Parking lot design: a guide with layouts and dimensions

Car park design can be complex, having to take into account the average size of vehicles, the space needed for manoeuvring and the adapt building to host it. If you are tackling the difficult task to design of a car park, it is essential to:

• use an architectural software to design forecourts, roads, flowerbeds, outdoor lighting, etc.
• gather a range of information about dimensions and parameters to be respected for efficient design.

Here you can immediately download the car park project example (.edf, .ifc, dwg).

Which are the 4 most common types of parking

A car park is a specifically designed space for all the road users in the way that they can safely park their vehicles. Therefore, it’s a place, a space or an area dedicated to vehicle parking

Car parks can be considered as an integral part of the urban mobility system: the fluidity of circulation is heavily influenced by parking conditions.

Parking garages are also called car parks, parking structures, parking buildings, parking ramps, parkades or parking decks but the following represent the main differences. In rhis article we will cover 4 different types:

• Single level parking: A single level parking garage is a parking garage that only has only one floor with manouvering carried out by the driver
• Multilevel or multi-storey parking garage: Multilevel or multi-storey parking garages are parking garages that have multiple floors to park at. The design of a multilevel parking garage can be very different. The most common design is a garage with ramps to move from one level to another. Less common are parking garages that use lifts to go from level to level. Then there are also parking garages with robotic systems that move cars from one level to another. The floors of the parking garage can either go up, down or both
• Automated parking garage: The car park operates as followed: You drive your car onto a platform in the garage. Then the automated parking system will move your car to the available parking space somewhere in the tower. The cars can be moved vertically and horizontally with the use of hydraulic or mechanical lifts. There are several benefits to a multilevel parking facility with an automated parking system. For example you can stack more cars in a compact space because the cars are parked by robots. Also parking spaces can be smaller because no one needs to get in or out of the vehicle and people don’t park it themselves; the robotic system doesn’t need as much space to park a car than a human does
• Carports: Carports are usually located on people’s driveways next to their house. These carports are covered places where one or more cars can be stalled. They are private property that comes with the house. Car ports do not have four walls: Normally they only have one or two walls and sometimes they are attached to a wall of the house it belongs to. Car ports offer protection from bad weather conditions like rain and snow.

Classification of parking areas

Based on architectural form, we classify parking areas into:

• covered – these are closed areas specifically designed for parking vehicles. In a closed place or in the basement of a building, they can host both cars and motorcycles. The closed parking area consists of several levels or floors, and the passage from one level to another is guaranteed by ramps;
• open – external parking areas are single-level spaces specifically designed for parking vehicles. Very economical, they do not need fans and use natural light for illumination, unlike covered parking areas that consume many more resources (lamps, air vents, fans, etc.). One of the characteristics that an external parking area must have is green landscaping, which serves to: mask cars, maintain the microclimate, create movement, mitigate summer temperatures, and act as color and architectural barriers.

Parking areas can also be classified based on the function they perform, their relationship with the urban context, and road circulation.

We distinguish:

• terminal parking, used for very long stops;
• interchange parking, located on the outskirts of the urban center, constitute the exchange nodes within the urban fabric;
• rotation parking, intended for users who make short stops.

Furthermore, an area or building designated for parking can be structured in two ways, in relation to the size and shape of the area to be designated for parking:

• horizontal development (surface parking, at grade or level);
• vertical development (underground parking, elevated, mixed).

External view of a multi-storey car park | Image created in Edificius with the usBIM.codesign AI plugin

Among the vertical development parking lots, we distinguish:

• ramps garages, divided into:
  • single-direction straight ramps (on opposite sides of the parking floor, on the same side of the parking floor, between staggered floors);
  • two-way straight ramps (on opposite sides of the parking floor, on the same side of the parking floor, between staggered floors);
  • single-direction helical ramps (continuous: overlapping or concentric; discontinuous: separate and overlapping);
  • two-way helical ramps (continuous; discontinuous and overlapping);
• mechanical garages or parking silos, divided into:
  • automated (fixed stall, mobile stall, mixed);
  • semi-automated (with central lift, with stall elevator, with moving platforms, mixed with stacker).

Obviously, one type is not better than another in an absolute sense. In general, however, we can consider that the surface exploitation of areas is the most economical in terms of installation and maintenance costs, but not very convenient from the perspective of area utilization.

The underground construction, on the other hand, while justified from the standpoint of surface area utilization, results in greater construction costs, involving not only excavation works but also waterproofing works that significantly increase costs.

The parking lot that appears to be the most rational in terms of area utilization and costs is the elevated one, which, however, presents the not negligible problem of having to fit in as a new building among existing ones (this is often very difficult in urban centers).

Parking lot layout and dimensions

The basic sizing of spaces dedicated to vehicle parking must start from the overall average dimensions of a car and its necessary operative spaces.

• In the European Union and Switzerland the average size of a parking space is about 5 m long by 2.50 m wide;
• The United Kingdom is slightly smaller with a minimum of 2,40 x 4,80 metres.
• In Canada, we have a minimum vehicle size parameter of 2,60 x 5,20 metres.
• The United States have an average vehicle parameter size set to 18ft x 96inches (5,48 x 2,44 metres), even if there are variations in some states.

In Europe, Canada and in the United States, parking areas, auto-workshops or similar, lane widths range between 4,80 and 5,00 metres in those sections in front of the box or the parking space orthogonal to the lane, but good practice standards (given the tendency to increase the dimensions of vehicles) increase these dimensions by 0,50-1,00 metres.

Then we have the parking “tilt angle” in relation to the access lanes. In fact, we have:

• 0° (parking in line, parallel to the lane direction) – the most widely used configuration in urban environments.

Download the “Line parking” scheme here – available in the DWG CAD file format

• 90° (the perpendicular or “comb” layout – perpendicular to the access lanes) – most appropriate when there are two parking sides served by a central access lane. It is a convenient option when a two-way traffic is provided and there are two rows served by a single median lane, as it allows the best ratio of sqm/parking space.

Download the “Perpendicular” scheme here – available in the DWG CAD file format

Download a  30° Angle Scheme layout in the DWG CAD file format

• Download a 45° Angle Scheme layout in the DWG CAD file format

Download a 60° Angle Scheme layout in the DWG CAD file format

These distinctions implicate the possibility of varying the car park’s plan view in order to save space and optimise vehicle manaouvering.

A multy-storey car park: Les Yeux Verts

For implementing your car park project, you can get inspired by the model reproduced with Edificius for this article and based on a multy-storey car park realized in France, in Soissons, near the famous Abbey of Saint Jean-de-la-Vigne from the Jacques Ferrier Architectural firm.

The building can accomodate up to 600 car parking spots and develops across a surface of around 13.200m². It is composed of a concrete and galvanized steel structure and is lined in vertical spruce wood columns that, varied in angle and spacing, create a chain effect.

The architectural design software eabled us to perfectly recreate the multistorey car park with all its iconic details: the wooden façade with the eye-shaped openings and the roof gardens spreading over it.

You can try to achieve the same results by downloading the 3D model of the project and open it with the free trial version of Edificius.

Pavement for Parking Lots

As for the surface layer of pavement for areas intended for parking, there is no doubt that the most economical solution remains that of the bituminous conglomerate layer, in continuity with the characteristics of most road surfaces.

However, it should be noted that this solution is unsuitable in the case of areas of particular value and/or environmental and landscape sensitivity: in these cases, pavement systems such as “compacted earth,” compacted earth with a gravel layer, or compacted earth treated with “travertine head” can be considered.

Pavement materials composed of mixes of cement and aggregates of various sizes (concrete blocks), continuous or “grid” interlocking blocks, which are not costly, allowing acceptable permeability values, should also be considered.

Beyond specific design solutions, parking surfaces can be finished with other materials commonly used in exterior pavements, such as stone slabs, stone interlocking cubes, concrete slabs, and gravel laid on a sand bed or fixed on a special screed, etc.

Multi-storey parking project

The underground or above-ground parking consists of a series of overlapping horizontal or inclined floors, connected to each other by various types of ramps (straight or helical) or by mechanized systems that move the vehicles (parking silo).

Before addressing the issues related to the design of parking lots, it is useful to remember that in front of the entrance of any property used for parking (underground or elevated), it is advisable to indicate, with signage, the maximum height of vehicles that can enter.

Parking project | Rendered section

Inside a parking plan, the arrangement of vertical structures, pillars or reinforced concrete walls, must be designed to ensure the minimum spaces for lanes and stalls to allow for necessary maneuvers.

The parameters that come into play in organizing the internal layout of the parking garage are therefore:

1. the width of the lane;
2. the length;
3. the inclination of the stalls.

Starting from the assumption that if the stalls are positioned at an angle to the lane, it is good practice for the lane to be one-way, and if the stalls are perpendicular to the lane, it significantly increases the minimum lane size, the following can be summarized:

• stalls inclined between 45° and 60° require a lane between 3.50 and 4.20 m;
• stalls inclined between 70° and 80° require a lane between 4.70 and 5.30 m;
• stalls perpendicular to the lane require a lane of 7 m if two-way and 6 m if one-way.

In all cases, it can be considered that the dimensions of the stall are between 4.5 and 5.0 m in length and 2.3 and 2.5 m in width.

The ramps that connect the various parking levels can be simple, double, straight, continuous, or discontinuous, either internal or external to the structure, one-way or two-way.

In the design of parking lots, it is advisable to consider certain characteristics of the ramps, such as the maximum slope and the width.

For connecting ramps, the maximum slope limit is set at 20%, and the minimum width is 3 m for one-way and 4.5 m for two-way. In the case of garages with a capacity between 15 and 40 parking spaces, the use of a 3 m wide ramp for two-way traffic is allowed, provided that this traffic direction is alternated and regulated by a traffic light system.

Ramps must have a slightly variable inclination at the junction points with horizontal surfaces to avoid creating too sharp an angle that could cause contact with the bottom of vehicles; normally, these junctions are made according to circular arcs with a radius of 30 meters.

If the slope of the ramp exceeds 10% (a slope of up to 15% is generally allowed), it is necessary that in the terminal sections, that is, at the horizontal surfaces, the slope is halved for a horizontal development of about 4 m.

Another design issue that needs to be addressed is the choice between the “underground” option and the “above ground” option.

From a functional point of view, both types of garages guarantee a high number of parking spaces compared to surface parking, as in these cases more levels can be utilized, and therefore, given the same plan area available, space is lost for ramps but a significantly greater number of parking spaces is achieved vertically.

How to design a parking lot | Render created with Edificius

From an environmental and architectural point of view, the underground parking lot has a decidedly limited environmental impact confined to the entry and exit areas of vehicles, while the above-ground multi-storey parking needs to be studied more carefully as it represents a new building visible to all citizens that must be integrated with the existing buildings.

Underground garages are essential in cases of a shortage of free surface areas and for environmental impact reasons: they often allow for the optimization of the surface arrangement of streets or squares beneath which the garage is built, and in the case of parks or areas of environmental value, underground constructions can be made that leave the surface conditions practically unchanged (blind excavation system typically used for large infrastructures underground in cities like subways).

Thus, the construction of an underground garage can be defined as a moment that does not alter the surface reality of the place where it is inserted or, in any case, a moment of reorganization and restoration of squares or streets in the city.

Conclusions

The design of parking lots is always a study that must find its own functional and organizational solutions.

The ideal would be to organize the parking lots with separate entry and exit points and to regulate the maneuvering lanes in a one-way direction with the following signage considerations for a 6-meter wide maneuvering lane:

• mark on the ground, with dashed lines, the central lane of vehicle circulation with a width of 3.00 meters that will reduce or eliminate the irregular behavior of driving “against the flow”;
• on the sides, there remain two lanes of 1.50 meters each, which will serve the purpose of:
  • protection space and greater visibility between vehicles circulating in the “central lane” of 3 meters and those exiting parking spaces;
  • space for pedestrian walkways (unfortunately, almost always parking lots lack specific sidewalks for all pedestrian movement);
  • useful space for loading goods (a common behavior in supermarket parking lots).

This organization of the parking lot facilitates the behavior of all users, increases safety, and reduces critical issues, especially in large parking areas and during peak times.

How to design a parking lot: practical example

The project in question is a specific multi-storey parking design.

The building, which can accommodate up to 600 parking spaces and covers an area of approximately 13,200 m², has a reinforced concrete structure, a galvanized steel structure, and is clad in vertical spruce wood that varies in angle and spacing to create a chain effect.

The wooden facade is dotted with eye-shaped openings that offer a view of the city, behind which new plants grow to form green roofs.

Small visual variations have been created using a single module of slatted spruce. This is achieved by adjusting the rhythm and angling of the slats, moving away from the facades, using solids and voids, and incorporating light and transparency into the construction.

These elements create dynamic and lively facades that give the parking lot a strong image within the urban fabric of the city.

Download the 3D BIM model of the parking lot with all the DWG drawings

I also remind you that you can view the 3D project model without downloading it to your PC, using a BIM viewer online. You don’t need to download any application, just click on the link of the 3D model I provided and then on the screen icon next to the file to start navigating the model. From the 3D file, you can obtain all the graphic documents you need (plans, sections, renders, etc.), using the appropriate applications of the integrated usBIM system.

FAQ about parking lot design

What is a parking lot?

A parking lot is a space specifically designed to allow road users to safely park their vehicles. It can be built in urban areas, in dedicated structures, or in public and private spaces.

What is the difference between parking lot, garage, underground garage, and parking silo?

A parking lot is a space reserved for the parking of multiple vehicles. A garage is a room designated for the parking of one or more vehicles with movement carried out by the driver. An underground garage is a structure for multiple vehicles with movement entrusted to staff. A parking silo is a building where movement occurs through automatic or semi-automatic mechanical systems.

How are parking lots classified?

Parking lots can be classified by shape (covered and open), by function (terminals, interchanges, rotating), by development (horizontal at grade or vertical multi-storey), and by technology (ramps, spiral, automated or semi-automated parking silos).

What are the minimum dimensions of a parking space?

On average, a parking space measures about 5 m in length and 2.50 m in width. For spaces designated for the disabled, the minimum width must be 3.20 m, with adequate lateral spaces to allow for door openings and ramps in case of elevation changes.

What are the types of parking space arrangements?

The main types are: inline parking (0°), angled parking (90°), and angled parking spaces (30°, 45°, 60°). The choice depends on the available space and the ease of maneuvering required.

What materials can be used for parking lot paving?

The most commonly used materials are bituminous conglomerate, compacted earth, treated gravel, paving stones, interlocking blocks, stone or concrete slabs. The choice depends on the urban context and the required environmental impact.

What characteristics should the ramps of a multi-storey parking lot have?

Ramps should have a maximum slope of 20%, a minimum width of 3 m for one-way and 4.5 m for two-way. Spiral ramps must ensure a minimum radius of 7 m for one-way and 8.25 m for two-way.

What are the most efficient design solutions for a parking lot?

From the perspective of land use, multi-storey parking lots above ground or underground are the most efficient. Underground ones have a lower environmental impact, while above-ground ones require greater architectural attention to integrate into the urban fabric.