ᐅ Challenge of a quarter-circle house ;)

Created on: 5 Nov 2019 02:16

Hello everyone,

Warning: "repost" after optimization. Reloaded.
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/Herausforderung-Grundriss-für-unschoene-grundstueckform-Hilfe.32565/
What has happened so far:

I am currently planning a house on a somewhat challenging plot shape. (Of course, the question immediately arises, "why don’t you buy a plot with a better shape to work with?" Answer: in our region of BW Region X, there are hardly any affordable plots. The city’s land prices are around 480 €/m2 (about $45 per sq ft).) The plot is located slightly outside the city and was purchased relatively cheaply.

Okay, so I now have the plot, and “only” the house is missing on it.

Site plan with yellow and pink zones, blue outline, north arrow, max single-family home 209.50 m

Site plan showing a plot with lawn and curved driveway

Plot site plan with curves, measurement lines and boundary markers.

In advance: the building authority gives me no exemptions whatsoever.

A major challenge is the house geometry because I prefer having the terrace on the south/west side and still enough space inside the house.

In the first attempt, I planned several corners. House geometry as ground floor:

Site plan of a plot showing boundary, driveway and lawn area

Based on your contributions and ideas, I completely rounded it into a quarter circle, which I also like better and can get used to.
Yes, the topic of walls, windows, and furniture is a bit more complex, but it has its charm.

Site plan: blue building footprint on plot with measurement lines in meters and curved boundary.

3D view of a pink, semicircular pool basin model in SketchUp.

Currently, I have considered the following layout.

Here are the basic key data:

Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 434 m2 (4670 sq ft)
Slope: no (or minimal)
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.4
Building coverage ratio (BCR): 0.4
Building envelope: see development plan above (2.5 m (8 ft) to neighbors)
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: garage + 2 parking spots
Number of floors: 2 full floors (basement + ground floor + first floor)
Roof type: pitched shed roof
Architectural style: semi-detached house
Orientation: see development plan above, right side
Maximum heights/limits: ridge height 8.5 m (28 ft), eaves height 5.5 m (18 ft)
Additional regulations:

Client requirements
Style: modern
Building type: semi-detached house, 2 stories each approx. 120 m2 (1300 sq ft)
Basement, floors: 0, 1.5
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults, currently no children
Space requirement per floor: approx. 120 m² (1300 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office? Office in living room or children’s room
Overnight guests per year: 15
Open or closed architecture: mixed
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with dining and living area with access to terrace
Fireplace: optional
Music / stereo wall: TV on wall
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage yes
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why or why not

House design
Designed by: myself
I like the larger terrace in the south/west directly from the living-dining area
Both bedrooms have their own bathroom
Bathrooms all aligned for plumbing

Cost estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal price limit for house, including equipment: 550,000 euros (without furniture or land)
Preferred heating technology: gas burner

If you had to give up, which details/upgrades
- Could you give up: not sure
- Can you not give up:

Why is the design the way it is now? For example:
I wanted, as described above, a large combined kitchen, dining, and living area with direct access to the main terrace.
For that, keep the house maximum to the north side. Two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.

Here are my questions and requests for advice:

What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
1. Do you prefer the rounded design over the corners from the first draft?
Before:

Detailed 3D floor plan of a house with furniture, stairs and rooms

Now:

2D floor plan of a house with living room, kitchen and stairs, including measurements.

2. What do you think of my new floor plan?
Architect criticizes:
--Bathroom without windows (No-go?)
--Small entrance area, staircase without a landing is bad, basement stairs are bad
--Bedroom 2 should be in the east (if child)

3. How would you optimize the weaknesses from point 2?

4. How do you find the architect’s initial draft?

Floor plan of a building with red exterior walls; kitchen, dining area, living room, bathroom, stairwell.

Thank you very much in advance and best regards

2D floor plan of a single-family house with color-coded areas

kaho6746 Nov 2019 08:07

#55

Serdar88 schrieb:

Someone who doesn’t have children—what should they plan for?
No matter what you plan, it’s just a risk. I could plan for two kids and keep two rooms free for years, but in the end maybe have none. So, everything is speculative.

Yes, it’s difficult for us to say; you have to decide for yourself.

But you need to make a decision—even if it’s just about the technical aspects of the house. One nursery, two, or three—you need a clear plan, no wishy-washy ideas. As long as you don’t know what you want, you won’t make progress—even if you open many threads on the same topic.

Serdar886 Nov 2019 09:12

#56

kaho674 schrieb:

Yes, it’s hard for us to say, you have to decide that yourself.

But you do have to make a decision sometime – at least regarding the building services. One bedroom, two, or three – you need a clear statement, no wishy-washy. As long as you don’t know what you want, you won’t make any progress – no matter how many threads you start on the same topic.

Thank you very much, Katja,

so let’s "review" everything based on my questions:

Question 1: Rounded corner proposal from post 1 or keep the square one?
- Forget the rounded one, suggestion is L-shaped.

Question 2: Feedback on the floor plan
None

Question 3: Optimizations XY on the floor plan

Question 4: Evaluation of the architect’s first draft
No, absolutely not acceptable

This thread was actually supposed to be about a different aspect – “floor plan,” meaning room layout – but it mostly turned into a discussion about the building’s overall shape.

“Too many threads” on the same topic,

Thank you for your efforts and support.
Best regards

kaho6746 Nov 2019 09:18

#57

Serdar88 schrieb:

Thank you very much, Katja,

so let's review everything based on my questions:

Question 1: Rounded edge suggestion from post 1 or should we keep the square one?
- Forget the rounded one, suggest L-shape instead.

Question 2: Feedback on the floor plan
None.

Question 3: Optimizations XY on the floor plan

Question 4: Evaluation of the architect’s initial draft
No, absolutely not.

The thread was actually supposed to focus on a different aspect of the floor plan, meaning the room layout, but it ended up more about the house geometry.

"There are already so many threads" on the same topic,

Thanks for your effort and support
Best regards

Still just vague talk.

ypg6 Nov 2019 10:07

#58

Serdar88 schrieb:

This thread was actually supposed to focus more on the floor plan, meaning the room layout, but it has mostly shifted toward the building geometry instead.

Okay... usually, people keep quiet and rely on other topics during the discussion (avoiding the actual question) when things are unclear.

In this case, you also have to consider that there are three unknowns here:
- the elevations of the plot, which nobody can determine here, so does the slope still need to be planned for?
- does it have to be the curved shape?
- what requirements does the house need to fulfill?

Then a fourth question comes to mind:

Are you actually supporters of this extreme building form, so that the effort and costs make sense, or is it just this mentioned stubborn attitude? From the “designs,” at least I can tell that you don’t relate to it at all.

On top of that, the plot is quite small. I would think about designing two residential units on it, regardless of whether it has a basement or not.
If that is indeed the case, then it should be age-appropriate from the start with exits and parking spaces.
And for this planning (mindset and sketch), it doesn’t really matter where the bathroom is located first.

Serdar88 schrieb:

Plot size: 434 m2 (4,668 sq ft)
Slope: no (or minimal)
Site coverage ratio / building footprint ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio / plot ratio: 0.4

If that is correct, then you are only allowed to build a total of 173 m2 (1,861 sq ft), not once upstairs and once downstairs.

Scout6 Nov 2019 10:20

#59

ypg schrieb:

If that is correct, then you are only allowed to build a total of 173 sqm (1860 sq ft), not once on the ground floor and once upstairs.

Or 173 sqm (1860 sq ft) on the ground floor and a recessed upper floor with a maximum of two-thirds of the ground floor area, depending on the regional building code.

Escroda6 Nov 2019 11:40

#60

ypg schrieb:

If that is true

That is not correct. He has already corrected it, see #14.

Scout schrieb:

or 173m2 (1860 ft2) on the lower floor and a set-back floor above with a maximum of 2/3 of the lower floor area.

No, the floor area ratio is not fixed, and he is allowed two full floors.

ᐅ Challenge of a quarter-circle house ;)

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