ᐅ New single-family house construction, approximately 170 m², townhouse-style villa
Created on: 24 Nov 2019 13:19
F
fskscorpHello everyone,
We are planning to make our dream of owning a home come true next year. So far, we have visited five general contractors and received fairly comparable initial offers from them. At this point, only two remain in consideration based on quality, reputation, price, and overall feeling.
The basic floor plan has been set from the very beginning, but we have continuously modified and optimized it and have not yet finalized a version, as we also want to keep an eye on construction costs. The attached floor plans include one initial design from the architect and one optimized version by me regarding the window placements and staircase location.
I would appreciate your feedback. Are there any critical issues we might be missing? What could be solved more intelligently? Perhaps something “unusual” that could be added quickly and without significant expense.
I am looking forward to your input!
Thank you very much!
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 1086 m2 (11,685 sq ft); approximately 31m (102 ft) wide on the street side, 29m (95 ft) deep. Located at the end of a dead-end street, with an unobstructed view of fields and forest.
Slope: The terrain currently drops about 2.80m (9 ft 2 in) from south to north but will be leveled during self-performed earthworks to about 1m (3 ft 3 in) above street level.
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Building setback: 3 meters (10 ft) from the street
Adjacent buildings: none
Parking spaces required: 2 per housing unit
Number of floors allowed: Max. 2
Roof pitch: Between 25° and 45°
Architectural style: Classic-modern?
Orientation: Open
Maximum heights/limitations:
Additional requirements: Roof color (although no one has really stuck to this)
Owners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Classic modern, urban villa with tent or hipped roof accordingly
Basement, floors: 2 full stories plus a large double garage with flat roof
Number of residents, age: 2 adults in their early 30s
Room requirements on the ground floor: Cloakroom, guest toilet, utility room, kitchen, living and dining room
Room requirements on the upper floor: 2 children’s rooms, master bedroom, walk-in closets, bathroom, office
Office: Family use + minimal home office
Guests per year: Rarely
Open or closed architecture: Open, but living-dining area separated from the hallway
Conservative or modern construction: We see ourselves as modern but not over the top.
Open kitchen, island: Open kitchen with island and ideally a side-by-side refrigerator
Number of dining seats: Usually 4-6
Fireplace: None
Media/wall unit: Media wall for TV
Balcony, roof terrace: The adjacent double garage should be accessible from the parents’ bedroom (planned for the future, probably never realized but option should exist).
Garage, carport: Double garage with space to serve as a cellar substitute room
Utility garden, greenhouse: Possibly later
Further wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons for or against certain choices:
- Utility room next to kitchen on the ground floor, accessible from the garage
- Spacious open living and dining area
- Smart Home is a topic everywhere, but we have decided that KNX will only be feasible as self-installation
- No external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS)
House design
Who created the plan:
- Architect, self-drawn
What do you like most?
Open and spacious, all our wishes were considered. We wanted to keep the building’s shape as simple as possible and avoid dormers, bay windows, and indentations. Lots of large windows facing the back, as the view is really great and unobstructed.
What don’t you like? Why?
Price estimate according to general contractor/general planner: about €395,000 (approx. $440,000) including additional building costs.
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump with photovoltaic. However, the photovoltaic system is not included in the price.
Only the point that you don’t really get anything special for this fairly high amount. I would like to have one or two ‘gimmicks.’
If you had to give up anything, which details/features?
From our perspective, it is already minimalistic. We reduced from 190 down to these 175 m² (1882 sq ft).
Why does the design look the way it does now? For example:
We put a lot of thought into the floor plans, looked at many houses online and from friends/family. We wrote down everything we liked as well as what we didn’t want. Budget-wise, it quickly became clear that in this price range, you have to forego visual and technical highlights. We want to optimize the window work; reportedly, we are about €10,000 (approx. $11,200) above average for a house of this type.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Are there optimizations in the floor plan we have overlooked? All existing furniture except the kitchen is drawn to scale. Enough windows/light overall?
We are planning to make our dream of owning a home come true next year. So far, we have visited five general contractors and received fairly comparable initial offers from them. At this point, only two remain in consideration based on quality, reputation, price, and overall feeling.
The basic floor plan has been set from the very beginning, but we have continuously modified and optimized it and have not yet finalized a version, as we also want to keep an eye on construction costs. The attached floor plans include one initial design from the architect and one optimized version by me regarding the window placements and staircase location.
I would appreciate your feedback. Are there any critical issues we might be missing? What could be solved more intelligently? Perhaps something “unusual” that could be added quickly and without significant expense.
I am looking forward to your input!
Thank you very much!
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 1086 m2 (11,685 sq ft); approximately 31m (102 ft) wide on the street side, 29m (95 ft) deep. Located at the end of a dead-end street, with an unobstructed view of fields and forest.
Slope: The terrain currently drops about 2.80m (9 ft 2 in) from south to north but will be leveled during self-performed earthworks to about 1m (3 ft 3 in) above street level.
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Building setback: 3 meters (10 ft) from the street
Adjacent buildings: none
Parking spaces required: 2 per housing unit
Number of floors allowed: Max. 2
Roof pitch: Between 25° and 45°
Architectural style: Classic-modern?
Orientation: Open
Maximum heights/limitations:
Additional requirements: Roof color (although no one has really stuck to this)
Owners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Classic modern, urban villa with tent or hipped roof accordingly
Basement, floors: 2 full stories plus a large double garage with flat roof
Number of residents, age: 2 adults in their early 30s
Room requirements on the ground floor: Cloakroom, guest toilet, utility room, kitchen, living and dining room
Room requirements on the upper floor: 2 children’s rooms, master bedroom, walk-in closets, bathroom, office
Office: Family use + minimal home office
Guests per year: Rarely
Open or closed architecture: Open, but living-dining area separated from the hallway
Conservative or modern construction: We see ourselves as modern but not over the top.
Open kitchen, island: Open kitchen with island and ideally a side-by-side refrigerator
Number of dining seats: Usually 4-6
Fireplace: None
Media/wall unit: Media wall for TV
Balcony, roof terrace: The adjacent double garage should be accessible from the parents’ bedroom (planned for the future, probably never realized but option should exist).
Garage, carport: Double garage with space to serve as a cellar substitute room
Utility garden, greenhouse: Possibly later
Further wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons for or against certain choices:
- Utility room next to kitchen on the ground floor, accessible from the garage
- Spacious open living and dining area
- Smart Home is a topic everywhere, but we have decided that KNX will only be feasible as self-installation
- No external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS)
House design
Who created the plan:
- Architect, self-drawn
What do you like most?
Open and spacious, all our wishes were considered. We wanted to keep the building’s shape as simple as possible and avoid dormers, bay windows, and indentations. Lots of large windows facing the back, as the view is really great and unobstructed.
What don’t you like? Why?
Price estimate according to general contractor/general planner: about €395,000 (approx. $440,000) including additional building costs.
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump with photovoltaic. However, the photovoltaic system is not included in the price.
Only the point that you don’t really get anything special for this fairly high amount. I would like to have one or two ‘gimmicks.’
If you had to give up anything, which details/features?
From our perspective, it is already minimalistic. We reduced from 190 down to these 175 m² (1882 sq ft).
Why does the design look the way it does now? For example:
We put a lot of thought into the floor plans, looked at many houses online and from friends/family. We wrote down everything we liked as well as what we didn’t want. Budget-wise, it quickly became clear that in this price range, you have to forego visual and technical highlights. We want to optimize the window work; reportedly, we are about €10,000 (approx. $11,200) above average for a house of this type.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Are there optimizations in the floor plan we have overlooked? All existing furniture except the kitchen is drawn to scale. Enough windows/light overall?
fskscorp schrieb:
The terrain currently slopes about 2.80 m (9 feet) from south to north. And where exactly are north and south? (or did I miss a small arrow on my phone?)
And how is the slope taken into account in the design?
fskscorp schrieb:
The basic floor plan was set from the very beginning, but we have kept adjusting and optimizing it, and we have not yet arrived at a final version. I find the “fixed” dimensions a bit odd, since the design is really still just a sketch, and you yourself say it has a long way to go before it’s fully developed.
For example, there is the very tiny cloakroom, the large utility room, the narrow long office, and the space-consuming dressing corner...
Why are you filling up the plot of land?
Even doing it yourself, it’s not cheap.
The budget is very tight, especially all-inclusive.
Why are you positioning the house so far back?
I would plan a different staircase.
The upper floor needs a complete redesign. Make the office larger than the children’s room. The bedroom becomes small due to the partition wall.
The wardrobe is quite small.
Remove one door in the utility room.
Use a standard patio door for the kitchen and change the island into a peninsula.
Even doing it yourself, it’s not cheap.
The budget is very tight, especially all-inclusive.
Why are you positioning the house so far back?
I would plan a different staircase.
The upper floor needs a complete redesign. Make the office larger than the children’s room. The bedroom becomes small due to the partition wall.
The wardrobe is quite small.
Remove one door in the utility room.
Use a standard patio door for the kitchen and change the island into a peninsula.
ypg schrieb:
And where is north and south? (Or did I miss a small arrow on my phone?)
And how is the slope taken into account in the planning? Sorry, I cut off the north arrow. The cadastral map and the draft plan are oriented to north.
haydee schrieb:
Why are you filling in the plot?
Even doing it yourself isn’t cheap. We want the area around the house to be leveled and definitely build higher than the street level. An excavator is available, and the soil excavated can be reused for the fill areas.
haydee schrieb:
Why are you setting the house so far back? We want to absorb the height difference to the street gradually in the driveway, and the garden area is still more than ample. Also, a future carport or parking space in front of the house is still possible.
haydee schrieb:
I would plan a different staircase.
Completely redesign the upper floor. Office bigger than the kids’ room. Bedroom becomes small due to the partition wall.
Closet area is quite small.
Utility room: remove one door.
Kitchen: standard patio door and change the island into a peninsula. Regarding the stairs, we considered a half-turn staircase at one point, but that partly worsened the hallway’s layout and the division of rooms on the upper floor.
We can easily swap the office and kids’ room if needed. For the utility room, having a door to the kitchen was important to us. I agree that the second door leading to the hallway is dispensable.
Do you have contour lines?
You can also design a plot with terraces.
If you use your own excavation material, you end up digging yourself in somewhere.
Transporting and retaining costs money. Just the compaction alone.
I don’t think the positioning is good. I’m not convinced about the filling. Does everything have to be completely level? The plot is on a slope, or simply not flat.
Do you want to carry your laundry through the kitchen every time?
I would have moved the door to the garage. There isn’t much space next to laundry and utilities.
A different staircase, a different location, and the rooms would work better.
The bedroom is relatively large, but the unnecessary partition wall makes it feel small, and it won’t function as a walk-in closet.
The office, intended only for family use, is larger than the children’s rooms. The children’s rooms are small compared to the overall house size. Also, the layout and position of the office show it doesn’t fit well.
Downstairs, the windows in the open plan area don’t fit. The wardrobe is small.
The entrance to the open plan area feels far from spacious, open, or modern.
You can also design a plot with terraces.
If you use your own excavation material, you end up digging yourself in somewhere.
Transporting and retaining costs money. Just the compaction alone.
I don’t think the positioning is good. I’m not convinced about the filling. Does everything have to be completely level? The plot is on a slope, or simply not flat.
Do you want to carry your laundry through the kitchen every time?
I would have moved the door to the garage. There isn’t much space next to laundry and utilities.
A different staircase, a different location, and the rooms would work better.
The bedroom is relatively large, but the unnecessary partition wall makes it feel small, and it won’t function as a walk-in closet.
The office, intended only for family use, is larger than the children’s rooms. The children’s rooms are small compared to the overall house size. Also, the layout and position of the office show it doesn’t fit well.
Downstairs, the windows in the open plan area don’t fit. The wardrobe is small.
The entrance to the open plan area feels far from spacious, open, or modern.
haydee schrieb:
Do you have contour lines? I can prepare a plan with contour lines tomorrow. The current design already shows the planned slopes: a fill area of 1m (3.3 ft) and a cut area of 1.80m (5.9 ft) with a slope gradient of 1:1.5.
haydee schrieb:
You can also design a plot in terraces.
If you reuse your own excavated material, you’ll just be digging into yourself somewhere.
And deliveries and retaining costs money. Even just compaction. That’s basically a large terrace then. Since I have experience in earthworks, I can estimate the effort quite well.
haydee schrieb:
Do you want to carry your dirty laundry through the kitchen every time?
I would have omitted the door to the garage. You won’t fit much more in there besides laundry and utility technology. OK, good point. The door to the garage will stay because the utility room is planned to be a bit larger to also serve as a pantry. It should be accessible from the garage.
Similar topics