10 San Diego ADU Projects Built by Murray Lampert

Originally published February 2019. Updated to feature Murray Lampert’s own completed ADU projects.

Accessory dwelling units come in more shapes and configurations than most homeowners realize. A detached structure built from the ground up looks nothing like a garage conversion or a junior unit carved from an existing floor plan. The best way to understand what is possible on your property is to look at real projects.

The following ten ADUs were all designed and built by Murray Lampert in San Diego. Each one represents a different approach to the design challenge: different lot conditions, different family needs, different ADU types. All of them were completed with permits, designed in-house by our architectural and interior design team, and built under a single design-build contract.

1. Point Loma ADU - Ground Up Detached

This fully detached ADU was designed and built from the ground up as a standalone structure on the property. The exterior was designed to complement the main home while reading as its own distinct building. The result is a fully independent unit with a private entrance, full kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area – purpose-built for extended family living with the separation that makes it work long-term.

ADU type: Detached, ground-up construction

2. Point Loma ADU - Kitchen

The interior of this ADU was designed with the same attention to material selection and finish quality as any Murray Lampert kitchen remodel. Full-size appliances, durable countertops, and ample cabinetry make this a kitchen that works daily, not a kitchenette afterthought. When the person using this space is a parent or family member, the kitchen matters as much as it does in the main house.

ADU type: Detached – interior kitchen detail

3. San Diego ADU - Detached Ground Up

This project is one of the more architecturally refined ADUs Murray Lampert has completed. The exterior detailing was designed to match the character of the main residence, so the ADU reads as an integrated part of the property rather than a structure added as an afterthought. This level of design coherence requires having the same team handle both the design and construction.

ADU type: Detached, ground-up construction

4. 4S Ranch - Detached ADU

This 4S Ranch project demonstrates what a fully realized ADU looks like at the high end of the market. The structure was built to full residential quality standards – not a simplified companion unit, but a complete home that happens to share a lot with the primary residence. For homeowners whose family situation calls for genuine independence within proximity, this is the category of project to understand.

ADU type: Detached, ground-up, premium finish level

5. Encinitas Modern - Ground Up Detached

This Encinitas project reflects the clean, contemporary design preferences common in the North County coastal market. The structure was designed and permitted as a fully detached ADU, maximizing lot coverage while maintaining the setbacks and height limits required in Encinitas. The design-build model meant that site constraints were factored into the design from day one rather than discovered during construction.

ADU type: Detached, ground-up construction

6. North Park - Ground Up Kitchen and Dining

The kitchen and dining area in this ADU was designed as a fully functioning daily-use space. The open layout connects the kitchen to the living and dining area, which makes the footprint feel larger than its square footage. For multigenerational projects where the ADU occupant will be cooking and living independently, this kind of open plan works better than a compartmentalized layout would in the same square footage.

ADU type: Detached – kitchen and living detail

7. ADU - Custom Teal Kitchen Cabinetry

The kitchen is the room where custom cabinetry choices have the most impact, and this ADU project took a deliberate design position with the teal cabinetry selection. The choice works because it was made as part of a cohesive design package – the countertop material, hardware, and backsplash were all selected to work with it. When Murray Lampert’s interior designers are involved from the start, decisions like this get made as a system rather than component by component.

ADU type: Detached – interior kitchen detail

8. Del Mar Traditional JADU - Attached

A junior accessory dwelling unit takes a different approach than a detached build – it is carved from the existing footprint of the main home rather than constructed as a new structure. This Del Mar project converted interior space into a fully independent JADU with its own entrance, living area, and kitchen facilities. The traditional character of the home was preserved throughout, so the JADU reads as an intentional part of the original architecture rather than a renovation addition. For homeowners on lots where a detached structure is not feasible, a well-executed JADU achieves the same goal of independent living space within the existing envelope.

ADU type: Junior ADU (JADU) – attached, converted from existing interior space

9. Kensington 2-Story ADU and Garage - Ground Up Detached

The bathroom in this ADU was designed with aging-in-place features built into the standard design rather than added as an afterthought. Spacious stall shower with custom glass doors, and thoughtful fixture placement are decisions made in the design phase that cost very little when planned in advance and significantly more if retrofitted later. For families building an ADU for a parent or aging relative, these details deserve attention at the outset.

ADU type: 2-story garage and ADU – bathroom detail with aging-in-place features

10. 4S Ranch Modern ADU - Detached Ground Up

This project is an example of an ADU designed to maximize usable living space within San Diego’s size limits while maintaining a clean exterior presence. The exterior landscaping and hardscape connect the ADU to the main house without making the property feel overcrowded. As more San Diego homeowners build ADUs, the ones that hold their value are the ones where the design considered the full property – not just the new structure in isolation.

ADU type: Detached, ground-up construction

What These Projects Have in Common

Every ADU in this list was permitted, designed by Murray Lampert’s in-house architectural and interior design team, and built under a fixed-price design-build contract. The homeowners dealt with one firm, one contract, and one project manager throughout.

San Diego’s ADU regulations have changed significantly since 2019. Permit fees have been reduced or waived in many cases, size limits have been clarified, and the approval process has been streamlined. If you looked into building an ADU a few years ago and walked away from it, the current regulatory environment is worth another look.

Murray Lampert has been designing and building in San Diego since 1975. We carry a California general contractor license (#458038) and have maintained an A+ BBB rating since 1976.