Paxson Fay

Step inside the Dyes Inlet House by SHED, recently featured on Dwell.

"Kirsten and Rick’s property is a former oyster farm, and while the original house has some fancy brickwork, there are still several old, simply framed farmhouses in the area, says Kirsten. 'We wanted something that would fit in with the neighborhood,' she says. To that end, Hale and the team drew up what they call a 'strong gable shape' that was informed by their research into Scandinavian barn and farm buildings."

Thank you, Melissa Dalton and Dwell, for the lovely article.

Keep reading: https://paxsonfay.com/shed-architecture-designs-dyes-inlet-on-dwell/

As seen on the cover of Atomic Ranch: Dyna Builders’ Mid-Century Luxe project on Mercer Island, WA.

“Keeping the balance between preservation and renovation was at the forefront of the design and build team’s mind. Because of this, much of the changes took their cues from the original [1973] design. ‘We strove to keep the shape of the exterior of the home and really didn’t affect the fenestration too much,’ says Ren [Chandler, principal at Dyna Builders] … ‘We moved walls around and opened things up, but kept the main fireplace and stone on it.’”

Thank you, Atomic Ranch for the lovely cover feature!

Photos: Rafael Soldi

A&D friends, in the past month, how many ADU projects have you seen on Instagram? online? in your neighborhood?

Odds are a lot. And while yes, they’re reshaping backyards, they’re also reshaping zoning and housing policy.

Cities are catching up to what architects have known for years: density doesn’t have to mean higher towers. ADUs are a powerful tool for making cities more affordable and interesting to inhabit.

We’re seeing this play out across the US. From San Jose, CA, to Leavenworth, WA, pre-approved ADU plans, including one by Syndicate Smith are embedding good design directly into policy, cutting the red tape that often prices out smaller builders and homeowners.

Cincinnati’s BuildReady program is taking it further, opening a public design competition for missing middle housing this summer. Winning concepts will be developed into pre-approved plans by firms, and two projects will be built with grant funding.

The throughlines across all of it: good design and affordability aren’t at odds. When cities make room for more housing, architects have a real opportunity to shape what small-scale, livable housing looks like.

Slide 1: Lafayette ADU by Mahya Salehi Studio | Architecture + Interiors’, clad in Nakamoto Forestry and shot by R. Brad Knipstein
Slide 2: Alley Cat by SHED Architecture & Design shot by Mark Woods
Slide 3: Phinney Mini by Best Practice Architecture shot by Rafael Soldi