Housing is short everywhere we work. An accessory dwelling unit (ADU), a small independent home on the same lot as a primary residence, is one of the few tools that adds housing without adding a subdivision.
On a pair of spec properties in Jackson, Wyoming, each 2,500 square foot main residence was paired with a 1,200 square foot ADU. Both were cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam kits. The ADUs sit above a generous garage, with a steel frame spanning the garage so the timber structure above stays simple.
If you are planning a main house in mass timber, ask about the ADU at the same time. The panels, the connections, and the crane day are already on the schedule; adding a second small structure to the package costs far less than coming back for it later.
The other common second building in the Mountain West is a barn, and sometimes the barn and the house are the same building.
Adapted with permission from a note by our colleagues at Red Falls Timber Co.
