Turn the windows doors. Tidy drawing, looks good.

 

You could keep the windows and put a privacy film on them. I wouldn't want to lose 3'x19' area for a crumby ally that gets filled with crap. Loosing that area takes away 20% of the sq ft of the addition.

Like Ted said turn them into doors would be more conventional.

 

Thanks for the ideas guys. I didn't really think of turning them into doors but it feels less goofy than a window looking at a bare exterior wall. Lose the ventilation in good weather but not much nice airflow there anyway. Privacy film is a great idea, maybe best of both worlds

I was chewing on making it a bigger courtyard,maybe 8ft wide, and a feature, not a bug, but they already have a nice covered patio by the pool and then the addition would be stupid narrow

 

There is a forum called The Building Code Forum, almost all of the members are active building inspectors (the real kind, not the ones who screw ip home sales), architects, etc. Post that drawing and your question, and the city where it’s proposed, and you will get good answers on the required separation.

The Building Code Forum

The Building Code Forum is a comprehensive online platform dedicated to discussions on building codes and related topics. It features various forums covering aspects like commercial and residential building codes, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing codes, code compliance, planning and zoning...

www.thebuildingcodeforum.com

 

Thanks man, never heard of it but can think of so many times I wish I had a resource like that to poke around in. Will post there for sure

 

I have a customer with an old ranch home that they want to extend w/ a standalone dwelling/ADU. That side of the house has a bunch of bedrooms, and the only window for two of them is that wall. I'm chewing on ways to get this done, and came up with this. The(alley? courtyard? patio cover?) would chew into the space but I think preserve egress requirements.

I think as long as the distance between the exterior walls is 36", we're good to go as far as egress

Initially, we talked about a detached structure but the lot is too tight and the setbacks eat into it too much

Would love to hear your thoughts and/or better ideas

(dimensions here were arbitrary, except the alley- figuring 3')

View attachment 577495

Didn't really say what it was for... Sunroom? Storage? ...

In combining the privacy glass and adding double windows in the Addition room, you can keep the footage, making it a more usable space and complete the addition and avoid looking at a wall out a window... the light from the double window will flow through to the privacy window and/or you can put shades on the windows which will allow them to also look straight through to the yard... by adding a window on the opposite door wall in the addition, you're looking out of the house, adding more light and makes the room appear larger because your eyes go to the farther distance when absorbing design... just some thoughts...

 

Didn't really say what it was for... Sunroom? Storage? ...

In combining the privacy glass and adding double windows in the Addition room, you can keep the footage, making it a more usable space and complete the addition and avoid looking at a wall out a window... the light from the double window will flow through to the privacy window and/or you can put shades on the windows which will allow them to also look straight through to the yard... by adding a window on the opposite door wall in the addition, you're looking out of the house, adding more light and makes the room appear larger because your eyes go to the farther distance when absorbing design... just some thoughts...

View attachment 577646

It was the first sentence, an attached ADU is what we’re planning on. Seperate attached appartment

so, it will be separate- no doors or windows.

the concern is preserving the emergency exits for the exisiting bedrooms

 

Install doors between old bedrooms and room that blinded windows....locks on bedroom side without 2cd exit...alarm sounds if door opened....

Skylights and transom borrow lights???
Sprinkler system?
Turn stranded room(s) into closets and baths, maybe laundry closet?

Sell home ... move to cleansheet floorplan...least waste?

 

Sprinkler system?

I think we are a while away from landscaping Sir!

 

How about making that open area between new and old a much wider, roof covered courtyard that could be used for something?
That narrow "catch all" is butt ugly, will collect leaves and debris and will likely devalue the house.

 

Have seen bathrooms used to good effect for the many doors into one room question.

 

Don't know why but I picture a octagon room with a toilet in the middle and 8 doors.

 

And a low E slider pointed out to the hot tub.

 

"A 36” alley sounds good for egress. You could also consider clerestory windows or a narrow side cut-out to keep light and egress for the bedrooms while fitting the ADU in tight setbacks.

 

Wonder whatever happened with this?...

 

Bathroom with five doors.

 

Elevator + basement & 2/ 3rd story.....+ masonry staircase...

 

I see what you’re going for, and the 3' alley/courtyard idea makes sense for preserving egress from those bedrooms. You’re right that IRC requires emergency egress windows with a clear path to the exterior, and as long as you’ve got at least a 36" wide open-air corridor (no roof cover unless it’s high enough and not fully enclosed), you should be good.

A couple things to consider:

• Light & ventilation: Even if egress checks out, you’ll want to confirm those bedrooms still meet natural light and ventilation requirements since you’re boxing them in. Sometimes clerestory windows or light wells can help.
• Courtyard width: If you can push that alley wider than the bare minimum 3', it’ll feel less like a shaft and more like a usable courtyard space, which adds value and avoids it feeling like a dead zone.
• Fire separation: Since this addition is attached, watch your fire-rating requirements between the new walls and the existing bedrooms.
• Future flexibility: If setbacks are the main issue with a detached ADU, this attached “addition with alley” might actually give you the same functionality without losing legal space.

So yeah, your approach works, but if the client can spare even a bit more width, it’ll breathe better. Otherwise, your 3' plan does preserve egress and keeps you in compliance. Hope it will help you.