Carriage houses, also called coach houses, are detached structures that were once used to home horse-drawn carriages or coaches. Today carriage houses are often garages with secondary, smaller apartments built (typically) over the space for cars. In some cases the whole structure is changed to another residential unit, eliminating storage.
PC, Moore Architects
Most carriage houses were built at the same time as the main houses and are similar to pared-down variations of these.
Carriage houses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, like at the Martin House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, literally stored carriages and had stables for horses.
Jacob Lilley Architects
Carriage houses are generally behind a home, near the rear of its lot. However, their place depends upon the design on the driveway.
Given the bodily eliminate of carriage houses from the principal houses, some of these, like this recently built one in British Columbia, are available directly from alleys.
Andrew Snow Photography
In some contexts, such as Toronto, where the Millworker House is situated, carriage houses are called laneway houses, referring to their own locations on lanes or alleys.