GROUND UP DESIGN WORKS

This project was executed as a design-build collaboration between Ground Up Design Works and environs llc. The project includes the Main home featured here and the "Metal ADU" featured on another page. The two companies worked hand in hand with the owner/client to help them shape the house of their dreams. The space relies on a minimal palette of materials, precision construction details and large openings that allow natural light to fill the rooms.

This project was executed as a design-build collaboration between Ground Up Design Works and environs llc. The project includes the Metal ADU featured here and the "Main House" featured on another page. The two companies worked hand in hand with the owner/client to help them shape the ADU of their dreams. The space relies on a minimal palette of materials, precision construction details and large openings that allow natural light to fill the rooms.

Sited on a narrow and sloping, tree filled lot this home uses large windows, an open floor plan and built in outdoor space to take advantage of the diverse environment surrounding it. The central stairs with integrated shelves are built from cherry logs harvested from the site and landscaping is built from “urbanite” (reclaimed concrete for demolished buildings) harvested from the local area.

This house is a mix of modern and traditional design. A vaulted great room up front leads to bedrooms in the back, an owners suite above and guest space and a professional recording studio below, giving the house its name “The Jazz House”. This narrow 3 level building is tucked into a wooded hill making it size deceiving from the street. It is clad in yakisugi or “shou sugi ban” burnt cedar siding from Nakamoto Forestry. The siding gives the home an understated unique look and texture.

The Rodney ADU is a two bedroom, one and half bath project. The common area with a half bath are on the ground floor and upstairs features a full bath, stackable washer dryer and two bedrooms. This project benefits from being on a corner lot with an alley. This allows the front of the building to face the street and the occupants to come and go without walking around the primary residence.

With an aim to create a more intimate and tailored environment for their acupuncture and massage clients as well as a desire to eliminate the commute this project was built in the back yard of the owner’s home in the Alberta/King neighborhood in NE Portland. Designed to take advantage of natural light and built with natural materials this space is meant to be simple and comfortable for both patients and practitioners.

The Cantilever ADU is an 800 square foot, two bedroom, two bath, two story unit with an attached first floor storage unit that is shared between the ADU and main house. The unit features an inverted layout with the great room featuring the kitchen, living and dining space located on the second floor. This allows access and entry to the unit to feel private while providing connection to the greater neighborhood through views from the second floor.

Located in a terraced backyard in SE Portland this project has a large one car garage at the end of the existing driveway with an 800 square foot ADU built behind and above the garage. We took advantage of the change in grade to give the kitchen/living/dining area on the ground floor a much higher ceiling than the garage. The second floor has a full bath and two bedrooms.  An exposed stair gives access to an open walk way. The south bedroom is accessed by a short bridge. All of the structural beams and decking are exposed from below which accentuates the drama of this small simple space.        

The Overlook ADU is a 694 square foot one bedroom one and a half bath ADU built over and behind a 257 square foot garage. The bedroom and full bath are housed on the ground floor. The second floor is home to a tiny half bath, the kitchen/dining area, living room and second floor patio that overlooks the Willamette river and Forest Park beyond.

This project is nestled in a small back yard in NE Portland. At 250 square feet it’s a stand-alone studio house. The only interior walls in the project enclose the compact bathroom. It features a split gable roof with north facing clerestory windows that provide wonderful natural light. Large south facing windows and a fully glazed door create a connection to the back yard patio space by which the unit is accessed. A bump out to the east creates space for a built in couch with storage below. Opposite the bump out is a Murphy bed to allow the main multi use space to function as both living and bedroom.

This colorful backyard ADU is located just a few blocks from the popular Alberta Street in NE Portland. The vibrancy of colors the client chose fits in with the eclectic style of this neighborhood.

Positioned at the end of the property’s existing driveway this building replaced the aging one car garage that was built at the same time as the main home. The new structure includes a 290 square foot garage and 152 square foot detached bedroom with half bath on the ground floor. The second floor is a 563 square foot one bedroom ADU. A double door with a custom railing creates a Juliette style opening on the front of the unit.  This provides a visual connection to the street and excellent natural ventilation.  Large dormers allow for greater head room in the body of the unit and make space for large windows providing lots of natural light, ventilation, and a further connection to the surrounding area.