Micro Unit

An existing garage, located in the 1⁄2 basement of a mid-century home, was converted into a 1⁄2 bedroom apartment. Translucent wall panels and large windows, along the north side, extend the space of the interior out onto a new 5-foot wide terrace. Previously a neglected side yard, the new terrace becomes a private outdoor space for the apartment dweller. This outdoor space is buffered by an interactive cedar and steel mesh screen wall. Windows are positioned to control views to the

neighboring green strip and away from the driveway. An alternating tread stair cabinet accesses the 1⁄2 bedroom loft, hung from the floor above. A relic of the old garage, a poured-in-place concrete wall was preserved in the bathroom. Constructed on a low budget, the apartment was conceived by the homeowner, a single mom, as a micro development enabling her to supplement her income in this tough economy.