Studio ADU NYC
Photo: Department of Housing Preservation & Development

If you are looking to build a backyard studio to stash your in-laws, the city has finally released a series of preapproved designs to help you speed up the process. The project is part of former mayor Eric Adams’s City of Yes, which legalized ancillary dwelling units. The city opened applications to build them last fall. These ADUs, which range from stand-alone one-bedrooms to a studio dropped on top of a garage, have already been reviewed for code and zoning compliance. If your property qualifies for an ADU, once you pick a plan, the city will connect you with the designer who created it to help get it approved for your specific site.

So what could your future ADU look like? There’s VL Architects’ 444-square-foot detached studio that “fits most NYC residential lots” and looks the most like a classic tiny house, complete with solar panels on the roof. Or Unit Two Development’s one-bed that is a bit larger — 600 square feet — and comes with sliding glass doors.

CDA One-Bedroom
Photo: Department of Housing Preservation & Development

A little bit more creative is architects Anna Morrison and Leonardo Leiva Rivera’s one-bedroom design that attaches directly to the back of a townhouse. It not only creates a fully separate unit, the roof becomes a deck for the townhouse itself without having to build an entryway — it’s accessible through a second-story window. Clever.

Roof for Two
Photo: Department of Housing Preservation & Development

If you already have a garage, there are multiple designs that help you build on top of it. Reform Architecture’s rendering is a bit dull (no offense), but it comes with huge windows and a deck. Far Architecture’s is similar, but the porch is covered and comes in an all-black Scandinavian color. (Your tenants just have to be okay with the garage door rumbling every time you come home.)

Far Nordic ADU
Photo: Department of Housing Preservation & Development

If none of these designs appeal to you, not to worry. There will be more added to the city’s library as they get approved over time. It’s a great day for people who own homes in New York City and also have room to spare in their yards.

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