More Than a Garage
Thursday, October 2, 2014 at 11:54AM How does one maximize the design of a new garage on a hilly corner lot? The replacement of the garage is strategically lowered from its current position to align with the existing basement and the adjacent sidewalk at its high point. An enclosed link between the garage and the basement is now possible, and will be advantageous in the cold winter months. Above the exterior carport, a vegetated roof is proposed with a depth suitable for growing produce. A raised terrace connects the green roof to the side yard, and can provide new amenity space for the dwelling on the ground floor.
A new stair to the 2nd floor is also incorporated so that the basement, ground floor terrace and the new 2nd floor deck are interconnected. This deck is angled to catch a few more hours of sunlight in the warmer months. At the driveway, porous paving is proposed to reduce the storm runoff onto the city sewer system, and to reduce the heat island effect of concrete driveways.
This house is located in the near suburbs of Toronto, where there is reliance on the automobile. However, the creation of useful space surrounding their storage is equally important, to give flexibility to living conditions and to improve the overall quality of life.
Reader Comments (1)
How does that porous paving work? Isn't there a danger that during heavy rainfall the soil underneath will be washed away leaving the paving at risk of caving in?