CREJ

JUNE 2017 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \

In the Details

the single-family homes suitable for ADUs, which means

that tens of thousands of ADUs could be added – an al-

most invisible expansion to housing in the city. They can

also be added to larger developments; for example, in Van-

couver, ADUs sometimes are used to help step down from

larger buildings to a smaller-scale neighborhood across the

alley. Imagine adding a few granny flats to every block in

Denver, piece by piece no one would notice, but for the city

as a whole, it would be pretty cool.

So what’s the catch? Why don’t we see hipster hideaways

accessorizing every property in the city? For starters, many

people do not realize it is an option. Portland has formed an

active ADU community over the last few years and, at just

over 1,000 units, its ADUs are still less than 1 percent of all the

housing in that city. Austin has taken a different approach

and set up programs to remove barriers, actively promoting

ADUs with dedicated resources and building department

support for families who are adding units to help make a

dent in the city’s housing shortage. These cities, among

many others, have seen growth in ADUs, which Denver is

likely to see soon.

ADU benefits are also its liabilities. For example, there is no

developer or homebuilder sweeping through cities adding

tiny villas along every alley; individual citizens pay for and

build a unit, renting it out to someone like a teacher in their

neighborhood. By the same token, it is not developers prof-

iting from ADUs, but rather the thousands of homeowners

who spend the time and money to dock one on their homes.

Similarly, while there are some prefab solutions available,

most ADUs are custom built around people’s lives and exist-

ing homes, so there is no consistent formula or even predict-

able budget. ADUs may be the next small thing, but not quite

as ubiquitous as other recent small trends like smartphones.

Ready to be a trend setter, the vanguard of your neighbor-

hood? Before you rush out and dock your own personal stu-

dio over your garage, make sure your zoning allows it. While

Denver allows ADUs, not all neighborhoods have signed up

yet. You may need to work to have your block join before

you sign up your first renters or begin work on your first

masterpiece. A lot of attention is paid to Denver’s big, new

developments and rising skyscrapers, but the next hot trend

in Denver is going to be small.

This antiseptic term has caught

traction because it covers so

many interesting buildings

forms: granny flats, alley flats,

laneway houses, backyard

cottages, and the list goes on.

ENGINEERING

(303) 431-6100

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