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

An inspirational look book for conceiving, planning, and building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), a small house that is on the same property as the main house—a quickly growing trend that is transforming our vision of what a dream home should be.​

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.

© 2025 Schiffer (Ebook): 9781507304129

Release date

Ebook: 30 January 2025