Hello everyone,
we plan to start building our house within the next 2-3 years.
The location is about 20km (12 miles) west of Innsbruck in Tyrol. The plot is on a gentle slope. The house is planned for 2 adults and 2 children.
I apologize in advance. This is the very first step towards building our house. Of course, we have already researched and have some ideas, but we are not professionals. Our thoughts are still in the early stages and certainly have room for improvement, which is exactly why I’m here: I want to receive both positive and negative feedback as early as possible to design the best possible home for us.
A brief explanation of the attached image: Based on the initial information about the room layout and legal requirements, the sketch below is a first draft of the initial ideas. It was drawn with the limited tools I have available. The street side is north and the garden faces south. Due to the slope, the garage is accessed by car through the basement level, which is at the same height as the street.
The house will mainly be constructed using prefabricated steel segments. The east, south, and west walls of the basement will serve as retaining walls appropriate for the slope. The steel frame should already be in place on the north side. The entire house should be well insulated, although we are still unsure about the exact level or “class” of insulation.
A decentralized ventilation system should be installed in the basement, living/dining area, restroom, bathrooms, and bedrooms. The reason for a decentralized system is the desire to control the temperature in each room individually, as well as to accommodate different daily routines, etc.
The bathrooms will be heated with electric underfloor heating directly beneath the tiles, so the screed does not need to be heated. All other rooms will be heated with infrared heaters.
Regarding flooring: All rooms will have “warm” floor coverings, such as hardwood floors, linoleum, or cork. Naturally, the bathrooms will be tiled, which is why underfloor heating will be installed there.
Shading is planned for the living/dining area and bedrooms.
The entire building will have home automation (heating, shading, lighting, security system, etc.). Before anyone objects: I will try to do as much of this myself as possible. I have experience from my training with home automation and am a certified KNX installer. However, I plan to use Z-Wave as the standard in the house. The idea is to only heat rooms that are in occasional use minimally, for example, the multi-purpose/hobby room. Bathrooms will only be heated in the morning or evening, and only when someone is at home, etc., thereby saving energy.
Because a planned electric car and the heating system will result in significant electricity consumption, a 15kWp photovoltaic system is planned. The energy consumption will also benefit from a lighting concept using 100% LEDs. The current electricity price is about 14 cents/kWh, which is relatively low. For higher energy demands, there are alternative providers offering a higher fixed fee but a lower price per kWh. The plan is to switch providers if needed.
Please be patient with me. I’m not inventing these ideas myself; I have picked them up somewhere and they seemed logical and useful to me. In our region, these topics are quite unusual, so there is little local experience. That’s why I’m turning to the forum.
I hope you will help me develop our ideas.
we plan to start building our house within the next 2-3 years.
The location is about 20km (12 miles) west of Innsbruck in Tyrol. The plot is on a gentle slope. The house is planned for 2 adults and 2 children.
I apologize in advance. This is the very first step towards building our house. Of course, we have already researched and have some ideas, but we are not professionals. Our thoughts are still in the early stages and certainly have room for improvement, which is exactly why I’m here: I want to receive both positive and negative feedback as early as possible to design the best possible home for us.
A brief explanation of the attached image: Based on the initial information about the room layout and legal requirements, the sketch below is a first draft of the initial ideas. It was drawn with the limited tools I have available. The street side is north and the garden faces south. Due to the slope, the garage is accessed by car through the basement level, which is at the same height as the street.
The house will mainly be constructed using prefabricated steel segments. The east, south, and west walls of the basement will serve as retaining walls appropriate for the slope. The steel frame should already be in place on the north side. The entire house should be well insulated, although we are still unsure about the exact level or “class” of insulation.
A decentralized ventilation system should be installed in the basement, living/dining area, restroom, bathrooms, and bedrooms. The reason for a decentralized system is the desire to control the temperature in each room individually, as well as to accommodate different daily routines, etc.
The bathrooms will be heated with electric underfloor heating directly beneath the tiles, so the screed does not need to be heated. All other rooms will be heated with infrared heaters.
Regarding flooring: All rooms will have “warm” floor coverings, such as hardwood floors, linoleum, or cork. Naturally, the bathrooms will be tiled, which is why underfloor heating will be installed there.
Shading is planned for the living/dining area and bedrooms.
The entire building will have home automation (heating, shading, lighting, security system, etc.). Before anyone objects: I will try to do as much of this myself as possible. I have experience from my training with home automation and am a certified KNX installer. However, I plan to use Z-Wave as the standard in the house. The idea is to only heat rooms that are in occasional use minimally, for example, the multi-purpose/hobby room. Bathrooms will only be heated in the morning or evening, and only when someone is at home, etc., thereby saving energy.
Because a planned electric car and the heating system will result in significant electricity consumption, a 15kWp photovoltaic system is planned. The energy consumption will also benefit from a lighting concept using 100% LEDs. The current electricity price is about 14 cents/kWh, which is relatively low. For higher energy demands, there are alternative providers offering a higher fixed fee but a lower price per kWh. The plan is to switch providers if needed.
Please be patient with me. I’m not inventing these ideas myself; I have picked them up somewhere and they seemed logical and useful to me. In our region, these topics are quite unusual, so there is little local experience. That’s why I’m turning to the forum.
I hope you will help me develop our ideas.
Budget?
The house costs over 500,000, rather more than 600,000, plus additional construction-related expenses and landscaping, even in Austria.
No utility room
No building services room
Very important: no staircase
Room dimensions are missing
An attached garage means more insulation work
Parents’ and children’s bathrooms face the sunny south, while one child’s bathroom is on the north side
Bathrooms drain through the dining room, which is not practical
Be sure to draw the correct furniture to scale
I don’t understand the heating system.
Do you want to heat only with electricity without a heat pump?
Really only with infrared?
Don’t forget that when you need electricity, your photovoltaic system won’t provide it.
The house costs over 500,000, rather more than 600,000, plus additional construction-related expenses and landscaping, even in Austria.
No utility room
No building services room
Very important: no staircase
Room dimensions are missing
An attached garage means more insulation work
Parents’ and children’s bathrooms face the sunny south, while one child’s bathroom is on the north side
Bathrooms drain through the dining room, which is not practical
Be sure to draw the correct furniture to scale
I don’t understand the heating system.
Do you want to heat only with electricity without a heat pump?
Really only with infrared?
Don’t forget that when you need electricity, your photovoltaic system won’t provide it.
Deliverer schrieb:
Let me summarize it for you: Oops, that slipped past me, sorry.A lot of things don’t add up, and the heating concept doesn’t make any sense at all. Based on the dimensions, we’re easily talking about 300-400 m² (3,230-4,300 sq ft), with a very complicated architecture – that’s closer to 1,000,000 than 500,000.
But as you mentioned, you’re still at the very beginning, so a lot of reality will probably set in.
But as you mentioned, you’re still at the very beginning, so a lot of reality will probably set in.
M
MuHaha20217 Apr 2019 16:58Hello everyone
Thank you for the many responses.
Attached are a few sketches with dimensions. Without a basement, this should be around 170m² (1,830 sq ft). The upper floor extends slightly forward. This is the maximum allowed by the building setbacks. The overhang will then be adjusted to what is technically feasible. From what I found online, one of the advantages of steel construction is that such designs are easier to implement. If necessary, a support column would also be possible.
The budget is currently at 320,000 euros, with up to 380,000 euros possible. However, the goal is to need less rather than more.
The wish is to have an affordable heating system for 20 years and to be able to heat rooms individually as needed.
We currently have infrared heating on the ceiling in the bedroom. The room temperature is about 2–3°C (3.6–5.4°F) lower than in the usual rooms, but because of the infrared radiation, it feels somewhat warmer than in the other rooms.
Power – we will be advised by the dealer. The efficiency is basically: heating output equals electrical input.
An electrical ceiling connection with a suitable fuse per room. Installation will be done by ourselves. Costs for a single-family house with 180m² (1,940 sq ft) according to the dealer are about 8,000–10,000 euros. No maintenance, only electricity to operate.
Laundry will be done in the bathroom
Thank you for the many responses.
Attached are a few sketches with dimensions. Without a basement, this should be around 170m² (1,830 sq ft). The upper floor extends slightly forward. This is the maximum allowed by the building setbacks. The overhang will then be adjusted to what is technically feasible. From what I found online, one of the advantages of steel construction is that such designs are easier to implement. If necessary, a support column would also be possible.
The budget is currently at 320,000 euros, with up to 380,000 euros possible. However, the goal is to need less rather than more.
Deliverer schrieb:
Could you elaborate a bit on the infrared heating? How did that come about? Why don’t you want another system?
The wish is to have an affordable heating system for 20 years and to be able to heat rooms individually as needed.
Deliverer schrieb:
Are there experiences beyond “towel radiators”?
We currently have infrared heating on the ceiling in the bedroom. The room temperature is about 2–3°C (3.6–5.4°F) lower than in the usual rooms, but because of the infrared radiation, it feels somewhat warmer than in the other rooms.
Deliverer schrieb:
What power requirements are there? How efficient is it?
Power – we will be advised by the dealer. The efficiency is basically: heating output equals electrical input.
Deliverer schrieb:
What are the installation and purchase costs?
An electrical ceiling connection with a suitable fuse per room. Installation will be done by ourselves. Costs for a single-family house with 180m² (1,940 sq ft) according to the dealer are about 8,000–10,000 euros. No maintenance, only electricity to operate.
Laundry will be done in the bathroom
M
MuHaha20217 Apr 2019 17:01Mycraft schrieb:
Hmm steel construction and z-Z-Wave I would think twice about that. Beyond a certain house size and number of participants, reliability suffers greatly.I had the same thought. Maybe there are some experiences in this area. The attenuation caused by the steel frame is, of course, enormous.
Similar topics