Home Design Ideas - Split the Garage!

At Ron Brenner Architects, I am currently working with a client on a new home design to be constructed in Rochester, MN.  Here we have run into a very common dilemma.  What to do with 3 1/2 cars worth of garage?   

If you put all of that garage to the side of the house you get one very wide plan.  If you put all of that garage forward of the house you get one very deep plan.  Many lots cannot accommodate either one of those plan arrangements.  So what I have proposed to do here is to split the garages into two separate structures.  The main two car garage is directly connected to the house via the mudroom zone.  The additional 1 1/2 car garage is placed on the opposite side of the lot; resulting in a nifty little entry court.  See sketches below.

Here you can see a birds eye view of the layout.  Notice the roof between the garage and house is low.  This helps to reduce the mass of the house.  Pulling the garages a bit forward of the front porch creates a nifty little courtyard.

view from street

view approaching courtyard

nice little composition

So when you develop your next house plan - please think about the impact of that garage and look for creative solutions.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

This song is for a good friend who has just undergone major surgery!
You know who you are...take care and best wishes for a speedy recovery. xoxo
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In the mood to redecorate

: : something about the beginning of fall always makes me want to redecorate. This year I'm in luck, since our Swedish friends are moving in down the street from us (tjohooo), and they really have no choice but to hire me as their personal decorator (for a small fee of meatballs and tube caviar).

The inspiration above comes from Swedish interior magazine .Elle Interiör. I want the colorful textile lamp cables, love that cool table and adore the 'acorn looking' seating puffs.