Garage - go underground or not? Maintain Arts and Crafts character

9 years ago

I would like to build a structure that can function as a motor vehicle garage for three cars, storeroom for our online retail business and potential office.

Our property is on a decent slope we have planned to put it in the front left of the plot, with the front lawn extending onto the top of the garage. To do this I will have to excavate about a metre down to keep the levels as well as have retaining walls around the driveway. We will then reclaim some of the existing driveway and be able to extend the front lawn. Having this extended front area will allow us to have more access to the front which has some fantastic Surrey Hills forest-scape views.

We have planning permission for an 8m x 7 m garage with this design. The original design shows the structure carrying enough topsoil to enable us to grow some lawn / shrubs on top.

My problems are:
1) I am not sure 8m x 7m is big enough to add in the storeroom / potential office. I think something like 11m x 8m with a car sliding mechanism for the third car (collector car driven only on special occasions)
2) Expense of building an underground structure.
3) Our house is a lovely classic Arts and Crafts design. What are my design options around the retaining walls down the driveway to keep / be in sympathy with Arts and Crafts.

Options I have thought about are:
1) Instead of having grass on top, have paving / stone courtyard. My assumption means I have to dig down less and have less of a spec roof because isn't so heavy. Are these assumptions correct? How do I make this fit in with arts and crafts?
2) Instead of having such a large one story garage, what about keeping the original size but what about building a typical roof and then having office in the garage loft? Maybe the entrance into the vertical side of the roof wall (if you get my meaning?).

Houzzers - please could you help me with ideas around:
1) Most cost effective method for building underground.
2) Other design ideas to manage to cost.
3) Other things you have learnt the hard way when trying something like this.

Thanks Houzzers

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Comments (2)

PRO
The Classic Barn Company
7 years ago
Hi

Lots to answer here, i might not get through it all but can certainly add to your post:

Firstly, the more you can build above ground the more cost effective it will be, groundwork costs for underground projects have more structural considerations, drainage etc and therefore high likley to be more expensive.

Your 8m x 7m is to tight for 3x cars plus a store room. Something will need to give if you want all this across one level. A rule of thumb would be to keep garage bays at 3m wide by 5.5/6m depth. As an example, our standrad 3 bay garages are 9m x 6m, if you add a store than half a bay should do it at 1.5m x 6m. You do have a generous depth at 7m so could incorporate a store at the back instead, but it will be 1/1.5m deep (maybe this is sufficent?). I can send you our garage range showing all dimmensions if it helps you with measurements, so you can see what sizes work. This includeds our room above garages as well. Just contact me through our profile. Equally if you would benefit from seeing what others have done, request our ideas brochure.

Normally i could provide price indications but with your groundworks issue this woukld be misleading. Typically an above ground build for a 3 bay room above barn would cost £50k/£60k + vat for the full works and then a single storey 3 bay barn barn £40k + vat - but with your requirements and sliders for classic cars etc your into serious costs beyond this im afraid. However certainly a very nice project. On the face of it, i would suggest a 8m x 7m Extrawide two bay barn with room above for storage/office. the garage bays would be very wide and therefore could accomodate a store (or event he stairs if need be). Alternatively a tight 8m x 7m three bay, but be sure to sling a tape measure with some markers around your cars to expereince what getting in/out of the cars will feel like. Note: If you keep the bays open to one another then the car door can swing open into the other bay, making it not so bad.

I hope this at least fills in some of the gaps. We deal with complicated groundworks from time to time and driveway/drainage solutions to combat this. Its never a cheap process, but always rewarding .

Andrew / The Classic Barn Company

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Stephen Edwards
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Personally I'd take the opportunity to go full "Bond villain" with the hidden underground option, probably with a hidden pedestrian entry from a summer-house built in the garden on top of it.

As to actually constructing it, a first thing to consider is groundwater and decent drainage behind the retaining walls and whether any services are in the way that would require diversion. It would be wise to have a chat with a few civil/structural engineers.
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Garage - go underground or not? Maintain Arts and Crafts character

Comments (2)

The Classic Barn Company

Stephen Edwards

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