Kleines Haus
Location: East Bay     Site Area: 2500 Sq. Ft.     ADU Size: 265 Sq. Ft.     Completion Year: 2019     Photographs: Gregg Segal 

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Under Construction

Location: East Bay     Site Area: 4900 Sq. Ft.     ADU Size: 537 Sq. Ft.     Completion Year: Scheduled for 2020     Photographs: Gregg Segal

 

As housing in the San Francisco Bay Area becomes increasingly expensive and harder to come by, tiny homes can be part of the solution to the housing crisis. Is grandma moving in with the family? A tiny house in the backyard could facilitate multi-generational living while helping her maintain independence, privacy, and dignity. It can also be an option for young adults living with their parents or homeowners looking to help offset their mortgage costs.

 

California is one of the more open-minded states when it comes to building a tiny home. Across the state, more Californians are building these homes — also known as granny units, backyard cottages, and accessory dwelling units — thanks in part to a 2017 state law that relaxed tough requirements and fees for building backyard homes. San Francisco's Accessory Dwelling Unit program became available in 2016 citywide in zoning districts that permit residential use. 

 

Join Peter Liang of Blue Truck Studio as he talks about designing big for small spaces. How can we make tiny homes as space and energy efficient as possible? What are some considerations when designing for both grandparents and grandkids? He’ll give a tour of two recent tiny home projects: a modern tiny house for a very special East Coast transplant, his 82-year-old mother; and another tiny home currently under construction in a family’s backyard. 

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