We plan to build on a plot of land in Brandenburg, south of Potsdam.
Plot Information
The plot is currently mostly covered with pine trees, some of which are around 100 years old, along with a few yews, oaks, and bushes. The area has been unmanaged for at least 50 years. At least the rear third (northeast area) is intended to remain forested, as part of the adjacent larger woodland.
The plot is oriented approximately northeast – southwest.
Street access is on the southwest side (bottom of the plan). At this end of the plot, there are a few very tall pines with some yews and an oak in between. The oak is not very old but is an interesting multi-stem tree. I want to preserve this green screen, which will likely be challenging since construction vehicles require a certain size and height.
On the southeast side (right on the plan) there is an overly large and mostly unattractive boundary structure (garage and shed), which is not very appealing.
The neighboring plots on the northwest side (left on the plan) together have a similar amount of boundary structures but less intrusive and located further towards the top of the plan. Overall, the northwest side is greener because the neighboring buildings are set further back from the property boundary.
Development Plan / Restrictions
There is no formal development plan, but local regulations set general rules, such as ridge height, setback distances, and garage roof shape. If these are specified anywhere, floor area ratio and plot ratio probably only play a theoretical role for this project and plot size.
Plot size: >2000m² (21,528ft²)
Slope: none
Floor area ratio unknown
Plot ratio unknown
Building window, building line, and boundary >3m (10ft) setback
Outbuildings allowed along boundary
Number of parking spaces not specified
Number of storeys not specified
House roof shape: roof pitch 25°–50°, excluding roof extensions
Garage: gable roof facing street
Architectural style: no specific requirements
Orientation: gable end or eaves aligned to street
Maximum heights/restrictions: ridge height max. 9.0m (30ft)
Other specifications: ground floor top edge max. 80cm (2.6ft)
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: gable roof
Orientation: photovoltaic panels on the south-facing roof side, gable end facing street
Basement, storeys: basement + ground floor + first floor
Number of occupants, ages: 3+1, ages 17–55+
Space requirements on ground floor, first floor:
Ground floor: living room, kitchen, dining area, guest bathroom
First floor: bedrooms, bathroom
Two additional rooms on ground floor or first floor
Office: mainly home office for one person
Guests per year: 1 (about 20 extended weekends)
Open or closed architecture: window-obscuring bathroom and bedroom doors
Conservative or modern style: conservative
Preferred construction method: solid gas concrete blocks (e.g. Ytong or similar)
Open kitchen with cooking island: semi-open, preferably with (half) island
Number of dining seats: 4 (expandable to 8)
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo/TV wall: rather simple / stereo system yes, no built-in wall unit / large screen
Balcony/roof terrace: balcony yes / roof terrace no
Garage/carport: garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: garden yes, greenhouse later
Additional Requests / Special Features / Daily Routine, including reasons why certain things are wanted or not:
The plot is quite narrow at just under 20m (65ft) wide for my desired house, which includes a partially integrated side double garage and a large sunny southwest terrace, so the best compromise must be found.
Due to the tall trees on the southwest, we expect western sun only during summer. Also, two neighbor’s pine trees cast shade from the south on the likely building site.
When not sleeping, we mainly live on the ground floor, so this has planning priority. The kitchen is an important room, so we prefer a (semi-)open connection to the living room. At least one of us regularly works from home, so a suitable workstation is necessary, but a dedicated home office room is not essential.
Light is important in the living area (kitchen and living room), so we want the top edges of the windows to be as high as possible with roller shutters.
The fireplace is a 95% must-have as a supplementary heat source (and hopefully a cozy feature). Good positioning is a priority, but if possible, we’d like a water-carrying fireplace connected to a buffer tank and/or an additional hot water heating circuit for the bathrooms (e.g., large towel radiators). A ground heat load is planned via an air-to-water heat pump for underfloor heating. Additionally, air conditioning is planned in the master bedroom and child’s room 1.
A central ventilation system is probably too expensive.
The master bedroom should accommodate a double bed and a row of wardrobes.
Child’s room 1 will still serve as a youth room for a few years, later becoming a second bedroom (due to reported nighttime noise of uncertain cause).
The multi-purpose room is not yet definitively assigned: either home office or utility room with space for washing machine and dryer, or storage room.
Preferred room orientations (due to morning sun): kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom facing the garden.
The gable end facing the street seems sensible since photovoltaics are planned on the roof, and the south-facing side (+/- 30°) is expected to have the least shading.
My wife’s wish for a balcony on the bedroom is “because it looks better.”
If built, we would like access to the balcony from the bedroom and the bathroom.
A basement is a 95% must-have due to various hobbies requiring significant space and tools. Also, all technical equipment is planned to be located in the basement.
A garage is essential (as large as possible for 1–2 cars, bicycles, and garden tools), but the house has higher priority. If necessary, the garage can be built later and/or an additional carport added on the street side, or even an underground garage (a small dream).
We now consider a connecting door between house and garage impractical. With the entrance on the gable side, the path is short and convenient anyway.
Gas concrete as preferred wall material was chosen because of its combination of easy handling during shell construction (which tends to avoid the common poor work that can cause thermal bridges), very good sound insulation, pleasant indoor climate, minor advantages during interior finishing, and previous DIY experience with the material. It is also non-combustible, avoids producing large amounts of hazardous waste, and structurally the walls are not potential habitats for insects or small rodents.
House Design
Design origin: by me
-Not designed by a construction company planner yet
-Architect is being sought
-Do-it-yourself approach: yes (reading, trying, thinking, reading, trying, ...)
What do you especially like? Why?
Entrance on street side (front view preferred over side entrance)
Layout of kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms
Kitchen with large work surface, appliance space, and storage
Sauna in the bright bathroom
Bright living room with fireplace
Hallways on ground and first floors and staircase with daylight
Coatroom near entrance (though small)
Small but fully functional guest WC on ground floor
What do you dislike? Why?
Costs likely at the budget limit
Easy access to attic not resolved
Attic usage not finalized
Little distance to right side property boundary
Relatively large hallway areas
Living area (according to CAD program): 135m² (EG 71m², OG 64m²) (1453ft² total; ground floor 764ft², first floor 689ft²)
Estimated price per architect/planner: unknown but would like to know
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: 550,000 EUR
Personal preferred heating technology: oil/gas (more independent under various situations) and fireplace
Most likely heating system realistically planned: air-to-water heat pump (for various reasons) + fireplace
Possibly additional split air conditioners in master bedroom and child’s room 1
If you have to forgo something, which details or extensions
-can be omitted: balcony, double garage, finished attic
-cannot be omitted: light
Why is the design the way it is now?
The design is one of the results of two years of reading, viewing, own experiences, consideration, and experimentation. There are now many design variants; four or five are basically acceptable to us, each with different pros and cons.
This is one of the options with the smallest living area. I transferred it into a mediocre (very stubborn) CAD system because it provides automatic dimensioning. The system also helps my 3D spatial imagination (e.g., stairs under roof slope, walls stacked, first-floor windows within the building volume, roof in general).
Many details are not finalized yet (e.g., stair to attic, windows, …) because of my lack of knowledge and experience. Also, some window and door types are simply not available in the CAD program; others are stubbornly displayed incorrectly.
The furniture layout shown is currently the best idea, but there are certainly better options (e.g., for the bathrooms).
Thank you in advance for your suggestions and help.
Plot Information
The plot is currently mostly covered with pine trees, some of which are around 100 years old, along with a few yews, oaks, and bushes. The area has been unmanaged for at least 50 years. At least the rear third (northeast area) is intended to remain forested, as part of the adjacent larger woodland.
The plot is oriented approximately northeast – southwest.
Street access is on the southwest side (bottom of the plan). At this end of the plot, there are a few very tall pines with some yews and an oak in between. The oak is not very old but is an interesting multi-stem tree. I want to preserve this green screen, which will likely be challenging since construction vehicles require a certain size and height.
On the southeast side (right on the plan) there is an overly large and mostly unattractive boundary structure (garage and shed), which is not very appealing.
The neighboring plots on the northwest side (left on the plan) together have a similar amount of boundary structures but less intrusive and located further towards the top of the plan. Overall, the northwest side is greener because the neighboring buildings are set further back from the property boundary.
Development Plan / Restrictions
There is no formal development plan, but local regulations set general rules, such as ridge height, setback distances, and garage roof shape. If these are specified anywhere, floor area ratio and plot ratio probably only play a theoretical role for this project and plot size.
Plot size: >2000m² (21,528ft²)
Slope: none
Floor area ratio unknown
Plot ratio unknown
Building window, building line, and boundary >3m (10ft) setback
Outbuildings allowed along boundary
Number of parking spaces not specified
Number of storeys not specified
House roof shape: roof pitch 25°–50°, excluding roof extensions
Garage: gable roof facing street
Architectural style: no specific requirements
Orientation: gable end or eaves aligned to street
Maximum heights/restrictions: ridge height max. 9.0m (30ft)
Other specifications: ground floor top edge max. 80cm (2.6ft)
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: gable roof
Orientation: photovoltaic panels on the south-facing roof side, gable end facing street
Basement, storeys: basement + ground floor + first floor
Number of occupants, ages: 3+1, ages 17–55+
Space requirements on ground floor, first floor:
Ground floor: living room, kitchen, dining area, guest bathroom
First floor: bedrooms, bathroom
Two additional rooms on ground floor or first floor
Office: mainly home office for one person
Guests per year: 1 (about 20 extended weekends)
Open or closed architecture: window-obscuring bathroom and bedroom doors
Conservative or modern style: conservative
Preferred construction method: solid gas concrete blocks (e.g. Ytong or similar)
Open kitchen with cooking island: semi-open, preferably with (half) island
Number of dining seats: 4 (expandable to 8)
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo/TV wall: rather simple / stereo system yes, no built-in wall unit / large screen
Balcony/roof terrace: balcony yes / roof terrace no
Garage/carport: garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: garden yes, greenhouse later
Additional Requests / Special Features / Daily Routine, including reasons why certain things are wanted or not:
The plot is quite narrow at just under 20m (65ft) wide for my desired house, which includes a partially integrated side double garage and a large sunny southwest terrace, so the best compromise must be found.
Due to the tall trees on the southwest, we expect western sun only during summer. Also, two neighbor’s pine trees cast shade from the south on the likely building site.
When not sleeping, we mainly live on the ground floor, so this has planning priority. The kitchen is an important room, so we prefer a (semi-)open connection to the living room. At least one of us regularly works from home, so a suitable workstation is necessary, but a dedicated home office room is not essential.
Light is important in the living area (kitchen and living room), so we want the top edges of the windows to be as high as possible with roller shutters.
The fireplace is a 95% must-have as a supplementary heat source (and hopefully a cozy feature). Good positioning is a priority, but if possible, we’d like a water-carrying fireplace connected to a buffer tank and/or an additional hot water heating circuit for the bathrooms (e.g., large towel radiators). A ground heat load is planned via an air-to-water heat pump for underfloor heating. Additionally, air conditioning is planned in the master bedroom and child’s room 1.
A central ventilation system is probably too expensive.
The master bedroom should accommodate a double bed and a row of wardrobes.
Child’s room 1 will still serve as a youth room for a few years, later becoming a second bedroom (due to reported nighttime noise of uncertain cause).
The multi-purpose room is not yet definitively assigned: either home office or utility room with space for washing machine and dryer, or storage room.
Preferred room orientations (due to morning sun): kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom facing the garden.
The gable end facing the street seems sensible since photovoltaics are planned on the roof, and the south-facing side (+/- 30°) is expected to have the least shading.
My wife’s wish for a balcony on the bedroom is “because it looks better.”
If built, we would like access to the balcony from the bedroom and the bathroom.
A basement is a 95% must-have due to various hobbies requiring significant space and tools. Also, all technical equipment is planned to be located in the basement.
A garage is essential (as large as possible for 1–2 cars, bicycles, and garden tools), but the house has higher priority. If necessary, the garage can be built later and/or an additional carport added on the street side, or even an underground garage (a small dream).
We now consider a connecting door between house and garage impractical. With the entrance on the gable side, the path is short and convenient anyway.
Gas concrete as preferred wall material was chosen because of its combination of easy handling during shell construction (which tends to avoid the common poor work that can cause thermal bridges), very good sound insulation, pleasant indoor climate, minor advantages during interior finishing, and previous DIY experience with the material. It is also non-combustible, avoids producing large amounts of hazardous waste, and structurally the walls are not potential habitats for insects or small rodents.
House Design
Design origin: by me
-Not designed by a construction company planner yet
-Architect is being sought
-Do-it-yourself approach: yes (reading, trying, thinking, reading, trying, ...)
What do you especially like? Why?
Entrance on street side (front view preferred over side entrance)
Layout of kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms
Kitchen with large work surface, appliance space, and storage
Sauna in the bright bathroom
Bright living room with fireplace
Hallways on ground and first floors and staircase with daylight
Coatroom near entrance (though small)
Small but fully functional guest WC on ground floor
What do you dislike? Why?
Costs likely at the budget limit
Easy access to attic not resolved
Attic usage not finalized
Little distance to right side property boundary
Relatively large hallway areas
Living area (according to CAD program): 135m² (EG 71m², OG 64m²) (1453ft² total; ground floor 764ft², first floor 689ft²)
Estimated price per architect/planner: unknown but would like to know
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: 550,000 EUR
Personal preferred heating technology: oil/gas (more independent under various situations) and fireplace
Most likely heating system realistically planned: air-to-water heat pump (for various reasons) + fireplace
Possibly additional split air conditioners in master bedroom and child’s room 1
If you have to forgo something, which details or extensions
-can be omitted: balcony, double garage, finished attic
-cannot be omitted: light
Why is the design the way it is now?
The design is one of the results of two years of reading, viewing, own experiences, consideration, and experimentation. There are now many design variants; four or five are basically acceptable to us, each with different pros and cons.
This is one of the options with the smallest living area. I transferred it into a mediocre (very stubborn) CAD system because it provides automatic dimensioning. The system also helps my 3D spatial imagination (e.g., stairs under roof slope, walls stacked, first-floor windows within the building volume, roof in general).
Many details are not finalized yet (e.g., stair to attic, windows, …) because of my lack of knowledge and experience. Also, some window and door types are simply not available in the CAD program; others are stubbornly displayed incorrectly.
The furniture layout shown is currently the best idea, but there are certainly better options (e.g., for the bathrooms).
Thank you in advance for your suggestions and help.
In der Ruine21 May 2025 13:01wiltshire schrieb:
From the sauna, straight to the shower, and then a very short walk outside to a lounge chair for complete privacy on the balcony. I can’t really comment as I don’t use saunas. I always thought you only sauna when it’s cold and unpleasant outside.
W
wiltshire21 May 2025 16:32In der Ruine schrieb:
I can’t really comment as I don’t use saunas. I thought people only use saunas when it’s cold and unpleasant outside. If you have a sauna at home, you’ll use it all year round. Especially after physical exertion, sauna sessions feel great. The muscles relax and a pleasant tiredness sets in. So first do some exercise or gardening, then sauna, shower, rest on the balcony for about 30 minutes, shower again, and then head to bed a few meters away. It hardly gets any better than that.
W
wiltshire21 May 2025 16:44Tolentino schrieb:
As I understood the original poster, the balcony is the wife’s request. And the sauna is just for him? That really weakens my use case.
I almost added something inappropriate.
wiltshire schrieb:
And the sauna is just for himI actually think I read something like that somewhere.
Here:
Sandstapler schrieb:
I will probably mostly use the sauna in the evening (as the only one, by the way)Similar topics