Sometimes homeowners find that they need just a little extra space – a musician’s practice area, an alternative medicine studio, a woodshop, a greenhouse, a guest house, or a rental unit. Caddis has worked with a number of clients to design their dream spaces.

Whether clients want to design an accessory structure or create a full-blown accessory dwelling unit (ADU), Caddis is adept at working with local zoning ordinances and requirements. We bring creative design thinking to each accessory structure, and we handle the zoning process and the building permit process, including site reviews for square footage to be added.

A key challenge with accessory structures and ADUs is the need to follow zoning ordinances and building codes very carefully. These regulations are very much in flux not just in the City of Boulder and Boulder County but throughout the nation. The rules for these types of structures can vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

We are flexible and nimble within the whole range of what’s possible on a client’s property – whether that’s in a jurisdiction that allows ADUs (such as the City of Boulder) or in one that does not allow ADUs (such as the rest of Boulder County). We are sensitive to each locality’s regulations, including rules concerning affordability, size, parking, and access to mass transit.

Above (from top left to bottom right): The top photo shows a detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) that is part of a Marshall Fire rebuild. The next two photos feature a sauna – seen from the exterior and the interior – that was designed for a home in central Boulder. The bottom photo highlights the timber joinery that is part of an acupuncture studio in Boulder’s University Hill neighborhood.

Caddis has designed a number of accessory structures and ADUs that meet variable functions. Here are just a few of our designs:

• Pool house/greenhouse: This combination pool house/greenhouse was designed for a home located off of Marshall Road in unincorporated Boulder County. It features an in-ground pool surrounded by lush plants. We incorporated wildfire mitigation in our design: class A roof with stucco exterior and metal fascia (ignition-resistant materials) as well as limited vegetation, with none coming up to the buildings. This structure survived the Marshall Fire.
• Guesthouse: Located on the same property as the pool house/greenhouse, this two-story guesthouse has structural insulated panels (SIPs) on the roof and a high insulative envelope, with sound proofing for the traveling musicians who visit. To meet permitting requirements, the guesthouse does not include a kitchen or shower. The same wildfire mitigation techniques were used, and this structure also survived the Marshall Fire.
• Loft space: This conversion and remodel of an existing loft space above a detached two-car garage is located in the Mapleton Hill neighborhood in the City of Boulder. At 450 square feet, the loft includes a half-bath (no shower) but does not include a kitchen.
• Acupuncture studio: At 275 square feet, this one-story, detached accessory structure in the University Hill neighborhood in the City of Boulder will be used as a studio for an acupuncturist. It does not include a kitchen or shower – but instead features a small and cozy space perfect for this alternative medicine practitioner.
• Metal and wood shop: For this project in central Boulder in the City of Boulder, Caddis adapted a premanufactured Tuff Shed for use as a backyard metal and wood shop. The shed includes an insulated envelope to semi-condition the space so that it can be used in hot and cold weather. The design features a finished floor, power and lighting, and double exterior doors that open to a patio.
• Attached ADU: This home on a transit corridor in central Boulder was a ranch house on a sloping site with a walkout basement on the side. The city originally considered the property to be a noncompliant duplex because it didn’t have proper interior stairs. Caddis’s task was to reconnect the first level with the basement level via an interior staircase so that the basement could become a compliant attached ADU. We used metal siding and added a new staircase with a door so that there is a new entrance to the basement and a staircase that connects both levels. Problem solved!
• Detached ADU: This 660-square-foot, detached ADU is located on Marshall Mesa in Boulder County. A Marshall Fire rebuild, it includes a full kitchen and shower. This type of dwelling unit was allowed by the county when the principal single-family dwelling was destroyed by the fire.
• Guest space: Located on The Hill in the City of Boulder, this design project was especially fun because the site presented a number of interesting challenges. The house was a pretty Victorian with a tree house in the back and an unusual photovoltaic system. We did some massing and conceptual design to envision what this guest space could become. Ultimately, the homeowner decided not to build the space due to the high cost of the infrastructure, a kitchen, a bathroom, and heating and cooling.
• Sauna: We are currently in the process of building a sauna accessory structure in the City of Boulder. It will be a custom-built cedar sauna with an outdoor cold plunge tub and shower.
• Horse barn: In Lyons, Colorado, we are working with a client to design a horse barn as an accessory structure. The barn has a tack room, a feed room, an interior horse wash, and flexible horse stalls that can accommodate one to four horses. There are horse “runs” off of each stall as well as water systems for each horse. The barn also features a loft space that overlooks the horses. It includes a small bathroom and a southern deck.

Have a dream of an accessory space on your property? Give us a call, and let’s talk about how we can help make that dream a reality!