ᐅ Location of a city villa or detached single-family house on a 500 m² rectangular plot

Created on: 17 Jan 2020 18:03

Dear all,

after sharing the floor plans of my possible hamster cage with you in the other thread , here comes the next thread (thanks again for all the constructive suggestions there).
Just so you know, the semi-detached house is not off the table yet, as this plot of land is highly sought after and it’s not clear whether it will work out. But this one would be my favorite.

Now to this plot. For now, I’m mainly concerned with where and roughly how the house should be positioned on this plot.

Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 500 m² (5400 sq ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: 0.2
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 5 m (16 ft) from the street, 3 m (10 ft) from neighbors
Edge development: allowed for garages and sheds, none existing on the plot
Number of parking spaces: 1-2
Number of floors: 1.5–2.5
Roof shape: no preference
Architectural style: no preference
Orientation: aligned parallel to the street
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height max. 9 m (30 ft)

Below are the site plans I created myself based on the details from the listing.

This is a rough overview of the plot with building boundaries and dimensions.

Site plan: green center outlined by red frame, street names on the left and compass top left.

My question is: where to put the house?
The broker suggests placing it towards the back, since you already have the 5 m (16 ft) setback at the front and would “gain” about 3 m (10 ft) of garden. My partner doesn’t like this because of the visibility from the street. I say: privacy screen! But I also think, a fence too high might create a prison-yard feel.

But even if you follow this suggestion, I wonder if a more square floor plan (-> town villa style) would be better?

Like this, for example:

Floor plan: street on the left, orange buffer zones, green area, central grey building (100 m²).

Then parking space might be tricky, right?

Or upright like this?

Floor plan of a plot with orange buffer zones, green yard and grey building block.

I really want as much of a west-facing view and garden as possible. I tend to be an evening person and that side is less built up, due to the road. So I think more light comes through.
But the narrow floor plan caused lots of problems with the semi-detached house already. Well, here you could build longer instead.

What do you think?

Best regards

Tolentino

kaho67430 Apr 2020 11:28

#181

Tolentino schrieb:

I like the suggestion, I will inquire about it. Your own contradiction confuses me. Is it not like that with the bathroom door now?

Well, you’ll have to take a closer look. I think the staircase is—like everything in your house—designed very tightly. If you simply rotate it, in my opinion the first step would already be in front of the entrance to the utility room. Not by much, but noticeably, so you couldn’t leave it like that. That would mean you’d have to extend it further out at the top—then, boom, there’s the bedroom door. Making it steeper is probably not an option and wouldn’t be desirable anyway. But to judge this exactly, you’d need every measurement, including heights, etc. We don’t have that. Honestly, if it comes down to about 10cm (4 inches) to be able to place a decent wardrobe behind the bedroom door and maybe rotate the stairs, I’d rather make the house deeper. You will probably regret the roughly 4000 euros you saved forever. But that’s up to you.

Tolentino schrieb:

Yes, at least in front of the sofa it still makes sense because my partner has a lot of plants that need light, and she could place them there. Even if we wouldn’t walk out through the door...

No, why? The sofa is standing there, right? Or do you now want a flower stand behind the sofa?

Tolentino schrieb:

The door at the kitchen is debatable (although then we would lose symmetry—which I don’t care about, but unfortunately my partner does...)

Yes, that’s a matter of conscience. I would keep the large doors too. However, we have almost stopped using the TV and there are only two of us. My sofa would be turned 180°. I would design the kitchen without an island and place the dining table in the middle of the kitchen instead. That would finally create space in the living room so you can walk through it.

Tolentino schrieb:

And yes, otherwise you are right. There are various constraints that together will lead to a less than perfect house.

That’s just how it is. What I find especially unfortunate for you is the dressing room issue since you really need it. But okay, then you’ll have to do without.

Pinky030130 Apr 2020 11:43

#182

kaho674 schrieb:

I would plan the kitchen without an island and instead place the dining table in the center of the kitchen.

I also think it would be good to compare by planning an L-shaped kitchen with the dining table in the middle.
By the way, I don’t mind at all if the window behind the sofa is floor-to-ceiling.

11ant30 Apr 2020 11:53

#183

I already mentioned in post #96 that I saw similarities with the design by @Zaba12 https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/Grundriss-für-11m-x-8-25m-ok.24781/ and also compared the exterior dimensions again. Although the ground floor at the top of the plan, with the room layout from the guest room to the very compact utility room, is quite tight, in my opinion, the criticism here is somewhat exaggerated.

Tolentino schrieb:

(which would mean losing symmetry again – which I don’t care about, but unfortunately my partner does...)

Then tell her that one of my mantras is that symmetry is a substitute aesthetic for those who struggle with proportions.

https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

Tolentino30 Apr 2020 12:09

#184

kaho674 schrieb:

If you just rotate it, in my opinion the entrance is already before the passage to the utility room

You’re right! Why am I not surprised?

No, I’m not surprised.

kaho674 schrieb:

I would make the house deeper. You’ll regret it forever over maybe 4,000 euros you saved.

It actually has already become deeper and wider (+6 m² (65 sq ft) of net floor area). I initially swallowed the extra cost of 6,500 EUR.
Now even more—phew, I might not rotate the stairs then.
By the way, the dimensions can all be seen in the section drawing in my opinion (you just have to do a bit of adding and subtracting)…

kaho674 schrieb:

No, why? The sofa is there, right? Or should there now be a flower shelf behind the sofa?

Are you referring to the original floor plan from the architect? There is a corner sofa drawn directly at the window (doors). I made a layout only of the open living space in between. There is still about 60 cm (24 inches) of space behind the sofa, so enough room to put a large plant stand or shelf or something (which I haven’t drawn in yet).

kaho674 schrieb:

However, we have almost given up on the TV.

Unimaginable!
On the one hand, I think it’s commendable, but I work in the consumer electronics industry, so having a large home theater system with a good screen is quite central for me.

kaho674 schrieb:

I would rotate the sofa 180°.

Sure, without the entertainment centerpiece, you’d naturally face the view outside. But you already get that from every sofa, thanks to the windows opposite each seating area. That’s why I asked whether it would make sense to have floor-to-ceiling windows on the west side as well.

kaho674 schrieb:

I’d plan the kitchen without an island and place the dining table in the middle of the kitchen. That would finally free up space in the living room to walk through.

Yes, that’s the alternative I’m currently working on, and it’s also what the architect suggested. I just can’t quite get used to always standing in the kitchen with my back to the rest of the room and company while working.

kaho674 schrieb:

That’s how it is. Especially unfortunate in your case is the walk-in closet issue, since you really need them. But okay, it just has to work without.

Yes, it’s quite unfortunate. But it was always more of a nice-to-have. In some designs we included them (you already made some great suggestions), but it always turned out that in the end there was actually less storage space for clothes.

Tolentino30 Apr 2020 12:26

#185

hmm, my overview links were deleted by the admin and I received the following notice:

This is a reminder and not a warning.<br>
Images must be uploaded using the forum’s own upload function to ensure trouble-free access to the images in the future.
No correspondence will be entered into regarding this warning!

But I only used internal links?!
I don’t understand what I did wrong...

Edit:

Maybe I wasn’t allowed to link the images directly.
I’m now linking to the posts instead and hope that’s okay.

- Current architect’s draft: https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/Lage-Stadtvilla-oder-efh-auf-500-m2-rechteck.33505/post-398340
- Revised ground floor plan: https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/Lage-Stadtvilla-oder-efh-auf-500-m2-rechteck.33505/post-398363
- Current self-made design, only the furnished ground floor with peninsula kitchen: https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/Lage-Stadtvilla-oder-efh-auf-500-m2-rechteck.33505/post-398518

Now I am uploading the latest draft of the open-plan area with L-shaped kitchen and dining table in the center (using the forum function!!!)

Open layout of a living and dining area with sofa, dining table, kitchenette, plants and doors.

11ant30 Apr 2020 12:36

#186

Tolentino schrieb:

However, I only used internal links?!
I don't understand what I did wrong...

I don’t understand either; from my perspective, nothing was wrong with that. I was quite upset about it: I saw the links, appreciated them, and even felt like liking them, then suddenly they were gone. At least they remain within the text, but in the end, having them summarized felt clearer to me. That way, it’s easier to spot— a blue word in the text is not very noticeable :-(

https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

ᐅ Location of a city villa or detached single-family house on a 500 m² rectangular plot

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