SS2 Westside ADU
Olympia, WA
OPEN SATURDAY MAY 4TH
11 AM – 5 PM
Site Description
FEATURES: Water Conservation, Small Building Footprint
This sweet above-garage, backyard cottage is a great example of the kind of gentle infill that can help Olympia meet its housing needs. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) like this 400 sq ft studio apartment, built in 2011, add smaller and often more affordable housing options in established neighborhoods. In addition to their low impact on utilities, residents of this airy apartment have easy access to existing bike, bus, and pedestrian infrastructure, allowing for a car-lite lifestyle. It was designed by the owners with help from the contractor.
Housing like this fits into Olympia's recent “missing middle” code updates, which reduce obstacles to permitting neighborhood-scale infill projects. Those updates are part of a larger City effort to concentrate growth, reduce the impacts of sprawl, and diversify housing options to meet changing population needs.