ᐅ Please review the design for a bungalow with a converted attic, approximately 135 m² (non-professional draft).
Created on: 26 Mar 2018 21:28
J
jawknee
Hello everyone,
I often read that you don’t need to think too much about the floor plan before visiting a construction company or architect, since it usually changes anyway in the end. But I just can’t help it and want to think through as much as possible from the start 😉 I also don’t want to have to completely redo everything after the first consultation if something turns out to be impossible.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: approx. 750m² (8500 sq ft), will be developed soon, reserved
Slope: slightly sloping to the south, but almost flat
Site coverage ratio (floor space index): 0.4
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundary: approx. 17 x 16m (56 x 52 ft)
Surrounding buildings: see image
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: ground floor + attic
Roof style: hip roof, up to 35 degrees, 80cm (31 inches) knee wall
Architectural style: bungalow
Orientation: see image
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height 6.5m (21 ft)
Additional requirements: garage with gable roof
Owner’s Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: as specified by development plan
Basement, floors: no basement, ground floor + converted attic
Number of occupants, age: 1 (33 years old), but must be suitable for up to 3 people
Space requirements ground floor / upper floor: ground floor approx. 80m² (860 sq ft) / attic approx. 50m² (540 sq ft) (not necessarily divided exactly like this)
Office: family use or home office?: gaming room + occasional home office
Guest bedrooms per year: planning for up to 2 guests per quarter
Open or closed floor plan: closed
Conservative or modern construction: rather conservative, coziness is the priority
Open kitchen, kitchen island: no, closed kitchen or kitchen island
Number of dining seats: 5-6
Fireplace: definitely
Music / stereo wall: regular entertainment unit with TV
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: single garage (possibly with storage room) + open single parking space (according to development plan with gable roof, but in the neighborhood there are flat roofs as well, the latter is preferred and to be clarified)
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: nothing special, just a regular vegetable patch
Other wishes: controlled mechanical ventilation system likely (hardly imaginable to go without these days)
House Design
Designed by: DIY (Excel)
What do you particularly like and why?: Here’s everything important to me:
- I find the bedrooms and bathrooms cozier in the attic, also because you don’t have to feel like someone might pass by the window at any time, purely a feeling issue.
- Bedroom as far from utility room as possible due to noise; also not fully southwest-facing to avoid heat in summer.
- Bedroom fairly spacious (even though many just see the bedroom as a sleeping cabin). I’m currently quite bothered in my 12m² (130 sq ft) bedroom by bumping into things, facing the wardrobe wall, having little space to dress, and it just being a dark box for sleeping. Also, I think it’s a good idea to have a spare room in case I ever need some space away from (yet to be found) partner or if the lady wants to quietly lay out her yoga mat 😀
- Bathroom large enough with open shower without glass screen (I don’t like those).
- Covered terrace in front of dining/living area, as I am not a fan of direct harsh sunlight (not a sun worshiper), and the terrace can be used even in less favorable weather. Still unsure if the light conditions will be sufficient.
- No bedroom doors / walkways in dirty areas.
- Staircase not located in dirty area and as central as possible.
- Dormers for more space, better aesthetics, and general benefits of dormers.
- Combined living/dining room; kitchen separate from that.
- At least 1 additional room for office/hobby/child; ideally 2.
- Roof slopes used as storage space.
What don’t you like? Why?: Since it’s my own design, not much so far:
- Entrance area maybe still a bit narrow and perhaps could be better separated from the staircase(?)
- I’m not sure if the bedroom can be built structurally without additional supports (affects spatial feeling).
Cost estimate according to architect/designer: not available yet
Personal price limit for house, including equipment: 320k
Preferred heating technology: heat pump or gas (still undecided)
If you have to give up certain details / features
- Could give up: canopy above entrance, storage closet; everything else I have already removed for cost reasons ^^
- Cannot give up: fireplace, bathroom with bathtub, covered terrace
Why is the design as it is now? E.g.
I am initially building the house for myself, I’m single, but want to plan the house to still be comfortable for up to three people if needed.
Only a bungalow is allowed on this plot, and I experimented with single-story floor plans but couldn’t really find one that fits well into the building envelope. I’m also a fan of attic floors (as long as they don’t turn into saunas).
Originally, I thought about 120m² (1290 sq ft) and believed that’d be enough, but in the end, it’s about 135m² (1450 sq ft) to really feel comfortable.
I struggled a lot with fitting the rooms properly under the many roof slopes, moved rooms around a lot, but either a room then had too much roof slope or it didn’t fit well with the ground floor (e.g., utility room under the bedroom).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Since it’s my own design, I want to know if there are any glaring errors that are objectively just nonsense. Personal taste should be left out.
PS: I hope detailed dimensions are not necessary at this stage; otherwise, I’ll try to add them later.
I often read that you don’t need to think too much about the floor plan before visiting a construction company or architect, since it usually changes anyway in the end. But I just can’t help it and want to think through as much as possible from the start 😉 I also don’t want to have to completely redo everything after the first consultation if something turns out to be impossible.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: approx. 750m² (8500 sq ft), will be developed soon, reserved
Slope: slightly sloping to the south, but almost flat
Site coverage ratio (floor space index): 0.4
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundary: approx. 17 x 16m (56 x 52 ft)
Surrounding buildings: see image
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: ground floor + attic
Roof style: hip roof, up to 35 degrees, 80cm (31 inches) knee wall
Architectural style: bungalow
Orientation: see image
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height 6.5m (21 ft)
Additional requirements: garage with gable roof
Owner’s Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: as specified by development plan
Basement, floors: no basement, ground floor + converted attic
Number of occupants, age: 1 (33 years old), but must be suitable for up to 3 people
Space requirements ground floor / upper floor: ground floor approx. 80m² (860 sq ft) / attic approx. 50m² (540 sq ft) (not necessarily divided exactly like this)
Office: family use or home office?: gaming room + occasional home office
Guest bedrooms per year: planning for up to 2 guests per quarter
Open or closed floor plan: closed
Conservative or modern construction: rather conservative, coziness is the priority
Open kitchen, kitchen island: no, closed kitchen or kitchen island
Number of dining seats: 5-6
Fireplace: definitely
Music / stereo wall: regular entertainment unit with TV
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: single garage (possibly with storage room) + open single parking space (according to development plan with gable roof, but in the neighborhood there are flat roofs as well, the latter is preferred and to be clarified)
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: nothing special, just a regular vegetable patch
Other wishes: controlled mechanical ventilation system likely (hardly imaginable to go without these days)
House Design
Designed by: DIY (Excel)
What do you particularly like and why?: Here’s everything important to me:
- I find the bedrooms and bathrooms cozier in the attic, also because you don’t have to feel like someone might pass by the window at any time, purely a feeling issue.
- Bedroom as far from utility room as possible due to noise; also not fully southwest-facing to avoid heat in summer.
- Bedroom fairly spacious (even though many just see the bedroom as a sleeping cabin). I’m currently quite bothered in my 12m² (130 sq ft) bedroom by bumping into things, facing the wardrobe wall, having little space to dress, and it just being a dark box for sleeping. Also, I think it’s a good idea to have a spare room in case I ever need some space away from (yet to be found) partner or if the lady wants to quietly lay out her yoga mat 😀
- Bathroom large enough with open shower without glass screen (I don’t like those).
- Covered terrace in front of dining/living area, as I am not a fan of direct harsh sunlight (not a sun worshiper), and the terrace can be used even in less favorable weather. Still unsure if the light conditions will be sufficient.
- No bedroom doors / walkways in dirty areas.
- Staircase not located in dirty area and as central as possible.
- Dormers for more space, better aesthetics, and general benefits of dormers.
- Combined living/dining room; kitchen separate from that.
- At least 1 additional room for office/hobby/child; ideally 2.
- Roof slopes used as storage space.
What don’t you like? Why?: Since it’s my own design, not much so far:
- Entrance area maybe still a bit narrow and perhaps could be better separated from the staircase(?)
- I’m not sure if the bedroom can be built structurally without additional supports (affects spatial feeling).
Cost estimate according to architect/designer: not available yet
Personal price limit for house, including equipment: 320k
Preferred heating technology: heat pump or gas (still undecided)
If you have to give up certain details / features
- Could give up: canopy above entrance, storage closet; everything else I have already removed for cost reasons ^^
- Cannot give up: fireplace, bathroom with bathtub, covered terrace
Why is the design as it is now? E.g.
I am initially building the house for myself, I’m single, but want to plan the house to still be comfortable for up to three people if needed.
Only a bungalow is allowed on this plot, and I experimented with single-story floor plans but couldn’t really find one that fits well into the building envelope. I’m also a fan of attic floors (as long as they don’t turn into saunas).
Originally, I thought about 120m² (1290 sq ft) and believed that’d be enough, but in the end, it’s about 135m² (1450 sq ft) to really feel comfortable.
I struggled a lot with fitting the rooms properly under the many roof slopes, moved rooms around a lot, but either a room then had too much roof slope or it didn’t fit well with the ground floor (e.g., utility room under the bedroom).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Since it’s my own design, I want to know if there are any glaring errors that are objectively just nonsense. Personal taste should be left out.
PS: I hope detailed dimensions are not necessary at this stage; otherwise, I’ll try to add them later.
jawknee schrieb:
Plot ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.8
(...)
Roof type: hip roof, up to 35 degrees and 80cm (31.5 inches) knee wall
Style: bungalow
Orientation: see picture
Maximum heights/limits: ridge height 6.5m (21.3 feet)
Other requirements: garage with gable roofI’m not quite able to make sense of this...
Just to clarify for myself: do you want a bungalow with a maximum 80cm (31.5 inches) knee wall, or is that a requirement? Because then the floor area ratio of 0.8 doesn’t make sense to me. Or am I just confused?
If the bungalow is your preference, then the following doesn’t really add up for me:
jawknee schrieb:
I find bedrooms and bathrooms cozier in the attic, and since you don’t have to feel like someone could walk past the window at any time, it’s purely a matter of feelingSo somehow it’s like wanting it both ways...
Please clarify what is part of the zoning/building plan requirements and what is your personal wish:
Hip roof?
35° pitch?
Knee wall?
Floor area ratio = 0.8?
Especially if you want the bedroom in the upper floor, I’d suggest (if allowed by the zoning/building plan) going for a higher knee wall.
If the bungalow is a fixed requirement, are you even allowed to convert the upper floor?
I feel the same about the hip roof: is that a requirement?
If not, you can better meet your space needs with a gable roof or a staggered gable roof (and it will also be cheaper).
jawknee schrieb:
conservative or modern construction: rather conservative, coziness is the priority You can build however you want, but I object to the idea that an open layout can’t also be cozy!!!
;-)
First of all, thanks for your comments 🙂 I expected that the attic would spark some discussion, but that’s what this forum is for. I’m already glad that the ground floor mostly works, I was actually quite satisfied with that myself 🙂
Unfortunately, the development plan doesn’t allow that, otherwise I would prefer a gable roof too. Since I want to keep the plot and I actually find sloping ceilings quite cozy as mentioned, I’ve already come to terms with it and even find it quite charming. Of course, I’m aware of the disadvantages mentioned here...
It sounds odd, but I wouldn’t need a wardrobe or at least not a big one, as long as there’s no lady in the house (then probably more, of course 😉 ). I was thinking more about some kind of built-in chest of drawers tucked into the sloped ceiling. Alternatively, something like in your suggestion, where the higher side is enclosed by a partial wall, which costs some space but then allows for placing a wardrobe.
Basically, my plan was first to have just a bedroom and bathroom upstairs, but I would still like to have an additional room that could be used as a children’s room if needed (though it’s not fixed in the plan since no children are planned ^^). If I include that room downstairs as well, the total floor area grows significantly (ground floor + attic). So, in the end, it moved upstairs with the rest. I haven’t found a good solution for that so far.
What exactly do you mean regarding the half-landing staircase?
I’ve attached a screenshot of the development plan amendment. I hope it’s self-explanatory. The part where my plot falls is highlighted. The term “bungalow” is not specifically mentioned, but I assume this is what was meant. However, I cannot deduce from that why the attic should not be allowed to be finished.
As mentioned, I wouldn’t fundamentally mind a single-story either, but then the building envelope becomes tight 🙁
I can’t generally disagree with that, it wasn’t my intention 😉
So... I haven’t missed anything 🙂
ypg schrieb:
If you want to finish the upper floor right away, I would go for a gable roof and increase the knee wall height inside. Ideally, you’d need to build up to 2.30 meters (7 ft 7 in) high at the top and seal off the rest behind it.
Alternatively, consider a staggered shed roof: one side raised with comfortable ceiling height, the other side open to the ground floor or with a low storage wall.
Unfortunately, the development plan doesn’t allow that, otherwise I would prefer a gable roof too. Since I want to keep the plot and I actually find sloping ceilings quite cozy as mentioned, I’ve already come to terms with it and even find it quite charming. Of course, I’m aware of the disadvantages mentioned here...
kaho674 schrieb:
Did you overlook something? As I understand it, the toilet should work. But the wardrobe is a problem, right? What seems more questionable to me is the half-landing staircase.
It sounds odd, but I wouldn’t need a wardrobe or at least not a big one, as long as there’s no lady in the house (then probably more, of course 😉 ). I was thinking more about some kind of built-in chest of drawers tucked into the sloped ceiling. Alternatively, something like in your suggestion, where the higher side is enclosed by a partial wall, which costs some space but then allows for placing a wardrobe.
Basically, my plan was first to have just a bedroom and bathroom upstairs, but I would still like to have an additional room that could be used as a children’s room if needed (though it’s not fixed in the plan since no children are planned ^^). If I include that room downstairs as well, the total floor area grows significantly (ground floor + attic). So, in the end, it moved upstairs with the rest. I haven’t found a good solution for that so far.
What exactly do you mean regarding the half-landing staircase?
Climbee schrieb:
I can’t quite follow this... Just to clarify for myself: do you want a bungalow with a max. 80 cm (31 inches) knee wall, or is that a requirement? Because in that case, the floor area ratio = 0.8 makes no sense to me. Or am I missing something?
I’ve attached a screenshot of the development plan amendment. I hope it’s self-explanatory. The part where my plot falls is highlighted. The term “bungalow” is not specifically mentioned, but I assume this is what was meant. However, I cannot deduce from that why the attic should not be allowed to be finished.
As mentioned, I wouldn’t fundamentally mind a single-story either, but then the building envelope becomes tight 🙁
Climbee schrieb:
You can build however you want, but I object to the idea that an open-plan design can’t also be cozy!!!
;-)
I can’t generally disagree with that, it wasn’t my intention 😉
So... I haven’t missed anything 🙂
ypg schrieb:
Bed is not usable from one side.You are unfortunately right. I was thinking in single mode and only pictured my 1.40-meter (55-inch) bed at first, where this is not a big problem, but I still sketched a larger bed... in that case, you would actually have to climb over each other ^^ hmm...
jawknee schrieb:
I have attached a screenshot of the zoning plan amendment. I hope it is self-explanatory. Unfortunately, it is not very clear: the table says "also" (which suggests the old version would be allowed in the whole area, and alternatively the new one in 1.1), but the text talks about not mixing (?).
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
Unfortunately, it’s not clear: the table says "also" (which would mean the old version is allowed for the entire area and the new one as an alternative in 1.1), but the text talks about not mixing (?).Previously, there was only the zoning designation WA1 for all plots. With the change, certain subareas were reclassified into WA1.1 and WA1.2, so now you can technically choose between the three options for the whole area, but the plot has to be located in the corresponding subarea. It’s basically divided into “quarters”… why, don’t ask me ^^
My plot is in the WA1.1 area. So if I want a gable roof, I would have to look for a different plot, which is not what I want.
jawknee schrieb:
Sounds strange, but I wouldn’t need a wardrobe or at least not a large one—at least as long as there’s no lady in the house (then probably quite the opposite 😉 ).
Once the house is there, the ladies will probably line up. And then you’ll need plenty of wardrobe space. 😉jawknee schrieb:
What exactly do you mean regarding the staircase with landing?
It looks a bit short to me, but that could be deceptive. A landing staircase takes up quite a bit of space. Do you have an idea yet of the ceiling height and floor-to-floor height? A landing usually requires about 3m (10 feet) of depth.Similar topics