ᐅ Site Planning for New Single-Family Home Construction, 180 sqm, with Space for a Grand Piano
Created on: 10 Dec 2023 20:59
D
DerBer1
Hello everyone,
I have mostly been a silent reader until now, but I’m stuck with my plans and need some advice. Here are the basic details first:
Homeowner requirements
Bright with lots of space, modern, open but not too stylish. Function follows design.
Lots of space and storage, no dark hallways, entrance area ideally with an atrium.
Guest bathroom and staircase to upper floor should not be directly at the main door (to avoid dirt area).
We have a grand piano (1.6x1.8 m (5.2x6 ft)), which must be accommodated in the house (an heirloom with personality, occasionally played). Ideally in the living room on the ground floor in a dark corner to avoid direct sunlight. Alternatively upstairs, but definitely not in the basement.
Well insulated. We are considering QNG certification to qualify for the KfW loan, but not if it leads to unreasonable extra effort.
House design
Planned by: Do-it-Yourself
What do you especially like?
The version with a straight staircase is basically just a larger version of the sample house with a 10x12 m (33x39 ft) footprint. I’m not a fan of straight stairs, and the basement access would go through the living room. However, the entrance with a separate wardrobe is appealing.
With the bay window variant: the bay window likely increases costs. The guest bathroom is accessed through the dirt zone near the entrance door. If I swap staircase and guest bath, the bathroom won’t have a window unless I move the garage forward as well.
With the 10x12.5 m (33x41 ft) variant: The grand piano somehow doesn’t fit well.
Personal budget limit for house, basement, including fittings, garage, terrace, driveway
900,000
Preferred heating system:
Air-source heat pump with underfloor heating and ideally also central residential ventilation.
If you have to give up on certain features or expansions, which ones would you drop?
The grand piano can be moved upstairs if necessary. The garage can be replaced by a carport.
Which features can you absolutely not do without?
The basement is still under discussion. My wife prefers having a basement. I could live without one.
Why is the design like it is now?
Experimenting with SweetHome 3D after studying many show homes and floor plans, none of which suited us because a room was always missing or there wasn’t enough space for the grand piano in the living area.
The goal is to get a rough idea of how much living area is needed to fit all the desired rooms, so we can then estimate costs.
I try to keep the footprint to 10x12 m (33x39 ft) so that the overall living area doesn’t get out of hand. However, this limits fitting a guest room as well as the grand piano on the ground floor. The space shouldn’t feel cramped. I definitely do not want to make it bigger since we don’t need extra space upstairs.
I’m open to all criticism. My thinking is probably stuck on these floor plans, so a push in a completely different direction might be helpful.
Questions I am asking myself:
I have mostly been a silent reader until now, but I’m stuck with my plans and need some advice. Here are the basic details first:
| Plot size | 900 sqm (already owned) |
| Slope | Entire plot drops from north to south by about 1.2 m (4 ft) over 29 m (95 ft), within the building envelope of the house over 13 m (43 ft) it drops about 0.6–0.8 m (2–2.5 ft) |
| Site coverage ratio | 0.2 |
| Floor area ratio | 0.33 |
| Building envelope, building line, and boundary | House 15x11 m (49x36 ft), garage 6x8.5 m (20x28 ft); garage width can increase if it remains within the building envelope of the house. The building envelope was defined for a smaller plot, which was later extended eastwards (see image Baufenster.jpg). I assume the envelope may be moved east accordingly, but approval is still pending. |
| Edge development | Garage only |
| Number of parking spaces | 2 |
| Number of storeys | 2 full floors |
| Roof type | Gable roof with 25–30° pitch |
| Orientation | View from living-dining area towards northwest, as this side is unobstructed |
| Maximum heights / restrictions | - Wall height 6.1 m (20 ft) (measured from top of ground floor slab) - Base height 0.3 m (1 ft) (from top of ground floor slab) - Excavations not allowed - Filling up to 0.5 m (1.6 ft) allowed - Width-to-length ratio must not significantly deviate from 1:1.2 - Excavations and fillings allowed for garage access (base height up to 1 m (3.3 ft)) |
| Basement, floors | |
| Number of occupants, age | Currently 2 adults + 1 child (space for a second child must be possible) |
| Space requirements on ground floor | Large entrance area with lots of storage, generous living-dining room with pantry, guest room, guest bathroom |
| Space requirements on upper floor | Bedroom with optional separate walk-in closet, bathroom, child’s bedroom 1, home office. (If there is a basement, the guest room will move there to make space for a second child’s room upstairs. Without a basement, a second child’s room is needed on the upper floor.) |
| Office | Required (1 home office) |
| Occasional overnight guests per year | Occasionally for 1–2 days, about 5–10 people. |
| Open or closed design | Mixed. Staircase outside the living area, but an atrium in the entrance area would be nice. Open living-dining area is good for spaciousness, but it would be advantageous if it can optionally be separated. |
| Open kitchen, kitchen island | Open kitchen yes, kitchen island not required. We prefer a U-shaped kitchen for short distances. |
| Number of dining seats | 6+2 (dining table size 2.2x1 m (7.2x3.3 ft)) |
| Music/sound system wall, TV wall | Should be on one wall and provide storage space. We didn’t like a design where the TV acts as a room divider between living and dining. |
| Balcony, roof terrace | If there is space in the bathroom for a sauna, a balcony would be nice. Probably omitted for cost reasons. |
| Garage, carport | For 2 cars. Garage obviously preferred but not essential. Possibly a combination where the carport also covers the main entrance. |
| Special considerations | View towards southeast is not pleasant due to industrial sites. |
Homeowner requirements
Bright with lots of space, modern, open but not too stylish. Function follows design.
Lots of space and storage, no dark hallways, entrance area ideally with an atrium.
Guest bathroom and staircase to upper floor should not be directly at the main door (to avoid dirt area).
We have a grand piano (1.6x1.8 m (5.2x6 ft)), which must be accommodated in the house (an heirloom with personality, occasionally played). Ideally in the living room on the ground floor in a dark corner to avoid direct sunlight. Alternatively upstairs, but definitely not in the basement.
Well insulated. We are considering QNG certification to qualify for the KfW loan, but not if it leads to unreasonable extra effort.
House design
Planned by: Do-it-Yourself
What do you especially like?
The version with a straight staircase is basically just a larger version of the sample house with a 10x12 m (33x39 ft) footprint. I’m not a fan of straight stairs, and the basement access would go through the living room. However, the entrance with a separate wardrobe is appealing.
With the bay window variant: the bay window likely increases costs. The guest bathroom is accessed through the dirt zone near the entrance door. If I swap staircase and guest bath, the bathroom won’t have a window unless I move the garage forward as well.
With the 10x12.5 m (33x41 ft) variant: The grand piano somehow doesn’t fit well.
Personal budget limit for house, basement, including fittings, garage, terrace, driveway
900,000
Preferred heating system:
Air-source heat pump with underfloor heating and ideally also central residential ventilation.
If you have to give up on certain features or expansions, which ones would you drop?
The grand piano can be moved upstairs if necessary. The garage can be replaced by a carport.
Which features can you absolutely not do without?
The basement is still under discussion. My wife prefers having a basement. I could live without one.
Why is the design like it is now?
Experimenting with SweetHome 3D after studying many show homes and floor plans, none of which suited us because a room was always missing or there wasn’t enough space for the grand piano in the living area.
The goal is to get a rough idea of how much living area is needed to fit all the desired rooms, so we can then estimate costs.
I try to keep the footprint to 10x12 m (33x39 ft) so that the overall living area doesn’t get out of hand. However, this limits fitting a guest room as well as the grand piano on the ground floor. The space shouldn’t feel cramped. I definitely do not want to make it bigger since we don’t need extra space upstairs.
I’m open to all criticism. My thinking is probably stuck on these floor plans, so a push in a completely different direction might be helpful.
Questions I am asking myself:
- Is a budget of 900,000 enough to cover house + basement + garage + driveway + terrace and garden fence?
- Is a basement significantly more expensive? If I need a utility room, storage, and a second child’s bedroom instead of a basement, that’s also quite costly.
- Does it make sense to put the guest room in the basement? We hope to get some daylight in a southeast-facing basement room, as this is the lowest part of the plot and excavation will be necessary for garage access anyway.
- Can I fit all my requirements into a 10x12 m (33x39 ft) footprint without the grand piano feeling too cramped?
- Is a standard house (or free planning with a general contractor) enough for our needs, or should we definitely consult an independent architect beforehand?
- Is the house orientation reasonable or are there better options? We are quite restricted by the building envelope but other houses in the development deviate considerably. We intend to request moving the house eastwards since the plot has been expanded there.
- Does it make sense to put the garage basement instead of the house? We don’t need a large basement, but 50 sqm (540 sq ft) would be good.
H
HeimatBauer12 Dec 2023 09:31Three examples from my close circle of friends, all of whom I visit frequently.
1. He really wanted a grand piano as a decorative piece in the living room. The result: the piano was moved a little further into the corner every month, as far as possible. It now only serves as a surface for miscellaneous clutter and is anything but decorative. Hardly a visit goes by without arguments about the misuse and use of the piano.
2. He bought an extremely spacious house with a proper entrance hall, which included an extremely decorative grand piano. When I first visited that house, he spent hours telling me about this piano and its chakras. The piano was simply impractical and constantly in the way. The children didn’t care about the piano’s chakras; they just wanted to hang their wet winter coats. So the upper floor was remodeled to accommodate the piano, and it was moved there. Upstairs, the piano fits just barely, but nothing else. The acoustics are poor, and it doesn’t bring any joy there either.
3. She is a well-known opera singer and has a small room at home for performances where two grand pianos are placed. She didn’t spend a minute on drawings but went straight to a specialist who designed a beautiful room with proper acoustics. She is the only one who truly enjoys her pianos.
Of course, these three examples are not universally applicable, but they are the only ones I personally know, and they all point in a very similar direction.
1. He really wanted a grand piano as a decorative piece in the living room. The result: the piano was moved a little further into the corner every month, as far as possible. It now only serves as a surface for miscellaneous clutter and is anything but decorative. Hardly a visit goes by without arguments about the misuse and use of the piano.
2. He bought an extremely spacious house with a proper entrance hall, which included an extremely decorative grand piano. When I first visited that house, he spent hours telling me about this piano and its chakras. The piano was simply impractical and constantly in the way. The children didn’t care about the piano’s chakras; they just wanted to hang their wet winter coats. So the upper floor was remodeled to accommodate the piano, and it was moved there. Upstairs, the piano fits just barely, but nothing else. The acoustics are poor, and it doesn’t bring any joy there either.
3. She is a well-known opera singer and has a small room at home for performances where two grand pianos are placed. She didn’t spend a minute on drawings but went straight to a specialist who designed a beautiful room with proper acoustics. She is the only one who truly enjoys her pianos.
Of course, these three examples are not universally applicable, but they are the only ones I personally know, and they all point in a very similar direction.
The open-plan living area in the plans is roughly the same size as ours. I honestly cannot imagine fitting a grand piano there. We have a music stand with a violin instead, which will be put away when the Christmas tree is set up.
If you love playing, like the opera singer, you should find an optimal spot with good acoustics—this should be possible with around 180 sqm (1,940 sq ft) and four people in the household. If it is just decoration, the piano will gradually become more of a storage piece tucked away in a corner. Before that happens, selling it might be the better option. A good grand piano deserves to be played.
Children can learn how to handle it carefully; not all kids are “vandals” who destroy furniture.
Consider what the ideal location for the piano would be for you. Decide whether you want a basement or not. If technical rooms still need to be on the ground floor, could a guest room be placed downstairs? Plan the upper and ground floors together. Consult an architect. You have a really reasonable budget for the desired square meters.
If you love playing, like the opera singer, you should find an optimal spot with good acoustics—this should be possible with around 180 sqm (1,940 sq ft) and four people in the household. If it is just decoration, the piano will gradually become more of a storage piece tucked away in a corner. Before that happens, selling it might be the better option. A good grand piano deserves to be played.
Children can learn how to handle it carefully; not all kids are “vandals” who destroy furniture.
Consider what the ideal location for the piano would be for you. Decide whether you want a basement or not. If technical rooms still need to be on the ground floor, could a guest room be placed downstairs? Plan the upper and ground floors together. Consult an architect. You have a really reasonable budget for the desired square meters.
Then a serious example 4,
a young mother of three little kids.
The electric piano is located on the upper floor and is played a lot, of course the kids also play it from time to time.
This leaves plenty of space downstairs.
Occasionally, they also play on grand pianos or acoustic pianos elsewhere.
Life is full of compromises, and if there is enough space, a grand piano can still be acquired later.
a young mother of three little kids.
The electric piano is located on the upper floor and is played a lot, of course the kids also play it from time to time.
This leaves plenty of space downstairs.
Occasionally, they also play on grand pianos or acoustic pianos elsewhere.
Life is full of compromises, and if there is enough space, a grand piano can still be acquired later.
H
HeimatBauer12 Dec 2023 10:10We have a music room here in the attic with two fully equipped drum sets, an electric piano, a bass tuba, and a guitar, as well as several synthesizers and the appropriate PA system for amplification. I find the space perfect and do not want to have these items on any other floor.
H
HeimatBauer12 Dec 2023 13:09That is exactly why my recommendation is to do it as described in point 3 – that is, to take the requirement (whatever it may be) to a professional. They can not only place the wing in the room but also take into account factors such as room modes.