ᐅ Curved plot, single-family house 50 m², slope site, garage optimization
Created on: 10 Feb 2020 20:38
T
Tobbster77
Hello dear forum members,
as future homeowners, we kindly ask for your support in planning our house.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size -> 597 m² (6425 ft²)
Slope -> yes (approximate gradient: 3.7 meters (12 ft) at the long end / 2.9 meters (9.5 ft) at the short end) according to attachment
(after 8 meters (26 ft) – possible house start – approx. 80 cm (31 inches) / after 17 meters (56 ft) approx. 1.8 meters (5.9 ft))
Site coverage ratio -> see attachment
Floor area ratio -> see attachment
Building window, building line and boundary -> see attachment
Edge development -> see attachment
Number of parking spaces -> 2
Parking space/garage -> can be planned outside the building window
Number of storeys -> 1.5
Roof type -> gable roof
Style -> classic
Roof pitch 38 to 52 degrees
Orientation -> garden facing south / west
Maximum height / limits -> 8 meters (26 ft) ridge height
Knee wall height -> 1 meter (3.3 ft)
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type -> single-family house in timber frame construction with a gable roof (40 degrees) and bay window / corner bay or projecting corner bay with flat roof
Basement, floors -> yes (utility basement / habitable basement still undecided. We hope for input)
Number of residents, age -> 3 to 4 people – young family
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor -> house with approx. 150/160 m² (1615 / 1720 ft²) usable floor area (approx. 80 m² (860 ft²) living space on ground floor / 50–60 m² (540–650 ft²) living space on upper floor depending on knee wall height)
Office: family use or home office? -> rarely or never used as home office / possibly later converted into a bedroom
Guest stays per year -> few, so no classic guest room planned
Open or closed architecture -> open architecture
Conservative or modern construction -> conservative with one or two style elements (bay window / corner bay / conservatory) desired
Open kitchen, kitchen island -> open kitchen
Number of dining seats -> 4-6
Fireplace -> no
Music / stereo wall -> undecided
Balcony, roof terrace -> rather no
Garage, carport -> garage and carport (challenge here: we don’t know how best to position these so the house can be placed as far forward as possible to maximize garden area).
Utility garden, greenhouse -> utility garden
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why certain things should or should not be included
House type: KfW 40 Plus
House design
Who prepared the plan:
- Planner of a construction company -> building company
- Architect -> we now want to commission one separately because we are not making progress
- Do-it-yourself -> the floor plan basically already reflects our wishes and ideas and was created based on our input
Estimated price according to architect/planner: approx. 420,000 €
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: 460,000 €
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
If you had to give up something, which details/extensions could you do without?
- can do without: double garage / combined parking space
- cannot do without: everything else
Why did the design end up like it is now? For example:
As is often the case, homeowners usually start from scratch. We initially visited prefabricated house parks and then looked into offers from various providers. Since there was basic agreement with some house types, we requested quotes. The floor plan itself was developed based on model house visits and our ideas and wishes. We can basically imagine living like this. But of course, there are other opinions and room for optimization. Since the planning, to quote common expressions, has been done or would be done by “draftsmen,” and we simply have not yet received an ideal answer to our questions, we are now looking for your advice.
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can we position the garage and carport so that the house, approximately 10 meters (33 ft) wide and with the desired floor plan, can be placed as far forward toward the street as possible? Our goal is to maximize the garden space at the back. Or are we stuck on the garage, or should the house look different to allow moving it forward?
We have already asked the municipality whether it is possible to rotate the garage and place the driveway differently (see attachment). According to their preliminary check, there are currently no objections. However, I am somewhat skeptical (keyword: turning radius). It is a cul-de-sac with a 30 km/h (20 mph) speed limit.
Furthermore, we are still considering whether it makes sense, given the sloping site, to build a habitable basement or invest capital in it. Renting it out is not planned, but it may be used for the children later or as a recreational basement.
We would be very grateful for suggestions and tips.
as future homeowners, we kindly ask for your support in planning our house.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size -> 597 m² (6425 ft²)
Slope -> yes (approximate gradient: 3.7 meters (12 ft) at the long end / 2.9 meters (9.5 ft) at the short end) according to attachment
(after 8 meters (26 ft) – possible house start – approx. 80 cm (31 inches) / after 17 meters (56 ft) approx. 1.8 meters (5.9 ft))
Site coverage ratio -> see attachment
Floor area ratio -> see attachment
Building window, building line and boundary -> see attachment
Edge development -> see attachment
Number of parking spaces -> 2
Parking space/garage -> can be planned outside the building window
Number of storeys -> 1.5
Roof type -> gable roof
Style -> classic
Roof pitch 38 to 52 degrees
Orientation -> garden facing south / west
Maximum height / limits -> 8 meters (26 ft) ridge height
Knee wall height -> 1 meter (3.3 ft)
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type -> single-family house in timber frame construction with a gable roof (40 degrees) and bay window / corner bay or projecting corner bay with flat roof
Basement, floors -> yes (utility basement / habitable basement still undecided. We hope for input)
Number of residents, age -> 3 to 4 people – young family
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor -> house with approx. 150/160 m² (1615 / 1720 ft²) usable floor area (approx. 80 m² (860 ft²) living space on ground floor / 50–60 m² (540–650 ft²) living space on upper floor depending on knee wall height)
Office: family use or home office? -> rarely or never used as home office / possibly later converted into a bedroom
Guest stays per year -> few, so no classic guest room planned
Open or closed architecture -> open architecture
Conservative or modern construction -> conservative with one or two style elements (bay window / corner bay / conservatory) desired
Open kitchen, kitchen island -> open kitchen
Number of dining seats -> 4-6
Fireplace -> no
Music / stereo wall -> undecided
Balcony, roof terrace -> rather no
Garage, carport -> garage and carport (challenge here: we don’t know how best to position these so the house can be placed as far forward as possible to maximize garden area).
Utility garden, greenhouse -> utility garden
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why certain things should or should not be included
House type: KfW 40 Plus
House design
Who prepared the plan:
- Planner of a construction company -> building company
- Architect -> we now want to commission one separately because we are not making progress
- Do-it-yourself -> the floor plan basically already reflects our wishes and ideas and was created based on our input
Estimated price according to architect/planner: approx. 420,000 €
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: 460,000 €
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
If you had to give up something, which details/extensions could you do without?
- can do without: double garage / combined parking space
- cannot do without: everything else
Why did the design end up like it is now? For example:
As is often the case, homeowners usually start from scratch. We initially visited prefabricated house parks and then looked into offers from various providers. Since there was basic agreement with some house types, we requested quotes. The floor plan itself was developed based on model house visits and our ideas and wishes. We can basically imagine living like this. But of course, there are other opinions and room for optimization. Since the planning, to quote common expressions, has been done or would be done by “draftsmen,” and we simply have not yet received an ideal answer to our questions, we are now looking for your advice.
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can we position the garage and carport so that the house, approximately 10 meters (33 ft) wide and with the desired floor plan, can be placed as far forward toward the street as possible? Our goal is to maximize the garden space at the back. Or are we stuck on the garage, or should the house look different to allow moving it forward?
We have already asked the municipality whether it is possible to rotate the garage and place the driveway differently (see attachment). According to their preliminary check, there are currently no objections. However, I am somewhat skeptical (keyword: turning radius). It is a cul-de-sac with a 30 km/h (20 mph) speed limit.
Furthermore, we are still considering whether it makes sense, given the sloping site, to build a habitable basement or invest capital in it. Renting it out is not planned, but it may be used for the children later or as a recreational basement.
We would be very grateful for suggestions and tips.
Your hallway on the ground floor has no window and is dark, with no space for a coat rack or shoes. The upstairs hallway receives no natural light at all, and the windows on the upper floor are too small, so it will be dark there as well. At the door opening of your ground floor bathroom with shower, the door hits the shower enclosure; I would recommend positioning the shower further away from the door.
A sofa like the one you have drawn is commonly sold in furniture stores and measures about 3 x 3 meters (10 x 10 feet); it won’t fit in a living room that is 3.70 meters (12 feet) wide.
Best regards,
Sabine
A sofa like the one you have drawn is commonly sold in furniture stores and measures about 3 x 3 meters (10 x 10 feet); it won’t fit in a living room that is 3.70 meters (12 feet) wide.
Best regards,
Sabine
Tobbster7713 Feb 2020 20:53Hello everyone,
First of all, thank you very much for the responses so far. They have already given us several new ideas for our site planning. Key topics are the kitchen and, as we have also learned by now, the window and lighting design as essential elements. The couch, for example, was just a placeholder there. It will probably be placed against the wall and likely in a different size. We will review this again carefully. This kind of input is exactly what we need.
There are still some questions from you that I would like to answer.
@ ypg: The slope runs from northeast toward southwest. Or, in other words, from the cross street down toward the retention basin. The zero point starts at the cross street and then gently slopes southward. The driveway would have a slight downhill gradient.
I calculated that, starting at the terrace/garden edge, the basement protrudes about 1.8 meters (6 feet) out of the ground. If I now add a lower ground floor (walk-out basement), part of it would be underground and without natural light. Maybe I didn’t explain that clearly, or I don’t fully understand your suggestion yet. Attached is a simple sketch from my side for better understanding.
@Itenzer: The house entrance is planned for the northeast. As long as we stay within the building envelope, that is not an issue. We will reconsider the driveway situation. The question is also about the driveway length. Architect A says 5 meters (16 feet), General Contractor A says 3 meters (10 feet) with an electric garage door, General Contractor B says 5 meters (16 feet) again. So far, nobody has been able to give me a definitive answer.
For the garage/carport, a location outside the blue construction boundary is possible in any case. I have left out the detailed site development plan here.
Does anyone have experience with the approximate additional costs involved when converting a basement from a utility cellar to a living area basement? (Heating, doors, entrance, windows?). Of course, I know this cannot be answered precisely but I am looking for rough estimates. The basement is planned with about 75 square meters (807 square feet), possibly 40 square meters (430 square feet) as living area.
Thanks in advance for your further input, and I will get back to you when we have a new draft.
First of all, thank you very much for the responses so far. They have already given us several new ideas for our site planning. Key topics are the kitchen and, as we have also learned by now, the window and lighting design as essential elements. The couch, for example, was just a placeholder there. It will probably be placed against the wall and likely in a different size. We will review this again carefully. This kind of input is exactly what we need.
There are still some questions from you that I would like to answer.
@ ypg: The slope runs from northeast toward southwest. Or, in other words, from the cross street down toward the retention basin. The zero point starts at the cross street and then gently slopes southward. The driveway would have a slight downhill gradient.
I calculated that, starting at the terrace/garden edge, the basement protrudes about 1.8 meters (6 feet) out of the ground. If I now add a lower ground floor (walk-out basement), part of it would be underground and without natural light. Maybe I didn’t explain that clearly, or I don’t fully understand your suggestion yet. Attached is a simple sketch from my side for better understanding.
@Itenzer: The house entrance is planned for the northeast. As long as we stay within the building envelope, that is not an issue. We will reconsider the driveway situation. The question is also about the driveway length. Architect A says 5 meters (16 feet), General Contractor A says 3 meters (10 feet) with an electric garage door, General Contractor B says 5 meters (16 feet) again. So far, nobody has been able to give me a definitive answer.
For the garage/carport, a location outside the blue construction boundary is possible in any case. I have left out the detailed site development plan here.
Does anyone have experience with the approximate additional costs involved when converting a basement from a utility cellar to a living area basement? (Heating, doors, entrance, windows?). Of course, I know this cannot be answered precisely but I am looking for rough estimates. The basement is planned with about 75 square meters (807 square feet), possibly 40 square meters (430 square feet) as living area.
Thanks in advance for your further input, and I will get back to you when we have a new draft.
If you are planning a basement level, you will have at least one wall on the hillside side without natural light. This is not necessarily a problem.
The room without daylight is the utility room; the rest of the hillside wall belongs to the open living area. It is bright and filled with natural light.
I believe that living, dining, and cooking areas should be connected to the garden – the living space for the summer months.
I would have planned your house with a basement level.
Regarding the costs of a livable basement:
It depends.
Our livable basement is fully finished living space that we use ourselves, so it is cheaper than having a regular basement plus living space above.
The room without daylight is the utility room; the rest of the hillside wall belongs to the open living area. It is bright and filled with natural light.
I believe that living, dining, and cooking areas should be connected to the garden – the living space for the summer months.
I would have planned your house with a basement level.
Regarding the costs of a livable basement:
It depends.
Our livable basement is fully finished living space that we use ourselves, so it is cheaper than having a regular basement plus living space above.
Tobbster776 Apr 2020 21:14After some time and a few more experiences... architect... now again without an architect, we have received a draft from our preferred general contractor. We have incorporated some points from the last feedback here and just adjusted the upper floor accordingly. At first glance, we really liked the draft, but now there are some points that are causing us a lot of headaches.
We want to designate the upper floor as a second dwelling unit for the KfW program. Therefore, the platform staircase in its current position is obsolete. In my opinion, only a quarter-turn staircase at the entrance will work, so that we can create a wall for a small entrance hall. The general contractor still needs to adjust this. The staircase was initially my preference because I actually find platform stairs more attractive.
The office should be at least 12m² (129 sq ft) in size, as it might later be used as a bedroom.
1. We would like the cloakroom as a niche (in the draft it seems too far back). How can the pantry / kitchen / cloakroom niche be better optimized?
2. Entrance area, dining / living (hallway seems too dark because the entrance is around the corner?)
3. Living area is too small, how to position a sofa? If we place a door centrally to the living room so that you don’t face a wall directly after the front door, there is almost no space left to put something like a sideboard.
4. Does a quarter-turn staircase actually save more space on the ground floor here? If so, on the left or right of the entrance door?
5. General feedback.
I look forward to your responses.
We want to designate the upper floor as a second dwelling unit for the KfW program. Therefore, the platform staircase in its current position is obsolete. In my opinion, only a quarter-turn staircase at the entrance will work, so that we can create a wall for a small entrance hall. The general contractor still needs to adjust this. The staircase was initially my preference because I actually find platform stairs more attractive.
The office should be at least 12m² (129 sq ft) in size, as it might later be used as a bedroom.
1. We would like the cloakroom as a niche (in the draft it seems too far back). How can the pantry / kitchen / cloakroom niche be better optimized?
2. Entrance area, dining / living (hallway seems too dark because the entrance is around the corner?)
3. Living area is too small, how to position a sofa? If we place a door centrally to the living room so that you don’t face a wall directly after the front door, there is almost no space left to put something like a sideboard.
4. Does a quarter-turn staircase actually save more space on the ground floor here? If so, on the left or right of the entrance door?
5. General feedback.
I look forward to your responses.
How is the staircase layout supposed to allow a second apartment on the upper floor? You can’t really separate the lower one, can you?
No offense, but if you rely on a double repayment subsidy, you should reconsider the whole building project. There are so many unexpected costs. You should have some money set aside.
The budget for the house + basement + incidental construction costs (for a sloped site) + KFW40 Plus standard + large balcony is extremely tight.
No garden access from the living level.
The hallway would be far too dark for me.
Don’t design the kitchen as a square room; rather, make it a long double-row layout. Swap the cloakroom with the pantry.
Move the door into the open space so the cramped corner door disappears.
Use a space-saving staircase.
Have you drawn your actual furniture to scale?
No offense, but if you rely on a double repayment subsidy, you should reconsider the whole building project. There are so many unexpected costs. You should have some money set aside.
The budget for the house + basement + incidental construction costs (for a sloped site) + KFW40 Plus standard + large balcony is extremely tight.
No garden access from the living level.
The hallway would be far too dark for me.
Don’t design the kitchen as a square room; rather, make it a long double-row layout. Swap the cloakroom with the pantry.
Move the door into the open space so the cramped corner door disappears.
Use a space-saving staircase.
Have you drawn your actual furniture to scale?
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