Expert: Richard Taylor, AIA - 5/9/2007

Question
Is there a recommended height for the ceiling of a Porte-Cochere?
We are adding on a Porte-Cochere 26' wide X 24' long to the front of our garage to get much needed cover from the hot Texas sun. If we match the soffets from the garage then the Porte Cochere ceiling of the porte-cochere will only be 8'. We are thinking of making it vaulted, but we wanted to get info on how high the ceiling should be.

Answer
Good morning Mary - thanks for your question!

There's no magic number on what the height of the porte cochere ceiling should be, but here are some things you might consider as you decide.

Most importantly, the ceiling/opening height must be high enough to allow passage of vehicles that enter your property!  The majority of the porte cocheres that we've done are the only access to at least part of the property; if a moving van or plumbing truck can't get through then you have a problem!  If you design the roof to allow a 10' high truck to get through then you'll be covered for most possibilities.

Architecturally, the height of the roof/ceiling should be in proportion to the size of the "footprint" of the porte cochere and the size of the openings.  Ideally, the height at the soffit should be about 1/2 of the length - 12' in your case.  That's probably impractical, however so you might bring it down to 10'.  And since it's attached to your garage you'll have to resolve the different heights somehow.

If you're planning on using the porte-cochere as outdoor entertaining space, then the soffit height is less a concern than the ceiling height inside.  I'd recommend a vaulted ceiling, and would match the roof pitch if possible.  You might want to consider skylights to keep the interior from being too dark.

If the roof is steeply-pitched, you can visually control the height of the ceiling with cross beams or trusses - see example at http://www.rtastudio.com/Portfolio/Transformations/Family%20Room/Familyroom.htm

If you'd like, you may contact me at rich@rtastudio.com to discuss how I might be able to assist you further.

Hope this helps!

Richard Taylor, AIA
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