Chris Walter, @ChrisWPhoto, talked with Matt Hutchins about the significance of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).

At CAST architecture, we have been focused on ADUs for more than a decade. They're fun to design, perfectly fit a niche for new housing in established neighborhoods, and provide many benefits for owners and residents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJaLht9v5Yw

CAST’s Cedar Cottage is a City of Seattle Pre-approved DADU. Our vision is to adapt the high-design cottage, simplify it, and make it accessible.

See more at www.castcottages.com

“Part of the reason we love backyard cottages is just the opportunity. If you have a home with a possibility for a second house – it could be whatever you want it to be – a studio, a place for grandma, a rental, and having that flexibility is huge. We have people who have it as an Airbnb, or a long-term rental, as a place for their kids and then their retirement home. This flexibility is fantastic. It opens up so many opportunities in this great city.”         -- Matt Hutchins, AIA, Certified Passive House Designer

Backyard cottages = Flexibility and Opportunity

Beacon Hill Cedar Cottage is one of CAST’s City of Seattle Pre-approved cottage plans

Designed by CAST and built by the homeowner who is also a contractor, Beacon Hill Cedar Cottage includes the amenities and feel of a larger home. Its efficient footprint provides two bedrooms, well-daylit spaces, lots of storage, and a covered outdoor living area.

Bathed in sunlight, a generous central area includes the kitchen, dining, and living spaces. Carefully placed large windows and glass entry doors flood the area with light that bounces off the white walls to make it feel larger than its square footage. The open glass doors and deep eaves create a vibrant indoor/outdoor living experience.

The durable Japanese cypress exterior is treated using the traditional Shou Sugi Ban technique, ensuring both beauty and natural resilience.

With two bedrooms, and maximized storage throughout, there is plenty of room to keep things close at hand to pursue hobbies and work from home.

Square Feet: 707 + 147 SF patio

Photos: Peter Bohler Photography + Director
Shou Sugi Ban exterior: Nakamoto Forestry
Windows: Marvin  

See More: Beacon Hill Cedar Cottage

Seattle architect talks about the BENEFITS OF LIVING IN A TINY HOME

CAST is featured in ISN’s article: Tiny Home vs. Traditional Home: What You Need to Know

Tiny homes and small space living offer a bevy of rewards to those who decide they don’t need many things and are ready to streamline their life. There are many reasons to choose small space living. Some people may want a house that moves with them, to not have a mortgage, or simply to live lightly. 

Lower Energy Usage

Tiny homes consume less energy and cost less to maintain. Smaller appliances are typically more efficient. One will use less energy, and water, and create less waste. A tiny home could potentially be heated with a wood stove and powered by a solar array. 

It Costs Less 

Tiny homes cost a fraction of the price of traditional homes. The cost to own or rent will be significantly less and they cost less to maintain. Since small spaces use less energy, there will be less outlay on all bills related to the home. Reducing housing expenses may let owners/tenants save money for (or in) retirement, travel, or allow them to decide to work less.

Streamlined Maintenance

A tiny home is easier to maintain. With fewer appliances to repair, less exterior area to maintain and even less space to clean, those who live in small spaces may have more time to spend on work, fun hobbies, and their relationships.

Mobility

Tiny Homes can be made to be mobile. Whether it’s a vacation or a new permanent spot, a tiny home can be built to travel.

Minimalist lifestyle

De-clutter. There is only room for the important things and those things that matter most. Plus, there is also the opportunity for more focus and less distraction. A tiny home can be constructed from recycled, repurposed, and salvaged items.

Eco-friendly living lifestyle

By using less energy tiny homeowners reduce their carbon footprint. There is only room for vital appliances, so you save on electricity bills. Also, there is the potential for minimal expense on a rainwater collection system and composting toilet. The tiny home can be designed to be completely off-grid.

Photos by: Cindy Apple Photography

A Seattle Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit

Sustainable living in a tiny home

CAST is featured in Porch’s round-up: Everything About Tiny Living: Tips From the Experts

We are rethinking space and home. CAST believes tiny homes, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and backyard cottages are inherently sustainable building options, as well as sensible answers to the housing crisis. Tiny homes require fewer materials to build, create less waste, and use less energy to power, heat, and cool when compared to traditional single-family houses. 

In addition, people who live in tiny houses will own fewer possessions and spend less overall. Downsizing will influence lifestyle in many ways—streamlining possessions, becoming more mobile, and building financial security—which leads to a lower carbon footprint. Typically, as one moves into a tiny home, other segments of life change positively as well including overall consumption of goods, services, and even food. And this, in turn, reduces the impact on the environment. Specifically, with carbon footprint in mind, the factor that will have the most impact is the size of the home.

Good design matters. Our backyard cottages are designed to be energy efficient, low cost, and built for privacy within their context. Daylighting is important in every home and especially in small spaces. Effective storage is essential. Layering and overlapping are key to designing successful small spaces while using different materials will create well-defined areas. Plan to maximize every square foot in common living areas and integrate outdoor space. Covering outdoor space makes it feel like an extension of the home, without having to heat or cool it.

Density and more efficient land use are critical to addressing our housing crisis, climate change, and persistent inequities in access to housing. Modest infill houses like tiny homes, ADUs, and backyard cottages are a key strategy to empower citizens to provide new housing, build generational wealth, and leverage taxpayers’ investment in infrastructure, transit, schools, and parks. Plus, these homes could create an affordable housing inventory.

Photo, above: Cindy Apple Photography
Photo, below: Benjamin Drummond Photography

A functional and sustainable tiny home in Washington’s Methow Valley

See more of this tiny home on our website.