ᐅ Single-family house with a recessed upper floor, southwest-facing, located in Bonn
Created on: 5 Oct 2020 20:40
B
Benrath
Hello everyone,
we have purchased one of three plots that were divided from a larger property and still need to be developed. Access is via a private road, and all three owners share the traffic area equally. The plot is very well connected for us, located centrally in Bonn, and is perhaps a bit larger than we actually needed. However, it’s not like there are always free plots available in a similar location.
Because there was a lengthy legal dispute between the seller and the neighbors beforehand, we can only build a partial recessed upper floor to a limited extent. Probably for this reason, the plot was mainly interesting for private buyers. An accessory apartment is not possible, and we don’t want one anyway.
Up until now, the planning was done from scratch without considering costs or practical aspects, at least from our side. The architect apparently enjoys drawing, which is understandable at this stage and has a certain artistic approach. We are generally open to all suggestions and ideas on what could be done differently, especially where costs might be saved easily.
Our next step will be to conclude an architect contract for service phases 1 to 5 plus general contractor / main contractor.
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: >800sqm (8600 sq ft), no slope, building envelope etc. See plan.
Parking spaces: 1 on traffic area and 1 garage
Number of storeys: Only 1 full storey plus a recessed upper floor
Roof style: Flat roof; architectural style: rather Bauhaus
Orientation: Front of the house faces southwest
Maximum height/limits: 7–8m (23–26 ft)
Owners’ requirements
We basically have no specific style requirements. A flat roof results partly from the recessed upper floor and height restrictions, which probably don’t allow a pitched roof.
We want a basement with excavation and two daylight rooms (this was more the architect’s idea). Currently, there are three of us, possibly four in the future. Early 30s and a baby.
We had planned for just over 100sqm (1076 sq ft) on the ground floor and about 75% of that upstairs. Currently, it’s roughly 230sqm (2475 sq ft) ground floor and upper floor combined plus terraces, etc., and the basement.
Office: occasional use, not very important.
Number of overnight guests per year: unknown, but a guest room is planned
Open kitchen, kitchen island: We definitely want a separate kitchen area and like the suggestion of an extended island
Number of dining seats: 4 in the kitchen, more like 8 in the dining room
Fireplace: Not very important, probably no.
Music/surround sound system: 5.1 system around the TV
Balcony, roof terrace: Terrace is a must, balcony above the kitchen results from the recessed floor
Garage, carport: The garage width of 4.5m (15 ft) is unusual and probably makes it more expensive.
House design by the architect
What do we particularly like? Why? Good use of the sunny side, and otherwise all our wishes have been taken into account.
Upper floor: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet.
What don’t we like? Why? I could imagine a nicer staircase, perhaps a longer, more open design. Overall, the hallway feels a bit large.
The upper-floor terrace seems somewhat oversized. We are wondering if the overhang casts too much shade on the ground floor.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: with general contractor and all additional costs >900,000€ (over 900,000 euros)
Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings: rather below that.
Preferred heating technology: no opinion so far
Why does the design look like it does?
For example:
There was an initial meeting with the architect during which our wishes were noted.
Ground floor: separated kitchen, combined living/dining area. Another separate room as office/guest room (and possibly bedroom if needed).
Passage from the garage to the house, possibly as a utility room.
Upper floor: 3 rooms plus 2 bathrooms, including one en-suite.
First draft at the second meeting, and at the third meeting this final design was presented.
we have purchased one of three plots that were divided from a larger property and still need to be developed. Access is via a private road, and all three owners share the traffic area equally. The plot is very well connected for us, located centrally in Bonn, and is perhaps a bit larger than we actually needed. However, it’s not like there are always free plots available in a similar location.
Because there was a lengthy legal dispute between the seller and the neighbors beforehand, we can only build a partial recessed upper floor to a limited extent. Probably for this reason, the plot was mainly interesting for private buyers. An accessory apartment is not possible, and we don’t want one anyway.
Up until now, the planning was done from scratch without considering costs or practical aspects, at least from our side. The architect apparently enjoys drawing, which is understandable at this stage and has a certain artistic approach. We are generally open to all suggestions and ideas on what could be done differently, especially where costs might be saved easily.
Our next step will be to conclude an architect contract for service phases 1 to 5 plus general contractor / main contractor.
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: >800sqm (8600 sq ft), no slope, building envelope etc. See plan.
Parking spaces: 1 on traffic area and 1 garage
Number of storeys: Only 1 full storey plus a recessed upper floor
Roof style: Flat roof; architectural style: rather Bauhaus
Orientation: Front of the house faces southwest
Maximum height/limits: 7–8m (23–26 ft)
Owners’ requirements
We basically have no specific style requirements. A flat roof results partly from the recessed upper floor and height restrictions, which probably don’t allow a pitched roof.
We want a basement with excavation and two daylight rooms (this was more the architect’s idea). Currently, there are three of us, possibly four in the future. Early 30s and a baby.
We had planned for just over 100sqm (1076 sq ft) on the ground floor and about 75% of that upstairs. Currently, it’s roughly 230sqm (2475 sq ft) ground floor and upper floor combined plus terraces, etc., and the basement.
Office: occasional use, not very important.
Number of overnight guests per year: unknown, but a guest room is planned
Open kitchen, kitchen island: We definitely want a separate kitchen area and like the suggestion of an extended island
Number of dining seats: 4 in the kitchen, more like 8 in the dining room
Fireplace: Not very important, probably no.
Music/surround sound system: 5.1 system around the TV
Balcony, roof terrace: Terrace is a must, balcony above the kitchen results from the recessed floor
Garage, carport: The garage width of 4.5m (15 ft) is unusual and probably makes it more expensive.
House design by the architect
What do we particularly like? Why? Good use of the sunny side, and otherwise all our wishes have been taken into account.
Upper floor: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet.
What don’t we like? Why? I could imagine a nicer staircase, perhaps a longer, more open design. Overall, the hallway feels a bit large.
The upper-floor terrace seems somewhat oversized. We are wondering if the overhang casts too much shade on the ground floor.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: with general contractor and all additional costs >900,000€ (over 900,000 euros)
Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings: rather below that.
Preferred heating technology: no opinion so far
Why does the design look like it does?
For example:
There was an initial meeting with the architect during which our wishes were noted.
Ground floor: separated kitchen, combined living/dining area. Another separate room as office/guest room (and possibly bedroom if needed).
Passage from the garage to the house, possibly as a utility room.
Upper floor: 3 rooms plus 2 bathrooms, including one en-suite.
First draft at the second meeting, and at the third meeting this final design was presented.
So, we now have two options for the hallway. We like option 2 better, but it has the disadvantage that the front door is flush with the wall. However, this option features a longer staircase. Option 1 still includes a door that acts as a kind of vestibule.
Upstairs, the master bedroom is now located on the southwest side, with the two children’s rooms on the other side. One of the children’s rooms is slightly larger, but you can’t have everything. The hallway is much better in this layout. The stairwell could have two narrow windows to let in more light, both on the lower and upper levels.
We are much more satisfied with the hallway now, but the question remains how to design the entrance area. For example, with a canopy extending from the garage. I’ve also thought about raising the left side of the house by about one meter (3 feet 3 inches) and lengthening the kitchen, so there would be a more natural entrance area with a canopy between the kitchen and garage. Another idea is if the staircase could have a turn at the bottom with 3–5 steps, maybe even including a landing as shown in the picture.
In the drawing, everything looks a bit smaller, but the master bedroom should be about 3.8–4 meters (12.5–13 feet) wide. The children’s rooms could eventually be combined into one larger room, if that’s ever desired. Maybe there will only be one child after all.
The design marked in red is from a friend and was more of a fun idea. I found the concept of having a bathroom inside the master bedroom interesting, but then you end up with an impractical hallway there.
@Regarding the basins, I’m currently leaning towards just one. The children’s bathroom is no longer very large.
Upstairs, the master bedroom is now located on the southwest side, with the two children’s rooms on the other side. One of the children’s rooms is slightly larger, but you can’t have everything. The hallway is much better in this layout. The stairwell could have two narrow windows to let in more light, both on the lower and upper levels.
We are much more satisfied with the hallway now, but the question remains how to design the entrance area. For example, with a canopy extending from the garage. I’ve also thought about raising the left side of the house by about one meter (3 feet 3 inches) and lengthening the kitchen, so there would be a more natural entrance area with a canopy between the kitchen and garage. Another idea is if the staircase could have a turn at the bottom with 3–5 steps, maybe even including a landing as shown in the picture.
In the drawing, everything looks a bit smaller, but the master bedroom should be about 3.8–4 meters (12.5–13 feet) wide. The children’s rooms could eventually be combined into one larger room, if that’s ever desired. Maybe there will only be one child after all.
The design marked in red is from a friend and was more of a fun idea. I found the concept of having a bathroom inside the master bedroom interesting, but then you end up with an impractical hallway there.
@Regarding the basins, I’m currently leaning towards just one. The children’s bathroom is no longer very large.
Sunday seems to be a busy day for everyone 🙂
I’ve added my ideas to the drafts again. I actually prefer version 1 with the long staircase, as long as everything fits with the upper floor, which it should. You enter, there’s a small storage table, and then the hallway with the staircase. There are also two narrow windows, so the ground floor and upper floor should have enough natural light.
I’ve added my ideas to the drafts again. I actually prefer version 1 with the long staircase, as long as everything fits with the upper floor, which it should. You enter, there’s a small storage table, and then the hallway with the staircase. There are also two narrow windows, so the ground floor and upper floor should have enough natural light.
That’s quite a struggle on your side, isn’t it?
There’s a stubborn attachment to a staircase located against an external wall. Staircases are usually placed—and even in functional layouts more centrally—I definitely don’t understand why there’s such insistence on “pushing it against the wall.”
It seems to me that both the client, meaning you, and the architect are more fond of country-style homes and want to give the staircase a charming bend, which doesn’t really fit the Bauhaus style. Nor does it suit the planned floor area.
There’s a stubborn attachment to a staircase located against an external wall. Staircases are usually placed—and even in functional layouts more centrally—I definitely don’t understand why there’s such insistence on “pushing it against the wall.”
It seems to me that both the client, meaning you, and the architect are more fond of country-style homes and want to give the staircase a charming bend, which doesn’t really fit the Bauhaus style. Nor does it suit the planned floor area.
Benrath schrieb:
Sundays are apparently busy for everyone 🙂 Hmm... maybe most people are hesitant to disappoint you with their answer regarding the minor adjustments to the entrance area, i.e. the staircase? 😳
ypg schrieb:
One really should let it bend charmingly, which doesn’t fit the Bauhaus edition at all You CAN build a two-story entrance hall with a gallery and a curved staircase, which looks impressive (I’m happy to provide example images)... but it neither fits the style of your house nor provides a sensible layout for accessing the upper floor without a narrow corridor – attached are the floor plans of the ground and upper floors of one of the Dessau Masters’ Houses (Muche/Schlemmer, half-landing staircase) for illustration.
Your staircase belongs between the guest room and guest bathroom; alternatively, your architect could try a straight staircase on the left side of the dining/living area, which would then open to the middle of the upper floor.
You are spending around 3/4 million, living room, dining area, and kitchen are top quality and “generous”... the access should be on the same level... I almost liked the very first sketch better because it had sightlines from the kitchen to the side entrance, and in that area it was clearly intended to be delicate rather than perfect... but that’s just personal taste... 🙂
As far as I remember, you mentioned having a planning approval requirement that could result in the staircase being located at the edge (preferably still on the left side in the middle): that flush two-story construction is only allowed in the staircase area.
Therefore, maybe take a look at a stylish example of such a solution: the staircase in the Czech Baba villa near Ggl under "Villa Kostal No 9 Baba Jourusek"... enjoy! (however, you don’t need to aim for the conversion into an open-plan room with a centrally located kitchen!)
Therefore, maybe take a look at a stylish example of such a solution: the staircase in the Czech Baba villa near Ggl under "Villa Kostal No 9 Baba Jourusek"... enjoy! (however, you don’t need to aim for the conversion into an open-plan room with a centrally located kitchen!)
K
knalltüte9 Dec 2020 10:39Climbee schrieb:
... cleanliness levels ...GE*L 😎Similar topics