The Brief

Create a cost-conscious utility building that feels like a permanent part of the property’s heritage rather than a secondary addition. The challenge was to achieve high-level durability and "vintage" character while controlling costs often associated with custom outbuildings.

Our Approach

Engineering: We opted for a monolithic slab foundation. This approach minimized excavation and material costs while providing a robust, high-durability floor system capable of supporting workshop loads. By using a simple gable form based on stock trusses, we reduced structural complexity, allowing the budget to be redirected into the weather-facing elements of the building.

Design: The design was developed around the idea of “analogue quality”. We designed custom rolling cedar-clad doors and sourced salvaged windows to evoke the character of a 20th-century carriage house. Cedar bevel siding was used to provide texture and an immediate sense of material quality, ensuring the garage ages gracefully alongside the property's primary structures.

The Result: Utilitarian Beauty.

This highly practical, three-bay workshop proves that utility buildings don't need to be ornamental to be beautiful. It is a structure defined by its simplicity, material quality, and engineered longevity.