Page 40 - Green Builder Magazine May-June 2019 Issue

ASSISTED It’s been a long road toward respect
LIVING for the ‘other’ type of tiny home,

TECHNOLOGY but accessory dwelling units

have (finally) begun to

gain traction.

The ADU

Equation CREDIT: BUILDINGANEXTERIOR.COM

I N THE BEGINNING, it was just an a ordable way to buy And he’s the author of Backdoor Revolution: The De nitive Guide to
BY ALAN NADITZ AND GREEN BUILDER STAFF
ADU Development, which contractors, consumers and other authors
consider to be the bible on building an ADU.
“I have been on the front edge of ADU education, advocacy and
a home. Kol Peterson had relocated to Portland, Ore., in
consulting for six years,” notes Peterson in Backdoor Revolution. “I
2010 and needed somewhere that would be his without
breaking his budget.
now ’nd myself in a unique position to contextualize the roles that
ADUs play in the development of in’ll housing in a growing city.”
“Housing was likely to be the single largest expense I
would have in my life,” Peterson notes. “Ultimately, I settled
on the idea of buying a house and building, and living in
an accessory dwelling unit (ADU).”
Accessory Dwelling Units go by many other names—“granny —at,” “in-
law suite,” “carriage house,” “secondary dwelling unit” and “ancillary
Fifty potential residential properties and one whirlwind
unit” are just a few—but one thing they are not is a “tiny house.”
construction year later, Peterson and his future wife, Deb, had WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE
their dream home—all 800 square feet of it. For Peterson, it also The website Maxable de’nes an ADU as a structure that is typically
meant the start of a career built around tiny housing. The one-time around 800 square feet in size, has its own kitchen, bedroom and
environmental planner has become known as the guru of the ADU, bathroom, is considered an accessory to an existing house—meaning
especially in the Paci’c Northwest: He consults with prospective it can’t be bought or sold on its own—and can be rented out legally.
homeowners on what they can expect as they buy or build their home. The unit may or may not be detached from a primary residence.
He conducts construction industry-aimed educational seminars In contrast, a tiny house is usually no more than 400 square feet,
and teaches courses at building schools—such as the upcoming contains a living area, sleeping loft, kitchen and bathroom, is typically
Accessory Dwelling Academy in June (see sidebar). He maintains built on wheels to enable easy relocation, can be parked on land
a website, AccessoryDwellings.org, a one-stop resource on all things sharing properties, and can be sold as its own dwelling.
ADU. His citywide ADU tour draws nearly 1,000 attendees each year. There’s also a district di erence in how the home can be built, if at

38 GREEN BUILDER May/June 2019 www.greenbuildermedia.com

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