ᐅ Single-family house floor plan, slight hillside location, northwest orientation
Created on: 23 May 2025 18:30
K
kronos215
Hello everyone,
We have almost finalized our planning with the architect and would appreciate you taking a critical look at the floor plan. Afterwards, we plan to proceed with the tendering process.
We generally like the ground floor (GF) very much. However, we are considering flipping the house and making some changes to the upper floor (UF). The garage, utility room, and technical room would move to the right, and the entire house would be shifted closer to the neighbor’s hedge on the left side (3m (10 feet) distance). The living room would then be on the left. It’s unclear whether the view of the neighbor’s hedge at a 3m (10 feet) distance will be nicer. On the positive side, the house would be better oriented towards the south and would let in more sunlight. The kitchen would then be on the right, providing wind protection from the open field while still allowing sunlight to reach the terrace.
Corner plot, one neighbor on the left, fields to the back and right
Ground floor area: 99m2 (without terrace), garage 30m2
Upper floor area: 78m2 (from 1.5m (5 feet))
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size
approx. 750m2
Slope
Yes, uphill on the mountain side. There is a manhole cover on the street in front of the plot and one behind it. The elevation difference between the covers is about 3m. The plot initially rises about 1m (3 feet) above the sidewalk and
Edge development
Yes, it’s a corner plot. There is a neighbor on the left side. Behind the house and to the right is a field path and fields.
Number of parking spaces
The adjacent street should provide sufficient parking spaces. A garage is also planned.
Number of stories
According to the development plan, 1.5-story houses are permitted.
Roof type
According to the development plan, only gable roofs are allowed.
Orientation
Northwest
Maximum heights / limits
According to the development plan, the house must be built exactly in this alignment
Requirements of the homeowners
Style, roof shape, building type
Country house style, gable roof (eaves facing the street), single-family home
Basement, number of floors
A basement was initially planned but was dropped due to budget. 1.5 floors are allowed and planned as per the development plan.
Number of occupants, age
Two adults, early 30s, no children yet but a child’s room is planned
Space requirements on GF, UF
GF: Garage, entrance hall, office 1, kitchen, living room, dining room, pantry, technical room, utility room, guest bathroom with shower
UF: Bedroom, child’s room, office 2, bathroom, storage room (planned due to no basement)
Office: family use or home office?
Both offices are currently needed for work.
Overnight guests per year
Very rarely or none
According to the development plan, 1.5-story houses are allowed
Somewhat open
Conservative or modern construction
Modern (?)
Open kitchen, cooking island
Open kitchen planned, cooking island desired but dropped due to space constraints
Number of dining seats
6, preferably expandable to 10
Fireplace
Desired and planned as a partition between dining and living room
Music / stereo wall
Desired; a niche in the living room works well for this
Balcony, roof terrace
Desired but dropped for budget reasons
Garage, carport
Planned; it is questionable whether the garage should instead be located on the right to avoid blocking the south side.
House design
Who is responsible for the design?
Architect
What do you particularly like? Why?
The open living and dining area. The open view of the fields.
The dormer on the upper floor.
What do you dislike? Why?
The corridor on the upper floor feels dark. Many skylights are planned (knee wall 80cm (31 inches) per development plan, gable roof with eaves facing the street).
The ground floor might also be dark. The garage is located on the south side. The windows facing the fields are towards the northeast.
Skylights block the option for photovoltaic panels and the attic space.
The storage room feels out of place.
Since a basement was initially planned, a hobby room was also considered, but this has been dropped.
The master bed is directly adjacent to the child’s room, but the bedroom must remain there.
Price estimate according to architect:
€540,000 (we find this optimistic; we expect higher costs and would thus like to make the floor plan more compact)
Personal price limit for house including fixtures and fittings:
€550,000 (all-in)
Preferred heating technology:
Heat pump
If you had to give up something, which details / expansions
-you could give up: a two-story open space was planned but removed, storage room on the upper floor (is it really necessary?), the GF could generally be smaller to save costs
-you cannot give up: large windows on the GF, open living-dining area, access to the house via garage and utility room, fireplace, pantry
Why has the design turned out this way?E.g.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? The architect implemented the room concept well and incorporated many of his own ideas that we mostly find coherent.
What do you consider particularly good or bad about it? We like the ground floor very much; there is still potential for changes on the upper floor. We would also like another dormer above the entrance door, but this does not seem possible due to the development plan (the upper floor would become a full story if too much area is covered by dormers). The study could then be where the storage room currently is. The storage room could become a combined storage and hobby room.
We are grateful for any input and suggestions. We are particularly concerned about the south orientation. We do not want the rooms to become too dark.
We have almost finalized our planning with the architect and would appreciate you taking a critical look at the floor plan. Afterwards, we plan to proceed with the tendering process.
We generally like the ground floor (GF) very much. However, we are considering flipping the house and making some changes to the upper floor (UF). The garage, utility room, and technical room would move to the right, and the entire house would be shifted closer to the neighbor’s hedge on the left side (3m (10 feet) distance). The living room would then be on the left. It’s unclear whether the view of the neighbor’s hedge at a 3m (10 feet) distance will be nicer. On the positive side, the house would be better oriented towards the south and would let in more sunlight. The kitchen would then be on the right, providing wind protection from the open field while still allowing sunlight to reach the terrace.
Corner plot, one neighbor on the left, fields to the back and right
Ground floor area: 99m2 (without terrace), garage 30m2
Upper floor area: 78m2 (from 1.5m (5 feet))
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size
approx. 750m2
Slope
Yes, uphill on the mountain side. There is a manhole cover on the street in front of the plot and one behind it. The elevation difference between the covers is about 3m. The plot initially rises about 1m (3 feet) above the sidewalk and
Edge development
Yes, it’s a corner plot. There is a neighbor on the left side. Behind the house and to the right is a field path and fields.
Number of parking spaces
The adjacent street should provide sufficient parking spaces. A garage is also planned.
Number of stories
According to the development plan, 1.5-story houses are permitted.
Roof type
According to the development plan, only gable roofs are allowed.
Orientation
Northwest
Maximum heights / limits
According to the development plan, the house must be built exactly in this alignment
Requirements of the homeowners
Style, roof shape, building type
Country house style, gable roof (eaves facing the street), single-family home
Basement, number of floors
A basement was initially planned but was dropped due to budget. 1.5 floors are allowed and planned as per the development plan.
Number of occupants, age
Two adults, early 30s, no children yet but a child’s room is planned
Space requirements on GF, UF
GF: Garage, entrance hall, office 1, kitchen, living room, dining room, pantry, technical room, utility room, guest bathroom with shower
UF: Bedroom, child’s room, office 2, bathroom, storage room (planned due to no basement)
Office: family use or home office?
Both offices are currently needed for work.
Overnight guests per year
Very rarely or none
According to the development plan, 1.5-story houses are allowed
Somewhat open
Conservative or modern construction
Modern (?)
Open kitchen, cooking island
Open kitchen planned, cooking island desired but dropped due to space constraints
Number of dining seats
6, preferably expandable to 10
Fireplace
Desired and planned as a partition between dining and living room
Music / stereo wall
Desired; a niche in the living room works well for this
Balcony, roof terrace
Desired but dropped for budget reasons
Garage, carport
Planned; it is questionable whether the garage should instead be located on the right to avoid blocking the south side.
House design
Who is responsible for the design?
Architect
What do you particularly like? Why?
The open living and dining area. The open view of the fields.
The dormer on the upper floor.
What do you dislike? Why?
The corridor on the upper floor feels dark. Many skylights are planned (knee wall 80cm (31 inches) per development plan, gable roof with eaves facing the street).
The ground floor might also be dark. The garage is located on the south side. The windows facing the fields are towards the northeast.
Skylights block the option for photovoltaic panels and the attic space.
The storage room feels out of place.
Since a basement was initially planned, a hobby room was also considered, but this has been dropped.
The master bed is directly adjacent to the child’s room, but the bedroom must remain there.
Price estimate according to architect:
€540,000 (we find this optimistic; we expect higher costs and would thus like to make the floor plan more compact)
Personal price limit for house including fixtures and fittings:
€550,000 (all-in)
Preferred heating technology:
Heat pump
If you had to give up something, which details / expansions
-you could give up: a two-story open space was planned but removed, storage room on the upper floor (is it really necessary?), the GF could generally be smaller to save costs
-you cannot give up: large windows on the GF, open living-dining area, access to the house via garage and utility room, fireplace, pantry
Why has the design turned out this way?E.g.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? The architect implemented the room concept well and incorporated many of his own ideas that we mostly find coherent.
What do you consider particularly good or bad about it? We like the ground floor very much; there is still potential for changes on the upper floor. We would also like another dormer above the entrance door, but this does not seem possible due to the development plan (the upper floor would become a full story if too much area is covered by dormers). The study could then be where the storage room currently is. The storage room could become a combined storage and hobby room.
We are grateful for any input and suggestions. We are particularly concerned about the south orientation. We do not want the rooms to become too dark.
W
wiltshire24 May 2025 18:48kronos215 schrieb:
EVOLUTION 161 V2 for €416,000 with master bathroom and KfW 40+ turnkey.The "Evolution" 161 is a complete bore with no aesthetic appeal and falls far behind the architect’s original design in terms of style. Although the first version has more sophisticated rooms on the upper floor, it also has an atmosphere that can create a sense of coziness in every room.K
kronos21524 May 2025 19:0411ant schrieb:
Please also add the other attic floor to post #15.Post #28 corresponds to the ground floor and attic floor, just in color here. But it’s the same floor plan.11ant schrieb:
Unfortunately, that would mean the design has to be forgotten.What a pity.11ant schrieb:
Therefore, it is unfortunately neither accurate nor advisable to try to replicate a specific floor plan and price-appropriate house "under a different company name." Different suppliers, different catalogs—there is no direct transfer.Wouldn’t we, as a budget-conscious couple with €500,000 (approximately 540,000 USD), generally be better off looking at the catalog floor plans if there is a suitable one available? When an architect’s design is created and tendered, the prices inevitably tend to be higher. The price-performance ratio should be best with a catalog floor plan, right? Of course, a floor plan shouldn’t be chosen if it requires complicated adjustments to fit the site… (?)11ant schrieb:
BZ is price-attractive for their clientele, but their clientele is quite different from you budget-conscious buyers—BZ builds for full-time dual-earner households, where at least one partner has a university degree and qualifies for a company car (modest models, like a 3 Series or A4).We exactly fit into this category professionally. I think nowadays, especially since Corona, it takes more (two business administration degrees) just to shrug at a budget over €600,000 (approximately 650,000 USD).wiltshire schrieb:
The "Evolution" 161 is completely bland with no aesthetic appeal and is stylistically miles behind the architect’s first design. The architect’s plan offers somewhat more challenging rooms on the upper floor but also has a vibe that can create coziness in every room.Thank you for your feedback. What specifically makes the design boring in your eyes and the architect’s design better?I’m still searching for the all-in-one solution...
A terrace facing south/west, kitchen and living room facing the garden and away from the street. A view over the fields (on the right side of the plan) and still access to the terrace in the south. Because of the garage, this is only possible if the garage is placed far forward and the house grows rather narrow into the garden so that windows on the left and right can still work. On the left to let light in from the southwest, on the right to allow the view.
Unfortunately, the house resulting from the architect’s floor plan doesn’t appeal to us visually “from the outside.” We haven’t received a 3D model, but by chance found a house that matches the floor plan (from the front) quite well (garage on the left, picture attached).
For completeness, I’ve simulated the sun path (current, May) for the plot (red line = sunset).
Here you can also see the neighboring buildings a little better. One reason the architect gave was to orient the terrace away from the neighbor. If it were directly facing the hedge, you would already be sitting very close because the neighbor’s terrace also borders the hedge. Maybe that makes the first design more understandable but doesn’t solve the problem of the “dark ground floor.”
Regarding the plot itself, since it was mentioned: its depth is 30m (net, measured from the building boundary) and 35m gross.
kronos215 schrieb:
Post #28 corresponds to the ground floor and attic, only here in color. But it’s the same floor plan. Post #28 shows both floors for the ground floor 10.04/10.04 from post #15; I would also have been interested in the attic for the ground floor 9.42/10.67, also from post #15.
kronos215 schrieb:
We exactly match this category professionally. If you are equivalent to the Bien-Zenker customer profile, BZ should suit you as well (and possibly Weber too); you shouldn’t go beyond Streif with your scope. Trying to replicate the quality of Bien-Zenker, for example with Danwood, would likely be more expensive.
kronos215 schrieb:
I am still actually searching for the all-round perfect solution. That’s only available in Wolperting on February 31st.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
kronos215 schrieb:
EVOLUTION 161 V2 at €416,000, including master bathroom and KfW 40+ turnkey. Is the Evolution 161 V2 without dormer and bay window? Are those added individually? The dimensions refer to a BZ house without a bay window.
kronos215 schrieb:
Rotated 90 degrees to the left, this ground floor plan seems, at first glance, much closer to our desire for more natural light. But you won’t gain any south-facing windows that way.
11ant schrieb:
Unfortunately, that design won’t work because the attic floor is no longer possible with the rotated roof. But it can be easily adjusted to fit.
11ant schrieb:
that is also nonsense No nonsense here.
11ant schrieb:
meaning only the pricing aspect would remain from the catalog model, but the advantage of series production would be lost. You can build it with a different model, but as mentioned: the V2 is without bay window and dormer.
By the way
kronos215 schrieb:
Also the dormer Why do you particularly want a dormer on the north side?
K
kronos21524 May 2025 20:56ypg schrieb:
Why do you specifically want a dormer facing north?The challenge with the floor plan is that it needs to open up in three directions... to the left side for sunlight, and to the top and right side for the view... If I had to give up one side, it would most likely be the right side.Without a dormer, given the knee wall height, only roof windows are possible at the top side, and there would be no view of the garden from the upper floor. Since the plot is surrounded by buildings in many directions, it’s difficult to block any view.
What would be your advice on how to proceed considering these requirements and circumstances? Should I continue refining the architect’s design to better fit (especially the upper floor), create a new design, or use a standard plan that fits very well?
kronos215 schrieb:
Without a dormer, only roof windows are possible on the knee wall at the top of the plan.Well, roof windows are secondary windows. But with a gable roof, you have gable walls where the main windows can be placed.kronos215 schrieb:
Top and right side of the plan for the view...The upper floor is your private area. Consider whether it really makes sense to prioritize enjoying the view there, or if rooms like a child’s bedroom, office, or hobby room on the southeast side would benefit more from natural light. I think you might be overcomplicating things with your “jack of all trades” approach.
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