After almost a year of renting a nearly 100-year-old bungalow in East Austin, Stevie and Julia Chavez needed more space. The couple work from home as UX designers, but with their first child on the way, they were soon going to outgrow the two-bed home. They started looking at places to buy, but in 2021, that was no easy feat. “It seemed like any offer we put in, we were outbid by $100,000,” Stevie remembers. The pair resolved to extend their lease, at least until their son was at an age where he needed his own room. Then they found out the owners of their rental were looking to sell, which ended their search.

But the expecting parents still had the same spatial hurdle. Since the second bedroom—which Julia and Stevie used for work and where he kept two pairs of monitors—would soon be the kid’s room, they approached Murray Legge Architecture to help them figure out a way to expand. “Our job as architects is to find solutions for clients that go beyond just design. It’s about thinking creatively, ” explains Legge, who brought up the idea to build a stand-alone office in their backyard.

The accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is 109 square feet, which saved the couple some cash; at 200 or more, Austin requires a building permit, which comes with a fee. While the tiny footprint offset costs, its size presented another challenge. “Sometimes these little backyard offices, no matter how well designed, can feel claustrophobic,” says Legge. “We didn’t want it to feel like you’re in a shoebox.”

Having to fit the structure in a tight space on the home’s 4,000-square-foot lot, Legge says he approached the design like he was creating a garden gnome–esque lawn sculpture. He compares the home’s shed-style roof, which is split into two opposing peaks, to a Hayao Miyazaki character with its planes pointing upward like a pair of Totoro ears. A skylight, tall ceilings, and three large windows that look out onto the home’s pecan trees make the small space seem larger than it is. “It feels light and airy inside,” Legge attests. Meanwhile, the gray stucco exterior complements the home’s navy stucco facade.

The built-in L-shaped desk gives Stevie ample room to work, whether he's utilizing the whiteboard, his pair of dual monitors (totaling an impressive four screens), or simply putting pen to paper. Two of the structure’s three windows are at eye-level, which keeps the space from feeling like a cramped cubicle. A floating bookshelf above the window adds storage and a pop of personality vis-à-vis the couple’s collection of books.

With space on the lot at a premium, Legge designed the ADU for multiple uses. The area just through the front door has rubber sport court flooring so Stevie can use it as a workout area; gym equipment tucks into a corner and a rowing machine fixes to a wall vertically when not in action.

$1,540 Surveying	$7,900 Architecture Plans	$13,180 General Contractor Fee
$570 Permits	$2,270 Tree & Stump Removal	$2,520 Site Prep
$13,160 Framing	$3,940 Roof	$2,190 Foundation
$9,960 Windows	$9,940 Interior	$2,380 Electrical
$930 Air Conditioner	$3,500 Irrigation & Landscaping	$5,040 Stucco Siding
$175 Mirror Wall	$260 Steel Bookshelf
Grand Total: $79,455

The home has a screen porch that extends into the postage-stamp backyard. The couple added synthetic grass between it and the office." layout="" credit="Photo by Leonid Furmansky" photoUserId=""/>

Applying birch plywood to the floor, walls, and ceiling was Legge’s idea. “Plywood gets a bad rap as a cheap material,” says Stevie. “Murray showed us how clean and seamless light plywood can be.” It provides a more natural feeling compared to sheetrock, says Legge, which helped him hew to the idea for a garden sculpture–inspired space.

Once the plans were approved, Legge’s team stepped away from managing the project to save on fees, but not before connecting the couple with Tim Schmidt, a local artist who often works with steel. While not a contractor by trade, Schmidt brings an ethos to his own work that was apropos for the ornamental structure.

The project was completed in October 2022, almost a year after the birth of Stevie and Julia’s son, Nico. Today, after the recent birth of their daughter, Maya, they have a full house that makes their backyard space more important than ever.

The family didn’t want to lose views of the property’s large pecan trees, which reach 30 to 40 feet tall. However, one tree had to be cut down due to rot, which ultimately made it easier to situate the structure in the backyard." layout="" credit="Photo by Leonid Furmansky" photoUserId=""/>

More from Murray Legge Architecture:

A Wall of Books Puts the Finishing Touch on This Rough-Hewn Backyard Home in Austin

A Courtyard House in Austin Resembles a “Reverse Coconut”

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Murray Legge Architecture / @murray_legge

Builder: Tim Schmidt

Structural Engineer: TK Consulting Engineers