ᐅ Single-family house of approximately 200 sqm with a double garage on a trapezoidal lot
Created on: 5 May 2023 15:45
M
Mucuc18
Hello dear house building forum community!
After carefully reading along for a while, I would now like to share our current design for constructive feedback.
Below are the usual details; south is at the bottom of the site plan:
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size | 512sqm (5509 sq ft)
Slope | No
Site coverage ratio | 160sqm (1722 sq ft) building footprint allowed for main building (+140sqm (1507 sq ft) overrun permitted for other structures)
Number of parking spaces | min. 1.5
Roof type | SD / WD or similar (mansard roofs are common in the area)
Maximum heights / limits | Ridge height 9.4m (31 ft) | Eaves height 6.5m (21 ft)
Additional requirements | Setbacks of 0.4 times the building height on two sides, 0.8 times the building height on other sides
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof shape, building type | classic mansard-hipped roof, somewhat modern interpretation
Basement, floors | Ground floor, first floor, attic + basement
Number of occupants, ages | 2 (30 yrs, 33 yrs) + 1 (0 yrs) + occasional visitors
Space needs on ground floor, first floor | approx. 80–90sqm (860–970 sq ft) each for ground and first floors
Office | 1 office space needed for home office
Guest accommodation per year | to be determined, sometimes longer visits
Open or closed layout | rather open, but with adequate sound insulation and privacy
Conservative or modern construction | rather modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island | large open kitchen with island is important
Seating for dining | 4–6 seats regularly available, with option to extend
Fireplace | yes
Music / stereo wall | no, flexible hi-fi system
Balcony, roof terrace | no
Garage, carport | double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse | garden with beds and 2–3 trees, enclosed by hedge
House Design
Planner: architect & own ideas/drawings
What do you like most? Why? Separate parents’ floor, spacious open living area, straight staircase, number of rooms on first floor (flexibility), sufficient wardrobe space, staircase separated from living room
What do you dislike? Why? Location possibilities for heat pump outdoor unit, attic possibly has somewhat excessive space that might not be used efficiently (sloping ceilings)
Cost estimate by architect/planner: none so far
Budget for house including equipment: 1.4–1.5 million
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
If you have to give up something, which details/features
- can be omitted: fireplace, pool, possibly double garage
- cannot be omitted: preferably a “large” garden
Why was the design developed this way? For example,
A mix of own ideas and architect’s input, along with several rounds of improvements over recent weeks. The main focus is on maintaining as much contiguous garden space as possible on a relatively small lot. Therefore, a setback on the east side is planned to comply with setbacks on the trapezoidal plot. The three floors plus basement help keep the house footprint small and separate the parents’ area from the children/guest area. We feel our wishes are well implemented in the current floor plan. Minor details such as window dimensions still need adjustment (e.g., equal-sized windows on the first floor west side, possibly a slightly larger sliding door on the ground floor, etc.).
What is the most important / basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Do you see potential for improvement that we should consider or any no-gos we need to rethink? We are quite happy with the current status but appreciate input on aspects we may have overlooked or rationalized too optimistically.
Ground Floor
First Floor
Attic
Basement
Section
South Elevation
East Elevation
West Elevation
After carefully reading along for a while, I would now like to share our current design for constructive feedback.
Below are the usual details; south is at the bottom of the site plan:
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size | 512sqm (5509 sq ft)
Slope | No
Site coverage ratio | 160sqm (1722 sq ft) building footprint allowed for main building (+140sqm (1507 sq ft) overrun permitted for other structures)
Number of parking spaces | min. 1.5
Roof type | SD / WD or similar (mansard roofs are common in the area)
Maximum heights / limits | Ridge height 9.4m (31 ft) | Eaves height 6.5m (21 ft)
Additional requirements | Setbacks of 0.4 times the building height on two sides, 0.8 times the building height on other sides
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof shape, building type | classic mansard-hipped roof, somewhat modern interpretation
Basement, floors | Ground floor, first floor, attic + basement
Number of occupants, ages | 2 (30 yrs, 33 yrs) + 1 (0 yrs) + occasional visitors
Space needs on ground floor, first floor | approx. 80–90sqm (860–970 sq ft) each for ground and first floors
Office | 1 office space needed for home office
Guest accommodation per year | to be determined, sometimes longer visits
Open or closed layout | rather open, but with adequate sound insulation and privacy
Conservative or modern construction | rather modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island | large open kitchen with island is important
Seating for dining | 4–6 seats regularly available, with option to extend
Fireplace | yes
Music / stereo wall | no, flexible hi-fi system
Balcony, roof terrace | no
Garage, carport | double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse | garden with beds and 2–3 trees, enclosed by hedge
House Design
Planner: architect & own ideas/drawings
What do you like most? Why? Separate parents’ floor, spacious open living area, straight staircase, number of rooms on first floor (flexibility), sufficient wardrobe space, staircase separated from living room
What do you dislike? Why? Location possibilities for heat pump outdoor unit, attic possibly has somewhat excessive space that might not be used efficiently (sloping ceilings)
Cost estimate by architect/planner: none so far
Budget for house including equipment: 1.4–1.5 million
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
If you have to give up something, which details/features
- can be omitted: fireplace, pool, possibly double garage
- cannot be omitted: preferably a “large” garden
Why was the design developed this way? For example,
A mix of own ideas and architect’s input, along with several rounds of improvements over recent weeks. The main focus is on maintaining as much contiguous garden space as possible on a relatively small lot. Therefore, a setback on the east side is planned to comply with setbacks on the trapezoidal plot. The three floors plus basement help keep the house footprint small and separate the parents’ area from the children/guest area. We feel our wishes are well implemented in the current floor plan. Minor details such as window dimensions still need adjustment (e.g., equal-sized windows on the first floor west side, possibly a slightly larger sliding door on the ground floor, etc.).
What is the most important / basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Do you see potential for improvement that we should consider or any no-gos we need to rethink? We are quite happy with the current status but appreciate input on aspects we may have overlooked or rationalized too optimistically.
Ground Floor
First Floor
Attic
Basement
Section
South Elevation
East Elevation
West Elevation
The plot has almost the same orientation as ours, possibly even a few degrees more towards the east. When planning the layout, keep in mind that from around 5 p.m. (17:00) onwards, no sunlight reaches the terrace. Fortunately, we had enough space towards the north-northwest for a second terrace, which is used a lot, especially in spring and autumn. Of course, the plot is small (although relatively large by Munich standards), so it will be more challenging. However, I would consider positioning the house slightly further south to make the 3m (10 feet) garden area to the north usable.
A nice design. On a closer look, though, there are a few minor flaws here and there.
What bothers me most is the kitchen layout. At the island, you stand with the door behind you and end up walking in a triangle every time you need to wash something. This calls for advice from a professional—especially to determine whether the chimney including the fireplace makes sense there.
Upstairs, the chimney in the children’s room would bother me again. Besides the heat release and reduced usable space, a chimney also always makes a bit of noise. That’s why I would move it to the hallway.
The other children’s room lacks dimensions. I wouldn’t go below 3m (10 feet) in depth, preferably more. If anything, I would reduce the depth of the guest room a bit.
The door in the attic bedroom opens into the sloped ceiling. I don’t like that very much. On the other hand, I see hardly any attractive alternatives—so a door stopper will probably be needed.
Outside, I miss storage options for bicycles and similar items.
What bothers me most is the kitchen layout. At the island, you stand with the door behind you and end up walking in a triangle every time you need to wash something. This calls for advice from a professional—especially to determine whether the chimney including the fireplace makes sense there.
Upstairs, the chimney in the children’s room would bother me again. Besides the heat release and reduced usable space, a chimney also always makes a bit of noise. That’s why I would move it to the hallway.
The other children’s room lacks dimensions. I wouldn’t go below 3m (10 feet) in depth, preferably more. If anything, I would reduce the depth of the guest room a bit.
The door in the attic bedroom opens into the sloped ceiling. I don’t like that very much. On the other hand, I see hardly any attractive alternatives—so a door stopper will probably be needed.
Outside, I miss storage options for bicycles and similar items.
I reviewed the issue with the insufficient ceiling height in the master bedroom area again:
Bathroom: It’s important to realize that even if you’re not 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) tall, the floor space may look usable, but with a roof pitch of 45 degrees, some areas aren’t really accessible. The usable space is limited to a narrow strip. If two people use the bathroom at the same time, there will be bottlenecks: one person is sitting on the toilet, and the other can't easily reach the shower. It would be beneficial to relocate the toilet under the sloped ceiling and create a boxed-in area (bulkhead) for it. The roof window should be adjusted to the center. This way, the toilet fits under the slope, and the area in front is freely walkable without the user having to watch out for the sloped ceiling.
The shaft that runs from the basement through the kitchen up to the roof should be redirected to the cloakroom on the ground floor. That way, it passes through the bathrooms and ends up in the attic somewhere next to the bathtub—approximately where I indicated in my sketch.
The dormer on the west side: I would place it centrally as well.
Note: The planned chimney stack reduces usable space.
I would also place the bed under the sloped ceiling and box it in here too, aligning it diagonally in the room.
Built-in wardrobes can be designed as open, custom units that fit into the slope individually.
Bathroom: It’s important to realize that even if you’re not 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) tall, the floor space may look usable, but with a roof pitch of 45 degrees, some areas aren’t really accessible. The usable space is limited to a narrow strip. If two people use the bathroom at the same time, there will be bottlenecks: one person is sitting on the toilet, and the other can't easily reach the shower. It would be beneficial to relocate the toilet under the sloped ceiling and create a boxed-in area (bulkhead) for it. The roof window should be adjusted to the center. This way, the toilet fits under the slope, and the area in front is freely walkable without the user having to watch out for the sloped ceiling.
The shaft that runs from the basement through the kitchen up to the roof should be redirected to the cloakroom on the ground floor. That way, it passes through the bathrooms and ends up in the attic somewhere next to the bathtub—approximately where I indicated in my sketch.
The dormer on the west side: I would place it centrally as well.
Note: The planned chimney stack reduces usable space.
I would also place the bed under the sloped ceiling and box it in here too, aligning it diagonally in the room.
Built-in wardrobes can be designed as open, custom units that fit into the slope individually.
RomeoZwo schrieb:
The plot has almost the same orientation as ours, maybe even a few degrees more eastward tilt. With the layout, you should be aware that from around 5 pm there is no more sun on the terrace. Fortunately, we had enough space to the north-northwest for a second terrace, which is used a lot especially in spring and autumn. Of course, the plot is small (although rather large by Munich standards), and it gets more difficult, but I would see if you can position the house a bit further south to make the 3m (10 feet) garden to the north usable. Thanks for sharing your experience. Unfortunately, we can’t make the northwest part usable due to a fairly high masonry carport on the neighbor’s side to the west and larger trees to the north...
We might widen the terrace by another half meter (about 1.5 feet) to the left to catch 1–2 more sun rays in the evening that don’t reach around the corner of the house.
K a t j a schrieb:
What bothers me most is the kitchen layout. Standing at the island with the door behind you means you end up constantly running in a triangle when you want to wash something. You really need advice from an expert — also to consider whether the chimney including the fireplace makes sense there.
Upstairs, the flue in the children's room would bother me again. Besides heat emission and lack of usable space, a chimney always causes some noise. That’s why I would move it to the hallway.
I’m missing the dimensions of the other child’s room. I wouldn’t go below 3 m (10 feet) depth; more is better. I would rather take some depth away from the guest room.
The attic bedroom door opens into the sloped ceiling, which I don’t like. On the other hand, I hardly see any attractive alternatives — a doorstop will have to do.
Outside, there’s no storage space for bicycles and similar gear. The kitchen layout isn’t finalized yet; we still need to work out the details. But yes, it’s definitely not easy with cooking on the island and the sink by the window.
I think what you identified as the fireplace is actually the drainage pipe from the attic bathroom. The chimney is near the living room entrance and therefore located behind the door in the guest room upstairs.
Child 2’s room is just about 3 m (10 feet) deep; it could be worth considering taking a few centimeters from the guest room, but that would create a corner in what is now a straight wall in the guest room.
The attic bedroom door doesn’t bother us personally. Bikes will fit in the double garage; initially, only one car will be parked there.
K a t j a schrieb:
Edit: I would definitely plan a laundry chute for a four-story house. It probably got lost due to image resolution or similar. It is located on the ground floor by the cloakroom and in the upper floors bathroom, going down to the basement utility room.
ypg schrieb:
Bathroom: You have to be aware that even if you’re not 1.90 m (6’3”) tall, the floor area visually gives space, but at a 45-degree sloped ceiling angle, it’s not really accessible. Life takes place in a narrow strip. If two people use the bathroom at the same time, there are tight spots: one person sitting on the toilet makes it hard for the other to reach the shower easily. It would be better to put the toilet under the slope and box it in. Adjust the roof window to the center. This way, the toilet slides under the slope, leaving the area in front fully accessible without having to worry about the sloped ceiling. Thanks first of all for sketching and ideas!
We use the bathroom alone, except maybe occasionally for toothbrushing.
Still, it would probably be a bit more comfortable to be able to head straight into the shower without fearing collisions with the toilet.
I’m afraid this might not work with the roof window though; the recess on the east side and resulting roof shape significantly restrict options for relocating it. If you lower the height, it might fit, but then it could get a bit dark in the bathroom...
We still have to take a closer look to see if it might work with the window and weigh whether the reduced head clearance at the toilet is worth it 🙂
ypg schrieb:
The dormer on the west: I would also place it centrally. We will definitely consider that. I hadn’t even noticed it doesn’t line up with the wall. There really isn’t a reason for that.
The dormer could also benefit from being moved slightly downward. Or, if we stick to the original version, it might help to move the wall (and the critical situation in the bedroom) slightly upward, although then structurally it wouldn’t be directly above the corresponding upper floor wall anymore.
ypg schrieb:
I would also place the bed under the slope and box it in, using the room’s diagonal. That’s an interesting idea; we will discuss it. Definitely an advantage would be more freedom of movement around the bed. The downside would be the door right in front of the bed and the slightly smaller perceived room size due to the boxed-in area.
H
hanghaus20237 May 2023 11:52On the ground floor, I would like to allocate a bit more space to the kitchen. For the staircase in the basement and ground floor, add one step on the eastern side and remove one step on the western side. This allows the wall to be shifted by 26cm (10 inches). This gives the kitchen a width of 4.4m (14 feet 5 inches) and reduces the cloakroom by 26cm (10 inches). Then I would include a double glass door leading to the living room. The hallway remains unchanged.
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