Some people in the position of having to replace a garage would seek the most efficient solution: a garage kit, a standard partially pre-fabricated structure that could be constructed at minimal expense and provide perfectly adequate protection for cars and lawn tools.
But where’s the pleasure in that? To me, this seems like it would miss out on a great design opportunity. If I have to incur the cost of building a garage, well then, I want to get something more out of it than just a nondescript roof over my car.
Maybe this is the difference between seeing something as an unpleasant necessity or as a life opportunity. For example, one can see calling the drain-clearing service when your sewer backs up as a pure expense, or you can see it as an opportunity to watch a skilled professional operate a remote sewer camera to find the obstructing tree roots at an improperly joined pipe and prescribe the exact procedure to solve the problem. And then watch as the backhoe slices the power to the entire neighborhood. (It was all great adventure, and worth it).
So now that I will be designing a custom garage to suit my purpose, just exactly what is my purpose? I sat down to write down what I thought should be included:
1. Space for two cars, one of them a VW Eurovan. Oh, and a motorcycle.
2. Space for yard tools, ladders, and bicycles.
3. Space for garbage and recycling bins.
In a previous home, I had a garage that accommodated this, all in a 24’ x 24’ footprint. But it was pretty full. There was room for storing sawhorses, but not much more:
4. Space for a workshop with a workbench and woodworking tools like table saws and drill presses. Storage for tools and materials.
5. Adequate power. This means a subpanel from the main house, or a completely separate line to the garage.
6. Heating and ventilation. Garages are notorious for being too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. Workshops and garages need ventilation to keep car and paint fumes and sawdust from accumulating.
And then there are things that matter:
7. Lighting; natural if possible. Windows (skylights?), and adequate workshop lighting is critical.
8. EV-capable. Part of the power requirements includes being able to charge an electric vehicle. Another reason to have a dedicated power line.
9. Solar panel-ready. My rooftop solar-collection plan for the This Odd House has not worked out. I have a south-facing exposure; the roof should be capable of supporting solar panels when the time is right.
10. Security. A garage is a mostly untended space. It needs to be resistant to opportunists.
This last item deserves some comment. In the time living here, I have had to adjust to a higher population density, which translates to more people looking for sources of income, or sources of destructive amusement. I have mentioned the secondary recycling system by nighttime “scrappers”, but they are not the main concern. I have had things taken from my car (most likely because I failed to lock it), and we have had the experience of arsonists in the neighborhood. I installed a security camera to monitor the garage and alley. It was stolen. (Ironic, eh? The recording somehow stopped before the event).
I will be designing in features to help keep the garage secure. The windows will be fixed to avoid breaking in, and high to avoid being able to see in. Lights will be motion activated. The doors will be solid and will have network-connected locks and sensors. A curtain will conceal the shop tools when the garage door is open so passersby do not see anything more than cars and snow shovels. The idea is to make it unattractive to thieves and vandals, a harder and more exposed target than some other, more vulnerable garage down the alley (sorry, neighbor).