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“The approval process wasn’t easy. It’s just a guesthouse, but we may as well have been trying to build an apartment complex in the backyard,” says Marks. Walls of board-formed concrete are warmed by the cumaru wood ceilings and decks.

Inside the renovated Airstream, a woman prepares a meal. The skylight above the cook top lets fumes escape the small space. Photo by Sadamu Saito.

Situated underneath the wood ceiling, the upper-level apartment’s living room is elevated by a petite, functional kitchen.

A Seattle couple built their own backyard house with a city-sponsored design—and then rented out their old home on the property to friends.

Floor plan of Shed/House by John Redington