ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a Single-Family Home on a Sloped Site
Created on: 23 Nov 2020 16:56
J
JayneCobb
Hello everyone,
As I introduced myself here in the general forum, we have had several discussions with different general contractors, both for solid construction and timber frame.
We are now at the point where we have received some floor plan proposals.
I would like to present to you here (firstly?) the draft from the company Holz 1, which we particularly like because of the gallery and because it includes many of the features we communicated in advance.
I redrew this myself, so please forgive me if some elements appear a bit amateurish.
Most of the windows are not included in the drawing. What we would find extremely appealing is the (probably very expensive) idea of extending the eastern glass area at the southeast corner over two floors, but I couldn’t quickly find this option in the program.
I sketched in the larger bed on the ground floor to show proportions, as this room could potentially serve as a bedroom for us later.
From the linked thread above, it was already suggested by several forum members to locate the living/dining area on the garden level and the sleeping area upstairs.
Our reasons for planning it this way (though we are not yet entirely fixed):
- significantly shorter distances for carrying groceries, taking out trash, etc.
- nicer view from the living area into the greenery/mini-valley I described compared to the basement level
- more spacious feeling with an open ceiling/the gallery
- entering and being able to "just relax"
- simple accommodation of a frailty scenario (potentially living on one floor later, at least for a certain time)
We appreciate any further comments, ideas, etc. — thank you in advance!
Development Plan / Restrictions
Lot size: 791 sqm (8505 sq ft)
Slope: yes
Site coverage ratio: 0.35
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see attachment
Number of parking spaces: 2 (double garage planned)
Number of floors: 2 to 2.5 (garden floor, ground floor, and possibly half an attic as a gallery with open space above ground floor)
Roof type: gable roof (35-42° specified)
Orientation: still open
Maximum heights/limits: ridge height 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in); eaves height 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
Additional requirements: Distance from house to street approx. 4.50 m (15 ft), terrain slopes downward from street
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof form, building type:
Unfortunately, the development plan restricts us to a gable roof; if we had free choice, I would have opted for a clear Bauhaus style.
Basement, floors:
Garden floor 1/4 basement, 3/4 sleeping area. Above that, ground floor as living area, possibly a half open attic (gallery with open space + 1 room).
Number of people, ages:
3-4 people: 44 and 46 years old; son 1.5 years old, and husband’s 12-year-old daughter (she either spends every second weekend there or lives there permanently).
Space requirements on ground and upper floors:
Because the garage will likely need a basement due to the slope, we have planned the basement (storage, possibly workshop) there with access both from the garden side and from inside the house. On the garden/basement floor itself: technical room and laundry, three bedrooms, and main bathroom. On the ground floor (level with street, also accessible from garage) is the living area with kitchen, open living and dining area, pantry/utility room, an office/guest room, and a guest bathroom. An architect from a developer suggested the possibility of a half attic as a gallery with open space over the living area and a small room (guest room, office), which I really like.
Office: family use or home office?
There will definitely be some home office usage.
Number of guests per year:
Hard to say, but a small guest room is planned.
Open or closed architecture:
Rather open in the living area; above all, the view into the unbuildable, sloping green space (southeast) should be emphasized by high ceilings (no intermediate floor there) and large windows.
Open kitchen, kitchen island:
Kitchen can be separated by sliding door; no kitchen island needed.
Number of dining seats:
6
Fireplace:
Preferred (or wood stove), but not a must.
Music/Stereo wall:
Yes
Balcony, roof terrace:
Balcony on the ground floor facing southeast (preferably partly recessed into the house, but probably too little space), south side.
Garage, carport:
Garage preferred.
Productive garden, greenhouse:
Partly productive garden, partly digging/play area, partly nice to look at, partly play options for our son.
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why something should or should not be:
We imagine a KfW55 standard house prepared for photovoltaic system installation.
I want the ground floor designed so that if mobility becomes limited in the future, we don’t have to move out immediately but can live on one level. Therefore, an additional room on the ground floor is a must, currently used as office/guest room and potentially convertible into a bedroom. For the same reason, the guest bathroom should already have a shower, and somewhere on the ground floor space for washing machine connections should be planned.
I personally lean toward spaciousness and many rooms but notice that the budget clearly limits this. My partner is more minimalist and wouldn’t mind if the house isn’t too large.
House Design
Planner:
Planner from a construction company
What do you particularly like? Why?
Gallery/open space (openness)
What do you not like? Why?
Less space (e.g. currently small bathroom, which can be adjusted) — budget-driven
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
520,000-550,000 euros gross (very rough estimate, no formal offer yet)
Personal price limit for house including fittings:
530,000 euros (but never say never)
Preferred heating technology:
Air-to-water heat pump
If you have to give up, on which details/extensions
- can you live without:
Garage can be shorter
- can you not live without:
Something open (some special feature/beautiful detail)
View of the biotope strip to the southeast
Why is the design the way it is now?
Were the corresponding/which wishes implemented by the architect?
Yes.
What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes?
Airy, sufficient number of rooms
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Is the layout of the house suitable to meet our requirements?
As I introduced myself here in the general forum, we have had several discussions with different general contractors, both for solid construction and timber frame.
We are now at the point where we have received some floor plan proposals.
I would like to present to you here (firstly?) the draft from the company Holz 1, which we particularly like because of the gallery and because it includes many of the features we communicated in advance.
I redrew this myself, so please forgive me if some elements appear a bit amateurish.
Most of the windows are not included in the drawing. What we would find extremely appealing is the (probably very expensive) idea of extending the eastern glass area at the southeast corner over two floors, but I couldn’t quickly find this option in the program.
I sketched in the larger bed on the ground floor to show proportions, as this room could potentially serve as a bedroom for us later.
From the linked thread above, it was already suggested by several forum members to locate the living/dining area on the garden level and the sleeping area upstairs.
Our reasons for planning it this way (though we are not yet entirely fixed):
- significantly shorter distances for carrying groceries, taking out trash, etc.
- nicer view from the living area into the greenery/mini-valley I described compared to the basement level
- more spacious feeling with an open ceiling/the gallery
- entering and being able to "just relax"
- simple accommodation of a frailty scenario (potentially living on one floor later, at least for a certain time)
We appreciate any further comments, ideas, etc. — thank you in advance!
Development Plan / Restrictions
Lot size: 791 sqm (8505 sq ft)
Slope: yes
Site coverage ratio: 0.35
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see attachment
Number of parking spaces: 2 (double garage planned)
Number of floors: 2 to 2.5 (garden floor, ground floor, and possibly half an attic as a gallery with open space above ground floor)
Roof type: gable roof (35-42° specified)
Orientation: still open
Maximum heights/limits: ridge height 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in); eaves height 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
Additional requirements: Distance from house to street approx. 4.50 m (15 ft), terrain slopes downward from street
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof form, building type:
Unfortunately, the development plan restricts us to a gable roof; if we had free choice, I would have opted for a clear Bauhaus style.
Basement, floors:
Garden floor 1/4 basement, 3/4 sleeping area. Above that, ground floor as living area, possibly a half open attic (gallery with open space + 1 room).
Number of people, ages:
3-4 people: 44 and 46 years old; son 1.5 years old, and husband’s 12-year-old daughter (she either spends every second weekend there or lives there permanently).
Space requirements on ground and upper floors:
Because the garage will likely need a basement due to the slope, we have planned the basement (storage, possibly workshop) there with access both from the garden side and from inside the house. On the garden/basement floor itself: technical room and laundry, three bedrooms, and main bathroom. On the ground floor (level with street, also accessible from garage) is the living area with kitchen, open living and dining area, pantry/utility room, an office/guest room, and a guest bathroom. An architect from a developer suggested the possibility of a half attic as a gallery with open space over the living area and a small room (guest room, office), which I really like.
Office: family use or home office?
There will definitely be some home office usage.
Number of guests per year:
Hard to say, but a small guest room is planned.
Open or closed architecture:
Rather open in the living area; above all, the view into the unbuildable, sloping green space (southeast) should be emphasized by high ceilings (no intermediate floor there) and large windows.
Open kitchen, kitchen island:
Kitchen can be separated by sliding door; no kitchen island needed.
Number of dining seats:
6
Fireplace:
Preferred (or wood stove), but not a must.
Music/Stereo wall:
Yes
Balcony, roof terrace:
Balcony on the ground floor facing southeast (preferably partly recessed into the house, but probably too little space), south side.
Garage, carport:
Garage preferred.
Productive garden, greenhouse:
Partly productive garden, partly digging/play area, partly nice to look at, partly play options for our son.
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why something should or should not be:
We imagine a KfW55 standard house prepared for photovoltaic system installation.
I want the ground floor designed so that if mobility becomes limited in the future, we don’t have to move out immediately but can live on one level. Therefore, an additional room on the ground floor is a must, currently used as office/guest room and potentially convertible into a bedroom. For the same reason, the guest bathroom should already have a shower, and somewhere on the ground floor space for washing machine connections should be planned.
I personally lean toward spaciousness and many rooms but notice that the budget clearly limits this. My partner is more minimalist and wouldn’t mind if the house isn’t too large.
House Design
Planner:
Planner from a construction company
What do you particularly like? Why?
Gallery/open space (openness)
What do you not like? Why?
Less space (e.g. currently small bathroom, which can be adjusted) — budget-driven
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
520,000-550,000 euros gross (very rough estimate, no formal offer yet)
Personal price limit for house including fittings:
530,000 euros (but never say never)
Preferred heating technology:
Air-to-water heat pump
If you have to give up, on which details/extensions
- can you live without:
Garage can be shorter
- can you not live without:
Something open (some special feature/beautiful detail)
View of the biotope strip to the southeast
Why is the design the way it is now?
Were the corresponding/which wishes implemented by the architect?
Yes.
What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes?
Airy, sufficient number of rooms
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Is the layout of the house suitable to meet our requirements?
J
JayneCobb24 Nov 2020 00:10Hello 11ant,
As I said, the house length from left to right (west to east) is 10 m (33 feet), and from bottom to the vestibule is also 10 m (33 feet). The vestibule is about 1.7 m (5.5 feet) wide, and the garage (currently) is 6 m by 9 m (20 feet by 30 feet).
11ant schrieb:Did I really measure so inaccurately? Darn. 😳
Not only you, but also the result. Now it looks quite different. But unfortunately still without dimensions :-(
As I said, the house length from left to right (west to east) is 10 m (33 feet), and from bottom to the vestibule is also 10 m (33 feet). The vestibule is about 1.7 m (5.5 feet) wide, and the garage (currently) is 6 m by 9 m (20 feet by 30 feet).
Considering the topography of the site, I would decouple the garage height-wise from the ground floor level (which also means not having an internal connection to the house). Regarding the height restrictions, the definitions are important. Since there is no distinction between uphill and downhill heights here, the reference height definition can be very crucial. What is the name of the development plan? (no link!)
At least I do not see any formal restriction on the number of floors, which should be quite beneficial in this case. However, the combination of 0.35 / 0.6 / SD, even without roof pitch specifications, suggests that the planners of the development plan likely envision “one-and-a-half storey” buildings.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
At least I do not see any formal restriction on the number of floors, which should be quite beneficial in this case. However, the combination of 0.35 / 0.6 / SD, even without roof pitch specifications, suggests that the planners of the development plan likely envision “one-and-a-half storey” buildings.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
J
JayneCobb24 Nov 2020 00:58Hello!
The roof pitch is specified as 35–42° (degrees)...
I don’t want to share the plan publicly yet, and I can’t send you a direct message because I haven’t posted enough (when does that become possible?). I’ll message you as soon as I can.
Regarding the height, I copied some information from the plan. Is that helpful or sufficient for assessment?
What is the reason for your recommendation of decoupling?
Having a direct passage from the garage into the house (preferably close to a utility room or pantry) definitely has its appeal...
The roof pitch is specified as 35–42° (degrees)...
I don’t want to share the plan publicly yet, and I can’t send you a direct message because I haven’t posted enough (when does that become possible?). I’ll message you as soon as I can.
Regarding the height, I copied some information from the plan. Is that helpful or sufficient for assessment?
What is the reason for your recommendation of decoupling?
Having a direct passage from the garage into the house (preferably close to a utility room or pantry) definitely has its appeal...
JayneCobb schrieb:
The roof pitch is specified as 35-42°...
I don’t want to share the plan publicly, and I can’t send you direct messages yet because I haven’t posted enough (from when is that possible?). I’ll message you as soon as I can. Off limits ;-) You can also reach me via gmx (de) using my username. The requirements in the plan are at least clearly stated, so they can be managed.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Separate garage from the house
Do not include a basement under the garage
Entrance is unwelcoming, narrow, and long. No cloakroom. No sense of coming home and dropping everything.
Upstairs bedroom for elderly is not practical. Too small even without mobility issues.
Balcony should be as far as possible from the kitchen. Impractical otherwise.
Upper gallery and open space feel like forced use of an unwanted area.
Long corridor in the basement
Bedroom gets an extension just to fit a wardrobe. Very little space between bed and wall
Bathroom is too small for 4 people
Always draw all furniture to scale in every floor plan. Walk through everyday life scenarios.
Do not include a basement under the garage
Entrance is unwelcoming, narrow, and long. No cloakroom. No sense of coming home and dropping everything.
Upstairs bedroom for elderly is not practical. Too small even without mobility issues.
Balcony should be as far as possible from the kitchen. Impractical otherwise.
Upper gallery and open space feel like forced use of an unwanted area.
Long corridor in the basement
Bedroom gets an extension just to fit a wardrobe. Very little space between bed and wall
Bathroom is too small for 4 people
Always draw all furniture to scale in every floor plan. Walk through everyday life scenarios.
haydee schrieb:
Separate the garage from the house
Do not include a basement under the garage Separating is clearly recommended, including a basement is questionable: Eave and ridge heights may refer to the planned site level according to the development plan (which is good!), but for the average wall height of a garage located on the property boundary (and I wouldn’t place it smarter anywhere else here), the state building codes will apply, and possibly the original ground level will be decisive. I expect the garage, set back about half a meter (about 1.5 feet) further from the street than the house, to lie slightly lower on the site (20 or 30 cm (8 or 12 inches)?) and have a slight slope on the driveway (which should not be a problem with a channel drain). This creates a dilemma at the rear edge: a workshop bench space 6 meters (20 feet) long could then be in the basement, which, given an estimated average height difference of about 1.5 meters (5 feet) according to my rule of thumb, would only be “needed” by about three-quarters majority; to integrate a 9-meter (30 feet) long workshop bench space, the height difference at the rear would almost certainly justify a full basement, although that basement would not be necessary at least for the workshop bench itself. So, the classic case: whichever way you do it, it’s "wrong" (and will affect the budget either way). Was this building site a former military training ground? (Potato fields are flat).
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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