Granny Pad

Created for a growing multi-generational family, Granny Pad converted an existing garage into detached living space to allow an elderly family member to age-in-place while maintaining privacy and independence.

Design considerations for the Granny Pad included looking at the project over a long timeline. Not only was the Best Practice team asked to address the immediate needs of Granny, but to address future uses of the space as a possible income generator for the couple. This timeline, which included a future when the family could rent the dwelling to a tenant, use it as a studio or office, or even move in as empty nesters (thus renting out the main house) all informed the design of the space.

Project Type

Single Family, ADU, Residential

Location

Maple Leaf, Seattle, WA

Status

Completed July 2017

Scope

Remodel & Addition
Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (DADU)

Size

517 ft² (53 m²)

Contractor

Hartman Kable Design Build

Awards

2018 AIA NW Honor Awards: Young Voices Selection
2019 Architizer A+ Awards: Jury Winner, Architecture+Living – Small

Press

Dwell
Arch Daily
Dezeen
Downsize: Living large in a small house

Photography Credit

Ed Sozinho

Tall ceilings in the space make the relatively small footprint of the Granny Pad feel lofty, open, and spacious.

The team was taken with the existing garage’s simple, classic form, and wanted a design that maintained and enhanced this iconic gable. Using the original footprint of the garage was necessary, but property setback lines required an offset for the additional rear volume. This offset produced a rich composition of simple shapes, and a condition that allows for north light in the back half of the space (sleeping area) while creating an opportunity for the private rear outdoor space.

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