Christopher Strom Architects
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Compact Living

above garage apartment, above garage apt, Accessory Dwelling Unit, ADU Minneapolis, ADU St Paul, grannie flat, granny flat, mother in law suite, Residential Architects MN

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Awards and Publications: Best Contemporary Project Award Winner for Marvin Architects Challenge, Published in 150 Best Tiny Space Ideas, AIA MN and Star Tribune Home of the Month, Featured Project in Midwest Home, Featured Project at ArchitectMagazine.com, Featured Project in Lavender Magazine, Award Winner at Midwest Home Design Awards

Compact Living, an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), is a 380 square foot home which serves as a short-term rental. Intending to use the home as a rental unit drove the client’s goal of a contemporary, fresh, and fun design aesthetic while keeping within a tight budget. The space is divided into four zones: kitchen and dining, bedroom, living room, and bathroom. The windows, featuring a large sliding glass door, maximize the natural light and views, and the vaulted ceilings adds a feeling of airiness to the tiny space. The bold red exterior was inspired by the brightly colored buildings in Norwegian fishing villages.

In an interview with Lavender Magazine, our client said he would build the ADU again if he had the chance. He explained, “Everyone who has stayed so far loves it, it’s already had a great impact on the property value and it’ll be a source of passive income as long as I live here.”