I’ve been working on this accessory dwelling unit (called a Secondary Dwelling Unit in Oakland) for a while now. We ran into problems with the pandemic supply chain, and labor shortages and PGE hookups and any number of other things, but it is now habitable. The only thing that remains […]
Accessory Dwelling Unit
29 posts
One of the most common reasons my clients chose to build an accessory dwelling – either a backyard cottage or in-law unit, is for either their elder parents, or for their adult children with kids of their own. Building an accessory dwelling on their property allows them to have two […]
I’ve written about this secondary dwelling unit in Oakland before. About a month ago I posted on the progress. This past week I stopped by again to check on the progress. Since the last time I was there, they have started on the underlayment for the green roof assembly, and […]
In California, it is easier than ever before to add an accessory dwelling to your property. Whether you want to add an in-law unit in your basement, convert a free standing garage into a small cottage, or build a new backyard cottage from the ground up, the state has loosened […]
This is not a question I get asked often, but it is a question that most non-architects should ask. There is a process to an architectural project. I am making a series of videos that explain the process. This is the first video which outlines the process. I also describe […]
Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 68 into law. AB 68 addresses Accessory Dwelling Units, specifically addressing planning and zoning regulations in order to make them easier to design and build.
It is with great pleasure that I share the completed Berkeley Cottage. I started this project with New Avenue Homes – I am a New Avenue Homes architect partner – in January of 2018. The owner wanted to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) that she could rent for a […]
I don’t know about you, but I am a big believer in New Year’s resolutions. Except, I generally intend to follow through on my resolutions. They really are goals after all. Goals are just dreams if you don’t take action consistently. So that’s what I try to do. I don’t […]
What are the steps you need to take when starting an architecture project? Building in the Bay Area is an expensive and time consuming process. You don’t want to just jump into something without laying the proper groundwork first. Whether you are thinking about a house remodel, addition, new house, […]
This week I visited this project in Oakland which converted an existing detached garage into a studio cottage. We started this project a little more than a year ago and now it is very near complete. The owners are waiting on the Murphy bed to arrive, and they want to […]
Recently AlamedaMagazine.com published a great story about how Accessory Dwelling Units are allowing families to accommodate extended, intergenerational, living. This is a fancy way of saying, you can live with your adult children, or your parents, but with each of you having a private living space. Which is pretty cool, […]
One of the projects in my studio at the moment is a backyard cottage in Berkeley. This is a quintessential accessory dwelling unit: free-standing in the backyard. We are doing everything we can to keep this design simple and straightforward in order to keep costs down. The property backs up […]
The sister website to DSLociceroArchitect.com is MyAccessoryDwelling.com. At MyAccessoryDwelling.com you will find all kinds of information about accessory dwellings, and how to go about building one on your property. For those of you with existing un-permitted in-law units, there is also information about legalizing existing in-law units. It’s a pretty […]
Currently, there is a lot of interest in building accessory dwellings. Accessory dwellings are smaller cottages or apartments built on a property that already has one dwelling. They are also known as back yard cottages, in-law units, granny flats, and a host of other names. In the last few years […]
Are you considering building a granny flat, in-law unit, or backyard cottage? These are all names for what governmental jurisdictions are calling Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs. There is so much interest in these small, secondary dwellings, that I am launching a new website: MyAccessoryDwelling.com to provide information about the […]
The foundation replacement project in San Francisco that includes adding a new accessory dwelling is moving along. The contractor, MEMGC, is moving along with the staggered removal and foundation of the existing foundation. Because the building needs to remain occupied during construction we are NOT lifting the house and removing […]
You may have heard about accessory dwelling units – sometimes referred to as ADUs, Secondary dwelling units, or in-law units – and you’ve been wondering if you could build one at your property. But you don’t know where to start. Here’s what you can do: Call your local Planning or […]
This project in Danville was recently completed.The project was to build a pied a terre for the owners of the home, who would hand over the main house to their children. This would allow them to be able to help care for their grandchild and to be able to lock […]
“Gas meter locations! Be still my heart,” I hear you saying. I can just imagine you are trembling in anticipation of this gas meter location story! What excitement! Not really. Right? Well, this is the reality of construction. Sometimes it is the most plebeian of things that make life, shall […]
2017 has been a busy year. As the year wraps up, and before we head into the holidays, I thought I’d share just some of what has been going on “behind the screen” here in the studio. I wrote and published a book: Working With An Architect was published in […]