Rule of thumbRecommended
Garage not the prominent front-facade element
GARAGE-NOT-FRONT-FACINGDescription
Avoid the 'snout-house' pattern where the garage is the most visible element from the street. Set the garage back, side-load it, or use a courtyard layout to subordinate it.
Why this exists
Snout-house garages dominate streetscape and signal car-first design.
Categories
SiteAesthetic
Source
AIA Residential Knowledge Communityno manifest entry
Best practices for residential design (—)
Section: Compiled professional consensus
Published 2024-01-01 · last verified 2026-05-09
Solver enforcement
Browsable only — the solver does not currently enforce this directive (no spec-level data to check against). This entry exists so the architect personas can cite it in conversation and the user can read what the rule says.
Related directives
- Living room minimum size · LIVING-ROOM-SIZE
- Family room minimum size · FAMILY-ROOM-SIZE
- Dining room sizing · DINING-ROOM-SIZE
- Circulation as rooms · CIRCULATION-AS-ROOMS
- Habitable room aspect ratio · ROOM-ASPECT-RATIO
Last reviewed 2026-05-09.