Heritage carports and garages

Ideally, the carport or garage should be at the rear of the house, as shown in Illustration 1. This siting applies to all new structures, particularly double garages. This position will help minimise the impact of the structure on the house and its setting within the streetscape. Matching the original house materials and details is less critical with a structure that is at the rear of the main house.

As long as there is adequate space, an alternative location for a carport or garage is at the side of the house, as shown in Illustration 2. The front of the carport or garage should be set back further from the street than the house. Materials and details should match with the existing house to blend new with old.

It is not recommended that you build in front of the house (see Illustrations 3 and 4). Both planning and building regulations may disallow this option altogether. However, where space is restricted it may be the only location possible. In this case, it is best to build a single carport rather than a garage, so that the structure is small-scale and lightweight. This ensures that obstruction of the house is minimised.

When you plan your structure, consider the appearance of a carport or garage within the overall streetscape. Carports and garages shouldn't dominate your own house or any neighbouring houses. Within the street, there may be a rhythm or pattern in the relationship between houses and driveways, as shown in Illustrations 5 and 5a. If so, it is important to maintain these features.

Consider your neighbours and the proximity of your driveway and carport or garage to their houses. Try to plan your carport or garage so that it doesn't overshadow any important windows or compromise the privacy of your own or your neighbours' homes (see Illustration 6).

Ideally, the overall form of the carport, garage or shed should be similar to the original house. This particularly applies to the roof, as this is generally the dominant feature of a small building.

For example, if the house has a pyramid or hipped style roof, then so too should any new structure (Illustration 7).

Similarly, gabled-roofed homes are generally suited to new structures with gabled roofs (Illustration 8).

Where the house roof features a combination of hipped and gabled roof there is greater flexibility with this rule. It is important that the roof pitch and overhang of a carport or garage match that of the main house (Illustration 9).

Likewise, if the house has a hipped roof, the new structure should also have a hipped form (Illustration 10).

This rule is also flexible where a building is not visible from the street. However, you must consider the overall form of rear sheds and how they impact on the setting of the house and views from, and within, the backyard.

The scale or size of the carport, garage or shed should not dominate the main house (Illustration 11). Generally, the gutter line of the new building should be lower than that of the house.

In some cases, it may be best to plan a carport or garage with cars parked in tandem (one behind the other), rather than a double-width structure. This can help minimise the visual width and impact of the new building. On larger blocks, a double carport or garage may be acceptable as long as it's set back as far as possible (Illustration 12).

A skillion or lean-to roof for a carport is not recommended for any style of heritage house, particularly where it's visible from the street (Illustration 13). These types of roofs are unsympathetic to the original design and streetscape.

The detailing of material such as wall cladding, roofing and gutters should complement the existing house. Generally, if the house has timber walls and a galvanised iron roof, the carport, garage or shed should too.

The details don't need to be exact replicas, as this can be impractical and expensive. For future historical research, it's also best to distinguish between the original buildings and the new additions. For example, the size or width of weatherboard or chamferboard on walls is more important than matching an exact profile. This is because the horizontal lines of the boards will be visible from a distance, whereas the profile can only be compared if examined in detail. Ideally, any sheet material, such as custom orb profile steel, should be laid so that the dominant lines or corrugations run horizontally.

The closer to the house and front of the block a new building is located, the more closely the materials should match the original. So if the garage is located beside the house, the wall and roof cladding should match those of the house. If it's located at the rear where the structure is less obtrusive, you can use alternative materials such as custom orb sheeting. Modern-profile metal sheeting such as Trimdek is not recommended for roofs or walls.

Heritage houses often have decorative elements within their façades, such as shaped bargeboards, timber mouldings and decorative insets of pressed metal, finials or lacework. You do not need to replicate these features exactly for a successful garage or carport design. Traditionally, the main house would have been the most ornate building, with its outbuildings having less elaborate design elements. It is often possible to borrow elements from the main house and simplify them for lesser structures such as carports, garages or sheds (Illustration 14). 

Illustration 15 shows the types of gutter profiles used on heritage houses of different eras. Modern square line gutter profiles are not recommended for additions to houses in character precincts.