Design forward, yet affordable: An inspiring renovation transforms a dated garage into an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) flooded with natural light.

Huron Studio is a modern 575sf live/work studio in Columbus, OH. Transformed from a two-car garage, the creative design studio is a light-filled space with streamlined simplicity, subtle refinement, and a natural and welcoming material palette. It features a full kitchen and bath, a living area with a Murphy bed, loft space for working and lounging, and a shared patio for outdoor enjoyment. 

Design Narrative

Working as owner, architect, and builder, the project was an opportunity to demonstrate an alternative housing solution and test budget-friendly design ideas for future projects. We wanted to create something thoughtful with a high level of design rigor, craft, and quality – designed in a way that could be self-executed with a limited budget.

The goal was to transform a detached 400sf garage into a 575sf live/work studio that could function independently of the main house, so that it could be a rental or home for aging parents or a live-in nanny, depending on future needs.

Intentionally designed for long-term residency, the compact plan features a full kitchen and bath, and a living area with Murphy bed, all within the existing footprint. A new steeper roof provides dramatic lift, increasing square footage and providing valuable loft space for working and lounging.

Limiting the project size to the existing garage footprint provided an interesting adaptive reuse challenge. Dealing with the square floor plan was tricky, especially with a gable roof bisecting the space. A triangular window above the open-air space offsets the gable’s symmetry, creating a focal point and providing a dramatic way to bring light into the space.

Large windows, a vaulted ceiling, and strategically placed skylights flood the studio in daylight, which is essential in the long stretches of gloomy weather in central Ohio. Views of neighborhood trees and landscape are framed to make the guest home seem far from its locale in the middle of an urban Columbus neighborhood.

It was important for the space to feel welcome and inviting, a complete departure from the dank, dark garage of its previous life. As a result, the interior material palette is simple and light. New concrete floors, light-colored walls, and warm millwork make the space feel fresh, bright, and comfortable. A custom dark bronze metal spiral stair and guardrail keep the space open and airy.

Huron Studio demonstrates how to successfully mix custom with off-the-shelf solutions to create a look that’s richer than the spend. Handmade custom white oak fronts cover cost-effective Ikea cabinet boxes while backsplashes are high-gloss Ikea closet panels. The shower walls are grout-free laminate marine-grade plywood panels that mimic the concrete floors. The loft flooring is salvaged roof sheathing from the original structure that was milled and stained. Choosing cost-effective solutions and creative applications of materials, when possible, helped offset splurges in areas that mattered most: daylighting, furnishings, and custom built-ins.

On the exterior, contextual appropriateness was important for a neighborhood that was new to the concept of ADUs. The structure needed to fit in with the surrounding neighborhood and the main house ten feet away. White fiber cement board lap siding matches the color and coursing of the main house while trim was eliminated to give the exterior a modern clean aesthetic.

Being the first to design, build, and own a garage-conversion ADU, we regularly provide advice and assistance to others in the community who wish to pursue similar densification projects in Columbus, a city that desperately needs to address its housing crisis.

“The jury commends the designers for initiating and helping to create an approval process for a building and zoning type not previously defined in the Columbus zoning code. The studio is elegantly composed and artfully detailed with “streamlined simplicity.” The vaulted ceiling with a triangular clerestory window at the entry, and the alignment of a skylight with the sliding door are two particularly artful moments. Every square foot was carefully composed and thought through for usability, flexibility, and delight, including the exterior space.”

Jury comment, AIA Columbus

Project Data
Location
Columbus, OH

Size
575 SF

Status
Completed 2021

Scope
Conceptual Design, Architectural Design Services, Interior Design, Permit Drawings, Construction Documents, Construction Services

Project Team
Photography: Marshall Evan Photography

Awards
2022 AIA Columbus, Honor Award
2022 Chrysalis National Award
2022 Master Design Awards, Bronze

Press
Contemporist

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