Inside-Out Architecture, Part IV: The Indoor/Outdoor Garage

Where Function Meets Finesse

In most luxury residential design, the garage is the last place architecture is allowed to speak. It’s hidden behind opaque doors, buried beneath the house, or pushed to the property edge — treated as necessary but unworthy of the same spatial dignity granted to living, bathing, and cooking. At KR Industries, we believe that’s a missed opportunity.

In this fourth installment of our Inside-Out Architecture series, we examine the garage not as afterthought, but as interface — a vital transition zone between movement and stillness, machine and material, inside and out. These aren't garages as we know them. These are architectural sanctuaries for machines that move us.

Rewriting the Brief: What is a garage, really?

To reimagine the garage, we had to abandon the default assumptions:

• That it's hidden from view

• That it's dark, sealed, and industrial

• That it's made for storage, not experience

• That protecting vehicles must come at the expense of design

Instead, we asked a different set of questions:

• How can a garage frame the experience of arrival?

• Can it become a place of pride, not concealment?

• How can it transition effortlessly from function to atmosphere?

• And how do we reconcile indoor/outdoor freedom with luxury vehicle protection, especially in tropical climates?

The result is a series of four design studies — each testing a different relationship between enclosure, openness, circulation, and use. Together, they outline a new design language for the high-end garage — one rooted in spatial generosity, material refinement, and lived experience.

Design 1: Glass Pavilion Beneath the Home

In the first concept, the garage is fully enclosed — but visually expansive. Vehicles are brought through and beneath the house via a sculpted concrete drive, emerging into a rear terrace where they can either be left open to the air or backed into the structure. But this isn’t a typical garage box — the enclosure is built with sliding glass doors, which erase the visual boundary between garage and garden.

Inside, the space feels more like a residential office or private lounge than a mechanical bay. The warm concrete flooring, artful lighting, and floor-to-ceiling transparency make it feel calm, composed, and elevated. When the vehicles are removed, the space can even convert into a gallery or workspace.

It’s not technically indoor/outdoor in the structural sense — but it feels like it. And in architectural design, feeling often matters more than formal classification.

Key features:

• Drive-through access beneath the house

• Rear courtyard-style garage entry

• Full glass doors for visibility and light

• Programmatic flexibility: display, lounge, or storage

Design 2: Open-Air Lounge at the Edge of the Site

This version takes the concept further into the true indoor/outdoor spectrum. The garage lives entirely at the rear of the property, accessed by driving through the structure and into a courtyard beyond. It’s framed with deep soffits, open ceiling planes, and no enclosing doors. The atmosphere is light, airy, and spatially open — a kind of hybrid between carport and private pavilion.

What makes this space work is the marriage of rawness and refinement. The absence of front-facing garage doors removes the conventional boundary, while lush landscaping and integrated lighting establish a strong sense of place. This isn’t just where vehicles park — it’s where vehicles arrive.

Of course, the trade-off is exposure. In a tropical setting, this design favors owners who are less concerned with full enclosure and more interested in experiential flow.

Key features:

• Fully open to the rear yard

• Lounge-style seating and detailing

• No front or rear doors — pure open-air interface

• Ideal for short-term display, hosting, or collectors with indoor storage elsewhere

Design 3: Hybrid Flow with Dual Enclosure and Open Ceiling

The third study is a refined middle ground. Like Design 2, it lives at the rear of the home and allows for vehicles to pass entirely through the property. But this time, we’ve brought back glass sliding doors at both the front and rear of the garage, offering full enclosure when desired. The ceiling, however, remains segmented — with strategic skylights and partial exposure that bring daylight and ventilation into the space without compromising shelter.

This design is about controlled permeability — the ability to protect valuable vehicles without sacrificing spatial openness. When the rear doors are open, cars can pull all the way through to the private concrete courtyard beyond. When closed, the space becomes a sculpted glass volume — still luminous, still light — but now safe from weather and debris.

This concept blends circulation logic with architectural poise. It’s a space that can host a vehicle as easily as it can host a guest.

Key features:

• Glass doors on both ends for protection and visibility

• Partial open ceiling for airflow and drama

• Drive-through capacity into a rear courtyard

• Elevated material detailing: stone, wood, and low-profile lighting

Design 4: Full Roof Shelter with Rear Openness

In the fourth design, we explore the inverse of Design 3. The garage still sits at the back of the home and features a lounge-like interior — but it drops the glass doors and leans into a fully enclosed ceiling. The result is a more protective overhead condition that still allows for outdoor interface via its open rear edge.

This solution leans on spatial framing and architectural proportion to establish comfort and control. The ceiling provides shading, cooling, and weather protection, while the open rear maintains the feeling of visual release. Without full enclosure, the garage is more exposed to humidity and temperature swings — but it gains in airiness and accessibility.

This is for clients who value aesthetics over sealed security, or who prefer their vehicles on constant display within a curated architectural volume.

Key features:

• Enclosed ceiling for protection and climate control

• No doors or glazing at rear — open-air interface

• Lounge-like detailing and integrated lighting

• Positioned at rear of property for privacy

Designing for the Tropics: A Real Challenge

All four designs grapple with a uniquely difficult question:How do you create an indoor/outdoor garage in a tropical climate without compromising the protection luxury vehicles require?

Rain, humidity, salt air, and solar exposure can all wreak havoc on paint, electronics, and interiors. While a carport is easy to build and visually dramatic, it’s rarely sufficient at this level of investment. These designs work because they approach the garage not as an isolated utility, but as a part of the overall architectural language — with materials, sightlines, and circulation all considered in harmony with function.

It’s not just about storing a car. It’s about celebrating the drive, protecting the vehicle, and elevating the everyday.

Final Thoughts: Toward a New Typology

At KR Industries, we believe that every space — even the garage — deserves architectural intention. These four concepts are not just variations on storage. They’re case studies in how structure, material, and movement can merge to support lifestyle, luxury, and landscape all at once.

As homes become more customized and vehicles more integrated into our cultural identity, we expect to see the garage rise in architectural significance. Whether it’s a sealed jewel box, an open-air lounge, or something in between, the future garage will be experienced, not ignored.

What Do You Think?

We’d love to hear which of these four designs resonates most with you — and why.

Let us know in the comments below! 👇

Until next time —KR Industries

Design Solutions Rooted in Movement, Material, and Meaning

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