ᐅ New Construction of a 155 sqm Duplex – Orientation and Floor Plan Considerations
Created on: 28 Aug 2024 10:25
G
guemez189
Hello everyone,
Here is some information along with the questions below:
Development Plan / Restrictions
710 sqm (7,624 sq ft) total, 355 sqm (3,820 sq ft) per half
1.5 stories
Existing detached house with garden facing north
Neighboring buildings also have gardens facing north
2
Knee wall height 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in)
Client Requirements
Semi-detached houses as a legally two-family house (heat pump & heating room combined)
Basement + ground floor + upper floor + attic floor
2 adults plus 1 child
Currently, there is a detached house on the plot that will be demolished and the plot divided.
House Design
Who created the design:
- Architect’s plan
- Currently planned so that the entrance is from the back side, allowing the living area to face south and the main terrace to the south as well—where the street is. The entire floor plan is oriented around this, so the building is placed at the rear building line.
- Neighbors' objection: house is not aligned with the street line, causing mutual shading and the garden facing the street is less attractive; hence, the proposal to move the house to the front building line and change the floor plan with the entrance at the front or on the side in the middle.
We are now unsure: basically, we like sunny spaces and want light in the living area. If we move the house to the front building line, the main terrace and the "larger" garden would face north, like all the other houses on the street. This is acceptable to us, but it bothers us that the floor plan would have to be completely changed and that we would need a layout where the living area still faces south and the kitchen/dining faces the back (or another solution). That is why there is also the proposal for a side entrance in the middle. If the entrance is moved to the south, toward the street, the sunny side is partly lost.
Now several questions:
1. Who has experience with a living room facing north—is it really that bad?
2. Does anyone have ideas on how to design a floor plan that makes good use of both north and south orientations?
3. We are very open to further ideas.
The floor plan and site plan are attached.
If I missed any information, please feel free to ask. 🙂
Thank you all!
Here is some information along with the questions below:
Development Plan / Restrictions
710 sqm (7,624 sq ft) total, 355 sqm (3,820 sq ft) per half
1.5 stories
Existing detached house with garden facing north
Neighboring buildings also have gardens facing north
2
Knee wall height 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in)
Client Requirements
Semi-detached houses as a legally two-family house (heat pump & heating room combined)
Basement + ground floor + upper floor + attic floor
2 adults plus 1 child
Currently, there is a detached house on the plot that will be demolished and the plot divided.
House Design
Who created the design:
- Architect’s plan
- Currently planned so that the entrance is from the back side, allowing the living area to face south and the main terrace to the south as well—where the street is. The entire floor plan is oriented around this, so the building is placed at the rear building line.
- Neighbors' objection: house is not aligned with the street line, causing mutual shading and the garden facing the street is less attractive; hence, the proposal to move the house to the front building line and change the floor plan with the entrance at the front or on the side in the middle.
We are now unsure: basically, we like sunny spaces and want light in the living area. If we move the house to the front building line, the main terrace and the "larger" garden would face north, like all the other houses on the street. This is acceptable to us, but it bothers us that the floor plan would have to be completely changed and that we would need a layout where the living area still faces south and the kitchen/dining faces the back (or another solution). That is why there is also the proposal for a side entrance in the middle. If the entrance is moved to the south, toward the street, the sunny side is partly lost.
Now several questions:
1. Who has experience with a living room facing north—is it really that bad?
2. Does anyone have ideas on how to design a floor plan that makes good use of both north and south orientations?
3. We are very open to further ideas.
The floor plan and site plan are attached.
If I missed any information, please feel free to ask. 🙂
Thank you all!
G
guemez18929 Aug 2024 10:53ypg schrieb:
Which side of the house? Front or back?If the house is placed on the front building line, that's one thing. With the floor plan along the rear building line, we're fine as it is.
What’s the difference?
When oriented to the south, we would arrange all living spaces facing south and access the north terrace from the hallway through a patio door, as in your floor plan.
If oriented to the north, we would still like to have living rooms on the south side to bring southern light into the house, but we don’t want to access the north terrace only through the hallway, since that would be the main garden.
guemez189 schrieb:
If the orientation is to the north, we would still like to have living spaces on the south side and let the light come in from the south, but we don’t want to access the north terrace only through the hallway, since that would be the "main garden." You want the all-in-one solution, but that doesn’t exist.
It doesn’t work that easily, or maybe not at all, because the staircase definitely needs to be accessible from the hallway. However, the staircase needs a central position because of the attic space. That’s why the semi-detached house is divided into north and south halves by the staircase location. You don’t want to separate the living room from the dining area and kitchen. South-facing sunlight only reaches the northern side during a short window, which can basically be neglected.
If you narrow the open-plan space (entrance on the east) and extend it from north to south, you either have a staircase open to the open-plan space or another staircase position on the east side, which wastefully consumes exterior walls and means that rooms upstairs no longer have windows. A completely different staircase design would consume space in the attic.
You don’t really want a creative loft-style semi-detached house for a family; that works mostly only with two people. If you want to bring southern sun into the north side, you might do so with a mono-pitched roof, but that doesn’t apply here either because there is still an upper floor needed for living.
Then the question arises again about what should face south and what should face north. You just go around in circles.
Let’s say the most sensible orientation is the living room to the south and the utility room with kitchen to the north, both with lots of windows. Eventually, the sound of a reversing electric car or doors slamming next to your living room wall by the carports will annoy you. And however you look at it: you reject separating the living room and kitchen.
For me, these thoughts always lead back to what the architect originally planned, because any other option causes far too many compromises in the house.
Don’t get me wrong: you can certainly bring out some creativity, but on one hand at the expense of the efficient use of the available square meters, and on the other hand, I don’t think you’re even ready for that.
Let’s take my design swapping the kitchen and sofa area as an example: that doesn’t seem to appeal to you at all. And yet, it’s not even particularly creative.
Take the secondary access to the north terrace: I would see the north/south sightline in the corridor as added value throughout the entire floor, because it is not only feasible but also gives the house a special character that enhances the spaciousness and makes the house unique, without any negative aspects.
Let’s take my design swapping the kitchen and sofa area as an example: that doesn’t seem to appeal to you at all. And yet, it’s not even particularly creative.
Take the secondary access to the north terrace: I would see the north/south sightline in the corridor as added value throughout the entire floor, because it is not only feasible but also gives the house a special character that enhances the spaciousness and makes the house unique, without any negative aspects.
H
hanghaus202329 Aug 2024 11:56What does the building partner say about your proposals? You want to construct a mirrored layout to save costs, right? Or am I misunderstanding that?
H
hanghaus202329 Aug 2024 12:11In my opinion, it is not a good idea to avoid separating the drywall (DDH).
The heavy wall transmits sound, although only faintly.
How should the energy costs be divided?
The heavy wall transmits sound, although only faintly.
How should the energy costs be divided?
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
What does the building partner say about your suggestions? I wondered the same but forgot to ask.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
How should the energy costs be divided? I assume like a two-family house, with two meters, etc.
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