Ailsa Street
When a retired couple wanted to create a rear off-street parking space to charge their new electric car, Great Spaces got to work.
Brief
While the owner’s property faced a rear lane, access was limited and almost impossible to navigate with a car. With no possibility of charging on the street, they asked us to design a space where they could get their new electric vehicle in and out easily.
Design
The finished space would feature a remote garage door spanning the width of the property to allow enough room to turn in or exit in either direction. Large pavers forming the parking space would be bordered by low retaining walls to create beds for plants and shrubs which will eventually screen fencing and soften the surrounds.
Construction
The land at the rear of the property was higher than the level of the lane, so truckloads of earth were excavated to create a smooth ramp in from the lane. Care was taken to properly compact the materials underpinning the pavers to ensure the long-term stability of car traffic.
The construction team installed a 5.5-metre-wide remote garage door to span the width of the property and allow easy access to the narrow rear lane. Footings and red clinker bricks were laid to form the retaining walls for planting. While the couple currently uses a conventional plug to charge their car, provision was made for a fast charger in the future. With more people adopting EVs, this is the kind of project we expect to see more of in Melbourne’s inner-city suburbs.
