Hello dear forum members,
as mentioned in the introduction thread, here is the current status of our house planning.
The plot is located in the second row and is accessible via the courtyard of the front house (shared driveway).
Currently, there are existing buildings on the plot that need to be demolished.
We have already had a few planning discussions with construction companies, and honestly, I have to say I am shocked by their “professionalism.” We have now specifically selected companies where consultation takes place with architects and not, for example, a trained cook (no joke, that actually happened!). In addition, we are already annoyed by the question: “What do you want to build? A shell bungalow or a single-family house?” When we say: “Let’s work out the floor plan step by step and see which shape and roof pitch result, then we can still decide the official house type,” we only get strange looks. There were no independent ideas tailored to the plot... When asking what they would recommend, we just get a questioning look. I have to say, I expected more, but maybe it is normal that you have to bring the initial idea for the floor plan yourself...
Due to the current situation, further appointments with the construction companies are difficult to arrange. So we are using the time to plan ourselves. After tapping into your collective intelligence in the first step, we will then send our draft to the companies including the issues we still see. They will then have the chance to optimize and price our draft for the next consultation.
For us, the heart of the house is the ground floor; the upper floor follows from the ground floor plan (room layout, bathroom above utility room, windows, etc.). The upper floor is located on the exterior walls of the ground floor to the right (north) and bottom (east) of the plan, while to the left (south) and top (west) it is limited to the “main rectangle” or recessed by 1.5m (roughly 5 feet).
Attached you will find the completed questionnaire. Unanswered questions I have not included anymore.
We are very curious about your opinion!
Many thanks in advance.
Ypsi aus NI
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size approx. 700 sqm
Floor area ratio (FAR) 0.3
Site coverage ratio 0.3
Building window, building line and boundary 3m (10 feet) from the neighbor’s boundary
Number of floors 1 full story
open development
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type (Mediterranean) urban villa
Basement, floors 1.5 floors
Number of occupants, age 2 people + planned children
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor GF = 130-140 sqm (1400-1500 sq ft), UF = 50-60 sqm (540-650 sq ft)
Open or closed architecture open
Conservative or modern construction modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island kitchen island
Number of dining seats 6-8
Fireplace wood stove
Balcony, roof terrace possibly roof terrace (flat roof on both volumes)
Garage, carport double garage
House Design
Planned by: Do-it-Yourself
What do you like in particular? Why? Shape fits well into the plot, living area is somewhat separated, kitchen and dining table as central element
What do you dislike? Why? Is the staircase suitable? Is the entrance spacious enough? Can the private rooms on the ground floor be arranged this way?
Preferred heating technology: heat pump
Why did the design develop this way?
We consider the plot relatively narrow. Normally, a rectangular house shape would make sense, using the full width of the plot. But then you lose the best side (south). The floor plan was developed according to “form follows function” and we really like it now (I mean the L-shape, not necessarily the individual room layout).
An interesting idea is not to realize the two wings on the upper floor with a hip roof, but instead to have a flat roof to possibly create one or two roof terraces.
The original wish was for a bungalow, but we realized that it consumes too much floor space. A good compromise for us is to have the master bedroom and master bathroom on the ground floor, and the children’s rooms plus office upstairs.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Are there fundamental planning mistakes we have overlooked so far?
as mentioned in the introduction thread, here is the current status of our house planning.
The plot is located in the second row and is accessible via the courtyard of the front house (shared driveway).
Currently, there are existing buildings on the plot that need to be demolished.
We have already had a few planning discussions with construction companies, and honestly, I have to say I am shocked by their “professionalism.” We have now specifically selected companies where consultation takes place with architects and not, for example, a trained cook (no joke, that actually happened!). In addition, we are already annoyed by the question: “What do you want to build? A shell bungalow or a single-family house?” When we say: “Let’s work out the floor plan step by step and see which shape and roof pitch result, then we can still decide the official house type,” we only get strange looks. There were no independent ideas tailored to the plot... When asking what they would recommend, we just get a questioning look. I have to say, I expected more, but maybe it is normal that you have to bring the initial idea for the floor plan yourself...
Due to the current situation, further appointments with the construction companies are difficult to arrange. So we are using the time to plan ourselves. After tapping into your collective intelligence in the first step, we will then send our draft to the companies including the issues we still see. They will then have the chance to optimize and price our draft for the next consultation.
For us, the heart of the house is the ground floor; the upper floor follows from the ground floor plan (room layout, bathroom above utility room, windows, etc.). The upper floor is located on the exterior walls of the ground floor to the right (north) and bottom (east) of the plan, while to the left (south) and top (west) it is limited to the “main rectangle” or recessed by 1.5m (roughly 5 feet).
Attached you will find the completed questionnaire. Unanswered questions I have not included anymore.
We are very curious about your opinion!
Many thanks in advance.
Ypsi aus NI
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size approx. 700 sqm
Floor area ratio (FAR) 0.3
Site coverage ratio 0.3
Building window, building line and boundary 3m (10 feet) from the neighbor’s boundary
Number of floors 1 full story
open development
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type (Mediterranean) urban villa
Basement, floors 1.5 floors
Number of occupants, age 2 people + planned children
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor GF = 130-140 sqm (1400-1500 sq ft), UF = 50-60 sqm (540-650 sq ft)
Open or closed architecture open
Conservative or modern construction modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island kitchen island
Number of dining seats 6-8
Fireplace wood stove
Balcony, roof terrace possibly roof terrace (flat roof on both volumes)
Garage, carport double garage
House Design
Planned by: Do-it-Yourself
What do you like in particular? Why? Shape fits well into the plot, living area is somewhat separated, kitchen and dining table as central element
What do you dislike? Why? Is the staircase suitable? Is the entrance spacious enough? Can the private rooms on the ground floor be arranged this way?
Preferred heating technology: heat pump
Why did the design develop this way?
We consider the plot relatively narrow. Normally, a rectangular house shape would make sense, using the full width of the plot. But then you lose the best side (south). The floor plan was developed according to “form follows function” and we really like it now (I mean the L-shape, not necessarily the individual room layout).
An interesting idea is not to realize the two wings on the upper floor with a hip roof, but instead to have a flat roof to possibly create one or two roof terraces.
The original wish was for a bungalow, but we realized that it consumes too much floor space. A good compromise for us is to have the master bedroom and master bathroom on the ground floor, and the children’s rooms plus office upstairs.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Are there fundamental planning mistakes we have overlooked so far?
Y
Ypsi aus NI25 Mar 2020 15:47Your suggestions and questions are great!
I like the way you think and approach the topic. I’m quite similar. Drone photos, moving the house around on the plot, marking sunlight, noting when shadows start, and so on.
However, I don’t think I will provide those details.
Why?
Here in the forum, some people are really on it! Great ideas, a critical eye, helpful tips, lateral thinkers.
And others… well, they’re just different. It’s like in real life.
With my floor plan, I seem to trigger more of the second type of person.
It’s just as I described in the EP. We have to go to the right companies with competent architects. Due to the current situation, appointments keep getting postponed.
Thank you for your advice!
I like the way you think and approach the topic. I’m quite similar. Drone photos, moving the house around on the plot, marking sunlight, noting when shadows start, and so on.
However, I don’t think I will provide those details.
Why?
Here in the forum, some people are really on it! Great ideas, a critical eye, helpful tips, lateral thinkers.
And others… well, they’re just different. It’s like in real life.
With my floor plan, I seem to trigger more of the second type of person.
It’s just as I described in the EP. We have to go to the right companies with competent architects. Due to the current situation, appointments keep getting postponed.
Thank you for your advice!
M
Matthew0325 Mar 2020 15:59Matthew03 schrieb:
You can tell just from the first responses which direction this is going... from the tone, you're already building the initial walls before even receiving some advice, which is a pity. I already shared that insight with you back on page 3, but as in real life, it’s a two-sided matter.
Nonsense, your floor plan won’t trigger anyone here. I’ve seen far more unusual floor plans and rightly sparked discussions.
What I have seen so far, the objections here have been very reasonable and helpful.
1. Costs. You don’t need to disclose your bank account details. It was only pointed out that your floor plan can’t be cheap. The cost drivers mentioned several times include structural engineering, walls not aligned vertically, hip roof, flat roof.
2. Basics. The basics must be clearly explained. There is no point in moving the bathroom in the attic if it later turns out that you can’t position the house on the plot like that. Then all the planning about the bathroom is wasted! Many volunteers here don’t want to deal with that and understandably drop out!
3. Thermal insulation. Your house with many corners, edges, and ceilings contradicts current energy-saving building standards. These are all thermal bridges that must be sealed and insulated at high cost. You need to be aware of this.
4. A house must be viewed as a whole. That naturally includes ALL floor plans, elevations, and sections. If something shifts on the ground floor, the entire facade or other parts might move as well. But you can’t just say, “I’ll make the ground floor wider,” because then you need to pay attention to the floor area ratio and other regulations.
What I have seen so far, the objections here have been very reasonable and helpful.
1. Costs. You don’t need to disclose your bank account details. It was only pointed out that your floor plan can’t be cheap. The cost drivers mentioned several times include structural engineering, walls not aligned vertically, hip roof, flat roof.
2. Basics. The basics must be clearly explained. There is no point in moving the bathroom in the attic if it later turns out that you can’t position the house on the plot like that. Then all the planning about the bathroom is wasted! Many volunteers here don’t want to deal with that and understandably drop out!
3. Thermal insulation. Your house with many corners, edges, and ceilings contradicts current energy-saving building standards. These are all thermal bridges that must be sealed and insulated at high cost. You need to be aware of this.
4. A house must be viewed as a whole. That naturally includes ALL floor plans, elevations, and sections. If something shifts on the ground floor, the entire facade or other parts might move as well. But you can’t just say, “I’ll make the ground floor wider,” because then you need to pay attention to the floor area ratio and other regulations.
Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
What is your specific suggestion for the hallway?No pain, no gain
Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
However, I don’t think I will provide these details.Well, good luck then!
Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
However, I don’t think I will provide these details.You don’t need to say that in the future tense, because you already haven’t provided them: I asked if you have dealt with converting the floor plans into elevations, and you replied by referring to post #1, which shows no elevations. You posted a ground floor plan and, at a different scale, a first floor plan with the stairwell as the only common reference point, without even indicating the floor outlines in relation to each other. You really have to recalculate the chain dimensions to notice the misalignment – which is why I asked how aware you actually are of this yourself.Solveigh schrieb:
Structural engineering, walls not aligned, hip roof, flat roof [...] All of these are thermal bridges that need to be carefully sealed and insulated at a high cost.That’s the difficulty nowadays: it’s a complex, mutually reinforcing problem. Before the energy saving regulations, cantilevers were simply ignored; they were “just” a structural issue. Today, an insulating layer has to be inserted, which in turn doubles the structural problem. In drawings, this looks trivial, but in construction you have to bring in huge amounts of money for it.Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
Some people in this forum really have it! Great ideas, critical thinking, good advice, out-of-the-box thinkers.
And others… they’re just different. It’s like real life.
It seems my floor plan triggers more the second type of person.Are you sure you appreciate the critics? I’d rather put it like this: no floor plan will trigger anyone enough to compensate for your sulky attitude toward criticism.Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
We need to hire the right companies with competent architects.It’s more likely for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a competent architect to be employed by a general contractor or house builder. You only get that luck in some cases when architects return to work after taking time off for family reasons.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Y
Ypsi aus NI14 Apr 2020 11:07Hello,
Maybe someone can help me...
If I have to maintain a three-meter (10 feet) distance between the property boundary and the house: How and where exactly is this three-meter (10 feet) distance measured?
The property boundary is clear.
But on the house side... is it measured up to the exterior wall?
How does it work in practice when designing an entrance (a small stoop or set of steps)? Does the first step of the staircase count towards the three-meter (10 feet) distance to the boundary, or are the steps excluded from the setback measurement?
Thank you
Maybe someone can help me...
If I have to maintain a three-meter (10 feet) distance between the property boundary and the house: How and where exactly is this three-meter (10 feet) distance measured?
The property boundary is clear.
But on the house side... is it measured up to the exterior wall?
How does it work in practice when designing an entrance (a small stoop or set of steps)? Does the first step of the staircase count towards the three-meter (10 feet) distance to the boundary, or are the steps excluded from the setback measurement?
Thank you
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