William Avenue

Our client requested an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) for the rear of their tight suburban lot, which could also serve as a home office and help support a new private backyard sanctuary. The existing main house was quite small and there was no budget for expansion, so the rear yard was conceived as a pair of connected outdoor rooms to provide the additional living space the family wanted.

Two spaces—a dining area and a play zone—are defined by the existing house on one end and the ADU on the other. The ADU serves as a backdrop to the yard, with its broad side facing the lawn clad in opaque corrugated weathering steel. The ends of the building are more transparent, opening to smaller outdoor areas that are distinct from the main rear yard.

The outdoor dining room, a slightly elevated wood deck, is covered by a wood trellis and connected directly to the existing house. The built-in bench along with the subtle elevation change and trellis reinforce the notion of a distinct outdoor room.

A small rectangular lawn provides a space for children to play and enhances the overall visual simplicity and serenity of the design. The minimal color palette of green grass, red steel walls, and blue sky is striking on a clear day.