By: Ethan Rogers
Real estate developer Ryan J. Garland believes a growing segment of real estate demand no longer fits neatly into traditional categories such as self-storage, housing, flex space, or wellness. His projects in Arizona and Tennessee are being designed around the overlap.
For decades, storage real estate was largely defined by simplicity.
Developers built rows of units, customers rented space for belongings they could not keep at home, and the property functioned primarily as a secure place to put things.
That model still serves a large market.
But Ryan J. Garland believes another category of demand is emerging alongside it.
Owners of boats, RVs, collector vehicles, and recreational equipment often need more than a conventional storage unit. Entrepreneurs may want usable space for equipment or inventory. Some customers want privacy, power, accessibility, and an environment where they can actually spend time.
Others increasingly want those functions connected directly to where they live.
The result, Garland believes, is a form of hybrid lifestyle real estate that sits somewhere between traditional storage, flex industrial space, residential development and hospitality-oriented amenities.
“The biggest change is that lifestyle has moved from a weekend consideration to a primary real estate decision,” Garland said.
Garland is developing that idea through several different projects, each approaching the same underlying customer need from a different direction.
Moving Beyond the Traditional Storage Unit
Garland’s large-format storage project in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, is one of the clearest examples of his approach.
According to the latest project figures, the development encompasses approximately 225,000 square feet across 208 units.
But the scale of the units is only part of the distinction.
The project is intended for customers with large recreational assets, including boats, RVs, vehicles, and equipment that may not fit comfortably within conventional self-storage properties.
Garland describes the spaces as large-format storage and “man cave” units designed with greater attention to clear height, width, circulation, access, power, and the physical demands of large vehicles.
That changes the relationship between the customer and the property.
Traditional self-storage is generally built around low-contact use: arrive, retrieve or deposit belongings, and leave.
A larger lifestyle-oriented unit may function differently.
An owner could use the space to maintain vehicles, organize equipment, work on a collection or simply spend time around the things stored there, subject to the property’s operating requirements.
That distinction is important because Garland does not view the product merely as “more storage.”
He sees it as real estate designed around a specific customer behavior.
The idea developed naturally in Lake Havasu, where boating, off-road recreation, RV ownership, and vehicle culture are closely tied to the way many residents spend their time.
Garland’s question was straightforward: if a boat or RV is important enough to influence how someone lives, why should the place that houses it be treated as an afterthought?
From Storage Unit to Home
Barn Caves takes the concept a step further.
Instead of asking residents to separate their living space from their recreational storage, the planned Lake Havasu development brings the two together.
The latest project plan includes 93 detached single-family residences, designed as three-story barndominium-style homes with oversized garages and private elevators.
The development is also planned to include an approximately 43,000-square-foot health and wellness component, alongside other resort and community amenities.
Garland describes the design philosophy as building the residence “from the garage outward.”
That reverses a common approach to residential development.
In a conventional house, the garage is often sized after the primary living space has already been planned.
For the intended Barn Caves homeowner, the garage may be one of the most important spaces on the property.
It could accommodate a boat, RV, collector vehicles, workshop or entertainment area while living space occupies the floors above.
The concept reflects a broader shift in what certain homeowners consider essential.
Someone who owns expensive recreational equipment may not see a larger garage as an optional upgrade.
It may be one of the main reasons to choose the home.
“The product responds to how Lake Havasu owners actually live rather than asking them to adapt to a conventional floor plan,” Garland said.
That idea is at the center of hybrid lifestyle real estate.
Instead of forcing separate needs into separate properties, the development combines uses around a defined customer.
Bringing the Idea to Tennessee
Garland is applying another variation of the concept in Goodlettsville, Tennessee.
The planned development is expected to include 80 large-format boat and RV storage units as well as approximately 10,000 square feet of health and wellness space.
The Tennessee project shows how the hybrid model can change depending on the market.
It is not residential like Barn Caves.
It also is not simply a copy of conventional self-storage.
The spaces are intended for customers who may need room for boats, RVs, collector vehicles, business equipment, workshops, personal inventory, or other large-format uses, subject to applicable zoning and operating requirements.
The wellness component introduces another layer.
Instead of viewing fitness and storage as unrelated property types, Garland believes they can serve overlapping customer lifestyles in certain locations.
Storage can provide long-term occupancy.
A health or wellness operator can bring recurring memberships, regular customer visits and a more active street-facing presence.
The project therefore blends characteristics of storage, flex commercial real estate and consumer services.
“Conventional self-storage is designed around smaller units and low-contact tenancy,” Garland said. “[The Goodlettsville project] is designed around large assets, regular owner use, and a higher standard of access, power, security, circulation, construction, and presentation.”
The Hybrid Asset Starts With the Customer
Garland’s approach does not begin by deciding to combine multiple real estate categories.
He says it begins by studying a customer whose needs are not being fully met by a traditional product.
That distinction is critical.
Simply adding amenities to a storage facility does not necessarily create a successful hybrid property.
The surrounding demographics, customer base, land cost, construction costs, pricing, and competing supply still have to support the project.
For Garland, that is what separates a real lifestyle product from a novelty: it starts with how people actually live, and the building follows.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute real estate, financial, legal, or investment advice. Project details, proposed amenities, development plans, and property specifications are subject to change based on regulatory approvals, market conditions, and other factors. Readers are encouraged to conduct independent research and consult qualified professionals before making real estate or investment decisions.
