Accessible ADU
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are one of KMA’s specialties, and many state laws now allow these units as a means of increasing housing capacity. A homeowner who uses a wheelchair wanted to create her own space without moving away from the home she shares with her aging parents, her brother, and his young family. She commissioned KMA to design an ADU in the form of a small, 2-story cottage linked to the existing house by a shared entry foyer. A residential elevator in that foyer serves both the cottage and her parents’ second-level suite. This flexibility allows each family unit to live safely and independently while still benefitting from the proximity of the others.
In the design of the ADU, KMA considered two important sets of criteria: the accessibility dimensions and details most important to the primary client, and flexibility in design choices that will accommodate non-wheelchair users in the future. To that end, KMA designed a kitchen with accessible and standard height counters, plus a dishwasher, microwave, and oven all in under-counter cabinets. Similarly, the shower is designed to accommodate sitting and standing users alike. The connection to the adjacent second-story suite will allow the cottage resident to expand into this additional space in the future.
These are KMA’s renderings.
