#adu

#adu

For Aislyn and Ali Benjamin, an ADU, a small secondary home on an existing lot, was the most practical way into homeownership. They live near Danville, California - a small city just over an hour east of San Francisco - where the median home sale price was $1.8 million in August, according to Realtor.com. Wanting to stay near their jobs and avoid long-term renting, they built a 1,200-square-foot unit in the backyard of Ali's parents' home in San Ramon, a city next to Danville.

The answer came in the form of Cross-Laminated Timber panels sourced from Washington's Colville National Forest restoration projects. These CLT panels undergo robotic fabrication, creating structures with zero air gaps that are three to five times more fire-resistant than conventional wood construction. Wrapped in insulated metal panels, the Tetra-One creates multiple layers of protection while maintaining exceptional energy performance. The proof of concept sits in their own backyard.