Massachusetts Shingle Style Carriage House

by Frank Shirley Architects

This delightful Shingle style carriage house was dilapidated. Horses took their toll early on, and more recent, misconstrued accommodations for an RV nearly sealed the building’s fate. Fortunately, the new homeowners saw a fun, quirky old building worthy of salvation. We were instructed to preserve the bones of the old building, while adapting it to their needs. Vehicle storage was paramount for the family with teenage drivers, so storage for four cars led the design. To avoid an overbearing facade of garage doors, we designed an ell for two additional bays. We pulled the ell’s roof lines low to diminish its scale and provide cover for arriving guests. A gameroom ‘getaway’ for teenagers and a private retreat for guests fills the loft area above the garage. Materials were chosen both for their historical character and their long-term sustainability; mechanical and insulation systems were selected for high performance and low energy usage – this building is built to last another 125 years or more.