Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

With Three Good Reasons and $400K, an L.A. Couple Build the ADU of Their Dreams

With Three Good Reasons and $400K, an L.A. Couple Build the ADU of Their Dreams

In housing-strapped Los Angeles, a designer couple take on their own backyard build-and create a new rental in the process.

When Paul and Yuki Gasiorkiewicz bought a nondescript 1930s bungalow in Echo Park, they knew right away that a redesign would be in order. But when they took a closer look at the detached garage in the rear, they discovered a surprisingly stunning view that made them scrap ideas of a renovation in favor of building a brand new accessory dwelling unit.



"Designing a new house in place of the garage had three significant advantages," say Paul and Yuki, who are both designers at architecture firms. "One, it offered us a clean slate to build a brand new house that suited our lifestyle better. Second, the garage had a significantly better location than the main house, with better access to the garden, western-facing sunlight, and an expansive view of the neighborhood hills.

"Third, from both the financial and housing point of view, it made more sense to build a second house. Once complete, it allowed us to rent out the main house, which helps us pay off the mortgage. And, it adds one new dwelling to L.A.’s housing stock, which is currently experiencing a huge shortage."

    

The couple spent six months designing their 1,178-square-foot, two-story home. Its compact size was informed by the existing garage’s 20-foot-by-30-foot footprint and L.A.’s ADU size limit of 1,200 square feet. Then followed two months of permitting and a ten-month construction period that wrapped up in March 2018. The project cost approximately $400,000 in total.

"We had always planned on designing a compact house, however, having a hard limit to its size was definitely a challenge," explain Paul and Yuki, whose key design goals were to include a small home office, and to ensure a sense of flow within well-proportioned spaces. "It simply meant that we had to work harder on the plan and fine tune it to make it as simple and efficient as possible, which in the end suited us well-we are very happy with it."



To make the most of the garden and sweeping valley views, the couple crafted an airy, loft-like interior. An open-plan double-height living space on the ground floor is surrounded by sliding glass doors on three sides. A long and narrow Japanese-style engawa deck wraps around the exterior to extend the living spaces outdoors. The deck, which is built of four-inch-thick reclaimed wood, is positioned at the perfect sitting height.

The couple tore out the concrete driveway and replaced it with a lush courtyard. They still park their car in the original driveway; the former garage had only been used for storage.



The top-heavy, minimalist structure comprises a white volume stacked above a smaller black block replete with glazing. The black-and-white color scheme continues to the interior with black IKEA cabinetry that wraps around the open kitchen, and white walls on the second floor. Timber surfaces in the kitchen, stairway, and around the windows and doors add warmth to the space.

On the second floor, two bedrooms bookend a "bridge" overlooking the living space below and panoramic city views beyond. Operable timber partitions in the bedrooms enhance the home’s loft-like feel, and can open to create "borrowed views" or close for privacy. The couple plan to add solar panels to the roof, as well as a raised deck to create an additional space for entertaining.

"The design is tailored to maximize the site and to suit our lifestyle, which means spending a lot of time in or around the garden," say the couple, who now live in the ADU full time. Visible through large glass sliding doors, the garden is a central feature that is ever-present. Paired with the lofty double-height main living space, the whole interior "feels like an extension of the outdoors," they say. "It’s full of light, breeziness, and a wonderful sense of being surrounded by nature both day and night."



First Floor



Second Floor



Roof

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×