ᐅ Multi-family house (3 residential units, basement living area, double garage): Planning suggestions

Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot Size: approximately 1,700 sqm (18,300 sq ft), parallelogram shape, north-south orientation (entrance on the north)
Slope: none
Development Plan: no, §34 local neighborhood building regulations
Number of Parking Spaces: 1 per residential unit

Client Requirements
Building Type: KfW Energy-saving house 55 standard
Basement, Floors: yes, 2 full floors
Number of Occupants, Age: clients (39 and 33 years old) + daughter (10 months), second child planned, parents-in-law (72 and 58 years old)
Space Requirements in Basement: basement (residential basement) barrier-free, approx. 75 sqm (800 sq ft) separate apartment (for parents-in-law), technical room, utility room, storage room
Space Requirements on Ground Floor: ground floor barrier-free, all daily living areas (including bathroom, bedroom, office)
Space Requirements on Upper Floor: upper floor: 2 children’s rooms + guest room
Office: family use and home office (1-2 days per week)
Guest Overnight Stays per Year: approx. 20
Open or Closed Architecture: both, cost-benefit and practical considerations
Conventional or Modern Style: both, cost-benefit and practical considerations
Open Kitchen, Cooking Island: yes, yes
Number of Dining Seats: 3-4, with guests 6-8
Fireplace: no
Music / Stereo Wall: no
Balcony, Roof Terrace: yes, no (not feasible)
Garage, Carport: yes, no
Utility Garden, Greenhouse: no, no
Additional Wishes / Special Features / Daily Routine:

The requirement was to create two barrier-free apartments. Additionally, the ground floor should include all daily living spaces. Since we currently live in an 85 sqm (915 sq ft), 3-room apartment, the planned ground floor should offer no less than 100 sqm (1,076 sq ft) of living space. The upper floor is planned flexibly with 2 children’s rooms and a separate residential unit. This unit could be rented out, used for caregiving staff, or later occupied by the children. Theoretically, after the children move out, the entire upper floor could also be rented out.

A roof terrace on the double garage is not possible due to boundary building restrictions. We had to weigh between a 3-meter (10 feet) roof terrace with a double garage versus two single garages and chose the double garage.

House Design
Planner: architect
What is Especially Appreciated? The design is mainly based on our specifications, as well as ideas from our architect. Many rooms are simply and practically designed and are modest in size. Some conveniences have been deliberately omitted. There are also certain constraints from the plot (building window) and requirements from the building authority.

What Still Needs to be Changed?

· Move window and door in the garage forward, with door opening outward
· Partially cancel west balcony on ground floor; close “house cutout loggia” on ground floor, create more space in the living area, install window with sill on the west side, large balcony door on the south side similar to basement bedroom; remaining is a small south-facing sun balcony
· Add a third small window in the stairwell on the upper floor, matching the appearance on the north side

Personal Price Limit for the House, Including Equipment: 500,000 euros
Preferred Heating Technology: gas, but dependent on the energy concept

Request: The longer one works on the plans, the harder it becomes to review them objectively. Therefore, we appreciate any further tips and suggestions. The interior layout is not yet final. Decisions on bathroom design and doors are still to be made. It is important that the building is sufficiently finalized so that the building permit / planning permission can be obtained by the end of 2015. The building elevations are naturally still rough (stairs, ramps).

I rarely deal with planning topics, as others are much better organized in that area. However, I came across the fact that barrier-free design actually requires a bit more space in hallways and circulation areas, as well as wider doors. You will likely have difficulties with a wheelchair. Additionally, there is no proper access to the garden on the ground floor, which would be a dealbreaker for me.

Finally, regarding the price. For this huge house with well over 300 sqm (3,230 sq ft) of living space, including projections, a loggia, and so on, the price seems quite moderate to me. I would have expected it to be considerably higher.

I don’t find the accessibility adequate, at least not to the garden.
In my opinion, the hallways on the ground floor are too narrow, the doors are standard width, or am I mistaken?

The kitchen island takes up a lot of space, and the additional seating there is located too far from the main traffic routes. With such a layout, the dining table will not only be reached more quickly but will certainly be used multiple times a day. The other table ends up just being a storage surface.
From my perspective, the kitchen layout is impractical and reduces the room’s sense of spaciousness.
The large table is practically stuck to the wall.

My advice: an L-shaped kitchen without an island.
I know what I am talking about—I once dreamed of one myself and giving it up was difficult. But in the end, the kitchen planners were right! It’s not only practical now, it has also become very cozy, perhaps precisely because of the absence of the kitchen island. 🙂 🙂

I still need to give some thought to the bathrooms. 😉

Accessible does not necessarily mean wheelchair accessible. That seems to be the main point here, judging by the ramp system. Without being able to look at the floor plans in detail, I suspect that wheelchair accessibility is often not fully achieved (hallway and door widths, maneuvering space in the bathroom/WC). However, this can be improved.

I find the ramp system in the front yard unsuitable and too bulky. I would consider a wheelchair lift at the stairs instead. The ramp to the basement naturally occupies a very large area and can easily appear "bare," like a large driveway to an underground garage.

There is little to say about the design. It consists of three stacked floors that might be functional. I miss an architectural concept, which, by the way, does not depend on the construction budget.

There is a difference between "barrier-free" and "wheelchair accessible," and this should not be confused:

“The planning basis in the area of building and living is provided by the DIN 18040 standard. Part 1 of DIN 18040 clearly defines what is meant by 'barrier-free' in public buildings. In residential construction, however, DIN 18040 Part 2 distinguishes between 'barrier-free' and 'wheelchair accessible.'”

The potential issue with this distinction can be illustrated with a simple example:

According to DIN 18040 Part 2, an apartment is considered 'barrier-free' if the doors inside the apartment are at least 80 cm (31.5 inches) wide. The term 'wheelchair accessible' is used if the doors are at least 90 cm (35.4 inches) wide. In practice, this means that an elderly person with a walking impairment can move around unhindered with forearm crutches in a 'barrier-free' apartment according to DIN 18040 Part 2. However, if they depend on a wheelchair, they may not be able to pass through the doors, since these are only 80 cm (31.5 inches) wide according to the standard.”

For us, it was important that the apartments can be reached on one level, that the doors and corridors to key rooms are wider, and that the bathroom includes a large walk-in shower as well as a higher toilet seat.

Due to serious illness, my mobility is severely limited, and any physical strain is critical. Currently, we live on the second floor without an elevator. It takes me about 10–15 minutes to get into the apartment. I leave the apartment 3–5 times a week, mainly for doctor’s and therapy appointments. Ultimately, one is trapped in the apartment; a quick trip to the mailbox or the basement is not possible, and neither my daughter nor anything else can be carried into the apartment. I am still fairly mobile on foot and can manage 2–3 steps without problems. However, things become difficult with one or more full floors.

@nordanney: With a basement apartment, certain compromises must be accepted. If you want to access the garden from the ground floor, usually the terrain is piled up at that point since the basement is underground. Our garden access is planned via the west balcony, where the current “boost” (or "piggyback") ladder is marked. Most of the garden/play area will be on the west side anyway. How we implement this in detail will have to be decided later. There are no windows in the basement there, so the terrain can be raised. Whether it will be level or require 2–3 steps, we need to see later.

@EveundGerd: Your comment about the kitchen is a sensible one. I discussed it at length with my wife yesterday. She was skeptical at first but said this morning it might actually make sense. The large kitchen island with cooking and washing areas was our dream. Originally, there was also supposed to be a passage to the roof terrace here, which we had to cancel. What do you think, should the window here rather be planned with a sill? A floor-to-ceiling window is not really necessary, and it would require dividing the kitchen at that spot. The window of child 2 is above this room; a window with a sill there would likely not be a problem.

@w.pickartz: No, the ramp section to the ground floor is a legal requirement. In buildings with more than two apartments, at least one must be “barrier-free” and accessible on the ground level or reachable with a maximum slope of 6%. This will not be a ramp in the traditional sense; I imagine it more like a nature trail with a waterfall, wild animals, and birdsong. 😉 In any case, it will be integrated into the front yard. Originally, the whole thing was shorter. But since parking spaces are located at the property boundary and a maximum of 1 meter (3.3 feet) of fill is allowed there, you first go down a bit from street level before ascending into the ground-floor level via the “ramp.” A wheelchair lift at the stairs would also be conceivable but would likely go unused. I should find out what something like that costs.

But as I said, the area in front of the house is mainly for planning whether the height differences can be reasonably overcome and how to design the house (move it forward, back, higher, lower).

I don’t have much idea yet what to make of “architectural concept.”

If you have health issues and need a living situation that is, let’s say, "easily accessible everywhere" (barrier-free is actually standard nowadays, even though many developers advertise it — but not every apartment is truly wheelchair accessible), let me ask you a “tough” question.

Why do you choose a house with multiple levels? I would keep the in-laws in their own apartment (personally, I would never live under the same roof as family due to property considerations — just two houses away is usually enough distance 😉) and build myself a bungalow (which should also be designed to be easily usable with a wheelchair) — with a proper entrance at the front and good access to the garden.

No offense, but the question just comes to mind...