Problem
In houses and workplaces there is always some need for bulk storage space; a place for things like suitcases, old furniture, old files, boxes—all those things which you are not ready to throw away, and yet not using every day.
Solution
Do not leave bulk storage till last or forget it. Include a volume for bulk storage in the building—its floor area at least 15 to 20 percent of the whole building area—not less. Place this storage somewhere in the building where it costs less than other rooms—because, of course, it doesn’t need a finish.
Related Patterns
… this pattern helps to complete any House for a Small Family (76), Self-Governing Workshops and Offices (80), and Individually Owned Shops (87). More generally, it is needed to fill out every Building Complex (95).
Put the storage in the apex of the roof if the roof has a steep pitch - Sheltering Roof (117); if there is a sloping site, put it in a basement - Terraced Slope (169), Ground Floor Slab (215); otherwise, put it in a shed which can perhaps be made into a cottage later - Rooms to Rent (153). No matter whether it is an attic, cellar, or shed, it is usually good advice to follow North Face (162) and situate bulk storage to the north of the building, leaving the sunny, spaces for rooms and gardens …
Alexander, Christopher. A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction. Oxford University Press, 1977, p. 687.