What is an ADU? Accessory Dwelling Units, also called in-law units, granny flats, laneway houses or sidekick houses, are second dwelling units that sit on the same property as a regular single-family house or are attached to it.
Why hire us to design your ADU? Navigating the process of designing and building an ADU in accordance with city approvals is complex. Leave the hurdles to us! With 20+ years of architectural experience, we offer a holistic design at the cross section of your desires, the lot conditions, city codes and requirements, and budget. The design package we offer includes:
design study: our holistic approach gives you the optimal scheme to maximize site - quality of the space - budget
full permit sets (planning and building): with these in hand you’re ready to hit the ground!
recommendations for contractors that will treat you and your project well
Find the latest ADU guidelines for the city of Alameda here.
Dream your ADU, we’ll design it into a reality.
[ Quality versus quantity ]
A 470 sq.ft. space becomes a sun-filled art room complete with high quality compact kitchen and bathroom. An essentialist blank canvas for small groups of creative students
470 sq.ft. detached ADU in Alameda, Ca. Click image for before and after photographs
Design and Architecture: Ingrid Ballmann & Kasia Kowalska. Construction: Hutchcraft.
[ Form & function rental unit ]
Design study for a detached ADU in Albany. Delivery: November 2019
485 sq.ft. design study for Albany. Detached unit to be used as rental income.
Design and Architecture: Kasia Kowalska & Ingrid Ballmann. Construction: Black Wolf Construction.
590 sq.ft. ADU integrated to a main dwelling on a hill side in El Cerrito.
Architecture: Kasia Kowalska. Project in permit approval phase. Delivery: May 2020.
[ Nature retreat ]
640 sq.ft. detached ADU integrated to lushly landscaped hillside in Berkeley.
Architecture: Kasia Kowalska. Project in permit approval phase. Delivery: May 2020.