ᐅ 10x10 m urban villa (approximately 1,670 sq ft, 6 rooms), fine-tuning welcome
Created on: 20 Aug 2017 14:34
C
Changeling
Ground Floor:
Upper Floor:
Outdoor Areas:
Positioned on the Plot:
Development Plan / Restrictions:
The plot may only be built on the southern half; otherwise, there are no particular restrictions.
Plot size: 900 square meters (approx. 30 x 30 meters / 98 x 98 feet)
Slope: No, only on the west side does the land slope down 3 meters (10 feet) toward the street at the end of the plot. On the north side, there is a retaining wall because the plot is about 2 meters (7 feet) above street level there. Therefore, access by vehicle is only possible from the south.
Clients’ Requirements
Style, Roof Shape, Building Type: A two-story urban villa with a pyramid hip roof (square hipped roof), since the upper floor has no sloped ceilings.
Basement: No basement, as it is too expensive, impractical, and involves additional construction risks.
Number of Occupants, Age: 2 adults (30 years old), 1 child (3 years old), with 1-2 more children planned.
Living Room: A large, open living area was important to us as this is where life happens. A computer corner is planned in the lower right corner since we spend more time at the computer than watching TV. We also work a lot from home and do not want to be confined to a separate room.
Fireplace: Yes.
Guest Room: Also used as storage space, which is especially useful since there is no basement.
Kitchen: The stove and sink are not in their final positions yet – a cooking island is undesirable because of the extractor hood and impractical due to splashing.
Technical / Utility Room: Also serves as a pantry and should be filled with shelves up to the ceiling.
Children’s Rooms: Size should be adequate.
Bedroom: Almost too large, but necessary due to the large wardrobe and double bed.
Bathroom: The design is still at an early stage; for example, the shower is planned as a built-in enclosure without a cabin.
Terrace: Important to us, along with a covered area so we can leave items outside occasionally.
Garage, Carport: As large as possible! It should be a wooden carport, fully closed at the front with sectional doors, and open or closed at the rear as needed. We currently use our garage as a "second living room" and for storing garden tools and similar items. Due to the long car, space will be tight; likely the terrace will be slightly smaller and the carport deeper (or the roof overhang on the left extended). The additions on the far left are planned later as a garden shed or similar and are therefore not a fixed part of the house. The covered connection to the house is a must, so we can enter without getting wet. The lower part facing the street is purely for privacy and is not a solid wall.
Garden: We will build our greenhouse ourselves as we have it now.
House Design:
Planning by: Planner from a construction company; outdoor areas added by us.
What do you particularly like? Why?: The numerous outbuildings and large carport for space, the large living room with open kitchen (also for space). Also, the level access to the terrace (which we don’t have currently).
What do you dislike? Why?: The basement level feels a bit cramped (utility room/kitchen small), while the upper floor is very spacious, but so far this is the best solution.
Cost Estimate by Architect/Planner: $290,000 USD with a maximum of +10% overrun.
Insulation / Construction: Unfortunately, it is built only to the 2016 Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) standards; I would have preferred better insulation, but it is likely too expensive. The masonry consists of calcium silicate blocks (20 cm / 8 inches outside + 16 cm / 6 inches EPS (polystyrene) insulation boards).
Heating System: Ground-source heat pump (brine-water) with earth probe; gas connection would be too expensive and we do not want oil heating.
If you had to give up features / expansions
- Could you do without: At most one fewer children’s room; the rest should stay as is...
- Could you not do without: Everything? That would be difficult.
Why did the design turn out the way it is?
We reviewed suggestions from the planner, spent a weekend designing alternatives ourselves, and ultimately found the current compromise. It includes essentially all our wishes.
The design could have been better if the house orientation had been different; otherwise, the kitchen/terrace/dining area wouldn’t all have to be squeezed next to the carport. However, since the street is on the south side and the northern half of the plot cannot be built on, the house must be positioned as it is and the terrace on the south side to catch the sun. We do not want the carport on the east side, as that would place the house further toward the center of the plot and make the terrace fully visible from the neighboring house to the south.
A similar-sized building plot on the east side will be developed with another single-family urban villa.
What is the most important / fundamental question regarding the floor plan in 130 characters?
What do you think? What could be improved or is missing? Any concerns?
Upper Floor:
Outdoor Areas:
Positioned on the Plot:
Development Plan / Restrictions:
The plot may only be built on the southern half; otherwise, there are no particular restrictions.
Plot size: 900 square meters (approx. 30 x 30 meters / 98 x 98 feet)
Slope: No, only on the west side does the land slope down 3 meters (10 feet) toward the street at the end of the plot. On the north side, there is a retaining wall because the plot is about 2 meters (7 feet) above street level there. Therefore, access by vehicle is only possible from the south.
Clients’ Requirements
Style, Roof Shape, Building Type: A two-story urban villa with a pyramid hip roof (square hipped roof), since the upper floor has no sloped ceilings.
Basement: No basement, as it is too expensive, impractical, and involves additional construction risks.
Number of Occupants, Age: 2 adults (30 years old), 1 child (3 years old), with 1-2 more children planned.
Living Room: A large, open living area was important to us as this is where life happens. A computer corner is planned in the lower right corner since we spend more time at the computer than watching TV. We also work a lot from home and do not want to be confined to a separate room.
Fireplace: Yes.
Guest Room: Also used as storage space, which is especially useful since there is no basement.
Kitchen: The stove and sink are not in their final positions yet – a cooking island is undesirable because of the extractor hood and impractical due to splashing.
Technical / Utility Room: Also serves as a pantry and should be filled with shelves up to the ceiling.
Children’s Rooms: Size should be adequate.
Bedroom: Almost too large, but necessary due to the large wardrobe and double bed.
Bathroom: The design is still at an early stage; for example, the shower is planned as a built-in enclosure without a cabin.
Terrace: Important to us, along with a covered area so we can leave items outside occasionally.
Garage, Carport: As large as possible! It should be a wooden carport, fully closed at the front with sectional doors, and open or closed at the rear as needed. We currently use our garage as a "second living room" and for storing garden tools and similar items. Due to the long car, space will be tight; likely the terrace will be slightly smaller and the carport deeper (or the roof overhang on the left extended). The additions on the far left are planned later as a garden shed or similar and are therefore not a fixed part of the house. The covered connection to the house is a must, so we can enter without getting wet. The lower part facing the street is purely for privacy and is not a solid wall.
Garden: We will build our greenhouse ourselves as we have it now.
House Design:
Planning by: Planner from a construction company; outdoor areas added by us.
What do you particularly like? Why?: The numerous outbuildings and large carport for space, the large living room with open kitchen (also for space). Also, the level access to the terrace (which we don’t have currently).
What do you dislike? Why?: The basement level feels a bit cramped (utility room/kitchen small), while the upper floor is very spacious, but so far this is the best solution.
Cost Estimate by Architect/Planner: $290,000 USD with a maximum of +10% overrun.
Insulation / Construction: Unfortunately, it is built only to the 2016 Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) standards; I would have preferred better insulation, but it is likely too expensive. The masonry consists of calcium silicate blocks (20 cm / 8 inches outside + 16 cm / 6 inches EPS (polystyrene) insulation boards).
Heating System: Ground-source heat pump (brine-water) with earth probe; gas connection would be too expensive and we do not want oil heating.
If you had to give up features / expansions
- Could you do without: At most one fewer children’s room; the rest should stay as is...
- Could you not do without: Everything? That would be difficult.
Why did the design turn out the way it is?
We reviewed suggestions from the planner, spent a weekend designing alternatives ourselves, and ultimately found the current compromise. It includes essentially all our wishes.
The design could have been better if the house orientation had been different; otherwise, the kitchen/terrace/dining area wouldn’t all have to be squeezed next to the carport. However, since the street is on the south side and the northern half of the plot cannot be built on, the house must be positioned as it is and the terrace on the south side to catch the sun. We do not want the carport on the east side, as that would place the house further toward the center of the plot and make the terrace fully visible from the neighboring house to the south.
A similar-sized building plot on the east side will be developed with another single-family urban villa.
What is the most important / fundamental question regarding the floor plan in 130 characters?
What do you think? What could be improved or is missing? Any concerns?
I am currently wondering whether €290,000 will be enough for this rather challenging plot of land and project.
How did you come up with the idea to build there? On the left, I see a slope, on the right a steep drop, and opposite, a dilapidated "villa" ready for demolition.
To be fair, my plot is also not exactly easy to build on.
How did you come up with the idea to build there? On the left, I see a slope, on the right a steep drop, and opposite, a dilapidated "villa" ready for demolition.
To be fair, my plot is also not exactly easy to build on.
C
Changeling31 Aug 2017 07:32Zaba12 schrieb:
How did you come up with the idea to build there? I see a slope on the left, a cliff on the right, and an old "villa" in need of demolition across the street. The slope only affects the positioning and the floor plan; it doesn’t need to be built on. There is no cliff on the right—it’s a flat area; the perceived cliff is probably the driveway. The villa is currently being renovated and is located on the neighboring property, so it does not concern us.
Given the current situation, it’s hardly possible to choose exactly where to build in a sought-after location—we’re just glad to have found something affordable within the city limits that doesn’t feel like a battery cage. That was important to us, so some compromises have to be made.
At the moment, we’re a bit overwhelmed. I think we’ll only be able to come up with a new floor plan and sketch this weekend.
C
Changeling31 Aug 2017 08:54Curly schrieb:
From what it looks like on your side, you’ll need a considerable amount of money to “clean up” the plot. Do you already have a proper access road to the house for the trucks? Everything has already been calculated. That’s why the house must not become more expensive.
Evolith schrieb:
Another question: are you allowed to cut down trees? You might get more sunlight on the plot and have more flexibility when positioning the house. Yes. However, we would only prune the willows facing the street, since they provide valuable visual and noise protection from the busy road.
As mentioned, the house must be placed entirely on the east side, and with the narrow building envelope, there isn’t much room for variation.
C
Changeling3 Sep 2017 16:16We have been thinking back and forth for a long time and have now decided against the double carport. It simply doesn’t fit on the right side, and on the left, it would interfere too much with the floor plan (sunlight on the ground floor & entrance through the carport wouldn’t work).
We will continue to park one behind the other as before, so the carport fits on the right side. This is the lesser evil, and we can live with that. The new floor plan would look like this:
We have now combined the pantry and utility room again, but they can also be separated. I’m still not sure which is better. Any opinions on this?
There isn’t much space in the hallway, but it would work. There might also be some space under the stairs (staircase ascends clockwise). The bathroom upstairs is not fully finalized yet, but that’s not necessary—there is enough space overall.
Here is also the sketch with the driveway. Please only pay attention to the building envelope marked in red; the utility lines don’t matter. The 3m (10 feet) setbacks from the property boundaries are already included. I placed the house in gray.
If, contrary to expectations, the street is not a private road, we will move the carport back to the same level as the house after all.
We will continue to park one behind the other as before, so the carport fits on the right side. This is the lesser evil, and we can live with that. The new floor plan would look like this:
We have now combined the pantry and utility room again, but they can also be separated. I’m still not sure which is better. Any opinions on this?
There isn’t much space in the hallway, but it would work. There might also be some space under the stairs (staircase ascends clockwise). The bathroom upstairs is not fully finalized yet, but that’s not necessary—there is enough space overall.
Here is also the sketch with the driveway. Please only pay attention to the building envelope marked in red; the utility lines don’t matter. The 3m (10 feet) setbacks from the property boundaries are already included. I placed the house in gray.
If, contrary to expectations, the street is not a private road, we will move the carport back to the same level as the house after all.
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