{"id":7055,"date":"2026-04-12T09:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T09:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/?p=7055"},"modified":"2026-04-17T15:27:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T15:27:43","slug":"ten-american-adus-that-showcase-their-urban-versatility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/2026\/04\/12\/ten-american-adus-that-showcase-their-urban-versatility\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten American ADUs that showcase their urban versatility"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Birdhouse<\/div>\n

Laws and regulations around accessory dwelling units<\/a> are opening up opportunities for infill around the US to mitigate the housing crisis and more. Here, we round up 10 from California<\/a> to Kansas<\/a> to showcase the forms they can take.<\/span><\/p>\n

California was the first state in the US to pass legislation embracing the accessory dwelling unit (ADU), formally allowing them in 2016<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The structures, which typically range between a minimum of 200 square feet (18 square metres) and a maximum of 1,500 square feet (140 square metres), are used as ancillary dwellings for ageing parents, additional living space for a primary home, studios, gyms and more.<\/p>\n

Other states such as Arizona, Kansas, Texas, Hawaii and Maine are also writing ADUs into law, although it’s often a lengthy process to gain state-wide approval.<\/p>\n

More recently, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the launch of a WXY-designed platform<\/a> to expedite the building of ADUs in the city, calling the typology “one of the solutions to the housing crisis”.<\/p>\n

Read on for 10 ADUs across the United States:<\/p>\n

\n
\"Ipe-clad<\/a>
Photo by Taiyo Watanabe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Offset ADU, California, by ByBen<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Offset ADU is located in the backyard of a family home in the Mar Vista neighbourhood of Los Angeles<\/a> and was designed for a couple who desired more living space.<\/p>\n

The wood-clad volume replaces a former garage<\/a> on the same site, which the owners debated turning into an extension of the house before settling on an ADU, as it had a more predictable budget.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Offset ADU \u203a<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\"Cinder<\/a>
Photo by Logan Havens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Moon Valley Residence, Arizona, by Benjamin Hall Design<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Local studio Benjamin Hall Design<\/a> designed this concrete<\/a> block ADU for the homeowner’s elderly parents.<\/p>\n

It was designed to directly contrast the 1970s suburban main home on the property while taking influence from Southwestern architecture structures such as the Native American ruins at Montezuma Castle.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Moon Valley Residence\u00a0\u203a<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\"Windowless<\/a>
Photo by Leonid Furmansky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stealth House, Texas, by Specht Novak<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

The Stealth House by Specht Novak<\/a> is tucked into a mid-block lot in Austin<\/a>, accessed by a gravel alley.<\/p>\n

Clad entirely in corten steel<\/a>, the ADU is designed around a central courtyard<\/a> and takes cues from ancient courtyard dwellings such as the Roman domus and Moroccan riad.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Stealth House \u203a<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\"Moongate<\/a>
Photo by Leonid Furmansky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Moongate, California, by Cover Architecture<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Architect Yan M Wang of Cover Architecture<\/a> designed this California<\/a> ADU for his mother.<\/p>\n

Sandwiched between the driveway and the main house, the house was divided into two parts so a pathway could cut through to the back of the lot, while a circular opening references traditional Chinese architecture.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Moongate \u203a<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\"Mork<\/a>
Photo by Bruce Damonte<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Crest Guesthouse, California, by Mork-Ulnes Architects<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This Marin County ADU was built on the foundation of an old garage.<\/p>\n

Covered in light grey Cembrit fibre cement<\/a> panels, its angular form reflects the sharp slope of its cliffside site.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Crest Guesthouse \u203a<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\"Courtyard<\/a>
Photo by 3R Studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Evelyn, California, by 3R Studio<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The founders of architecture office 3R Studio<\/a> built the Evelyn ADU in their Bay Area backyard as a live-work unit.<\/p>\n

The ADU is separated from the main house by a small yard and is organised around a courtyard<\/a> that sits in its centre.<\/p>\n

Find out more about the Evelyn ADU \u203a<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\"Flex<\/a>
Photo by Michael Woodall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Flex Pavilion, Arizona, by Kendle Design Collaborative<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Kendle Design Collaborative<\/a> created this ADU as a companion to a modern-style residence built in 2016, located in the Arizona<\/a> desert.<\/p>\n

The largely glass-clad building was designed to be an office, gym, guesthouse or “however else the homeowner sees fit” and features a sculptural overhang.<\/p>\n

Find out more about The Flex Pavilion \u203a<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\"diamond<\/a>
Photo by Bruce Damonte<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Diamond ADU, California, by Schwartz and Architecture<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Diamond ADU sits on a family estate in Sonoma<\/a> and takes cues from farmyard buildings around the region.<\/p>\n

Design studio Schwartz and Architecture<\/a> sought to create a building that appeared demure from one side, and “alive” on the other<\/p>\n

Find out more about The Diamond ADU \u203a<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\"Birdhouse<\/a>
Photo by Chase Daniel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Birdhouse, Texas, by North Arrow Studio<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The Birdhouse ADU shares a narrow lot in Austin<\/a> with a 1939 single-storey house.<\/p>\n

“There’s simplicity in the footprint, the massing, and the material palette throughout,” said North Arrow Studio<\/a> principal architect Francisco Arredondo. “But it’s also a smart little house that makes me smile.”<\/p>\n

Find out more about the Birdhouse \u203a<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Photo by Corey Gaffer Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

722 Ash Street, Kansas, by Studio 804<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Students in the\u00a0Studio 804<\/a>\u00a0design-build programme at the University of\u00a0Kansas<\/a> built this primary house and ADU as a speculative project, and it was sold upon completion.<\/p>\n

It encompasses an angular primary residence and a 516-square-foot (48-square-metre) ADU affixed to the back, both of which take cues from the vernacular architecture of Kansas.<\/p>\n

Find out more about 722 Ash Street \u203a<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The post Ten American ADUs that showcase their urban versatility<\/a> appeared first on Dezeen<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Laws and regulations around accessory dwelling units are opening up opportunities for infill around the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7055"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7055"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7055\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7069,"href":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7055\/revisions\/7069"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}