Designing a Garage for a Historic House

[@carydial2395]

I hope everyone realizes we’re getting Architectural design classes for free with Mr. Hull. In a small way this helps to cancel the internet negatives.

[@BrentHull]

Thx for your comment.

[@tc9148]

Character infusion, appropriate size and scale, unique brackets = so much to love about your design. Will be fun to see built.

[@BrentHull]

Agreed. Thx.

[@ondrejpavelka2179]

I just want to pinpoint that your introduction is swift and easy to listen and straight to the point which is great. There are so many other youtubers who would scream and shout like a girl for their introductions and i cant stand that and am embarrassed when i watch them on public. You are very well spoken, have great voice. Enjoying your videos a lot. Thank you, sir Hull.

[@BrentHull]

Nice. Thanks!!

[@risalangdon9883]

Brent, this is a fantastic project. Looking forward to seeing it develop.

[@BrentHull]

Me too. Thanks!!

[@peggyhemenger8983]

I always look forward to your updates, but this one especially! Great to think that historic precedent still offers so much latitude in choices, and yes, fun details!

[@BrentHull]

Nice. Thanks.

[@user-steve_wrwoodclassics]

I really like the careful planning for the site and the building is very unique with wonderful character.

[@BrentHull]

Thank you!

[@rogerhodges7656]

Another great installment. Thank you!

[@BrentHull]

Thx for watching.

[@billk8780]

Brent, Love your pulling out an 1870's design book. Perhaps a tandem deep garage bay might work and still keep the street view the same. Happy Independence Day to all!

[@BrentHull]

Nice, Happy 4th! Cheers.

[@jimc4731]

You nailed it! I hope the customer goes with it. Keep up the good work! JIM ❤

[@BrentHull]

Thanks!!

[@jelsner5077]

My 1908 bungalow cottage came with a1980s garage. The garage had wide, masonite siding on it, which I guess matched the wide metal siding that was tacked onto the house in the 70s. We tore off the metal siding and restored the narrow cedar clapboards underneath. The masonite siding on the garage was melting away, so we tore that off too and replaced it with narrow clapboard. I wish I could have afforded to give the garage a hip roof, to match the house! Oh well, maybe next life!

[@pcatful]

Like Brent's example, they didn't always think of the garage matching the house. It was like farm building in many cases. Sounds great what you did--details!

[@BrentHull]

Thanks for sharing. I think you did the right things.

[@sharonvik2068]

Thanks for showing us some of the design process. And you have the most amazing historic architecture books - I am inspired to expand my library!

[@BrentHull]

Nice. THx.

[@kirkshrum6222]

Love the details on that carriage house, goes perfect with the house! Cheers Kirk

[@BrentHull]

Glad you like it. Thx.

[@beverlyboys73]

Excellent work. I love that you bring back the the past and make it fit in.

[@BrentHull]

Thanks!!

[@erawanpencil]

Awesome design. Please post updates !

[@BrentHull]

Ok. Thx.

[@hunterhopkins7466]

Thank you for the inspiration and ideas!

[@BrentHull]

Glad you like them!

[@MichaelDinsmore]

Great idea to use that old book for design ideas. I always pick up old books like that at yard sales or used bookshops when I find them (along with woodworking and trim books).

[@BrentHull]

Yes, they are a great resource.

[@Tony-InLosAngeles]

Great book 📖 👍🏻

[@BrentHull]

Agreed. Thx.

[@pcatful]

Great ideas and details! Take care the spaces are big enough. Old house scale wants to be smaller, but today's cars are big. We often design with 8' wide doors but really, a nice single car door is 9' wide at least, and lean-to carport: 12' wide overall.

[@BrentHull]

Agreed. thx.

[@jamieomeara7686]

Amazing s usual 👏

[@BrentHull]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@SpanishEclectic]

How great that you have those old books! The best way to achieve an authentic look is to truly understand the original period details. I imagine if the homeowners also have a barn to house things like a utility truck, ride-on lawnmower or actual farm equipment, then only space for a passenger car is needed near the house. I did like the idea that someone mentioned of a tandem garage; my friend has one (front door access from the driveway, can drive in/out also from a door on the alley behind). I'm wondering if the doors you describe will be especially heavy if wide enough for a modern car; will owners have to get out and open them like 'barn doors'? Many people rely on a garage door opener for convenience. Interesting subjects to consider. Happy 4th!

[@BrentHull]

Happy 4th, yes, this is an early design. More to come.

[@roberttaylor9259]

Would you ever be interested in showing a diagram or a detail of a Victorian porch? I was trying to find a good detail the other day and there’s very few good close up details. I know there’s a lot of variations of course. Some have round spindle details on the upper header detail (I know I’m using the wrong language but that’s why I wanted I diagrams hahah) and some have more slated designs.

[@BrentHull]

There are so good historic books on porches. I'll see what i can find.

[@robertbamford8266]

Interesting. Carriage house, stable add to the story. I remember the 1920s garage on our old house (in Maine). Passengers had to get out of the car -width and doors wouldn’t close when car was inside. So … how did you create a scale that also worked with contemporary cars (presumably not a Hummer).

[@BrentHull]

That is the challenge and balancing act we hope to tackle. Should be fun.

[@kate2create738]

What a fun concept and project, it looks like it was part of the original design while maintaining modern function without sacrificing the aesthetics. Lately I have been liking the garage to be separated or at least behind the house. The new homes in my state tend to over compensate the stereotypical suburban homes where the garage is in the front taking over 3/4 of the front facade. Just appreciate a more welcoming appeal and it would be a game changer if these homes at least made a small effort to uplift the exterior with some charm to soften the utilitarian look most garages have these days. So jealous of the regions the rest of the country has to beautiful historic homes and neighborhoods like this one.

[@BrentHull]

Good stuff. THanks.

[@nj2mddude205]

How about adding a breezeway, identical to the porch, to connect the main house to the carriage house?

[@BrentHull]

Good idea. Thx.

[@SupaFly10579]

I saw a house for sale yesterday. I was shocked they didn't show pictures of the carriage house.

[@BrentHull]

Shoot. Maybe it is bad...

[@SupaFly10579]

@BrentHull it looked good to me. The house was built by a well known architect so I don't know why the brokers didn't display it.

[@DrMJJr]

You might want to replicate the modillions from the house in miniature on the carriage house. I also think replicating the brick facade from the home on the carriage house would bring some coherence to the whole plan. Would love to see it built, but given Italianate ornamentation, I’m wondering if you’d stick with the tile roof or reproduce the home’s metal roof in a smaller size??

[@BrentHull]

Good questions, those are all things we are looking at. More to come.

[@danielstover3029]

Brent, all in with the concepts and design. I believe you said that the property was about two and a half acres. Question, in keeping with the new house old sole concept, wouldn't it be more functional and better for future resale if the "new garage" could accommodate two to four cars? Following your thinking, could the "old carriage building" have had more stalls and bays that the "new building" could convert to modern garage space behind the antique exterior? As always, another thought provoking video. Thanks for sharing! 😁👍

[@pcatful]

But there will likely be fewer cars in the future as mass transit takes the place for most trips. The age of the car will probably be over with the age of oil.

[@BrentHull]

Thx. There is a barn on the property down the hill, that could accommodate more cars if needed. A big garage would really mess up the scale and hierarchy. My 2 cents.

[@HenryLeslieGraham]

do you think that modern architects if given the opportunity to design a garage for this house would attempt at all to design a historically and contextually appropriate garage? It seems to me that many wouldn't actually try to attempt the detail needed for this build, but would give something which would 'hint' at it. which is something often claimed for modernist builds in historic settings. oh the "pitch of the roof recalls the second empire mansard roof" or "the use of raw wood recalls historic wooden sidings" or some other nonsense.

[@RonRobertson-lafrance]

You've touched upon something I always find annoying. You'll see a belle époque museum (or other major building), and when they need to expand, they add a modernist addition that "pays homage" to the original building. And it'll always be some non-essential thing, like a vague curve to "suggest" an arch, but not dare be one. It's usually so nebulous that it has to be pointed out because no one looking would see any resemblance whatsoever, and in fact think "why is that carbuncle attached to that beautiful building".

[@HenryLeslieGraham]

@@RonRobertson-lafrance my impression is that architects who do this 1) don't even know how to do classical design, 2) dislike classical design so intently that they could never condescend to replicate it, 3) do not care about the context enough to not attach a glass cube, or steel barnacle to a historic building.

[@RonRobertson-lafrance]

@@HenryLeslieGraham Exactly. I always say the architects show their hatred for the original building. And it's the historic building that shows them for the frauds they are. There is no early reason a major building needs to be ugly, not just plain, but less than zero into an assault on the eyes.

[@pcatful]

(Speaking to the original question and a residential garage) Some would do so to save money for the client or keep in budget. Others might believe simplicity is the goal and that they are distilling the important aspects of the style. Still others may feel they don't have the craftsmen to pull off a more detailed design. Sure, many will not have the training or the sense to call Brent on the phone. It's not ALL nonsense--whether we like it is another question.

[@RonRobertson-lafrance]

@@pcatful They do all of these things without sufficient knowledge of what can be further distilled, what is important about the style, or what they could do with the budget itself. So, at best, it's ignorance, at worst, it's malpractice. Even when presented with evidence that you can have an attractive building at the same (and sometimes even less) cost, they come up with some excuse why it can't/won't/shouldn't be done. This is particularly true with municipal buildings. They waste tremendous amounts of money on ugly buildings that are worse than worthless in a few years, can't be repurposed because they're already deteriorating beyond the point the point they can effectively be repurposed, and they're so ugly why bother? I'm not trying to be argumentative here, but I've heard all these excuses for so long, despite so much evidence to the contrary that it's either incompetence or malpractice. Neither should be accepted.

[@HenryLeslieGraham]

is it inappropriate to base a modern garage on a carriage house?

[@jelsner5077]

No

[@daveneale9933]

It shouldn't be inappropriate, it's for a horseless carriage after all.

[@pcatful]

It's not properly a modern garage if the program is to recreate a period design for the property. It's a re-built carriage house that is modified for a garage. Period revival can have a history too. So a couple hundred years hence, a Brent guy will come and decipher what this was, and how it reflects different influences, and serves the purpose at the time. Only then they will need to modify if for the flying car.

[@jelsner5077]

@@pcatful Ugh. It's a building to house either carriages or cars. Who TF cares?

[@BrentHull]

Why would it be inappropriate. The client is looking to restore the house and property to back to its historic charm. The garage/carriage house is part of that story. Seems very appropriate to me.