Cherokee Park ADU
Located in a single-family neighborhood that encourages accessory dwelling units, the Cherokee Park ADU transforms part of the owners’ rear garden into a compact, flexible living space designed to adapt over time. Rather than functioning solely as a rental unit, the dwelling is conceived as an extension of the primary residence—capable of serving as a home office, guest suite, independent living space for a growing child, or home for an aging parent. Despite its modest footprint, the ADU contains the essential elements of a complete home.
The design establishes a contemporary dialogue with the extensively renovated Arts-and-Crafts primary residence. While the existing home expresses the movement’s emphasis on craftsmanship, material richness, and ornament, the ADU distills those qualities into a more restrained architectural language. Exposed board-formed concrete walls, a monolithic roof slab, expansive glazing, and a limited material palette create an architecture defined by simplicity, permanence, and material honesty.
Positioned at the southwest corner of the site, the solid concrete walls provide privacy from neighboring properties and frame views into the surrounding garden. The texture of the board-formed concrete recalls the original residence's handcrafted character, offering a contemporary interpretation of its emphasis on craftsmanship.
Large sliding glass doors dissolve the boundary between the interior and the landscape, extending the living space into the garden. Extended roof and floor planes visually expand the compact footprint, while reflecting pools reinforce the relationship between architecture and landscape. A movable exterior screen provides additional shade and privacy, allowing the space's character to shift throughout the day.
Cherokee Park ADU shows how a small building can accommodate multiple ways of living without sacrificing architectural clarity. Its relationship to the existing house is neither imitation nor contrast for its own sake, but a contemporary continuation of the site's architectural character—translating craftsmanship into a simpler language of structure, material, light, and landscape.
Location:
Sarasota, Florida
Type:
Accessory Dwelling Unit | Residential Architecture
Status:
Unbuilt Design