Architects Corie Saxman, 30, and Keith Marks, 33, told Insider they were hired to transform a derelict shed in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, into a modern accessory dwelling unit (ADU).
The duo said it all began in 2018 when one of the owners, Roger Merians, contacted them through Instagram.
Saxman and Marks – who met at graduate school and now run the architecture firm Ham Design Group – had never taken on a project alone, they said.
"Roger just cold messaged me," Marks said. "He said, 'Hey, I saw your thesis project. I love it. I got this tiny thing. I was wondering if you could do something for us, something exciting and not typical.'"