Auxiliary ADU

Partner — Kati Gullick

Under Construction — Progress Photos

Auxiliary ADU is an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in Houston’s First Ward that is being buildt in partnership with Avenue CDC, a non-profit that provides affordable housing. The project—a collaboration between Rice Architecture Construct, led by Andrew Colopy and Danny Samuels, and the Center for Environmental Studies—was awarded $50,000 in funding by Rice’s Energy and Environmental Initiative. The design is based on Kati Gullick (M.Arch. ’21) and Madeleine Pelzel’s (B.Arch. ’20) project from Andrew Colopy’s ARCH 601 Totalization Studio, which sought to develop net-positive energy ADU prototypes.

AUXILIARY ADU aims to create a sense of community with existing neighbors and to prove the viability of accessory dwelling units as a model for both greater density and reduced energy use throughout Houston.

The AUXILIARY ADU consists of two parts – a living/dining/kitchen space and a sleeping/bath space connected by a covered exterior deck, and recalls the vernacular Texas “dog-trot.” The intention of the project demonstrates how ADU’s can mutually address housing affordability and energy decarbonization. The two halves—conditioned interpedently and as-needed—dramatically cut energy consumption.

This past summer, Kati Gullick and fellow grad student Alex Oetzel (M.Arch. ’21) have been refining construction documents in preparation for the Rice Architecture construction course with help from Totalization consultant Pat Arnett and Greg Koch from Robert Silman Associates and Ben Wylie from Wylie Consulting Engineers. A team of 12 students will be working this semester on the foundations and shell of the house. The project’s construction will continue into next semester and is expected to be completed summer 2021.

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