Photo of a large traditional attached one-car porte cochere in New York.

Jack Bender Construction, Inc.
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional detached two-car carport in Raleigh.

Island Cove House keeps a low profile on the horizon. On the driveway side it rambles along like a cottage that grew over time, while on the water side it is more ordered. Weathering shingles and gray-brown trim help the house blend with its surroundings. Heating and cooling are delivered by a geothermal system, and much of the electricity comes from solar panels.

In order to make sure the addition matched the look and feel of the existing structure, we installed steel French doors and a single door to provide a touch of a modern look with the traditional carriage house style. Instead of traditional garage doors, we installed real wood carriage style doors that open up like French doors.

ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography

Our clients in Centreville, VA were looking add a detached garage to their Northern Virginia home that matched their current home both aesthetically and in charm. The homeowners wanted an open porch to enjoy the beautiful setting of their backyard. The finished project looks as if it has been with the home all along. Photos courtesy of Greg Hadley Photography http://www.greghadleyphotography.com/

The Plymouth was designed to fit into the existing architecture vernacular featuring round tapered columns and eyebrow window but with an updated flair in a modern farmhouse finish. This home was designed to fit large groups for entertaining while the size of the spaces can make for intimate family gatherings. The interior pallet is neutral with splashes of blue and green for a classic feel with a modern twist. Off of the foyer you can access the home office wrapped in a two tone grasscloth and a built in bookshelf wall finished in dark brown. Moving through to the main living space are the open concept kitchen, dining and living rooms where the classic pallet is carried through in neutral gray surfaces with splashes of blue as an accent. The plan was designed for a growing family with 4 bedrooms on the upper level, including the master. The Plymouth features an additional bedroom and full bathroom as well as a living room and full bar for entertaining. Photographer: Ashley Avila Photography Interior Design: Vision Interiors by Visbeen Builder: Joel Peterson Homes

Rick Moll
Photo of a traditional detached three-car carport in Atlanta.

Photo of a mid-sized traditional attached two-car carport in Other.

Photo of a mid-sized traditional detached three-car garage in Atlanta.

Inspiration for a garage in Toronto.

Rear yard garage is beautifully enhanced with this vine covered arbor.
Traditional garage in San Francisco.

Inspiration for a large country detached two-car workshop in Louisville.

Due to the setback requirements, a pass through garage was created to allow for equipment and maintenance access to the yard.
Traditional one-car garage in Omaha.

New, high performance detached garage needed to match main home in historic district. Photo by BuilderFish
This is an example of a traditional three-car garage in DC Metro.

Photo of a traditional garage in Other.

Looking at this home today, you would never know that the project began as a poorly maintained duplex. Luckily, the homeowners saw past the worn façade and engaged our team to uncover and update the Victorian gem that lay underneath. Taking special care to preserve the historical integrity of the 100-year-old floor plan, we returned the home back to its original glory as a grand, single family home. The project included many renovations, both small and large, including the addition of a a wraparound porch to bring the façade closer to the street, a gable with custom scrollwork to accent the new front door, and a more substantial balustrade. Windows were added to bring in more light and some interior walls were removed to open up the public spaces to accommodate the family’s lifestyle. You can read more about the transformation of this home in Old House Journal: http://www.cummingsarchitects.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Old-House-Journal-Dec.-2009.pdf Photo Credit: Eric Roth

Design ideas for a mid-sized detached one-car carport in Austin.

New Carport on compact steep property,
Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury detached two-car carport in New York.