ᐅ Looking for a knowledgeable and innovative architect in the Ruhr area
Created on: 23 May 2016 23:46
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Bauen2016B
Bauen201623 May 2016 23:46Hello,
I hope you can help us. So far, we have consulted four architects and are not really satisfied. We have a plot where, despite the requirement for a single-story building with a gable roof in the development plan, we want to build with as little roof slope as possible or at least with a very high knee wall. A setback floor would also be possible, but we don’t like that option as much.
On one hand, the proposed knee wall height varies among the architects from 75 cm (30 inches)—which is too low—to 140 cm (55 inches)—which we find acceptable—and on the other hand, we are not happy with the house’s appearance or the floor plans.
We have a company we would like to work with, but the design is not convincing, so we are looking for an architect who is willing to take on our problem for a fee and who can think beyond the standard cookie-cutter layout.
Thank you very much in advance!
I hope you can help us. So far, we have consulted four architects and are not really satisfied. We have a plot where, despite the requirement for a single-story building with a gable roof in the development plan, we want to build with as little roof slope as possible or at least with a very high knee wall. A setback floor would also be possible, but we don’t like that option as much.
On one hand, the proposed knee wall height varies among the architects from 75 cm (30 inches)—which is too low—to 140 cm (55 inches)—which we find acceptable—and on the other hand, we are not happy with the house’s appearance or the floor plans.
We have a company we would like to work with, but the design is not convincing, so we are looking for an architect who is willing to take on our problem for a fee and who can think beyond the standard cookie-cutter layout.
Thank you very much in advance!
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Bauexperte24 May 2016 09:58In the absence of a detailed profile: where is your plot of land located?
Regards, Bauexperte
Regards, Bauexperte
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Bauen201624 May 2016 13:35Sorry, this was never asked of me or I somehow overlooked it. We are building in Bochum, hence the search in the Ruhr area.
Maybe a draftsman or some other related profession that we haven’t discovered yet might be enough.
Maybe a draftsman or some other related profession that we haven’t discovered yet might be enough.
What is possible on your plot can only be creatively developed by the architect once the building and planning regulations are fully understood: zoning plans, statutes, or Section 34 of the Building Code, as well as the exact site situation including terrain elevations (surveyor’s site plan), geotechnical reports, and information about your budget, your space requirements, etc.
Whether a knee wall (drempel) of any height is feasible depends on requirements such as the eaves height. At the beginning, you should avoid fixating on one detail and instead allow alternatives in the preliminary design that may lead to completely different but potentially better results. This is the purpose of the preliminary design phase. Sometimes this also means stepping back from previously favored ideas on all sides.
As the saying goes so aptly: “Give your mind freedom...!”
Whether a knee wall (drempel) of any height is feasible depends on requirements such as the eaves height. At the beginning, you should avoid fixating on one detail and instead allow alternatives in the preliminary design that may lead to completely different but potentially better results. This is the purpose of the preliminary design phase. Sometimes this also means stepping back from previously favored ideas on all sides.
As the saying goes so aptly: “Give your mind freedom...!”
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Bauen201624 May 2016 22:00Yes, that’s probably true, but since the zoning plan is clear, the plot has been surveyed, the building site assessed, and the budget and desired rooms including sizes are defined, my modest expectation was that we could get more concrete from there...
But maybe you can still give me some answers:
1) Setback floors (step-back stories) were allowed retroactively. The last architect said that a flat roof or single-sloped roof would be placed on top, which we don’t really find appealing. Is this "Mediterranean" roof style also permitted there?
Example:
Example of a Mediterranean urban villa with a hipped roof
We could definitely imagine that. But the usual zoning plan says SD (single-pitched roof), and we don’t know the exact wording of the amendment or extension.
2) The setback floor must be set back at least 1 meter (3.3 feet) on all sides. That’s fine so far. Now I just read the following in the building regulations NRW from 2005 under §2 (5):
“Full stories are stories whose ceiling upper edge on average extends more than 1.60 meters (5.25 feet) above the ground surface and have a height of at least 2.30 meters (7.5 feet). A top story set back from the outside walls of the building (setback floor) is only a full story if it has this height over more than two-thirds of the floor area of the story below.”
Does that mean that if only two-thirds are built with 2.30 meters (7.5 feet) height and the remaining area is built at less than 2.30 meters (7.5 feet), that would still be acceptable? For example, a knee wall height of 2.00 meters (6.6 feet), as long as the two-thirds rule is observed? Of course, always including the surrounding one meter (3.3 feet) setback.
3) On the city of Bochum’s website, there are various PDF documents related to building permit applications.
I don’t quite understand one passage, which says that if there are absolutely no deviations from the zoning plan, then NO approval procedure at all is required (meaning not even the simplified application), so the current processing time of three months could be bypassed?
In summary, I would describe our current status as follows: if the "Mediterranean" setback floor is not possible and no one can suggest another option with little or no roof slope (which we are still hoping for if Mediterranean is not possible), we will probably end up with the "normal" gable roof. Then there really isn’t much left to discuss except the design of the floor plans.
But maybe you can still give me some answers:
1) Setback floors (step-back stories) were allowed retroactively. The last architect said that a flat roof or single-sloped roof would be placed on top, which we don’t really find appealing. Is this "Mediterranean" roof style also permitted there?
Example:
Example of a Mediterranean urban villa with a hipped roof
We could definitely imagine that. But the usual zoning plan says SD (single-pitched roof), and we don’t know the exact wording of the amendment or extension.
2) The setback floor must be set back at least 1 meter (3.3 feet) on all sides. That’s fine so far. Now I just read the following in the building regulations NRW from 2005 under §2 (5):
“Full stories are stories whose ceiling upper edge on average extends more than 1.60 meters (5.25 feet) above the ground surface and have a height of at least 2.30 meters (7.5 feet). A top story set back from the outside walls of the building (setback floor) is only a full story if it has this height over more than two-thirds of the floor area of the story below.”
Does that mean that if only two-thirds are built with 2.30 meters (7.5 feet) height and the remaining area is built at less than 2.30 meters (7.5 feet), that would still be acceptable? For example, a knee wall height of 2.00 meters (6.6 feet), as long as the two-thirds rule is observed? Of course, always including the surrounding one meter (3.3 feet) setback.
3) On the city of Bochum’s website, there are various PDF documents related to building permit applications.
I don’t quite understand one passage, which says that if there are absolutely no deviations from the zoning plan, then NO approval procedure at all is required (meaning not even the simplified application), so the current processing time of three months could be bypassed?
In summary, I would describe our current status as follows: if the "Mediterranean" setback floor is not possible and no one can suggest another option with little or no roof slope (which we are still hoping for if Mediterranean is not possible), we will probably end up with the "normal" gable roof. Then there really isn’t much left to discuss except the design of the floor plans.
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Bauexperte24 May 2016 22:21Good evening,
I have removed the first link, as links are not allowed here; I have exceptionally left the second one as it contains common information about building permits / planning permission and leads to a local authority.
Please follow the forum rules; thank you very much!
Regards, Bauexperte
I have removed the first link, as links are not allowed here; I have exceptionally left the second one as it contains common information about building permits / planning permission and leads to a local authority.
Please follow the forum rules; thank you very much!
Regards, Bauexperte
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