When Jeff Cheung attended Harvard Graduate School of Design, he wasn’t just pursuing another degree – he was searching for answers to California’s escalating housing crisis. Today, alongside co-founder Jonah Livingston, he’s turned those solutions into reality through Buildoly, an innovative approach to accessory dwelling unit (ADU) construction that’s making home ownership more accessible for countless families.
The journey from architect to innovator was sparked by Cheung’s firsthand experience with the disconnects in traditional residential construction. “Architects have so much authorship over the full scope of the work,” Cheung explains, “but for the most part, there was this kind of disconnect between the architects who were designing the work and the actual built final product.” This disconnect often results in projects that become wildly expensive and fail to realize their full potential in terms of design quality and sustainability.
This observation led to the creation of Buildoly, a vertically integrated platform that’s revolutionizing how ADUs are designed, financed, and constructed. “What we’ve really kind of built out is a platform that makes great design a little bit more equitable,” Cheung notes. The company’s approach eliminates the common pitfalls of the traditional design-bid-build process, where disconnected phases often lead to budget overruns and delays. In the conventional process, homeowners pay architects to create plans only to discover the cost far exceeds their budget, leading to costly revisions and frustrating delays.
What sets Buildoly apart is its real-time integration of design and construction. “Because we’re essentially coupling the design and the construction in real time, we’re able to provide a fixed cost structure to the homeowner,” Cheung explains. Their innovative platform enables homeowners to design their own ADU through a modular system, selecting everything from the number of bedrooms to specific finishes, while seeing real-time cost implications of their choices.
The timing for Buildoly’s innovation couldn’t be better. Statewide regulations are helping standardize the ADU permitting process across jurisdictions, creating an environment ripe for innovation. These policy shifts have enabled Buildoly to standardize its design and build process while maintaining flexibility for customization. The regulatory environment has been particularly supportive in California, where expedited permitting processes have helped address one of the biggest barriers homeowners traditionally face.
A significant portion of Buildoly’s customers are property owners looking to provide housing solutions for family members who might otherwise struggle to afford homes in California’s competitive market. Many clients build ADUs to house parents or adult children, creating multi-generational living arrangements that benefit both families and communities. This approach allows families to maintain close connections while providing an affordable housing solution for those who might not be able to purchase a home independently in today’s market.
The versatility of Buildoly’s ADUs offers significant value to their customers. Their units adapt to various needs, serving as family housing, home offices, or rental properties. This adaptability makes them particularly attractive to investors looking to generate rental income while contributing to the overall housing stock and potentially helping to stabilize rent prices in the region.
Buildoly distinguishes itself through attention to design details and systems integration. Their units incorporate efficient systems and premium features like central air conditioning that enhance the living experience. The company has invested significant resources in developing a standardized yet customizable set of designs that can be adapted to different needs while maintaining high quality and efficiency.
Looking ahead, Buildoly is preparing to open a showroom in April of next year, where customers can experience their standard models firsthand and utilize digital customization tools. The showroom will allow potential customers to walk through an actual unit while using Buildoly’s digital platform to visualize customization options in real time. This physical space represents another step in the company’s mission to streamline the home-building process and make it more accessible to everyday families.
The company’s growing pipeline of projects and strong market presence in Southern California validates their innovative approach to ADU construction. Their success in the region, with its large lots and lower density, provides a perfect testing ground for their concept of adding strategic density to existing residential areas.
For Cheung and Livingston, success isn’t just about building structures – it’s about removing barriers to home ownership and simplifying the journey from concept to completion. By integrating design, construction, and financing into a seamless process, Buildoly is making the dream of home ownership more attainable for California families while contributing to solutions for the broader housing crisis.
Explore similar articles from Our Team of Experts.
“Sustainability is not a scalable approach if it’s just about thoughts and feelings and the idea of being green,” says Joselyn Lai, Co-Founder and CEO of Bedrock Energy. &#...
