Maserati Has Found the Ultimate Architectural Garage in the United States (VIDEO)

Maserati of North America, in a partnership with Architecture Digest, has just completed a nationwide search for the finest architectural garages in America. There were two categories for the competition which included EXISTING garages and CONCEPT garages. The concept garages are cool and all, but you almost need to be a building contractor to understand the schematic drawings, so we have chosen to focus on the existing car shacks. The winner of this category is none other than Holger Schubert (Archisis Inc.) in Los Angeles, CA. Below is the press release about his uber-smooth garage:

This garage was designed with two main objectives in mind: to create a pure and restrained minimalist environment that allows one to focus on the car as a piece of art and to create the ultimate experience for the driver to arrive at home.

It is located on the upper floor of a new addition to a 1953 ranch style home on a down-sloping hillside lot overlooking the western part of Los Angeles. Access is via a driveway bridge separate from the main entrance to the property’s motor court. The 1,200 square foot space provides a designated spot for the car and a large open area for a couch, a slide-away TV, a built-in book shelve in front of a large storage room, as well as a small kitchen, a bathroom and a library.

An area of 8′ x 12′ is made of sandblasted aluminum grating that is set flush into the concrete floors. It hides a 9′ long steel ramp, which the driver raises five inches by remote control to create a slope sufficient for the car to roll out and be started outdoors.

A number of sustainable building products were used—electric screens on the exterior of the large window walls help control the climate. 47 solar panels on the roof generate more than the family’s energy consumption. The upper floor is heated exclusively via radiant heating set into the concrete floors. The 25′ long bookshelf wall is clad with ship lapped strips of homasote, a 100% cellulose fiber board commonly used for sound insulation. Additionally, all interior and exterior walls are insulated with natural cotton fiber insulation. LED strip lights hidden in the recessed ceiling run along the entire parameter of the room and are complimented by 12 flush mounted up-lights in the floor. A 24′ long aluminum box spans across the large skylight and houses multiple low voltage spotlights.

The gallery-like environment objectifies the car during the day and dramatically projects its shapes onto both window walls at night—creating an homage to the art of automotive design.

Here are some more images of garages that are both submissions to the contest as well as others found from the past that we think are outstanding:

Source: Maserati