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Parkitecture: Top Submissions

Tags:: Architecture

When we launched Parkitecture, our latest design competition, we had no idea that we'd get such a number of forward-thinking entries. Submissions poured in from all over the world, and it was difficult to winnow them down into a top tier of finalists. Though the prize went to Chunsheh Teo for his Nexus et2 garage, we thought we would share a few of our other favorites.

— Amanda Dameron

Folding Garage by Demet Sisalan Dinlerand Suleyman Dinler

This convertible garage concept is designed to turn large parking spaces into a natural environment and efficient area by allowing the user keeping it away from garden when it’s not in use. The design contains two basic pieces: ‘Taps & bellows’. There is a ‘front tap’ at the entry door and ‘rear tap’ at the edge of the bellows. The front tap is a stable piece of the concept. The convertible bellows and rear tap are folding pieces that fit together and which slide on rails. The car pushes the rubber tampon-bumper inside the rear tap along the rail toward to back. The car's front wheels step on an iron ramp, which starts the hydraulic system to push the bellows wheels along the rail toward rear end stop.
Bellow panels or accordion surfaces expand thru back at both cases. Both functioning options can be arranged to remain in the open position, no matter whether the car is taken out. At both case the system closes itself (rear tap reaches back to front tap) slowly with the help of hydraulic pipes inside the rail profiles. The front tap module has garage door and cabinets at each side, tool baskets and optional cooling and heating units at top of the arch. This piece the only stable part of the design, it may need concrete slab on grade just at the bottom of two side cabinets.

Even though it’s a freestanding garage, the shape of the front tab’s roof can be variously designed for all aesthetic concerns on existing architecture. Possible bellows shapes include a folding shell roof and two side wall panels, or an accordion half-tube. Benefits include the following: There is no concrete slab on earth. Rails may build in 2 strips for car tires by using grass planting bricks; It keeps less than %25 area covered on earth when it’s not in use; Cheap, easy to establish, fast, easy to manufacture, easy to relocate. Light and durable; If it’s manufactured, then the taps and bellows can be recycled pieces in the market; Material and white or metallic colors don’t absorb the sunlight, reflect it back to out of space at top of the surface; Sun, wind, rain, snow protection when it’s in parking or fixing use position; Security goal is supplied by durable frame and material in addition of common electronic security systems.