Outbuildings
Thoughtful ADU Expands a Small Lot’s Potential
An architect makes the most of local ordinances allowing two homes and owners on one property in Princeton, New Jersey
Architect Marina Rubina set out to maximize the potential of this corner lot in Princeton, New Jersey. The plan included a 2,100-square-foot main house and an 800-square-foot accessory dwelling unit, or ADU. “The key was to make sure each home felt like it had privacy and its own individual property,” Rubina says. Strategic site planning, orientation and window and door locations were important components of the strategy.
After the property was developed as a main house and ADU, the houses were sold as separate condominiums to two different sets of homeowners — one couple and their child in the main house and another couple and their dog in the ADU. In Princeton, where most single-family homes sell for more than a million dollars, being allowed to divvy up a lot like this for two separate owners helps provide much-needed housing and homeownership opportunities. The ordinance allowing this is rare in the United States and is relatively new. Rubina’s goal was to show that you can create more housing density while providing private, light-filled smaller homes.
After the property was developed as a main house and ADU, the houses were sold as separate condominiums to two different sets of homeowners — one couple and their child in the main house and another couple and their dog in the ADU. In Princeton, where most single-family homes sell for more than a million dollars, being allowed to divvy up a lot like this for two separate owners helps provide much-needed housing and homeownership opportunities. The ordinance allowing this is rare in the United States and is relatively new. Rubina’s goal was to show that you can create more housing density while providing private, light-filled smaller homes.
Also, each home has its own private fenced yard. “These are smaller houses, so to make them feel larger, it was important to bring the outdoors in and the indoors out,” Rubina says.
This photo shows the patio off the main house. The siting and orientation of the patio affected the design of the ADU. “The big windows and floating steps allow the home to flow out to the patio and out to the yard,” Rubina says. “The side of the ADU it faces is fairly blank and creates a backdrop — from here, it feels like a wall in the main house’s yard.”
This photo shows the patio off the main house. The siting and orientation of the patio affected the design of the ADU. “The big windows and floating steps allow the home to flow out to the patio and out to the yard,” Rubina says. “The side of the ADU it faces is fairly blank and creates a backdrop — from here, it feels like a wall in the main house’s yard.”
Rubina created cohesion between the homes by repeating the material and color palettes. “I think color is really important, and I usually try to use three colors on a facade,” she says. “Here we have the fiber cement siding color and the black from the window frames. Our eyes see the contrast between these colors and the lines between those colors.”
Rubina had some help choosing the third hue, the red accent color, for the fiber cement panels and front door. “We had it narrowed down to five colors on a day when the developer-builder’s 5-year-old son was on the site, so we let him choose,” she says. “He did a great job. The red accents give the houses character. It’s a fun and exciting color.”
The left side of the ADU’s second story juts out slightly, adding dimensionality to the facade. And the recess beneath it forms a front porch. “The porch is a welcoming touch on this small house,” Rubina says.
Another detail worth noting is the carport’s cedar ceiling. “We love using clear-finish natural materials, but they require a lot of repairs and staining on a facade,” the architect says. “So one of our tricks of the trade is to use them in protected areas. Here on the ceiling, the cedar adds extra natural warmth.”
Rubina had some help choosing the third hue, the red accent color, for the fiber cement panels and front door. “We had it narrowed down to five colors on a day when the developer-builder’s 5-year-old son was on the site, so we let him choose,” she says. “He did a great job. The red accents give the houses character. It’s a fun and exciting color.”
The left side of the ADU’s second story juts out slightly, adding dimensionality to the facade. And the recess beneath it forms a front porch. “The porch is a welcoming touch on this small house,” Rubina says.
Another detail worth noting is the carport’s cedar ceiling. “We love using clear-finish natural materials, but they require a lot of repairs and staining on a facade,” the architect says. “So one of our tricks of the trade is to use them in protected areas. Here on the ceiling, the cedar adds extra natural warmth.”
The kitchen faces the street. “I love having a kitchen face the street — it’s a little unusual but it’s part of a very community-oriented design,” Rubina says. “You can wave to neighbors walking by and see the action on the street. And it’s not like you cook in your underwear and need complete privacy in the kitchen. We placed the family room on the back of the house for more privacy.”
She made the most of the compact kitchen’s space, using an L-shaped layout to leave enough room for an island. The corner windows and large glass sliding doors open the kitchen up to the outdoors. “These windows are standard, but we assembled them to look like corner windows,” Rubina says of the money-saving trick.
Here, the homeowners’ dog, Brady, enjoys the view out to the balcony and fenced-in side yard.
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She made the most of the compact kitchen’s space, using an L-shaped layout to leave enough room for an island. The corner windows and large glass sliding doors open the kitchen up to the outdoors. “These windows are standard, but we assembled them to look like corner windows,” Rubina says of the money-saving trick.
Here, the homeowners’ dog, Brady, enjoys the view out to the balcony and fenced-in side yard.
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The family room overlooks the side yard and backyard. “We kept as many large old trees on the site as possible and placed the big windows on this corner that overlooks them,” Rubina says. “It feels like a private oasis back here.”
The staircase goes from the finished basement up to the second floor. White oak slats along the stairs play off the white oak flooring. “Instead of having two sets of railings, we wanted a sculptural element that would create a place of interest,” Rubina says.
“Adding a basement door at the top of the basement stairs can make that staircase dark and dreary,” she says. “So we placed the basement door at the bottom of the stairs, keeping the staircase open. This makes the entire space feel so much more open.”
Leaving the basement staircase open to the first floor also added more light. Look closely at the lower left of this photo to see one of the windows that faces the main house in that stairwell. And there’s light filtering down the stairs from a second window placed on that same side of the house between the first and second floors.
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The staircase goes from the finished basement up to the second floor. White oak slats along the stairs play off the white oak flooring. “Instead of having two sets of railings, we wanted a sculptural element that would create a place of interest,” Rubina says.
“Adding a basement door at the top of the basement stairs can make that staircase dark and dreary,” she says. “So we placed the basement door at the bottom of the stairs, keeping the staircase open. This makes the entire space feel so much more open.”
Leaving the basement staircase open to the first floor also added more light. Look closely at the lower left of this photo to see one of the windows that faces the main house in that stairwell. And there’s light filtering down the stairs from a second window placed on that same side of the house between the first and second floors.
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Upstairs are two bedrooms and two full bathrooms. This is the guest room, where one of the homeowners placed her desk to allow the space to double as a home office. “This window overlooks the mature trees across the street and gives her desk a treehouse feeling,” Rubina says.
The pitch of the roof allowed for a vaulted ceiling. This makes the space feel much larger and airier, and also allowed for a larger window.
Thinking about ADUs as homes that are owned rather than rented is a relatively new concept. It will be interesting to see how it works out in Princeton — and how other municipalities approach ordinances regarding ADU ownership in the future.
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The pitch of the roof allowed for a vaulted ceiling. This makes the space feel much larger and airier, and also allowed for a larger window.
Thinking about ADUs as homes that are owned rather than rented is a relatively new concept. It will be interesting to see how it works out in Princeton — and how other municipalities approach ordinances regarding ADU ownership in the future.
More on Houzz
Tour more homes
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
ADU at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their dog
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Size: 800 square feet (74 square meters) plus finished basement; two bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Architect: Marina Rubina
Builder: R.B. Homes
This corner lot on a leafy street measures a little less than a fifth of an acre. Town regulations don’t allow for more than one driveway, so that element is shared between the two homes. At the end of the driveway, a carport connects them. The two parking spots underneath it go with the main house, while the ADU has a fenced area for bikes and scooter storage. The ADU also has a parking spot located in front of it. The homeowners belong to a two-property HOA, which is rather limited and mostly covers driveway maintenance.
From there, everything else is separate, with privacy maximized. For example, the windows that wrap the corners of both homes are located on opposite ends, facing away from each other. “The only windows in the ADU that face the main house are located in secondary spaces like the staircase,” Rubina says.
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