Garage or Party Pavilion

The original carriage house behind this 1906 Foursquare Craftsman-style home was inadequate for today’s vehicles. The challenge was to build a period-appropriate carport that complemented the carriage house and the home. The design team needed to make the structure noteworthy while allowing function. The front side had to span almost 30 feet to accommodate three cars without a support post. Using an I-beam was not an option, so they looked at structural engineering used in the early 1900s. Many bridges built in that era used a lattice truss design, allowing for long spans and decreasing the weight of the beam. The Eiffel Tower uses the same structural design. It was an opportunity for the structural elements to make a visual impact. 

The need for firewalls was another challenge. Adding a wall on the third side gave them the opportunity to install two double French doors that open directly into the backyard. This created a great space for entertaining, and leaving the garage door down helps keep the heat in. The solution to the extra-wide door was to use an airplane hangar door. It articulates from the top of the door, creating an awning over the entrance when opened. They sourced the door frame and hydraulic mechanism, allowing them to create their own door design, then replicated a series of door panels to look like the existing carriage house doors.