Budget Breakdown: A Trio of Friends Build a Backyard ADU in Los Angeles for $252K

The 1,000-square-foot ADU is two levels with a footprint that allows the owners to retain plenty of outdoor space for their dogs to play. The facade "is a rain screen system, so the heat gain on the Brazilian hardwood is minimized by being physically separated by an air gap between it and the membrane behind it," says Knight. "So, the wood heats up when sun hits it, and this is not directly translated into the wall on the interior; it is instead buffered by this air gap." The large doors and second-story skylights then work together to pull a nice breeze through the house.