Located on a standard-sized lot in North Portland’s Arbor Lodge neighborhood, this modern, playful and compact addition and ADU houses a puppetry studio and home workshop for the artist homeowner.

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A thoughtful site design made the most of the site’s compact size and the project’s modest budget. We oriented a one-story addition at the back of the home to create an L-shaped wing that lines the north edge of the property. This approach maximizes southern light, preserves an existing tree and cradles a shared outdoor living space between the original home and ADU.

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The 340 square foot addition and a 160 square foot ADU are connected by a shared roof but separated by a covered breezeway. Creating this outdoor connection while maximizing privacy was crucial in this older, urban Portland neighborhood; only a glimpse of the addition is visible from the public street. The flexible design allows for artist studio space, short term or long term rentals, and a potential future second story addition.

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The ADU is finished with an exposed concrete slab, advanced framed wall and roof, heat pump, and LED lights. Daylight pours through generous windows; interior and exterior transoms extend light and lend to a more expansive feel than the compact size would lead one to expect.