For a 2-story Accessory Dwelling Unit replacing a vintage, decrepit detached garage located in a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, we honored the scale, massing, and location of the original structure, while introducing contemporary design to the neighborhood.

The ADU has two independent living spaces: downstairs, a 1-bedroom unit with its own garden access, and upstairs, a small studio coupled with a partially-covered terrace. With this configuration we expanded the range of possible living arrangements and uses from the convention.

Translating the detail and texture of the adjacent house and former garage from the dominant Spanish Colonial Revival into a modern idiom, we used steel railings, metal-clad walls, and wood siding to create an updated architecture in a restricted regulatory environment.