When designing my house I had the good fortune to face the garage door to the east. The man door to the outside is to the south and the door to the house is in the southeast corner. The garage is a generous 3 cars wide but with only a 2 car door. The extra space is on the south side. The benefits of this layout apply to use as a garage or as a shop.

1. When you get out of the car you are on the same side as the door to the house, you don't have to walk around the car. (architects are clueless on this point)

2. With the big door on the lee side the weather does not blow in. This keeps leaves, snow etc to a minimum. Also it is a fine spot to sit and watch the rain (a favorite of mine)

3. The outside man door can be opened to let a breeze blow thru. This is excellent for drying a stack of wood.

4. Morning sunshine is nice but the day and evening are protected from sun and weather.

It is a rare opportunity to get this right but be prepared with the concept just in case.