Posted in Design Projects, tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, barn shakes, Berkeley, curbless shower, redwood, small buildings, wood on June 30, 2025| Leave a Comment »
This ADU is 160 SF. Backyard is small and client chose not to move the ADU to 4′ setbacks and enlarge because it would make the usable yard even smaller. It was quite challenging to fit all the Accessory Dwelling Unit requirements in such a tiny space. We got the redwood shakes from Humboldt county, Doors are Blomberg and the high performance skylights have exterior shades.
Posted in Design Projects, tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, Berkeley, clay plaster, cottage, curves, fire resistant construction, green building, light, Lime Plaster, straw, Strawbale, thick walls, tiny house on June 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »
This project was completed a a few years ago, but I realized I never posted any finished photos because I was waiting for the landscaping and an interior sliding screen between office and living room. I think it’s done now and I hope to stop by soon to see it.
John and I both would love to build more strawbale structures. The thick walls (In this case 24″ thick, but 18″ is common) are really great architecturally and the inside is so quiet and well insulated. It is wonderful to use a natural material that is an agricultural waste product to insulate. Lime plastered strawbale buildings are also very fire resistant.
Posted in Design Projects, tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, Berkeley, color, Lime Plaster, process, small buildings on June 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Here are a few exterior shots of the integral color plaster walls. Action shots of the plastering team at work courtesy of Michael Scott.
Interior and detail shots will hopefully be forthcoming, (hard to get photos in such a small space with ongoing work and protection in place) but the exterior is really looking good.
Posted in Design Projects, tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, Berkeley, eaves, housing, process, small buildings, wood, WUI on January 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »
The owner took these photos for me of our little ADU taking shape. In the first photo you can see our 4×6 rafter tails with a curve. These will get gyp sheathing above with non flammable (Hardiboard & Boral) material on the outside. No venting. (Roof sheathing is kept above the dewpoint with rigid insulation on top.) The lower eaves that are less visible will be enclosed completely. The last photo is john rabbeting one of the exposed fir beams for the interior.
Posted in Design Projects, tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, appleply, Berkeley, kitchen, practical, small buildings on July 14, 2021| 1 Comment »
It turned out nicely. I’d like to have a drying rack/dish storage hanging over my drainboard sink too.
Posted in Design Projects, tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, Berkeley, details, green, lighting design, process, small buildings on June 15, 2021| Leave a Comment »
First here is a 3d model we built as a schematic design tool. A few things changed and not all the details are there, but you can get a sense of the overall layout.
This one was a rebuild of an existing garage. (We had to rebuild it to meet the energy standards for habitable space, but we had to keep it the same as the garage in footprint, height, and roofline. ) The owners wanted to keep it simple…and kind of traditional. We think it turned out well.
The heating is a Fujitsu minisplit, the insulation is beyond code including slab edge insulation, lighting is all LED, high efficacy, & high CRI. A spot HRV keeps the air fresh even when the owners are out of town.
Posted in Design Projects, tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, Berkeley, cabinets, dining nook, drain rack, fir, kitchen, small buildings on December 8, 2020| Leave a Comment »
The builder (McBride Construction) is working his way through the punch list. We are both proud of how this rental cottage is turning out. Here are a couple of his snapshots:
The first one is the kitchen with built-in dish drying rack over the drainboard and apple-ply cabinets. The second is the little dining nook with storage benches and salvaged fir built-in table.
Posted in Design Projects, tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, Berkeley, construction process, fibercement, green building, rainscreen, simple, small buildings on November 18, 2020| Leave a Comment »
I’ll post more about this one soon…with some interior shots. This will house the homeowners while they remodel the main house, then it will be an art studio and guest quarters. Someday it will probably house renters. It exceeds all the green building and energy efficiency codes. Construction by McBride Construction.
Posted in Design Projects, tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, Berkeley, process, roof framing, small buildings, Strawbale, wood on November 12, 2020| 1 Comment »
Posted in Design Projects, tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, Berkeley, cottage, framing, McBride Construction, process, small buildings on July 29, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Saturday Morning Design Meeting
Posted in Design Projects, tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, Berkeley, boxes, cottage, Four-square, historical styles, houses, small buildings, utilitarian on November 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »
We are working on the repair and remodel of an actual 4-square cottage from the early 1900s!
deedsdesign 