Capitola Predesigned ADUs

This program was an exercise in efficiency and flexibility. Workbench collaborated with the city to determine design priorities: Keeping the ADUs simple, expandable, and easy to build on Capitola’s tiny parcels.

Scenic coastal view with trees and pampas grass in the foreground, overlooking a calm bay with a beach and clear sky.

Client

City of Capitola

Status

Approved designs released to public.

Design Sizes

Efficiency Studio (150SF)
Standard Studio (300 SF)
Extended Studio (384 SF)
One Bedroom (450 SF)
Two Bedroom (550 SF)

Exterior Styles

California Craftsman, Coastal Farmhouse, Modern Beach Bungalow

Services

Architecture, Engineering, Informational Materials, Permitting

Expertise

Duration - 14 Months
On Budget - YES
On Schedule - YES

Modern wooden tiny house with a black roof, surrounded by a fenced yard with green grass, cacti, and trees. The yard features outdoor seating with chairs and tables. A person and a child stand on a paved path by the house.
Small white house with black roof, red door, and garden, featuring two people standing outside, with a dog lying on the grass.
Two people standing outside a small modern house with a gabled roof, large windows, and a porch with seating. The yard features a wooden fence, flowering trellis, and grass. Sunny day with blue skies and scattered clouds.

Meeting standards for the future

In coordination with the project structural engineer, the foundation plans were designed to meet a prescriptive standard, resulting in less need for property-specific engineering and permitting (as well as a future savings in time and money for both applicants and the City).

As with all of our programs, homeowners have the opportunity to express their personal style and contribute to the neighborhood character by choosing an exterior form, materials, and color palette.

Tiny house floor plan with dimensions, featuring a bed, kitchenette, bathroom with tub and toilet, and an entry door. Layout shows compact design.

Efficiency Studio

Architectural floor plan of a small studio apartment, measuring 25 feet by 12 feet, featuring a living area with a bed, a compact kitchen, a dining table, a bathroom, and a washer/dryer closet.

Standard Studio

Floor plan of a small rectangular apartment with a bedroom, living area, kitchen, and bathroom.

Extended Studio

Floor plan of a small studio apartment with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living area. The kitchen features cabinets and a dining table. The bathroom includes a bathtub and toilet. An entrance door leads to the living area, which contains a sofa. Dimensions are 32 by 17 feet.

One Bedroom

Floor plan of a one-bedroom apartment, showing layout with kitchen, bathroom, living area, and bedroom.

Two Bedroom

Simple house elevation drawing with three windows and a central door on a white background.
Simple architectural drawing of a small house with a gabled roof and three front windows adjacent to a central door.
Architectural drawing of a small house with five windows and a front door, featuring a gable roof and vertical siding.
Architectural line drawing of a single-story building with a pitched roof and five windows.
Minimalist house blueprint with gabled roof and five prominent windows.

Design Team

Jamileh Cannon—Project Exec.
Omar Hason—Project Architect
Alexandra Sklar—Project Manager
Diane Dix—Junior Designer

Consultants

Structural: CM Taylor Structural Engineering, Inc.
Mechanical: ZAL Engineering

Related