We are looking at a 1920 craftsman house in Washington State. The house has a noticeable slope as you walk into the kitchen. The house is very well maintained otherwise. Is this slope a major concern?

Yes, it is a major concern.  If the floor is not level it indicates that something has failed during the life span of the house.  Before you accept that level of failure in a home you purchase you should identify the cause of the slope and asses the potential for continued failure.

I’ve seen lots of floors like this in my many years as a Seattle area residential architect.  In my experience the most typical reasons for this kind of failure are:

1. A failed foundation.  Way back then they didn’t always make sure that the ground the footings sat on had sufficient bearing capacity to support the foundation.  If this is the case the ground will settle and the foundation will crack and sink.  Especially on a corner of the foundation.  You can diagnose this by looking at the foundation in the area of the slope and look for cracks, especially cracks that you can stick a pencil point in (1/16″).  If the foundation wall doesn’t have any cracks then it is unlikely to be caused by the foundation settling.
2. A failed wood/foundation interface.  This house was built before the days of pressure treated lumber.  Thus the wood in contact with the concrete may have rotted and partially failed.  You need to get in the crawl space to see this.  Bring a screwdriver with you and poke the wood in contact with the concrete and the wood immediately above that.  If you can push the screw driver in you know it’s rotten.
3. No foundation at all.  As strange as this may seem I recently  looked at a house in Seattle that was only sitting on piers.  Those houses usually have quite a bit of variability in the floors.  You can determine if a house has a foundation by looking in the crawl space.  If it doesn’t have a continuous concrete wall all around the perimeter of the structure then it doesn’t have an adequate foundation.  Often houses like this will have a partial foundation, that is, a foundation only under a portion of the house that had been added after the original construction.  Only buy a house with no foundation at all if you get it so cheap that you can afford to immediately raise the house and put in a new foundation.
4. Settled pier footings.  Sometimes there is nothing whatsoever wrong with the foundation itself but the floor slopes down AWAY from the outside walls.  In this case it is probably a pier footing that provides support to the floor in the middle of the house that has either settled or whose post has rotted.  This has a relatively easy and inexpensive fix.

The best possible scenario is that the problem has already been fixed by a previous owner.  If the house was built without a foundation and a foundation was subsequently installed it could be that it was installed to match the floor.  This would preserve any slope that existed prior to the new foundation.  As odd as this may seem, I generally don’t recommend that clients level an existing floor that is out of level when thye fix the underlying problem.  Making that kind of a change (jacking up a floor) can have a significant impact on the structure.  Instead I usually recommend that once the floor has been properly supported that they use a self leveling underlayment (like Gypcrete) to level the floor surface.  This levels the surface you walk on without damaging the structure.

It doesn’t matter how well maintained the house appears.  If the floor is sloping there was a problem at one point that might still persist.  I would advise you to have a qualified inspector identify the cause of the problem prior to assuming that it’s no big deal.

Good luck.

Adult students improving their skill set

I recently hired a small business marketing consultant to help me focus my marketing efforts and to fine tune my “message” in a soon to be unveiled website.  One of her recommendations was that I should focus energy on upgrading my “green” skills and marketing sustainable design services.  Oddly, I’d spoken about my business with her for 3 hours without once mentioning that I’ve been through “Built Green” training and that I designed the first homes in High Point to be 5 star certified “Built Green”.

I’ve become The Hungry Architect because the economy has taken such a toll on the housing market. The subprime crisis has had a major consequence on all of us connected to the real estate and building industries, and thousands of Seattle area architects and construction workers have been laid off in the past year. The good news is that there are some reports that the crisis is leveling out and that the housing market will begin to rise within the year.

Folks currently in the construction industry who are aiming to weather the effects of this subprime crisis should perhaps look into brushing up their skills in order to stand out among the fierce competition. Currently, there are several new building trends and practices that are starting to emerge. The biggest of these trends is “green-building,” which of course refers to the use of materials and practices which are generally more earth-friendly.

The beauty of this art lies in the fact that many of the practices are not only earth-friendly, but they can be more cost efficient if executed properly. For example, a geothermal heating and air conditioning unit utilizes the earth’s core temperature to minimize the amount of energy needed to maintain a constant temperature within a house. If you take a proper HVAC training course, you can learn to cut you clients’ AC and heating costs by up to 40%! Natural/high efficiency lighting, passive design strategies, proper insulation, and water efficiency practices are all other that should be implements into a properly built green house. While some of these techniques might cost more initially (as is the case with geothermal heating and AC), many people are starting to realize that these are investments that will pay for themselves. People can feel good knowing that they are helping about both themselves and the environment.

There are many construction management schools and design schools that can help you learn these “green” skills. Another possibility is to become a LEED certified technician, which can be earned through the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). Being certified will strengthen your green building qualifications and contribute to your overall professional development. Those with an expertise in green building will be at an advantage as the demand for more efficient homes rises.

I’ve designed a bunch of “Built Green” homes.  In the coming year I’m going to take her advice and improve my sustainable design skills and perhaps even pursue LEED certification.

Photograh of stick framed roof - don't do it like this

I know NOTHING about construction, but I DO know that I need more storage space. With that in mind, I keep looking up at the entrance to my attic, which is in the upstairs hallway. I have used a ladder to have a look, and see what appear to be rafters everywhere! In doing some research, I have learned that these are “trusses”. In a remodeling show on television, I saw an attic makeover wherein they built supports between the attic floor and the roof rafters (the support looked like a ladder lying on its side). In addition, they put supports horizontally across the peak of the roof, joining the already existing rafters (creating an A shape at the peak). Can these things replace some of the existing trusses, to open up the center space? I am not looking for additional living space, only storage space. I do not need to be able to stand; I only need to be able to put boxes, etc. up there. I would also like to replace the existing small, square hatch, with a long, rectangular drop-down hatch and ladder to facilitate access. Last on my “wish list” would be a light in the attic with the on/off switch in the hallway below.?
Obviously this is coming from a real novice vs. someone who has some sense of architecture and construction. Can this be done? Will it be SAFE?

 The Architect’s Answer

Wendy, the modifications you can make to your attic construction are dependent on how your roof is built and what supports it.  The short answer is that you need an architect, engineer or someone very knowledgeable about wood frame construction to look at your specific situation and evaluate it.  By very knowledgeable I mean someone who is capable of beam span calculations with varying point and uniform loads, that is someone who can do the math.  I’m a residential architect in the Seattle area and I’d be glad to come out and look at it and tell you what’s possible.

 Anatomy of a stick framed roof

Roofs with attics are generally constructed one of 2 ways.  A stick frame roof is constructed with individual pieces of lumber cut and fit on site.  The sloping members that support the roof are rafters.  The flat members that support the ceiling are called ceiling joists.  In addition to these main members you often see a ridge board, purlins, struts and collar ties.  My guess is that in the example you saw on TV the ladder was made of purlins and struts.  The horizontal support that created the “A” was a collar tie.  Typically most purlin/strut supports are as I’ve shown, at an angle, projecting up from a bearing wall.

Typical stick frame roof configuration in the Pacific Northwest

 Altering a stick framed roof

This kind of attic space can be altered to provide more efficient access to storage space by reconfiguring the struts and purlins.  However, this reconfiguration still needs to be designed in a way that won’t cause the system to fail.  This means you still need an architect or some sort of an expert to design it so that the weight of the room and the new storage still finds its way down to bearing.

Anatomy of a truss roof 

The second type of roof attic construction uses pre-manufactured trusses that are designed by an engineer, built in a factory, trucked out to the site and installed without field cuts or modifications.  The second illustration shows a typical queen post type truss configuration.  The sloping member that supports the roof is the top chord.  The flat member that supports the ceiling is called the bottom chord.  The rest of the internal members are called webs.

Typical truss roof framing configuration

 The problem with field altering a truss

This type of attic construction generally cannot be altered once it is installed.  Each piece of the truss is absolutely necessary for the proper functioning of the truss and cutting any member would cause the truss to fail.  It is possible for a structural engineer to figure out how to cut and reinforce a truss in order to accommodate the space you’d like to have.  However, it is likely to involve substantial reframing to make it work, which could result in a great deal more expense and effort than the space is worth.

 Pull down attic stair

As long as you can install the drop down stair without altering the either the trusses or the ceiling joists you can add it by enlarging the current attic access hole.  If you need to alter or modify the framing in any way, I would suggest you have an expert look at it first.

 I hope this helps clarify your options for attic storage.  Please feel free to ask follow up questions if you need more information.

The Architect's challenge - designing the remodel of a 1940's bungalow on a steep slope in Seattle

I came across the following ad on Craigslist recently and while I didn’t offer my services to them it seemed worth writing about in a blog about residential architecture.  It touches on a number of issues that I’ve written about in the past.  In particular my article on writing the project program  for a remodel discusses these issues in general.   In this article I will address the issues the add raises for a site I’m working on in Seattle.

 We are looking for an architect who can… (Seattle)

• Location: Seattle
• it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
• Compensation: Negotiable

PostingID: 1153264673

 Answering the questions for this 1940’s bungalow on a sloping site

The site we’ll be looking at is in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle.  It isn’t a slam dunk remodel.  It has significant challenges to consider.  It is typical of what Seattle Architects are faced with when designing a remodel in this area.

Bird's eye view of the house on the site

 Physical Constraints affecting the design of the remodel

• There is a considerable slope up from the street.  (Each of the contours shown on the accompanying city zoning map represent 2′ of grade change) the site slopes 40′ front to back. 
• The street also slopes steeply and is quite narrow. 
• Getting in and out of the driveway is treacherous
• The house is set back from the street 45′
• The main floor is 16′ above the highest point of the street.
• A view of Puget Sound is to be had to the Southwest

 Zoning Issues that affect the design of the addition

• The lot is zoned single family (SF-5000)
• It has mapped “Environmentally Critical Areas” or ECAs.  (The purple shaded areas) 
• Seattle recently revised the zoning code to prohibit attached garages from projecting in front of the main house
• An upper floor would need to comply with the 30′ height limit
  

  Zoning & topographic map showing the house on the site & the steep slope critical areas

 Results of a physical inspection of the home

• The construction of the home is typical of homes built in this era.
• The framing appears to be sound
• There is little or no insulation in the walls and roof
• The foundation is 8″ concrete (with brick facing in some areas)
• The foundation appears to be sitting on a footing of appropriate size
• The foundation exhibits no significant cracks
• Retaining walls on the site appear to be in good shape as well
• There is no obvious sign of soil weakness

 The first question, “Will a remodel fit on the site?”

A good residential architect familiar with Seattle codes should be able to answer this question without the help of other professionals.  Generally speaking the answer is yes, there is sufficient room on the site to build a reasonable size addition to the home.  The obvious issues here are maximum building height, lot coverage and setback from property lines.  There is plenty of room here to accommodate those constraints.  There are however 2 significant problems to deal with.

 The ECA is a considerable hurdle to overcome

The site has steep slopes on it.  The code would require substantial buffers from those steep slope areas and would generally prohibit and new development in those areas.  Without either an exemption or a variance it would be difficult to add on to the home.  Fortunately the site exhibits characteristics that makes the ECA exemption process a realistic solution.  If it doesn’t qualify for an exemption it certainly has hardship that I believe would be sufficient for a variance.

We subsequently did receive an exemption from the ECA development standards, a process which I’ll write about in another article.

 Seattle’s new garage development standards also pose a significant hurdle to be overcome.

Generally speaking, attached garages are not permitted to project out in front of a house any longer in Seattle.  This is a relatively recent revision to the code and has the potential to make it impossible for the homeowner to realize their development objectives on the site.

There's no easy way to get a garage for this home

 Steep slopes results in difficult vehicular access

Ordinarily in a situation like this you’d want the garage to be just far enough away from the street to park cars on the driveway.  Then you’d make a basement garage and bring the home out over it.  This results in considerably less excavation which decreases the construction costs and risk.  Unfortunately the house is 45′ back from the street and considerably higher.  Building an addition to the existing house in this configuration would be expensive and difficult.

 The maximum driveway alternative

It is theoretically possible to build a driveway that could access the existing basement of the home.  That basement level could become a garage.  This would require the driveway to climb 9′ at the city’s maximum driveway slope of 20%.  That’s a really steep driveway and would require significant retaining walls in the front yard to accommodate.  It’s possible, but it wouldn’t be attractive.

 The rational alternative

The alternative to these solutions is essentially to split the difference and to raise the garage above the street while bringing it closer to the existing house.  Unfortunately a code compliant version of this doesn’t meet the client’s needs.  They are hoping for a large deck above the garage for entertaining.  The only way to accomplish this alternative is to get a waiver of the rules from the city.

 We applied for and received that waiver which I’ll write about in a future article concerning navigating Seattle’s new garage development standards.

 The second question, “Is it feasible to add on to the house?”

Can the soil take the additional weight of new foundations?  Generally speaking, if the soil can handle the original weight it can probably handle the weight of a new addition.  Here’s what I look for;

• Do the floors obviously slope?
• Is there a lot of cracking in the plaster or sheetrock?
• Does the foundation have obvious cracks in it?
• Are there retaining walls on the site and how do they look?

 In our case the floor was flat, the foundation appeared in excellent shape and the retaining walls were standing up straight.  Those all seem to be reasonable indications of soil strength and stability.  However, the real answer comes from a geotechnical investigation.  An architect isn’t qualified to perform that service so if there’s any question a geotechnical engineer needs to be hired to perform a study.

 The chances are, if you’re asking for and ECA exemption, if you plan on tall basement walls or retaining walls, if there is any obvious water seeping out of the ground you’ll need a geotech report anyway.  On a number of occasions clients have paid for geotechnical reports prior to purchasing the property.  This is especially important on land that has a designated ECA on it.

 Can the foundation take another story?

That does depend on the foundation.  If the foundation is of the appropriate thickness and if it is in apparently good shape I generally conclude that it will work.  I know of architects who aren’t comfortable making that kind of determination and will suggest destructive testing to determine the foundation’s capacity.  I’ve seen others go to bizarre lengths not to support the new structure on the existing foundation.

 If the foundation is not in good shape then the answer is much more difficult.  It’s possible to fix a failing foundation but it can be expensive.  Unless the house is perfect for your needs otherwise I’d probably recommend look at other property instead.

 In our case, there is a full depth 8″ concrete foundation wall that appears to be in excellent shape.  It currently has only 1 story sitting on it, so it can easily take a second story.  After all was said and done, one of the design elements required lateral forces to be applied to a section of wall that were to great for it.  In that case we’re removing the wall and replacing it with something that will work.

 The third question, “Are there other easements or restrictions?”

Here’s a place where the architect is of little help.  Architects don’t have the skill set to investigate property records to determine what easements and restrictions might apply to the site.  That’s really a job for your title insurance company.

 Order a preliminary title report

This is an essential step in feasibility analysis.  Your real estate agent can order a report that will have all the easements and restrictions in it.  Now you may want the architect’s opinion on how those restrictions affect the design but you shouldn’t expect the architect to be able to find title based restrictions that apply to your lot.

 In this case there was a recorded restriction on the height of the house that a neighbor had purchased from the previous owner of the property.  The clients gave me a copy of it and I gave it to the surveyor so that we could relate it clearly to the existing finished floor level of the home.  From that point on I can design the house to comply with the restriction.  This is the primary reason why the new design has a flat roof.  We wanted to take full advantage of the view while still staying below the height restriction.

 It is generally the responsibility of the homeowner to provide this information to the architect.  I’ve been involved in a couple of projects where easements weren’t disclosed until after design work was completed, that can result in significant design changes.

 Once upon a time I was hired to design a 4 story condominium building in Seattle.  I asked for a survey, the surveyor asked for preliminary title and the owner provided the documents.  Unfortunately the documents were incorrect, thus the survey was incorrect and we didn’t find out until we applied for permits.  The stunning part of this is that the owner was a surveyor himself and knew how to read the documents.  He just didn’t notice the error.

 Title related restrictions can be significant design constraints

I’m working on the design of 2 homes currently that have restrictive covenants that go far beyond what is required by code.  They both relate to the height of the structure and they both are primary drivers of the design.

Here’s the final design.  In future articles I’ll discuss the client’s program and how we achieved a design that met their needs and responded appropriately to the site constraints.

A design we recently completed on Magnolia in Seattle

I have a new favorite blog to visit.  The title of this post comes from the heading on her blog “Garden Porn - is that a pistil in your calyx or are you just happy to see me?”. This woman is absolutely amazing. Michelle Derviss is a landscape designer from Marin County, California and I love her work.

Lots of Landscape Ideas

She posts on a variety of topics.  You’ll, of course, find lots of different kinds of gardens and landscapes highlighted (her own designs and the designs of others).  The photos from her travels are stunning (see Bali photos, 2007). There are posts about some of the technical aspects of her work such as making a mosaic wall, putting in a stone wall, drainage systems and the like.  She posts about environmental and health issues.  Not only is there a lot to look at in her blog but there are great articles that go with the photos.  Can you tell that I am enchanted?

Her photos are beautifully taken and make you wish you there.  Some of the posts that caught my eye today are shown below.

Screening Outdoor Spaces

Raised bed garden with wood fence/trellis screen

This wooden fence/trellis combination provides a great and eye catching screen.  Your attention is focused on the garden space and the view beyond.  Here in Seattle we have a lot of small sloping lots.  Seattle architects are always looking for ways to provide privacy for outdoor spaces on small lots.  This photo comes from her April 13, 2009 “Raised veggie beds and Potager Gardens” post.

wood lattice screen paired with stone work

This is one of her portfolio examples from Screens & Trellises.   The wood/stone work piece not only screens but shapes the space as well.  The colors blend in a very harmoniously.  You can imagine that entertaining in this space is anything but a chore.  I adore this.  Photo is from her August 8, 2008 “Design Workshop - Screens and Trellises”.

Edible Landscape in Your Outdoor Space

edible landscape

What I love about this photo (aside from that cute dog) is that you wouldn’t necessarily know that the landscape is filled with edible fruits and herbs.  It’s not that I wouldn’t love to have an edible landscape, it is just that they often seem so work intensive.  Several of the other landscapes she features in her July 4, 2008 “Edible Landscapes” post look as if they would require a good deal of seasonal change.  That is wonderful if you have the time and/or inclination but if you don’t have the time it is clearly still possible to incorporate edibles into your landscape and have it be beautiful year round with fairly low maintenance.

Difficult site contraints can be accomodated in outdoor spaces

before site was transformed and drainage issues solved

Sites in the Seattle area often have problems that need to be overcome.  These before and after photos from Dervis’ portfolio show what can be accomplished not only with a small area but one with site problems as well.  This entry in her July 2, 2008 “Drainage systems, bio swales and rain retention/distribution basins” post explains the drainage issues that had to be overcome. What an incredible transformation.

after drainage issues are resolved and landscape transformed

What a great find.  Check her blog and website out at your earliest convenience.

A carriage house I designed in the High Point neighborhood of West Seattle

Hello Rick,

In terms of truss construction, what is the most cost effective design for a garage with loft including a shed dormer?

 Answer

That’s a pretty open ended question with lots of answers dependent on the specific conditions.  For the purpose of this answer, as the architect I’ll make the following assumptions:

1. The garage is a free standing 2 car garage
2. All of the roof structure is to be built using pre-manufactured trusses
3. The floor of the loft should be capable of supporting typical floor live loads
4. The loft should have normal ceiling height in the dormer area
5. The loft space is intended to be heated and thus requires insulation
6. The loft floor covers the entire garage, access to the loft is supplied by some sort of hole in the floor

A Free Standing Garage with Loft & Shed Dormers

The illustration shows a 22′ square garage with a full head height 2^nd floor.  It has the appearance of dormers (while not actually having them).  This is the beauty of using equal sized shed dormers on both sides; you can build it like you were building a typical 2 story structure while still preserving the appearance of a dormer.

This is what I visualize when I think of your question

 A Roof built entirely out of trusses

If you really want to build the roof entirely out of trusses then you’d frame it as I’ve shown here.  The ends of the garage would have an “attic” style truss.  This leaves space for walking around.  The dormer area would have a conventional floor built out of I-joists, typical wall framing and common trusses. 

Roof framing using all trusses - note the attic trusses on the end

In this scenario the attic truss would either need a thicker top chord or a second “ceiling chord” to allow for full depth insulation in the sloping ceiling area.  The pitch of the common trusses and height of the walls they sit on would need to be adjusted so that the ridge isn’t higher than what should appear to be the dominant ridge.  This is undoubtedly the most efficient way to build this while using trusses.

 My Suggestion - Build the steeply sloping section using stick framing

On the other hand, I wouldn’t build it using only trusses.  Instead of the attic truss I’d continue the floor system across the entire garage and then build the steeply sloping part with 2×12s or 12″ I-joists.  This is probably cheaper than the attic trusses and makes the floor framing simpler.  This scheme is dependent on the bottoms of the 2×12s resting on the floor system (or the walls below).  If you built short knee walls to raise the 2×12s then you’d need a ridge beam as well.

Trusses in the dormer area, stick framing for the "dominant" roof

I wrote an article last month about adding a similar dormer to a 1920s era bungalow.  This is a simple and cost efficient system because it takes all of the roof loads out to the exterior walls.  Traditional dormers would break up the continuity of the roof structure and would require support at places other than the outside walls.  This is no big deal but it’s not the most cost effective solution.

 This is a sort of Carriage House

This raises the issue of “Carriage Houses” which are generally detached accessory structures comprised of a garage on the ground floor with a living unit on the second floor. 

 It’s been legal to build these in the south end of Seattle for a couple of years.  The city is now getting ready to approve these in all single family residential zones.  I’ve designed several carriage houses as part of larger townhouse developments and I love them.  I’m really looking forward to being hired to design one of these.

The concept design for the carriage house in the first picture

Feel free to ask follow up questions to this.  If you provide me with more information I can probably tailor my answer to fit your particular situation better.

Really, some of my best articles have come in response to questions.  So please…. ask away.

As a Seattle area architect writing a residential architecture blog I’m always looking for interesting things to write about.� Generally I prefer to write about local products and services but this stuff is cool enough to travel to the UK to write about it.� And I’m sure she can arrange a sale and shipment to the USA.

By the way, she makes some of this stuff herself there in bonny Shropshire, England.� You won’t believe the mailing address - The Dower House, Cheney Longville, Craven Arms, Shropshire.� And I’ve always thought Daley Street, Edmonds was quaint.

Stuff she sells that I really like -

Hanging drying rack for the laundry room

�Kitchen storage containers

To give you a sense of scale, each bin can hold 2 lbs of flour.

Norwegian Book Shelf

I see this in the bathroom with stacks of towels folded on it.

Katherina also has a blog (which she needs to categorize and tag) which has some interesting background on her products.� You can follow her on twitter at http://twitter.com/theblondeexec.� It’s a small, small world.

Outdoor fireplace with cypress mantle

There are many ways to heat your outdoor space.  One way that is especially handsome is an outdoor fireplace, particularly when it either reflects or complements the architecture of the home. 

Outdoor Fireplaces for Heating

The fireplace in the photograph above nicely complements the space in which it is set.  It features a large stone boulder slab for the hearth.  It is similar to a fireplace that Rick designed for the Mountaineers where he picked out a hearthstone boulder and created a fireplace around it.  One of our favorite sources of stone like this is Marenakos near Preston on I-90.

Rumford Fireplaces Efficiently Heat Outdoor Seating Areas

Rumford Outdoor Fireplace

Rumford fireplaces provide radiant heating which makes them particularly good at heating the seating area thus extending the time in the evening and season in which you can enjoy your outdoor space.  These fireplaces are particularly good at projecting heat outward rather than upwards.  They also make beautiful outdoor ovens.  The local expert on Rumford fireplaces is Jim Buckley of Port Townsend, WA.  Our brick mason friend, John Davies, swears by him. 

There are many examples of outdoor Rumfords at Buckley Rumford Fireplaces.    

 Fireplaces Can Provide Nice Definition in Outdoor “Rooms”

Craftsman Outdoor Fireplace, photo by Mike Siegel/The Seattle Times

You can create an outdoor room with a roof attached to the house such as the one in this photograph.  This is an example of a craftsman fireplace that is quite dramatic and full of character.

Freestanding Fireplaces Can Provide Good Definition for Outdoor Spaces

Freestanding Fireplace

A freestanding fireplace can also help to create a definition of the space.  It creates a focal point when the gathering area is open on all sides.

Modern Freestanding Fireplace

This is a great example of a stunning contemporary freestanding fireplace.  Unlike the fireplace above, this one dominates the space and creates a strong focus.  It is very dramatic and is intended to stand out rather than blend in with the landscape around it.

Pharos Outdoor Fireplace

Metal fireplaces can also be very attractive and contemporary.  I like the contrast that the dark metal fireplace creates against the greens and blues in the garden space. 

Firepits Are Another Way to Provide an Informal Focal Point to Your Outdoor Space

Stone Firepit

A fire pit is another way to heat your outdoor seating space and reflect the character of your home or garden.  The firepit in the photo above reflects the space around it and helps to define the gathering area.  This is a great example  of a firepit that is subtle and blends in with the surroundings. 

Portable Firepit

Firepits can be permanent like the previous stone one or they can be portable like the one above.  For people who have a smaller space or who need to be able to shift the focal point of a gathering, these smaller portable firepits are perfect.  They come in many styles and sizes.

The Answer

The technical term for “mother-in-law apartment” in the City of Edmonds is Accessory Dwelling Unit or ADU for short. ADUs are permitted in single family zones in the City of Edmonds under very specific conditions. Earlier this month I answered a similar question about adding an ADU to a basement in the City of Seattle. You will see that each city has widely different answers to the same question.

ADU in Edmonds requires a Conditional Use Permit

ADUs in Edmonds are not permitted outright but require a special land use permit called a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). This is a permit that is over and above a typical building permit. A CUP is a discretionary decision made by city staff, it requires posting of the property and notification of the neighbors. That posting and notification process includes a 2 week period where interested parties (typically your neighbors) can submit written comments expressing their support or concerns. Once a decision is made that decision can be appealed to the hearing examiner by anyone.

Conditions for approval of ADU in Edmonds

• Only 1 ADU per lot
• Can be no more than 800 square feet
• Can be no more than 40% of the principal dwelling unit’s floor area
• Must be within or ATTACHED to the principal dwelling unit
• Must maintain single family appearance & character
• Must maintain architectural style of the main structure
• Entrance should be at side or rear (not visible from the street)
• 3 parking spaces are required
• Either principal dwelling unit or ADU must be owner occupied at least 6 months per year
• The owner may not rent their unit when they are away
• Maximum number of occupants between both units is 5 – I have no idea how they enforce this
• The ADU must comply with the current version of the International Residential Code (IRC).

The Conditional Use Permit for the ADU can automatically expire

• If the ADU is substantially altered
• If there are no longer the 3 required parking stalls
• If the owner ceases to reside in one of the units

The City of Edmonds has a handout which completely describes the process and conditions for ADU approval. You can find that handout here.

As an Edmonds Architect I’ve designed a number of homes around town but I’ve never been through this specific approval process. From my experience with other land use processes in Edmonds the city will be very particular about application of the rules. You’ll need to expect to follow them to the letter.

Does your existing shop meet the rules?

That’s impossible for me to say without looking at it. If it’s built using similar materials to the house then you’re probably fine. If it’s a metal building (often used for shops) then it won’t work. One other problem is that it’s currently not attached to the main house. If it’s relatively close to the house then you could create an attachment between the 2. Otherwise there doesn’t appear to be any mechanism for approving a detached ADU.

Do you need an Architect for this project?

You definitely need someone to develop a set of plans for the proposal and to guide the application through the process at the city. A CUP in the City of Edmonds is not for the faint of heart, or for folks without land use permit experience. You could try to do it yourself but you’d likely find it a long, drawn out and frustrating experience.