ᐅ Building a House Along a Service Road – Advantages and Disadvantages

Good morning everyone,

The architect will have our initial building plans preliminarily reviewed by the building authority in the coming days. Unfortunately, the zoning plan’s text regulations are quite restrictive, so our first plan last year regarding the embankment and site grading was rejected by the building authority because we had planned 1.55m (5 feet) retaining walls on the south side. To accommodate the building authority, we have lowered the house toward the access road and planned the retaining walls at 1m (3 feet 3 inches). Although this still doesn’t fully comply with the zoning plan, there are already approved plans in this construction phase allowing for exceptions.

By the way, the boundary situation with the eastern neighbor is known. We are slightly higher there and slope down a bit. To the south, see the elevations. To the west, the situation is still unclear. However, due to the slope, the neighbor will face similar challenges :-)

My question: What disadvantages are there to lowering the house by about 70-30cm (28-12 inches)? Are there any disadvantages at all? I have thought about issues such as the washing machine in the basement and drainage; would we need a sump pump? We are currently working on clarifying this topic.

What is not within the scope are suggestions for a possible redesign. It should purely be about potential disadvantages.

I look forward to your feedback :-)

Hello,

you would probably need the sewage lifting unit anyway. The main disadvantage I see is that water can flow from the street into the house. In cases of extreme heavy rain, you risk severe flooding.
I would definitely try to keep the finished floor level and thus the front door above the access road. If possible, there should also be one or two steps leading up to the front door.
If basement windows are planned, they must be waterproof against groundwater pressure.

Regards,
Andreas

The siphoning issue is not due to the slope. Everything continues to flow downward. The lifting station is under review. It depends on how deep the sewer line is. It doesn’t correspond to the street level, after all.
@Kellerfenster see the slope. Everything continues to flow downward.

andimann schrieb:
Hello,

you would probably need the lifting station anyway. The main disadvantage I see is that water can flow from the street to the house. In cases of extreme heavy rain, you risk severe flooding.
I would definitely try to keep the finished floor level, and thus the front door, above the access road. If possible, there should be one or two steps leading up to the front door.
If basement windows are planned there, they must be waterproof against pressurized water.

Regards,
Andreas

I’ll take these points into account anyway. Thanks

Can you try to explain where the water is supposed to flow? In your picture, I see a slope from the street over the garage to the garden, and water will also flow there, right?

Zaba12 schrieb:
Starting issues are not due to the slope.

My brother’s coworker thought the same: In a situation like that, the water pushed the front door open, flowed right through the house, and exited out the back into the living room...

Regards,

Andreas