Adu Ideas & Photos

Eat-in kitchen - contemporary galley eat-in kitchen idea in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, beige backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

This 264 square foot prefab home was packaged and brought to the client’s property as just 64 flatpacked components, and assembled from start to finish in six weeks. AVAVA believes that beautiful design and a commitment to sustainability can work together with the efficiency of prefab to deliver the highest quality housing that the average citizen can afford. This project is intended as a future retirement retreat for a professional couple currently living in San Francisco. It was permitted as a residential secondary dwelling unit according to the planning code in the city of Livermore. Named Britespace, our prefab models feature a 12’x16’ window wall, and a 14’ ceiling that fills the home with natural light. The interior can be fitted with a full kitchen or simple counter and wetbar, and a full or half bath – or left open for office or guest bedroom use. The Britespace is available in 264, 352, and 480 square foot sizes, and comes in a limited number of design options for interior and exterior finishes. AVAVA Systems is a full-service prefab flatpack home provider specializing in Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) products, and delivering projects from planning and permitting through construction.

L+M's ADU is a basement converted to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) with exterior & main level access, wet bar, living space with movie center & ethanol fireplace, office divided by custom steel & glass "window" grid, guest bathroom, & guest bedroom. Along with an efficient & versatile layout, we were able to get playful with the design, reflecting the whimsical personalties of the home owners. credits design: Matthew O. Daby - m.o.daby design interior design: Angela Mechaley - m.o.daby design construction: Hammish Murray Construction custom steel fabricator: Flux Design reclaimed wood resource: Viridian Wood photography: Darius Kuzmickas - KuDa Photography

The Twin Peaks Passive House + ADU was designed and built to remain resilient in the face of natural disasters. Fortunately, the same great building strategies and design that provide resilience also provide a home that is incredibly comfortable and healthy while also visually stunning. This home’s journey began with a desire to design and build a house that meets the rigorous standards of Passive House. Before beginning the design/ construction process, the homeowners had already spent countless hours researching ways to minimize their global climate change footprint. As with any Passive House, a large portion of this research was focused on building envelope design and construction. The wall assembly is combination of six inch Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) and 2x6 stick frame construction filled with blown in insulation. The roof assembly is a combination of twelve inch SIPs and 2x12 stick frame construction filled with batt insulation. The pairing of SIPs and traditional stick framing allowed for easy air sealing details and a continuous thermal break between the panels and the wall framing. Beyond the building envelope, a number of other high performance strategies were used in constructing this home and ADU such as: battery storage of solar energy, ground source heat pump technology, Heat Recovery Ventilation, LED lighting, and heat pump water heating technology. In addition to the time and energy spent on reaching Passivhaus Standards, thoughtful design and carefully chosen interior finishes coalesce at the Twin Peaks Passive House + ADU into stunning interiors with modern farmhouse appeal. The result is a graceful combination of innovation, durability, and aesthetics that will last for a century to come. Despite the requirements of adhering to some of the most rigorous environmental standards in construction today, the homeowners chose to certify both their main home and their ADU to Passive House Standards. From a meticulously designed building envelope that tested at 0.62 ACH50, to the extensive solar array/ battery bank combination that allows designated circuits to function, uninterrupted for at least 48 hours, the Twin Peaks Passive House has a long list of high performance features that contributed to the completion of this arduous certification process. The ADU was also designed and built with these high standards in mind. Both homes have the same wall and roof assembly ,an HRV, and a Passive House Certified window and doors package. While the main home includes a ground source heat pump that warms both the radiant floors and domestic hot water tank, the more compact ADU is heated with a mini-split ductless heat pump. The end result is a home and ADU built to last, both of which are a testament to owners’ commitment to lessen their impact on the environment.

Example of a small beach style concrete floor and gray floor kitchen/dining room combo design in Los Angeles with white walls

What is an ADU: Accessory Dwelling Units: An accessory dwelling unit, usually just called an ADU, is a secondary housing unit on a single-family residential lot. The term “accessory dwelling unit” is a institutional-sounding name, but it’s the most commonly-used term across the country to describe this type of housing. While the full name is a mouthful, the shorthand “ADU” is better. ADUs vary in their physical form quite a bit, as there are detached ADU, attached ADU, second story ADU (above garage or work shop), addition ADU, internal ADU. IMPORTANT: There’s simply too few permitted ADUs to make a real difference in the housing stock. But, even if they aren’t going to solve all a city’s problems, they may help homeowners solve some of their problems. The most common motivation for ADU development is rental income potential, followed by the prospect of flexible living space for multigenerational households. We at FIDELITY GENERAL CONTRACTORS, providing a single point of contact to homeowners interested in this product, from conceptual stage including plans, city legwork, project managing of the construction stage including assistance with material purchase and other coordination, all the way to completion. (this project showcases a detached ADU, 400 SQ.)

Minimalist one-story exterior home photo in San Francisco

Carlos Rafael Photography
Inspiration for an eclectic l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor open concept kitchen remodel in Portland with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, no island and black countertops

Our Perpetual Homes ADU Communal Floorplan. The corresponding exterior elevation can be seen here: https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/exterior-elevations-pj-vj~6269953

Contemporary detached ADU. One bedroom, one bath, for visiting parents and short term rentals Carlos Rafael Photography
Home design - contemporary home design idea in Portland

This is a ADU ( Accessory Dwelling Unit) that we did in Encinitas, Ca. This is a 2 story 399 sq. ft. build. This unit has a full kitchen, laundry, bedroom, bathroom, living area, spiral stair case, and outdoor shower. It was a fun build!!

This picture gives you an idea how the garage, main house, and ADU are arranged on the property. Our goal was to minimize the impact to the backyard, maximize privacy of each living space from one another, maximize light for each building, etc. One way in which we were able to accomplish that was building the ADU slab on grade to keep it as low to the ground as possible and minimize it's solar footprint on the property. Cutting up the roof not only made it more interesting from the house above but also helped with solar footprint. The garage was reduced in length by about 8' to accommodate the ADU. A separate laundry is located just inside the back man-door to the garage for the ADU and for easy washing of outdoor gear. Anna Campbell Photography

Example of a cottage l-shaped concrete floor and gray floor kitchen design in Portland with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island

Inspiration for a farmhouse shed remodel in Seattle

Minimalist living room photo in San Francisco

Leonid Furmansky
Inspiration for a small contemporary wooden l-shaped metal railing staircase remodel in Austin with painted risers

Home design - farmhouse home design idea in Portland

Living room photo in San Francisco

Minimalist living room photo in San Francisco

Converted from an existing Tuff Shed garage, the Beech Haus ADU welcomes short stay guests in the heart of the bustling Williams Corridor neighborhood. Natural light dominates this self-contained unit, with windows on all sides, yet maintains privacy from the primary unit. Double pocket doors between the Living and Bedroom areas offer spatial flexibility to accommodate a variety of guests and preferences. And the open vaulted ceiling makes the space feel airy and interconnected, with a playful nod to its origin as a truss-framed garage. A play on the words Beach House, we approached this space as if it were a cottage on the coast. Durable and functional, with simplicity of form, this home away from home is cozied with curated treasures and accents. We like to personify it as a vacationer: breezy, lively, and carefree.

Living room - cottage formal and open concept concrete floor and gray floor living room idea in Portland with white walls and no tv