ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT

Background

Students were tasked with designing an add-on for an existing residential development of their choice in College station— Specifically, the add-on was to be an “accessory dwelling unit”, which can act as its own independent living space while still tying back to the primary structure.

Design

The original design for this house, located in a South College Station suburb, was built in 1972 and consists of a L-shaped 3-bed 2-bath layout, although an extra bedroom and bathroom were added in the garage space later on. The proposed add-on for this property(drawn in black) aims to linearly extend the spatial language of the house, guiding residents towards the new unit with visual queues. For example, the contour of a partition in the original house is carried into the ADU through the kitchen island, difference in floor material, and ceiling condition, maintaining a consistent grid from old to new structure. To further activate the outdoor space between the two, the ADU includes a sliding glass door which opens the social space out into the surrounding environment. A terrace is also incorporated into the design to further emphazise the ADU’s relationship with its surroundings, giving residents a place of refuge and reflection.