AARP Hearing Center
Walt Drake’s Southern-style, one-bedroom ADU has an outdoor, wraparound porch that can be accessed without using steps. The design is in keeping with other buildings in the neighborhood.
Photo by Fredrik Brauer
When Walt Drake decided to downsize, his son Scott purchased his dad’s house for himself and his family and built a detached ADU (or DADU) for Walt.
The one-bedroom ADU contains a living room, full bathroom, kitchen, dining area and screened porch.
Floor plan by Kronberg Wall
“From not finding what we wanted for Dad, we decided to create it,” says Scott. “Neighborhoods built in the 1920s have carriage houses. Building an ADU was a modern day version of something people have been doing on their property in this area for a hundred years.”
NEAR AND FAR: “We wanted the houses to be separate and to feel like we’re each on our own property, but we’re there for each other,” says Scott.
AGING-FRIENDLY: Building the ADU meant Walt didn’t have to sell his home and leave his neighborhood. “He was able to keep his own stuff and turn over what he didn’t need to us,” says Scott. “It kept my dad in place, which I think was important.”
FUTURE PLANS: Scott says the ADU is “serving its intended purpose” but that someday down the road it could be used as a long- or short-term rental. “The ADU could turn into lots of different things over the course of its lifetime.”
Design: Adam Wall, Kronberg Wall
Builder: Rob Morrell
Cost to build: $350,000 in 2014
Article adapted from “ADU Case Studies” by Lina Menard on AccessoryDwellings.org and The ABCs of ADUs by AARP.
Learn more about his ADU by reading the article "ADUs Allow Homeowners to Choose Where They Age."
MORE ABOUT ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS
Visit AARP.org/ADU for links to more articles and to order AARP's free publications about accessory dwelling units.
