Garden Court DADU — Renton, WA
Overview
The homeowners wanted flexibility more than a fixed plan: a detached unit they could rent out now and hand to a family member later without any rework. We built a compact, efficient DADU designed to read as a guest cottage today and a full-time home whenever the family needs it to be.
The challenge
Renton's DADU standards cap unit size and require independent utility metering, and the lot's narrow side yard limited access for construction equipment. Every material had to come in by hand or narrow cart for a stretch of the build.
Our solution
We designed within the size cap by keeping the plan efficient rather than cramped — a single well-proportioned room does double duty as living and sleeping space — and staged material deliveries to the front curb, hand-carting everything through the side yard. Independent metering was roughed in from day one so converting from rental to family housing later needs no new permits.
We rent it out today, but we built it knowing my mom might live there in five years. Tillit designed for both futures without either one feeling like a compromise.