Seattle backyard COTTAGE Design

The clients, an active couple stepping into retirement early, were interested in downsizing from a large spec home to something smaller and more personal. They purchased a property with an existing home on it, and enough room in the backyard to add a secondary home to the lot. Permitted as a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit, or DADU, the City of Seattle limited the size of our design (at the time), to 800SF, and we were tasked with fitting a kitchen, living, bath, bedroom, and office space within the program. DADUs add density to the single-family context, allowing one lot to fit two families without any demolition. And, both families experience the expected perks of single-family living; a high level of privacy and high-quality outdoor space. 

Our design solution uses large windows and doors to ‘steal’ outdoor space, making the home live large while maximizing opportunities for light and air. The L-shape layout is created by the intersection of two bars; one containing the bedroom and bath and the other containing the living and kitchen areas. This centered the home around a courtyard completed by the detached garage. The bedroom and living/kitchen area open onto this courtyard, allowing the smaller spaces to borrow from the outside space and feel much larger than they are. 

Covering the entire length of the kitchen and living space is a 20-foot sliding door system, allowing the homeowners to open up this entire wing to the courtyard. The no-threshold installation makes the transition from indoor to outdoor feel seamless and in the winter the tall doors function as a wall of much-needed light. 

Adding to the home’s sense of spaciousness are the tall ceilings with exposed rafters in the living and kitchen area. The home’s resilient concrete floors are warmed up by white oak casework, exposed plywood and joist ceilings. On the exterior, Shou Sugi Ban siding is naturally rot-resistant and requires little maintenance. 

Contractor: Hanson Construction
Photographer: Mark Woods, Zack Bent
Structural engineer: Equilibria