Ten American ADUs that showcase their urban versatility

Laws and regulations around accessory dwelling units are opening up opportunities for infill around the US to mitigate the housing crisis and more. Here, we round up 10 from California to Kansas to showcase the forms they can take.

California was the first state in the US to pass legislation embracing the accessory dwelling unit (ADU), formally allowing them in 2016.

The structures, which typically range between a minimum of 200 square feet (18 square metres) and a maximum of 1,500 square feet (140 square metres), are used as ancillary dwellings for ageing parents, additional living space for a primary home, studios, gyms and more.

Other states such as Arizona, Kansas, Texas, Hawaii and Maine are also writing ADUs into law, although it's often a lengthy process to gain state-wide approval.

More recently, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the launch of a WXY-designed platform to expedite the building of ADUs in the city, calling the typology "one of the solutions to the housing crisis".

Read on for 10 ADUs across the United States:

Offset ADU, California, by ByBen

The Offset ADU is located in the backyard of a family home in the Mar Vista neighbourhood of Los Angeles and was designed for a couple who desired more living space.

The wood-clad volume replaces a former garage on the same site, which the owners debated turning into an extension of the house before settling on an ADU, as it had a more predictable budget.

Find out more about Offset ADU ›

Moon Valley Residence, Arizona, by Benjamin Hall Design

Local studio Benjamin Hall Design designed this concrete block ADU for the homeowner's elderly parents.

It was designed to directly contrast the 1970s suburban main home on the property while taking influence from Southwestern architecture structures such as the Native American ruins at Montezuma Castle.

Find out more about Moon Valley Residence ›

Stealth House, Texas, by Specht Novak

The Stealth House by Specht Novak is tucked into a mid-block lot in Austin, accessed by a gravel alley.

Clad entirely in corten steel, the ADU is designed around a central courtyard and takes cues from ancient courtyard dwellings such as the Roman domus and Moroccan riad.

Find out more about Stealth House ›

Moongate, California, by Cover Architecture

Architect Yan M Wang of Cover Architecture designed this California ADU for his mother.

Sandwiched between the driveway and the main house, the house was divided into two parts so a pathway could cut through to the back of the lot, while a circular opening references traditional Chinese architecture.

Find out more about Moongate ›

Crest Guesthouse, California, by Mork-Ulnes Architects

This Marin County ADU was built on the foundation of an old garage.

Covered in light grey Cembrit fibre cement panels, its angular form reflects the sharp slope of its cliffside site.

Find out more about Crest Guesthouse ›

Evelyn, California, by 3R Studio

The founders of architecture office 3R Studio built the Evelyn ADU in their Bay Area backyard as a live-work unit.

The ADU is separated from the main house by a small yard and is organised around a courtyard that sits in its centre.

Find out more about the Evelyn ADU ›

The Flex Pavilion, Arizona, by Kendle Design Collaborative

Kendle Design Collaborative created this ADU as a companion to a modern-style residence built in 2016, located in the Arizona desert.

The largely glass-clad building was designed to be an office, gym, guesthouse or "however else the homeowner sees fit" and features a sculptural overhang.

Find out more about The Flex Pavilion ›

Diamond ADU, California, by Schwartz and Architecture

The Diamond ADU sits on a family estate in Sonoma and takes cues from farmyard buildings around the region.

Design studio Schwartz and Architecture sought to create a building that appeared demure from one side, and "alive" on the other

Find out more about The Diamond ADU ›

Birdhouse, Texas, by North Arrow Studio

The Birdhouse ADU shares a narrow lot in Austin with a 1939 single-storey house.

"There's simplicity in the footprint, the massing, and the material palette throughout," said North Arrow Studio principal architect Francisco Arredondo. "But it's also a smart little house that makes me smile."

Find out more about the Birdhouse ›

722 Ash Street, Kansas, by Studio 804

Students in the Studio 804 design-build programme at the University of Kansas built this primary house and ADU as a speculative project, and it was sold upon completion.

It encompasses an angular primary residence and a 516-square-foot (48-square-metre) ADU affixed to the back, both of which take cues from the vernacular architecture of Kansas.

Find out more about 722 Ash Street ›

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