For the City of Seattle, PLACE designed and illustrated a technical manual to assist homeowners interested in designing, permitting and building a detached accessory dwelling unit or Backyard Cottage. The goal of the program is to increase density in single family neighborhoods without substantially changing the character of those neighborhoods. PLACE created seven prototype cottage designs all demonstrating responses to real-life site conditions including setbacks, parking allowances, steep slopes, height and permeable surface restrictions. The designs were rendered in both contemporary and traditional concepts to show how simple adjustments to rooflines, massing and materials can help new buildings fit in with their surroundings. Several of the designs meet accessible design standards and/or propose alternative construction methods as examples of how these issues might be addressed. The prototype designs, in a range of sizes and complete with site plans, floor plans, elevations and illustrative square footage numbers are part of “A Guide To Building a Backyard Cottage”, available on the City of Seattle’s website.