McDunn ADUs Featured on the Today Show

On Sunday, The Today Show looked at the rise of multigenerational housing across the United States. McDunn ADUs’ soon-to-be-completed backyard cottage in Oakland was one of two projects featured in the segment. You’ll see our client’s ADU in the second half of the video below.

Residents of the Bay Area, one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, immediately understand the necessity and convenience of squeezing more family members under one roof. Fortunately, with the change of California law in 2016, it has never been easier to turn that one roof into two in the form of a backyard accessory dwelling unit (ADU).

In fact, this is one of the most common reasons our clients build an ADU — to provide housing for other family members, whether they’re grandparents or grandchildren.

Larson Shores Architects — one of our favorite partners — designed the clean, modern home you see on the Today Show. This is the first of our projects designed for a millennial-aged client with the vision of having his parents swap into the space down the road. The design keeps this in mind. Large windows and skylights provide excellent natural light, and the cozy layout features both a bedroom and small office. The layout will make it easy for two people to live together comfortably, without feeling crowded. The very modern design finishes are the perfect compliment to a young professional photographer in the Bay Area.

It’s a win-win for our clients. As the son Nick puts it, “I get to be close to my parents. I get to have my independence. And I get to own a house.” His parents agree, but they’re also looking a little farther down the road: “Hopefully, you know, eventually he’ll get married and have a family. And they’ll need more space and we’ll need less space. Then we would still be here, around the grandchildren, around Nick. And we can help each other out.”