ᐅ Orientation of single-family house and garage on a west-east plot with the road located on the west side
Created on: 19 Aug 2024 06:04
B
Back2Mun
Hello everyone,
I have been reading along here for a long time and am now joining the conversation myself :-)
We are just at the very beginning of our planning but already have a plot of land with an existing building. See site plan no. 180/245. (North is straight up)
The current building measures about 14.50m x 8.50m (48 feet x 28 feet). The plot is approximately 20m x 40m (66 feet x 131 feet).
Renovation is too expensive, and with demolition and new construction, we can now decide ourselves where to position the house.
(There is no zoning plan / building permit, so the required setback distances should be roughly based on the surrounding buildings as a guideline).
Goal: For the new build, we would like to construct a building footprint of roughly the same size but adjust the positioning on the plot so that the garden is not completely divided into west and east sections. Realistically, we will mainly use one side, so we want to maximize that area.
Challenge: Street is on the west side, plot runs west to east — if we position the house to the east (as most recommend) to optimize the west garden, then we get either a very long driveway (if the garage is placed on the east) or a long walking path from the garage to the house (if the garage stays by the street). The simplest solution would be to place the street and house towards the west and optimize the east garden, but we are "worried" that it might get too cold in the evenings there.
Therefore, my questions:
- Do you see a way to have the house facing the street (west) and still capture the evening sun in the garden and living area (for example, with a bay window, L-shaped house, or something similar)?
- If the house is positioned towards the east, where would you place the garage?
- Would you keep the entrance on the north side as in the current building or move it to the west side (so you don’t have to walk around the house)?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
I have been reading along here for a long time and am now joining the conversation myself :-)
We are just at the very beginning of our planning but already have a plot of land with an existing building. See site plan no. 180/245. (North is straight up)
The current building measures about 14.50m x 8.50m (48 feet x 28 feet). The plot is approximately 20m x 40m (66 feet x 131 feet).
Renovation is too expensive, and with demolition and new construction, we can now decide ourselves where to position the house.
(There is no zoning plan / building permit, so the required setback distances should be roughly based on the surrounding buildings as a guideline).
Goal: For the new build, we would like to construct a building footprint of roughly the same size but adjust the positioning on the plot so that the garden is not completely divided into west and east sections. Realistically, we will mainly use one side, so we want to maximize that area.
Challenge: Street is on the west side, plot runs west to east — if we position the house to the east (as most recommend) to optimize the west garden, then we get either a very long driveway (if the garage is placed on the east) or a long walking path from the garage to the house (if the garage stays by the street). The simplest solution would be to place the street and house towards the west and optimize the east garden, but we are "worried" that it might get too cold in the evenings there.
Therefore, my questions:
- Do you see a way to have the house facing the street (west) and still capture the evening sun in the garden and living area (for example, with a bay window, L-shaped house, or something similar)?
- If the house is positioned towards the east, where would you place the garage?
- Would you keep the entrance on the north side as in the current building or move it to the west side (so you don’t have to walk around the house)?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Back2Mun schrieb:
Thanks for the challenge. [...] Is there an easy way to find out how far the western sun still reaches "over the house" in summer versus winter?Which "challenge"? You can "help" the sun over the house (using a hip roof instead of a gable roof).
The descriptions so far are not enough for me to assess the condition of the existing house. As long as it is suitable or can be upgraded with reasonable effort, I would plan to compare its current state and potential with the target condition. 1964 is already considered a solid construction year.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Hello everyone,
We have now made a decision and the preliminary design is almost finished. The orientation will be towards the west.
A new question has come up regarding the positioning of the garages. We are planning 1 garage and 1 carport. There is a walnut tree in the northeast that we want to preserve. Therefore, there are essentially two options, which I have tried to sketch:
Option A:
- Carport on the east side
- Garage on the northwest side of the house
Advantage:
- Front door visible from the street, which is nicer.
- In addition, it is possible in the future to park a motorhome in the northwest and still drive to the garage at the back (the turning radius just fits).
Disadvantage:
- Very long driveway
- It might be a bit tight to get bicycles past the car
Note: The garage cannot be moved further west towards the front door because there is a bathroom window there and it cannot be moved further east because of the walnut tree.
Option B:
- Both carport and garage on the west side
Advantage:
- Short driveway
- Better shielding/privacy
- Easier regarding bicycle access
Disadvantage:
- Garage overlaps with the house, so the entrance is no longer visible from the street
- Access path around the corner (you need to leave about 1.5m (or 1.2m) of space)
- No room for a motorhome while still using both the garage and carport
Do you have any recommendations on what would make more sense functionally and aesthetically?
Thanks a lot in advance!!
We have now made a decision and the preliminary design is almost finished. The orientation will be towards the west.
A new question has come up regarding the positioning of the garages. We are planning 1 garage and 1 carport. There is a walnut tree in the northeast that we want to preserve. Therefore, there are essentially two options, which I have tried to sketch:
Option A:
- Carport on the east side
- Garage on the northwest side of the house
Advantage:
- Front door visible from the street, which is nicer.
- In addition, it is possible in the future to park a motorhome in the northwest and still drive to the garage at the back (the turning radius just fits).
Disadvantage:
- Very long driveway
- It might be a bit tight to get bicycles past the car
Note: The garage cannot be moved further west towards the front door because there is a bathroom window there and it cannot be moved further east because of the walnut tree.
Option B:
- Both carport and garage on the west side
Advantage:
- Short driveway
- Better shielding/privacy
- Easier regarding bicycle access
Disadvantage:
- Garage overlaps with the house, so the entrance is no longer visible from the street
- Access path around the corner (you need to leave about 1.5m (or 1.2m) of space)
- No room for a motorhome while still using both the garage and carport
Do you have any recommendations on what would make more sense functionally and aesthetically?
Thanks a lot in advance!!
Back2Mun schrieb:
Hello everyone, we have now made a decision and the draft planning is almost complete. The orientation will now be towards the west.
A new question has come up about how to position the garages.Find the mistake! Here is a little tip from Yvonne:ypg schrieb:
I would plan everything thoroughly including the floor plan...With half-hearted requests like this one—without the completed questionnaire, without the newly developed floor plan, without the terrace drawn in, without the walnut tree marked, without paths and other basic details—you shouldn’t expect much help.Sorry, I can’t share the floor plans, and I can only make changes to the garage now—everything else is fixed. For me, the main question is: Do I want to reverse 31m (102 feet) every day to gain flexibility for a potential motorhome in the future and have a nicer view of the house, or would I rather have the garage more conveniently located at the front and give up the other benefits?
Ultimately, this is a personal decision. I just thought someone might have experience with long driveways without a turning option. If so, please let me know if you would do it the same way again. Otherwise, this thread can be closed.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Ultimately, this is a personal decision. I just thought someone might have experience with long driveways without a turning option. If so, please let me know if you would do it the same way again. Otherwise, this thread can be closed.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Back2Mun schrieb:
Orientation is now set to the west. So, towards where the cars are supposed to go now? Let me guess, the carport will be right next to the terrace, and the kitchen loses a west-facing window as a result?
Both options are poor because the floor plan doesn’t suit them. I don’t even need to see the plan to say that.
I’ve now noticed the tree—I missed it at first, sorry.
I wouldn’t recommend the long driveway either, as you would always have to pass very close to the front door. There’s likely a porch or entrance platform there that you’d have to drive around. That wouldn’t be good for the car or for people just stepping out the door who might be at risk of being hit.
If I had to choose between A and B, my gut feeling would be A. Driving backwards straight ahead for just 10m (33 feet) isn’t exactly rocket science. You’ll need paving all the way to the front door anyway. And, sorry @K a t j a, how fast would you be driving down the driveway to actually hit someone there?
By the way, you can also separate the carport from the house and, if carports are allowed, place it directly by the street. That saves you a few more square meters of paving.
By the way, you can also separate the carport from the house and, if carports are allowed, place it directly by the street. That saves you a few more square meters of paving.
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