ᐅ Single-family house (2 floors + finished basement + converted attic), approximately 200 sqm – modifications
Created on: 20 Oct 2019 21:50
G
grericht
Hello,
We are currently working with an architect on the design of our single-family home. Since we have three children, the house should accommodate several future scenarios. These include:
Plot:
Since the plot already has a building, and we want to keep the rear building (it is fully shaded by the apartment building, is in reasonable condition, and might provide future expansion potential—at least suitable for workshops and storage), and since the plot is not very large, we decided on a tall house with a small footprint.
About the house
We have already developed a fairly comfortable floor plan with our chosen architect. Our biggest concern is accidentally planning a wall or something else 5 cm (2 inches) too far to the left or right and then being unable to fit our furniture. I would appreciate it if you would be interested in looking over the current design and giving feedback.
We are currently working with an architect on the design of our single-family home. Since we have three children, the house should accommodate several future scenarios. These include:
- Enough space for everyone
- At some point, the children will move out, and we will downsize to the living basement while renting out the rest
- One or two children might continue living with us (multi-generational living) – possibly in the basement with a separate entrance
- Possibly one child even starts a family in the house, and we move to the basement
Plot:
- 710 sqm (8,000 sq ft) close to the city center
- To the south is our rear building (two stories) attached to a 3.5-story apartment building (boundary development)
- To the north and west are the streets (a corner plot)
- Behind to the west is a large green plot with a single-family house
- To the north beyond the street are apartment buildings
- To the east there is a narrow parking lot followed by a green recreational garden area
- We have to keep a 6 m (20 ft) setback to the streets and the usual 3 m (10 ft) to the parking lot
Since the plot already has a building, and we want to keep the rear building (it is fully shaded by the apartment building, is in reasonable condition, and might provide future expansion potential—at least suitable for workshops and storage), and since the plot is not very large, we decided on a tall house with a small footprint.
About the house
- Eder XP9 or 10 (timber frame) in 42.5 or 49 cm (17 or 19 inches) thickness
- Living basement (150 cm (5 ft) below ground / 100 cm (3 ft) above ground) – if affordable (this allows for the utility room in the basement and more space on the ground floor for a large open-plan living/dining/kitchen area as the main living space)
- Knee wall either 150 cm (5 ft) or, if not much more expensive, a dormer wall above the full upper floor (both options allow the roof space to be used for two rooms; with the dormer, these rooms are very large and could even accommodate an attic instead of bunk beds)
- 50-degree roof pitch (for solar energy efficiency in winter)
- The basement should be designed to eventually allow for a small separate living unit
- Both bathrooms should have a standing toilet or urinal
- We definitely want a windbreak/entry vestibule
- The terrace should be raised with fill
- Underfloor heating with geothermal energy
- Solar energy planned for the future
We have already developed a fairly comfortable floor plan with our chosen architect. Our biggest concern is accidentally planning a wall or something else 5 cm (2 inches) too far to the left or right and then being unable to fit our furniture. I would appreciate it if you would be interested in looking over the current design and giving feedback.
I marked the maximum possible length. Now I have marked 4m (13 feet) walking length on each floor. That should be sufficient.
It’s a bit complex in the pictures because the staircase from the basement turns again at the top. All other staircases only have a one and a half turn at the bottom.
All three staircases start the same way. With a slight shift—on the upper floor there is no wall between the hallway and the stairwell. This lets more light onto the stairs since there is no skylight above. Of course, a handrail and balustrade will be needed. Currently, I still think the stairwell or hallway can be 10cm (4 inches) narrower due to the missing wall. The staircase also starts 10cm (4 inches) further back, as it no longer wraps around the wall. But the hallway probably still needs an extra 10cm (4 inches) for the bathroom and bedroom.
I have drawn the staircases as walls. The white ones with crosses indicate the stairs that lead to the floor, and the black ones with crosses indicate the stairs that start on the floor. I also added the dimensions. The inner edge between the white and black runs exactly along the middle of the stairs.
It’s a bit complex in the pictures because the staircase from the basement turns again at the top. All other staircases only have a one and a half turn at the bottom.
All three staircases start the same way. With a slight shift—on the upper floor there is no wall between the hallway and the stairwell. This lets more light onto the stairs since there is no skylight above. Of course, a handrail and balustrade will be needed. Currently, I still think the stairwell or hallway can be 10cm (4 inches) narrower due to the missing wall. The staircase also starts 10cm (4 inches) further back, as it no longer wraps around the wall. But the hallway probably still needs an extra 10cm (4 inches) for the bathroom and bedroom.
I have drawn the staircases as walls. The white ones with crosses indicate the stairs that lead to the floor, and the black ones with crosses indicate the stairs that start on the floor. I also added the dimensions. The inner edge between the white and black runs exactly along the middle of the stairs.
I’m just saying... this won’t work. Isn’t that a quarter-turn staircase coming from the right? Or am I mistaken?
A rough opening of 200 cm (79 inches) for the stairwell including the hallway is quite tight. You definitely need to have railings in the hallway as fall protection around the stairwell opening.
A rough opening of 200 cm (79 inches) for the stairwell including the hallway is quite tight. You definitely need to have railings in the hallway as fall protection around the stairwell opening.
We are still waiting for the new plan from the architect. Meanwhile, I finally managed to draw my ideas for the staircase.
I used the following dimensions:
Stair height
Basement to ground floor and ground floor to first floor are both 2.75m (9 feet) as specified by the architect in his plan.
First floor to attic is 2.625m (8 feet 7 inches), where the clear structural height is 12.5cm (5 inches) lower than in the basement and ground floor.
I based the design on stairs with a tread depth of approximately 29cm (11.5 inches) and a rise of 17cm (6.7 inches). The final measurements are: basement to ground floor 28.6cm/17.2cm (11.2/6.8 inches), ground floor to first floor 28.4cm/17.2cm (11.2/6.8 inches) — both with 16 steps — and first floor to attic 28.4cm/17.5cm (11.2/6.9 inches).
These values are within the range of all guidelines I found and come very close to an ideal solution. The slope angle is just over 30°. Of course, this is a custom solution. I have no information on feasibility or costs and would appreciate any feedback. No handrail is planned, and the tread width is set at 100cm (39 inches).
The dimensions of the stairwell exclude outer walls: basement to ground floor 217.5cm by 332.5cm (7 ft 1.5 in by 10 ft 11 in), and ground floor to attic 217.5cm by 350cm (7 ft 1.5 in by 11 ft 6 in). The hallway is also 100cm (39 inches) wide (all raw construction measurements — should plaster be included? That would reduce tread and hallway width to about 96-97cm (38 inches)). The stairwell wall is intended as a fall protection barrier.
I tried to balance the spiral staircase.
Explanation:
Basement to ground floor: Blue + Brown (the transition between blue and brown still needs fine-tuning)
Ground floor to first floor: Blue (excluding the lowest step) + Green
First floor to attic: Blue (excluding the lowest two steps) + Green
The ceiling opening roughly corresponds to the footprint of the staircase without the lowest step.
I used the following dimensions:
Stair height
Basement to ground floor and ground floor to first floor are both 2.75m (9 feet) as specified by the architect in his plan.
First floor to attic is 2.625m (8 feet 7 inches), where the clear structural height is 12.5cm (5 inches) lower than in the basement and ground floor.
I based the design on stairs with a tread depth of approximately 29cm (11.5 inches) and a rise of 17cm (6.7 inches). The final measurements are: basement to ground floor 28.6cm/17.2cm (11.2/6.8 inches), ground floor to first floor 28.4cm/17.2cm (11.2/6.8 inches) — both with 16 steps — and first floor to attic 28.4cm/17.5cm (11.2/6.9 inches).
These values are within the range of all guidelines I found and come very close to an ideal solution. The slope angle is just over 30°. Of course, this is a custom solution. I have no information on feasibility or costs and would appreciate any feedback. No handrail is planned, and the tread width is set at 100cm (39 inches).
The dimensions of the stairwell exclude outer walls: basement to ground floor 217.5cm by 332.5cm (7 ft 1.5 in by 10 ft 11 in), and ground floor to attic 217.5cm by 350cm (7 ft 1.5 in by 11 ft 6 in). The hallway is also 100cm (39 inches) wide (all raw construction measurements — should plaster be included? That would reduce tread and hallway width to about 96-97cm (38 inches)). The stairwell wall is intended as a fall protection barrier.
I tried to balance the spiral staircase.
Explanation:
Basement to ground floor: Blue + Brown (the transition between blue and brown still needs fine-tuning)
Ground floor to first floor: Blue (excluding the lowest step) + Green
First floor to attic: Blue (excluding the lowest two steps) + Green
The ceiling opening roughly corresponds to the footprint of the staircase without the lowest step.
With the half-turn staircase, a width and depth of around 2.20m (7 ft 3 in) works quite well as a guideline. I wouldn’t go below that width. Plaster, stringer, and handrail also take up some space later on.
You can choose your ceiling heights according to your preferences. It’s best to look up, measure, and consider what suits you. For compact houses and rooms, I usually assume a ceiling height of 2.60m (8 ft 6 in). I then add a standard 30cm (12 in) for the ceiling and floor structure. That would result in a floor-to-floor height of about 2.90m (9 ft 6 in). In the attic, a few centimeters less can also work.
You should have at least about 1.20m (4 ft) of space before starting or finishing the stairs. So, in my opinion, the door to the WC on the ground floor should open into the hallway. Cloakroom cabinets are usually about 45 to 50cm (18 to 20 in) deep. Many families with children prefer a standard wardrobe with a depth of 60cm (24 in), but that probably won’t fit here. My layout would look somewhat like this, although I tend to leave out the basement for simplicity if it’s not living space and uncomplicated (staircase without a landing, external dimensions 9 x 9m (30 x 30 ft)):
All dimensions are minimums. With plastering, you have to keep in mind the extra space needed. Is this comfortable living for you? The situation would relax somewhat with 9 x 10m (30 x 33 ft). I’d reconsider anything larger than that. But it will still feel like a tower and more like a townhouse with all the stairs.
The upper floors are just an example. I only wanted to align the bathrooms vertically to simplify the wastewater pipes. The children together – parents more separate. But it can also work the way you have it.
You can choose your ceiling heights according to your preferences. It’s best to look up, measure, and consider what suits you. For compact houses and rooms, I usually assume a ceiling height of 2.60m (8 ft 6 in). I then add a standard 30cm (12 in) for the ceiling and floor structure. That would result in a floor-to-floor height of about 2.90m (9 ft 6 in). In the attic, a few centimeters less can also work.
You should have at least about 1.20m (4 ft) of space before starting or finishing the stairs. So, in my opinion, the door to the WC on the ground floor should open into the hallway. Cloakroom cabinets are usually about 45 to 50cm (18 to 20 in) deep. Many families with children prefer a standard wardrobe with a depth of 60cm (24 in), but that probably won’t fit here. My layout would look somewhat like this, although I tend to leave out the basement for simplicity if it’s not living space and uncomplicated (staircase without a landing, external dimensions 9 x 9m (30 x 30 ft)):
All dimensions are minimums. With plastering, you have to keep in mind the extra space needed. Is this comfortable living for you? The situation would relax somewhat with 9 x 10m (30 x 33 ft). I’d reconsider anything larger than that. But it will still feel like a tower and more like a townhouse with all the stairs.
The upper floors are just an example. I only wanted to align the bathrooms vertically to simplify the wastewater pipes. The children together – parents more separate. But it can also work the way you have it.
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