Garages are considered an essential part of modern living but often creating a garage or carport is not as straightforward as you might imagine, and designs must consider limitations of the site as well as requirements from planning departments. Projects I’ve designed include free-standing garages and those where the design had to complement the house, and designs that need approval from planning departments, including the Architectes de Batiment de France, because the site was in a protected area. I’ve also worked on very simple carport and storage structures, but these still need to be beautiful, of course! One of the common challenges is the groundworks. Sometimes a geologist study is required before you can assess if the project is feasible, other times steep inclines that may need cutting into or land that needs structural support, may mean that groundworks are more complicated and expensive than planned. It’s often a requirement in the planning regulations that a project such as an extension or a new build property must have covered parking and a minimum number of other parking places so even if you didn’t want a garage or an abri you would be obliged to in order gain permission for the overall project.