Garages in single-family homes have become more than just a place to park cars. American garages are now extensions of the house, serving as storage, workshops, gyms, living rooms, and other functions.
Katie Yost is an associate and senior designer with Bassenian Lagoni. She says, “The garage occupies so much space on the site in terms of its footprint.” It’s not conditioned, so it does not count towards square footage. But it is still usable. How can you make the space functional without putting in a car?
BUILDER consulted a few experienced architects from various residential design companies, including Bassenian Lagoni DAHLIN TCA Architects and Custom Home Designs, to learn how they reinvented the two-car garage so that homeowners could enjoy it beyond its original purpose. Here are seven creative ideas and practical applications.
Courtesy Bassenian Lagoni
Adjacent addition
The Bassenian Lagoni design team created a floor plan with a room hidden behind the garage for a project located in Irvine, California. The area is a private office with a separate entrance from the patio at the back. It has plenty of natural light coming in through double doors. It could also be used as a storage area, a dog washing station, or a home gym.
Courtesy DAHLIN
View-through
This DAHLIN floor plan in Canyon Creek features a natural area with views to the rear. It offers a glass garage door as an option, blurring the line between indoor and outdoor and allowing natural light to enter the garage. This adds a whole new dimension to garage space and makes it more attractive for other uses.
Courtesy Bassenian Lagoni
Creative Carport
The team at Bassenian Lagoni created a unique solution to for the 2024 virtual concept home by Livabl. Although the plan includes parking spaces for two cars, a car lift makes it possible for both vehicles to be housed in one room. The second garage bay can be converted into an outdoor living area and carport. The carport has 12-foot ceilings and a garage door that is 9 feet tall and can be used to park an RV. The site is enclosed by a privacy screen that allows light and air to enter.
Courtesy San Gabriel Habitat for Humanity and TCA Architects
ADU Adaptation
San Gabriel Valley, Habitat for Humanity, and TCA Architects have been working together on a project that will show how garages can easily be converted into accessory dwellings (ADUs). The design will maximize the space available and eventually become an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for low-income homeowners and renters. The plans are for attached or detached garages that can accommodate two cars.
Courtesy DAHLIN
Flexible Functions
Barnaby, by DAHLIN and Garman Homes, was designed to reflect the insights gained from The America at Home Study. It includes flexible spaces throughout all areas of the house. The garage is intended to be a flexible, large space that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as a home school, office, workshop, entertainment room, or even a guest casita.
Courtesy Bassenian Lagoni
Tandem Type
Tandem garages are a great way to express your creativity. The front bay of this townhouse in Colony Park, California, is transformed into a home gym. The space is transformed into an amenity with mats on the ground, mirrors along one wall, a television, and a variety of equipment. Overhead racks in the ceiling allow for more storage without increasing the footprint of the garage.
Courtesy Custom Home Designs
“Shouse”
Brad Graber of Custom Home Designs has designed Plan 10064-148, which includes a large attached workshop. It combines the rustic appeal of a barn and modern functionality with three bedrooms, two baths, and a large garage/workshop.
Graber says that “the sky is the limit” when it comes to adding fun features to large spaces. I have seen car lifts and basketball goals, as well as archery ranges. Why build a huge shop in your house? “The added storage to your home is the practical solution, but I think the entertainment value of the shop is also worth considering.”
Housing Market Report
The housing market continues to be affected by affordability shocks, especially existing home sales. Mortgage rates were near 8% in October, and the monthly payment for many major markets in January 2022 was 60% more than it was in October.
We have seen that this low resell stock has pushed people to the new home market. Wolf explained that the aging inventory and high price are also factors in the common resale stock. “New homes are usually more expensive than existing ones.” The price gap has been narrowing.”
Despite the dynamic supporting the new home market, builders share the impacts of “seasonality plus” in the field. Tim Sullivan, chief advisory officer at Zonda, said that builders surveyed were often referring to “scarce land,” expensive and undersupplied,” a “challenging environment of costs,” “price-sensitive,” “cautious,” or “slowing and competitive.”
According to Sullivan’s research, builders are still enthusiastic about land purchase, but it is becoming increasingly expensive. Zonda surveyed 43 percent of builders who said they were pursuing land acquisition “at full speed,” while 53 percent are moving cautiously. As land demand increases, so do prices. According to 40% of builders surveyed, land prices have increased.
Sullivan stated that affordability is becoming a greater concern for home builders. Consumer confidence, affordability of new homes, and economic uncertainty are all ranked as the top three concerns for home builders. In October, 71% said that they had not raised prices, and an additional 13% had lowered the base price.
He noted that “flex dollars, money for closing costs and mortgage rate buydowns [have been effective incentives].” The builders target the sweet spot for buydowns, which is between mid-5 and mid-6.