ᐅ New Single-Family Home Construction – Join Us on Our Journey!
Created on: 4 Aug 2022 16:13
G
gregman22
Dear community,
We are finally getting a step closer to realizing our dream of building a single-family home.
The plot has been purchased, building plans have been reviewed, construction method decided, and so on. We have now commissioned the architect of the general contractor (GC) of our choice with the planning task and are currently fine-tuning the house design. I would love to take you along on this journey and incorporate your valuable feedback.
At this stage, the focus is on the house design.
Basic data:
Plot: 1062m2 (11,433 sq ft); approx. 25.5m x 41.64m (84 ft x 137 ft)
Orientation: Northwest -> The arrow in the screenshot of the 3D view points south
Desired room layout:
Ground floor:
First floor:
Attic:
Note: I am still discussing this with the architect. Due to the hipped roof shape, the actual living area has shrunk too much. Therefore, further discussion is needed to accommodate the other rooms. I had underestimated the ratio of gross floor area to usable living space.
Basement:
Additional plans:
Now to my first questions for you:
My biggest construction challenge at the moment is the layout of the attic. There are two alternatives:
- Change the roof type, which would increase costs but provide more usable living space in the attic
- Give up the playroom on the first floor, convert it into a guest room, and build only the two offices in the attic (no guest room or bathroom)
Thank you in advance for your comments.
We are finally getting a step closer to realizing our dream of building a single-family home.
The plot has been purchased, building plans have been reviewed, construction method decided, and so on. We have now commissioned the architect of the general contractor (GC) of our choice with the planning task and are currently fine-tuning the house design. I would love to take you along on this journey and incorporate your valuable feedback.
At this stage, the focus is on the house design.
Basic data:
Plot: 1062m2 (11,433 sq ft); approx. 25.5m x 41.64m (84 ft x 137 ft)
Orientation: Northwest -> The arrow in the screenshot of the 3D view points south
Desired room layout:
Ground floor:
- Large living/dining area with adjacent (but separable) kitchen at the bottom left, plus a gallery overlooking the first floor
- Utility room
- Guest toilet
- Garage
- Separate apartment at the top right with its own entrance for parents-in-law
First floor:
- Gallery overlooking the ground floor
- 2 children’s bedrooms with a shared bathroom
- 1 playroom (initially a home cinema room, later to be repurposed) above the garage
- Master wing with main bedroom, dressing room, and bathroom
Attic:
Note: I am still discussing this with the architect. Due to the hipped roof shape, the actual living area has shrunk too much. Therefore, further discussion is needed to accommodate the other rooms. I had underestimated the ratio of gross floor area to usable living space.
- 2 separate offices
- 1 guest bedroom
- 1 small guest bathroom
Basement:
- 1 technical room
- 1 laundry room
- 1 storage room
- Large fitness room
- Wellness room with sauna
Additional plans:
- Air-to-air heat pump or air-to-water heat pump
- Photovoltaic system with/without battery storage
- Possible pool (3.5/4m x 8m or 3.5/4m x 12m) with heat pump (and countercurrent system)
- Sauna in the basement room
- Air conditioning for various rooms
- Smart home system – most likely via KNX
- Garden: Currently planning 2 terraces – one to the left, slightly more to the south, and one facing the main part of the plot further north
Now to my first questions for you:
- How do the floor plans strike you? Do they make sense in terms of the dynamics of family life?
- The location of the separate apartment was chosen based on our wish. We wanted a strict, clearly defined spatial separation with a separate entrance. Do you have any comments on this?
- Do you consider the utility rooms in the basement to be adequately sized (considering KNX, heat pump, etc.)?
My biggest construction challenge at the moment is the layout of the attic. There are two alternatives:
- Change the roof type, which would increase costs but provide more usable living space in the attic
- Give up the playroom on the first floor, convert it into a guest room, and build only the two offices in the attic (no guest room or bathroom)
Thank you in advance for your comments.
I have to keep this brief:
1) I consider the architect completely incompetent if they plan so far outside the zoning regulations and then deliver such an attic design. Get your own architect.
2) On Monday morning, make an appointment at the building authority to discuss what might be permissible. Bring photos and satellite images of the neighborhood, as well as a simple hand-drawn sketch showing the exterior dimensions you want, and prepare a justification for why it should be approved. Keep in mind:
3) Plan the garage as an outbuilding; otherwise, you lose valuable space.
4) Let go of the hip roof and the city villa look. Choose a gable roof with the maximum allowed dormers. Or maybe a recessed top floor could be possible?
Based on the building authority’s response, it’s worth having the architect draw up a new design—until then, pen and paper are your best tools.
1) I consider the architect completely incompetent if they plan so far outside the zoning regulations and then deliver such an attic design. Get your own architect.
2) On Monday morning, make an appointment at the building authority to discuss what might be permissible. Bring photos and satellite images of the neighborhood, as well as a simple hand-drawn sketch showing the exterior dimensions you want, and prepare a justification for why it should be approved. Keep in mind:
3) Plan the garage as an outbuilding; otherwise, you lose valuable space.
4) Let go of the hip roof and the city villa look. Choose a gable roof with the maximum allowed dormers. Or maybe a recessed top floor could be possible?
Based on the building authority’s response, it’s worth having the architect draw up a new design—until then, pen and paper are your best tools.
K
k-man20215 Aug 2022 20:30Myrna_Loy schrieb:
I would NEVER! have a villa built for nearly 2 million with an existing development plan by a general contractor. Tassimat schrieb:
I consider the architect completely incompetent if they design so far outside the development plan and then deliver such an attic. Get your own architect. That’s exactly what I thought when I read the budget. In my opinion, skimping on the architect with such a budget is the biggest mistake you can make. If it starts like this...
S
Sunshine3875 Aug 2022 20:34It’s great to see that you are open to a somewhat different layout. Given the limited footprint, I created a floor plan based on the currently available figures. With one full floor and an additional recessed floor, the floor area ratio can be exceeded by 40%, and everything complies with the restrictions (building boundaries and floor area ratio). For more space, you would of course need to consult with the building authority, and yes, my floor plan can still be expanded considerably if a higher floor area ratio is permitted.
M
Myrna_Loy5 Aug 2022 20:34Tassimat schrieb:
I have to keep this brief:
1) I consider the architect completely incompetent for designing so far outside the zoning plan and then delivering such an attic floor. Hire your own architect.
2) On Monday morning, schedule an appointment with the building authority to discuss what might be approved. Bring photos and satellite images of the neighborhood, along with a simple hand-drawn sketch showing the desired exterior dimensions, and prepare a justification for why it should be approved. Keep in mind:
3) Plan the garage as an outbuilding, otherwise the space will be lost.
4) Say goodbye to the hip roof and townhouse style. Choose a gable roof with the maximum allowed dormers. Or could a setback floor even be possible?
It’s worth having your architect draw up a new design after the building authority’s feedback, not before. Until then, pen and paper are your friends. As a layperson, I wouldn’t recommend going to the building authority yourself with such large plans and that budget. Some building departments really don’t want homeowners who assume that having a lot of money means they can do whatever they want. Of course, this depends on the municipality and the officials involved. You don’t want them to prepare for conflict after your visit. An architectural firm that has worked in the region and price range before can better assess the responsible authorities and explore what is possible.
And even if the neighbors have built larger than allowed by the zoning plan, that doesn’t mean they won’t call their lawyers if they find out you’re ignoring building boundaries. Don’t underestimate opposition to new constructions. That’s why you want a professional with plenty of experience in building law to design your plans rock-solid.
M
Myrna_Loy5 Aug 2022 20:41Regarding the construction budget, I would rather consider building an underground garage instead of using that space on the upper floor.
Myrna_Loy schrieb:
As a layperson with such large plans and budget, I wouldn’t approach the building department on my own. Some building authorities have no patience for homeowners who believe that having a lot of money allows them to do whatever they want. Of course, this depends on the municipality and the individual officials. You don’t want them to become hostile after your visit. An architectural firm that has already worked in the region and market segment can better assess the responsible authorities and understand what is feasible. I believe the thread starter is diplomatic enough not to come across as aggressive and to politely request some information. In my experience, different people work in the building services than those who process applications.
I personally experienced how a city employee was very kind to me, while the architect sitting next to me was constantly reprimanded for not knowing this or that, being an architect and supposedly should have done more. This was only during an initial inquiry about how much I could enlarge the dormers. I wanted them bigger than any neighboring buildings. Later, I returned alone with updated plans, and the meeting went very smoothly in my favor.
Similar topics