Light Loft
Project Team: JT Bachman and Katie Stranix
Light Loft is an off-grid Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) designed for the rear yard of a single-family home in a suburban neighborhood of central Virginia. This modular prototype aims to provide an affordable, energy-efficient ADU that creates an experientially expansive space within a limited physical footprint. With its expressive roof, familiar materials, and sustainable energy approach, Light Loft offers spaces that cater to the physical, social, and mental health needs of its occupants, while also considering the broader social and environmental context.
Lots within the region typically contain one to two storey single family homes of wood-frame construction with either brick or wood plank siding. Building footprints are often less than 100 square meters, requiring additional structure on site to be small in scale and minimally disruptive to existing old growth vegetation and again utility infrastructure. The city recently updated its zoning code in an effort to increase the production of affordable homes and support the development of mixed-income neighborhoods. This historically exclusionary neighborhood is within walking distance to a large public university and regional hospital - two of the largest employers in the region - making it an excellent candidate for densification and more affordable housing options.
Light Loft engages harmoniously with the neighborhood's aesthetic, social, and environmental elements. It complements the existing structure on site through its modest scale, matching material palette, and close proximity to the home's exterior social spaces. The roof's light monitors echo the form and scale of the primary residence's skylights, creating a formal unity between the two structures. While Light Loft's scale and materials are familiar, its roof profile stands out by diverging from the typical hip or gable styles prevalent in the area. The light monitors, reminiscent of dormers often seen on these roofs, similarly enhance the sense of spaciousness in the compact space.