Desiring a carport that could serve the dual function of daily weather protection for vehicles and an outdoor gathering space for occasional get-togethers, the owners wished to carry their own design interests in art and mid-century furniture pieces into the look and feel of the structure. This challenge required a design solution that balanced the utilitarian requirements of storage with the aesthetic criteria of warmth and timeless design.

The resulting project is successful in its simplicity: A 600 square foot free-standing addition in the client’s backyard. The carport itself reads as an ipe-clad piece of furniture with built-in benches housing storage and small sections of walls that hide the steel supports while framing views of the surrounding yard. A small storage shed is kept independent from the covered structure, in an effort to lighten the footprint of the addition, and constructed with a polycarbonate wall on two sides to act as a lantern when lit at night. (The light is wired to the house in addition to within the storage space.) A sink and countertop with storage below face towards the carport’s covered space, creating an ideal spot for daily plant watering and the occasional outdoor cookout, and overlooked by a stainless steel print by local artist Teresa Cole. The roof is treated as a canvas and designed with sedum planting trays, as the view from within the raised living space of the home is a birds-eye of the structure.  This low maintenance landscaping will slowly grow into a colorful palette that is tolerable to the seasons.