Compact ADU. Your starting point.

A compact accessory-dwelling concept starts with the essentials: a useful kitchen, a comfortable bathroom, storage and a living area that works with real furniture. Test the massing before pursuing a detailed layout.

Open the concept studio →Plan a project

A compact living concept with a focused room program.

Illustrative compact one-story backyard ADU with light-gray lap siding, a charcoal shed roof, a covered entry porch and a paved walk. — **Illustrative concept, not a live rendering.** Illustrative concept based on the current 22-by-30-foot, one-story shed-roof study. Final design, site fit, utilities and approvals require project-specific review. It shows the 22-by-30-foot one-story shed-roof, no-garage, covered-porch defaults and does not redraw as you change the controls; the coordinated drawing below is the live study.

Interactive concept studyNo. 078

Original schematic illustrationTrue Blue / Minnesota

01 / Make the idea visible

Explore a coordinated home study.

Every control updates the same model across a perspective, a floor plan and a front elevation. Use it to prepare a design conversation; it does not replace site, code or professional design.

Interactive concept studyNo. 078

Edit the proportions belowTrue Blue / Minnesota

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Your home study

Measured envelope and program

Width 22 ftDepth 30 ft

Width: —
Depth: —
Levels: —
Roof: —

View drawing

Start with the form. Open a section to explore the other choices.

Form & rooms

LevelsRoof formRoof pitchLayoutRoom programGarage bays

Exterior & openings

Window rhythmWall claddingExterior palette

Systems & access

Foundation studyHeating pathAccess priority

Covered porch studyShow site trees

—Footprint / sq ft

—Gross / sq ft

—Garage / sq ft

Dimensions are in feet and are carried into every view and the saved JSON. Assemblies, costs, permits and engineering still need project-specific review.

Your planning notes

Saved on this browser. Download a copy to take your brief to another phone or computer.

02 / Design priorities

Give the shape a purpose.

Prioritize storage and furniture clearance over an extra label on the plan.
Define the intended occupants and length of stay.
Plan privacy and the route from parking or the main home.

03 / Material conversations

Connect the look to the order.

Coordinate compact appliance and fixture dimensions early.
Compare envelope and equipment needs for a small conditioned space.
Record utility-connection scope separately from the building shell.

Before this becomes a building

ADU permission varies by parcel and jurisdiction. Confirm use, size, parking and utility requirements before committing to a design.

Keep the brief connected

Compact ADU. Your starting point.

Explore a coordinated home study.

Your home study

Give the shape a purpose.

Connect the look to the order.

A few useful next pages.

Turn the questions into a project brief.