If your looking forward to building an accessory dwelling unit on your property there are a few things to consider. Here we will outline how to get started and what to keep in mind during the inital planning stages of your project.
Program_
A program in architectural terms is a general list of uses needed in the project. Typically for an ADU the program would be outlined as follows:
Bedroom / Closet | 155 sq. ft. / 24 sq. ft. |
Bathroom | 45 sq. ft. |
Laundry | 20 sq. ft. |
Kitchen | 75 sq. ft. |
Storage | 15 sq. ft. |
Utility | tbd |
Living Room | 225 sq. ft. |
For an apartment-style ADU, the above-listed items are a good program to get started. In addition to the programmatic elements of the project, it's good to know from the start if the dwelling should be ADA compliant. Check with your local building department to see if they require any accommodations for universal design. Perhaps you are building the unit for an older member of the family with mobility issues or just want to plan far enough into the future; incorporating universal design from the start is good practice. For this example we will be looking at a non-ada compliant plan. Once we add up the total program, we can get a rough idea of our project size, and we can start laying out the plan.
After some sketching with the above program blocks, we can arrange them in a compact, efficient plan. We added a porch area to the front and pulled the entry off the rectangle to allow for easier flow and so that you do not directly enter into any of the main functional spaces. Overall, the plan is 23' x 42' and 744 sq. ft. of interior space.
Let me know if this ADU breakdown helped you in any way. If you need help with your ADU project, do not hesitate to reach out through our contact page.
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