How Small Can a Home Be? | Designing the Perfect ADU

How small can a home be before it starts feeling like a compromise? A client recently asked me to design a simple backyard ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit), also known as a casita or guest house. What started as a straightforward project quickly turned into a much bigger design question. When every square foot matters, what deserves to stay, and what gets cut? In this video, I take you through the entire design process—from the first sketches, to modeling the home in Revit, to creating the final renderings. Along the way, I explore the decisions that shaped this compact home and the tradeoffs that come with designing a small space that still feels complete. I'd love to hear what you think. If this were your ADU, what would you have changed? Would you keep the office? Make the living room bigger? Shrink the porch? Let me know in the comments. Project files, floor plans, renderings, and behind-the-scenes content are available on Patreon: 👉   / designintent   If you enjoy architecture, home design, and watching the design process from concept to completion, consider subscribing for new videos every Thursday. #architecture #homedesign #adu #casita #revit #architect #housedesign #3drendering