What Are Quarantine Houses, and Why Are People Building Them?
By Claudia Langella
If you remember March 2020, when the world transitioned to remote learning, working and living, then you probably know how difficult it is to function in a house full of people navigating this unprecedented time. To combat the congestion, some households have taken to architecture to find personal space, all while staying home to fight the pandemic.
You’ve heard of the She Shed and the Man Cave, but we’re positive you haven’t heard of the Quarantine House until now. That’s right, people are building tiny houses in their backyards to find some peace. Although it sounds like it could be used as a place to stay when you or a housemate has been exposed to the coronavirus, that’s not what these structures are intended for. Dubbed accessory dwelling units by experts, or ADUs, these tiny buildings give homeowners flexible space to work, move or live in while the main house is full to the brim with others who are forced to stay home. Tiny they may be, but a few extra square feet is such a blessing these days!
“The demand has been really high and it looks like it will continue as people figure out the best ways to cope with a lot more time at home,” Jeremey Nova of Studio Shed told Apartment Therapy. A single room ADU from Studio Shed starts at $10,000, making the structure an investment—not something you can return once we all go back to work or school.
While the majority of Nova’s orders are for office spaces, he said that parents concerned with their children’s education have also found a solution in ADUs. Studio Shed designs spaces that kids can use as remote classrooms if they aren’t returning to school buildings in the fall. People are putting the health and safety of all family members first during this time. There has even been a spike in in-law ADUs, as opposed to an in-law suite, in order to shield aging loved ones from the virus.
via Studio Shed
Before you break ground on your very own Quarantine House, make sure you run it by your local government or homeowners association. Some cities don’t allow for auxiliary housing on certain lots, but if they do, consider building yourself a studio or office in your backyard. This way it will feel like we are all still commuting to and from work each day, even if it’s only a few feet from the back door!