KINGSTON – Winners in the City of Kingston’s Yes to ADUs! Accessory Dwelling Unit Design Competition have been selected.
The Yes to ADUs! Accessory Dwelling Unit Design Competition is part of the Plus One Home Program, a partnership between the City of Kingston, Ulster County, and RUPCO.
The winning design will receive $25,000 to produce permit-ready construction documents, which Kingston homeowners can use to obtain building permits to construct new, detached ADUs.
An evaluation committee composed of local design professionals reviewed all contest submissions and selected the DEMO Architecture team’s design. The runner up is Plus One by Andrade Architecture. A $3,000 award for the best non-professional/student design will go to
Part & Parcel by Rafael Cruz.
“This competition was a fun, creative way to raise visibility about the benefits of ADUs, which are now allowed citywide with our new zoning code,” said Mayor Steven Noble. “We believe ADUs will contribute to the relief of the local housing shortage, as they encourage density, housing variety, and affordability. I want to thank all the contest participants and congratulate DEMO! The winning design, which focuses on privacy and includes an
enclosed outdoor area, is a stylish example of a detached ADU that might work in your own backyard.”
“The interest this competition generated shows that the local architectural and design community has a strong desire to help alleviate our housing shortage. Similarly, many homeowners are eager to explore the possibility of adding ADUs to their properties,” said Bartek Starodaj, director of Housing Initiatives for the city.
I’m delighted that Kingston’s new zoning code has legalized ADUs citywide, and I believe these designs will have a lasting impact on housing options within our city,” said Bartek
Starodaj, Director of Housing Initiatives. “The winning L’ADU design shows that even in a mere 460sq ft, ADU occupants can have a beautiful and private space that would fit in a typical backyard.”
“This competition has been a great way to highlight ADUs as one bottom-up affordable housing solution for Ulster County,” says Kai Lord-Farmer, senior planner in the Ulster County Planning Department.
The Plus One Home Program will provide funding to low- and moderate-income residents to create new code-compliant ADUs. To be eligible, homeowners must meet the income threshold (i.e., earning 100 percent or less of Ulster County Area Media Income) and can receive up to $125,000 dollars for the construction or rehabilitation of an ADU.
In exchange, the homeowner also must agree to rent the apartment at an affordable rate for a minimum of 10 years.