Sabin ADU
Portland, OR
Bringing family closer with inter-generational living
After spending years as a successful set designer in New York City, our client was ready to get closer to her Portland family as she winds down her career. She sold her home and had Harka design an ADU in her daughter’s backyard.
This 2 story 800-square-foot, high-efficiency one-bedroom unit has enough space to comfortably live and work. She can now be closer to her grandchildren with an investment that will be passed on to their parents. We designed a level of resiliency into the building envelope that will keep her and the building in good shape for decades. With that in mind, the main floor is designed to convert into a fully ADA-compliant studio apartment when the stairs become too challenging.
Upstairs
The upstairs studio is filled with light from 3 sides, while still providing lots of storage for “box sets”.
A small space means storage is super important. Check out this storage under the stairs.
Built-in storage around the bed creates a cozy sleeping space and maximizes storage.
Plans
First floor:
Provides all the basics of small living, but with big light to make it feel larger. The space was designed with the future in mind with a barrier-free front door, a bathroom large enough for a wheelchair and even blocking in the walls that can accommodate grab bars.
Second Floor:
The top floor currently works as a live-work space with a bedroom, art studio, and half bath. This is designed to act as a potential caregiver apartment if one is ever needed.
Downstairs
We designed a strong connection between the kitchens in the ADU and the main house. She can simply walk across the patio to share a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
The living room has views to the main house and takes in a ton of natural southern light.
A large kitchen with all the modern amenities has a window and side door facing the main house.
Pop-Outs
The main house kitchen and the ADU kitchen are connected by a shared patio. The small bump outs breakdown the scale so it feel less imposing while adding to square footage on the second level.
Pop-outs break up the facade and offer some ground level protection from rain or sun.
In this energy-efficient build, we designed a heeled truss to add extra insulation in the attic. Advanced framing reduced the lumber used (saving money and material) and provided more room for insulation. We also included air sealing details in order to help control the indoor air quality and improve energy performance. These details provide a comfortable home that lasts and costs less to heat and cool.
The tall south facing windows are designed to act as a light well bringing light deep into the spaces on each level.
We removed a portion of the concrete drive that led to an existing garage to increase the shared green space. We also ensured the ADU roof was strong enough for future solar panels.
