45 Car Garage Concepts That Are More Than Just Parking Spaces

Every room in a house has a purpose, a function that makes it different from all the others. Some are absolute must-haves while others are auxiliary and generally less important. The car garage is a special case. Often overlooked and treated as nothing but an annex with no real need for a stylish interior design or aesthetic appeal, the garage can be an unexpected point of interest if designed right. The following examples will show you how to take your car garage to a whole new level design wise.

One-car garages

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Located in Weinheim, Germany, this family home has a design that mirrors the structural division of the interior spaces. The street-facing facade is almost all compact and closed, the goal being to ensure privacy. This allows the garage to seamlessly blend in and to fit on the ground floor in a natural way. The house was designed by Architekten Wannenmacher + Möeller GmbH.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

In 2014 architect Paul Bernier redesigned a private residence in Estérel, Canada and gave it a completely new look. The new design is minimalist with a subtle sculptural look. The garage is placed at the rear of the house, concealed from view and seamlessly linked to the rest of the spaces. It’s entirely lined in wood, with no openings and with an elegant-looking overhang at the end.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

This house in Vancouver was originally built in the 1980’s and recently it’s been remodeled recently…transformed into a contemporary home with a new interior layout and a bunch of updated features. In addition to a new distribution of the spaces inside the house, D’Arcy Jones Architecture also gave the house a neat-looking car garage with an open carport extension.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

When designing the M4 House in Higashisonogi District, Japan, the Architect Show team made sure to make full use of the site. They gave the house ample interior spaces and a nice sense of privacy throughout. The garage was designed without a carport or conventional fences…it just simply completes the house and inside it accommodates both cars and bicycles with no boundaries between them.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

A house can look simple without also looking monotonous or like every other residence that surrounds it. Take this one for example, It’s a house located in Sydney, Australia and designed by Choi Ropiha Fighera. It doesn’t look like much from the street, following the design pattern of the houses in the area. However, it has a lot of character despite the simplicity of the garage and driveway section.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

When this gorgeous house was built in Cape Town, South Africa, the client wanted a holiday house that could eventually become the perfect place to retire to. It had to be modern and to offer views of the ocean, all on a limited budget. The team at Gavin Maddock Design Studio came up with a design that’s very clean and which contrasts beautifully with the surroundings. The rich wooden garage module is particularly satisfying through the way in which it complements the crisp white lines of the rest of the house.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Here’s another stunning example of a residence that stands out thanks to the elegant and sophisticated contrast between the garage door and the rest of the building. In this case, the design created by Mark Brand Architecture also impresses through the great attention offered to the details. The garage door is made of wood and features five thin horizontal windows

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Instead of making the garage contrast with the rest of the house’s facade, architect Christopher Simmonds gave this residence a unique look by making the ground floor white while the upper level is clad in stained wood just like the garage. The dynamic is pretty interesting.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Sometimes limitations can lead to new and creative creations and new and unique ways of dealing with the problem. Such was the case with this residence that’s built on a steep lot in Vancouver, Canada. The house is pretty much projecting from the hillside and since there were construction limitations the architects has to be innovative and to create a series of cantilevered spaces with untouched land underneath them. The garage was one of the volumes that had to sit on the ground.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

The Lantern House is a residence designed by Feldman Architecture and located in Palo Alto, California. The street-facing facade is pretty closed off compared to the rear of the house. The garage covers a big section and is clad in panels that match the core section of the house which accommodates the circulation area. The rest of the facade is white.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

When the facade of a house is not designed as a whole but rather as a combination of different materials, colors and proportions, there’s an interesting and eye-catching dynamic between all these elements. The design of this house in Texas was created by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture and we really like the way the garage is coordinated with the entrance and the side wall.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Although it’s a quite massive and imposing building, this house from Simbali, South Africa has a really nice zen look and seems very bright, open and airy. Metropole Architects completed its design in 2011 and gave it a multifunctional carport-like outdoor space with a room and a deck cantilevered above it, exterior walls covered in stone, tiled roofs and a spacious garage with an elegant wooden door.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

The Northface House is a contemporary home located in Rogaland, Norway. It was designed by Element Arkitekter AS and it captures some wonderful views. A big section of the house sits beneath street level while the garage is placed away from the main building, with easy access to the road.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

As you approach this house designed by Anonymous Architects, all you see at first is the garage. The rest of the house is perched on the hillside, following the sloping terrain and oriented towards the valley. The residence is located in central LA.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Squeezed between two existing buildings, the Shaft House may be small but that doesn’t stop it from being cozy, practical and pretty nice-looking too. Its ground floor is mostly occupies by the car garage and entrance and the rest of the spaces are stacked on two other floors. The house is situated in Toronto, Canada and was designed by Atelier rzlbd.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Above Dolores Park in San Francisco there’s a dream house perched on a steep site. Its proximity to the garden enables it to offer some really great views, especially from the rooftop. The project was completed by architect Craig Steely in 2013. There are a lot of interesting design features one of which is rather unexpected: a garage door with an interesting opening mechanism.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

The design of this house from Melbourne, Australia is a harmonious combination of modern and traditional. The facade is not too simple but not too ornate either, featuring an eye-pleasing palette of colors and materials and the car garage sits neatly to the side, completing the image of a perfect family home.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

The geometry of this house is really interesting and creates some great visual effects. This residence is part of a series called Genesee Townhomes designed by Elemental Architecture. They’re all located in Seattle, Washington and they’re structured on three levels, with an entrance, garage and social area on the ground floor and a circulation corridor to the side.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Sitting next to the lake in the region of Nordelta, in Tigre, Buenos Aires, this residence has an L-shaped floor plan on the ground level which wraps around the cube-shaped garage, forming an open parking space that runs along the glazed interior spaces. The design was done by Fritz + Fritz Arquitectos in 2012.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture
Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

The Wren Residence which was designed by Chris Pardo Design: Elemental Architecture in Missoula, Montana also has an L-shaped floor plan. The bike and car garage is the closest one to the street while the rest of the volumes are positioned towards the back of the site for more privacy. There’s also a small garden that acts as a buffer.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

The entrance of this modern residence designed by Signature Custom Homes cuts into the garage and together they form a semi-detached volume on top of which there’s an open terrace. The rest of the functions are houses inside the residence and have glass walls and doors that let the light and the views inside. The house is located in Perth, Australia.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Davidov Partners Architects built this house for a couple that had a few rather unusual requests. They wanted the house to be optimized for guest entertaining but to also feel comfortable and cozy for themselves. The architects designed the house with two kitchens. One is a public space and feels more like a bar, situated next to the garage, and one is private and meant for actual cooking and prepping.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

This is the Anderson Pavilion located in Modesto, California. It was a project by Miller Design and one of the most eye-catching elements is the garage which occupies the ground floor and features a series of perforated panels that let light filter through and create an interesting geometric display.

2-car garage designs

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

The AS House which is located in a small city in Southern Brazil is a building that takes wonderful advantage of the sloped site on which it’s built. Architect Guilherme Torres used minimalism to give the house a refined and elegant look and, most importantly, to allow it to feel private, cozy and protected from the busy street. A two-car garage size was agreed upon and this volume became a crucial element in the overall design of the house.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture
Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Privacy is sometimes taken very seriously and a lot of houses are designed with closed street facades or buffer zones between the street and the interior living spaces. One example is House A&B which is located in Austria. It was designed by Smertnik Kraut Architekten and has a white facade and a long sliding door system that conceals a minimalist 2-car garage.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

This is an adaptation of the typical Australian suburban home to a contemporary bungalow style. It’s part of a project developed by Bild Architecture. The design of this pair of duplex units is an interesting hybrid between contrasting styles. Instead of having the double garage situated in front or to the side of the house, like an annex, the architects placed the rest of the house on top of it, making it the ground floor.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Located in Wyoming, USA, this house is one of the six prefabricated modules created by Method Homes. It was a project by Chris Pardo Design: Elemental Architecture and its design is nicely balanced, featuring wood-clad volume which incorporates a two-car garage and which contrasts with the light-colored volumes that frame it. Part of the garage acts as a platform for an open terrace.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

In 2016 FGO/Arquitectura completed a contemporary residence located in the Yocatan peninsula. The house sits on a site dominated by a lot of vegetation and its design was adapted to the surroundings. There’s a very breezy feel throughout the house and all the spaces, including the garage, are seamlessly connected to the outdoors in one way or another.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Because of its close proximity to the river, this house designed by hughesumbanhowar architects was raised on a 30” tall porous plinth which elevates above the flood line. All the areas, including the two-car garage, appear to float as the water surrounds the foundation.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

When designing this residence in Bridgehampton, New York, Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects managed to find a way to keep the interior spaces private while also ensuring a very open and breezy look throughout. The ground floor of the house accommodates a garage for two cars which, despite being compact, gives the building a very slender look.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

In an effort to seamlessly integrate this stylish contemporary chalet into its natural surroundings, the architects used stone and wood as primary materials and maintained a simple and organic flow of forms and proportions throughout. The garage is frames by stone walls and accent lights highlight their texture at night.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

The Elysium 154 House is a contemporary residence located in Queensland, Australia. It was designed by BVN Architecture and it impresses with its refined simplicity and the elegant palette of materials, textures and colors selected for the facades but also for the interior decor. Design elements such as the privacy screens, shutters and even the garage doors help ensure a cohesive and sophisticated appearance throughout.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Built in an area with string regulations, this residence from Brentwood, California was limited to a one-story elevation from the street and a mid-century-inspired design based on a mixture of rustic and modern elements. The design created by Nonzero Architecture is very interesting in the sense that it allows the house to be quite large but to look low-profile and rather modest-sized. It’s all done through a careful positioning of the volumes and a clever choice of materials and forms. The garage which is big enough for two cars has a semi-opaque door that lets light filter through thus making the volume seem  open and airy.

Garage for 3 cars

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

It’s pretty rare to see a house that has a garage able to accommodate more than 2 cars, unless of course it’s designed for a collector or there’s another reason behind this structural choice. The Glenbrook Residence from Bethesda, Maryland is interesting not only because it has a three-car garage but also because of the general distribution of the spaces which are organized into two stone volumes and a glass pavilion placed between them. It was designed by Architect David Jameson.

Underground garages

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture
Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

As impressive as the house itself may be, the garage is just as stunning, if not even more. That’s because this house designed by Diego Guayasamin Arquitectos has an underground garage. There’s a ramp that leads under the house, following the gentle slope and framing the yard.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Paul de Ruiter Architects built a very unusual house in the Noord-Beveland region of The Netherlands. The site is a protected habitat for plants and animal and special conditions were put in place which only allowed the owner to build on the land with the condition to return the area to its pre-agricultural state. Part of the program included building a large pond which can be admired both from the underground garage and workspace volume and the suspended living areas.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

This house in Luxembourg makes the most of a sloped site by featuring a cool version of an underground garage. This structure keeps the living spaces at street level and ensures a uniform a floor plan. The design was done by n-lab architects in 2010.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

In order to obtain a bigger garden, architect Jaime Ortiz de Zevallos organized this residence on three levels. The house is located in Lima, Peru and has three floors, one of which is an underground parking space and service area. The social areas occupy the ground floor and the private spaces are on the top floor. The garden and backyard frame the house and ensure a wonderful openness without compromising privacy.

Open space parking

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

The open garage style chosen for this house is in accordance with this the design concept adopted for the building. The client wanted it to have a maintenance-free facade and an overall open and relaxed look. At the same time, they asked DAPstockholm to give the house a solid and secluded character.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

This structure built by Moosmann architects in Vienna, Austria, was meant to serve as a summer getaway home for its owners who spend the winter in the city. The brief was to build a bungalow for two on a site framed by large trees. The architects gave the bungalow full-height windows and sliding glass doors, a large wooden deck and an open garage with ambient lighting.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Technically, an open garage offers as much space as an enclosed one but the difference is the lack of walls and doors and an overall feeling of freedom and openness. Matt Fajkus Architecture adopted the style when they designed this residence in Austin, Texas.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

The Torres House is located in the Sierra Madre mountain range, in Monterrey, Mexico. It was a project by GLR Arquitectos and its design focuses on the connection between the house and its surroundings. The design is open towards the landscape, featuring full-height windows, glass walls and doors and even an open garage.

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

The open garage concept was also adopted by architects Adrian Govetto and Lucas Mansilla when they designed this cool residence in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The garage is framed by stone walls and acts as a buffer between the street and the living spaces which are clustered towards the back of the site.

Rooftop garage

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

It may seem odd to park the car on the roof of a house but sometimes it makes perfect sense, like in the case of this house from Los Angeles, US. The house was designed and built by Anonymous Architects on a steep slope, more exactly in a small valley. Most of it under street level.

Lift up parking

Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture
Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture
Large one car garage architecture from D Arcy Jones Architecture

Sure, underground garages are cool but what’s even cooler is a=one that has a car lift. This is a private car display with underground carport designed by b29 architects for one of their clients. It allows vehicles to be securely and discreetly stored underground but at the same time it maintains a cool and sophisticated sense of luxury.