more private bedroom area facing the side of the property. Part of the State of California’s goal to increase housing units, this ADU contributes to ‘upzoning’ this north Berkeley neighborhood.

Built as both an art studio and an income generator for a couple of empty-nesters, this accessory dwelling unit occupies the highest point on this hillside site, overlooking a lush garden. Two volumes that rotate away from each other allow for large clerestory windows to bring in indirect light while maintaining a private face towards the main house. A large skylight defines the intersection of the two volumes, and a sixteen foot opening creates a direct relationship with a large redwood just outside the unit. One volume houses the bedroom and the other the kitchen and living area. A deck just outside the large slider is a place to paint and look at the sky through the redwoods.