ADU in Trees

A growing family needed a solution to meet the needs of young children, teenagers, and parents – with flexibility for the future.  When a basement expansion proved inefficient and inadequate, THESIS proposed the concept of “two tandem cottages in the trees.”  As the design developed, a distinct structure, connected to the main home by an airy glass breezeway, was conceived.  The interstitial space between the two volumes becomes an “outdoor living room” – an open air room connected to the adjoining structures by large operable expanses of glass and allowing free-flow between the two structures.  Designed as a freestanding ADU, the second volume is self-contained with all of its own systems and amenities, allowing it to operate as a long or short term rental, or as a secondary family residence – providing all the flexibility and investment value the client desired.  The oversized, tree filled lot provides an idyllic backdrop, and great care is being taken to develop a unique structural system that is sensitive to the root systems of the large, mature conifers, allowing the structure to rest lightly on the land.