ᐅ Corner Lot Townhouse 150 sqm + Conservatory, East-West Orientation
Created on: 15 Nov 2021 04:12
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Ella123Hello,
we are planning to build a city villa of about 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) plus a 12 sqm (130 sq ft) conservatory on an east-west oriented plot. Unfortunately, the purchase of the plot was delayed by a full year, which has caused our construction costs for the same scope of work to increase significantly. I hope you might be able to help us save a few square meters on the floor plan. Another option would be to build a carport instead of a solid garage, but then we would lose a storage room. A further option would be to do without the conservatory entirely, but I would regret that later because, without meaning to offend anyone, I am not a fan of a modern "city villa cube" look and prefer a more classic style. According to the construction company, reducing the size of the conservatory would only lead to higher costs per square meter, so that is not feasible.
I hope you can help.
Many thanks!
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 705 sqm (7,590 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor space ratio: 0.4
Plot ratio: II
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 12 m x 33 m (39 ft x 108 ft)
Edge development: possible on the western street side and eastern neighboring plot
Number of parking spaces: 1
Number of floors: 2 full floors
Roof type: hipped roof (max 25° pitch)
Style: classic
Orientation: east-west
Maximum heights / limits:
Other requirements:
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: city villa with hipped roof
Basement, floors: no basement, 2 full floors
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults, 2 children (3 years)
Space requirements ground floor, upper floor: ground floor – 80 sqm (860 sq ft), upper floor – 60 sqm (645 sq ft)
Office, family use or home office: 1 office / guest room
Number of overnight guests per year: 1-2 (possible in office)
Open or closed architecture: open layout
Conservative or modern style: conservative
Open kitchen with island: closed kitchen-dining room
Number of dining seats: 4
Fireplace: yes
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: 1 single garage with storage room
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why certain things are wanted or not: Garden with terrace in the northeast, as better privacy from the two adjoining streets (to the south and west) and to avoid higher connection costs since the house connections are on the west side
House Design
Who planned it: architect provided by construction company
What do you particularly like? Why? Closed kitchen and terrace to the northeast garden (due to privacy), entrance on the west side, overall room layout on the upper floor
What do you not like? Why? Difficult building window with street exposure, so a compromise on the location of the bathroom and office windows on the ground floor to maintain a symmetrical exterior appearance. Also, about 5 sqm (54 sq ft) smaller would help reduce costs, but the architect says smaller is not possible because of the staircase (note the floor height requiring 16 steps). Floor-to-ceiling window in the living room is unnecessary and better replaced by a double terrace door from the kitchen and a double instead of single door between kitchen and living room.
Cost estimate according to the architect/planner: 400,000 including conservatory, solid garage, and special features
Personal budget limit for house including features: 400,000
Preferred heating technology: air-source heat pump
If you have to give up something, which details / expansions
- can you give up: carport instead of solid garage, walk-in closets in bedroom and children’s rooms
- cannot give up: 2 children’s rooms, office on ground floor, closed kitchen
Why does the design look like it does now?
We have been planning with the architect for almost a year (with breaks of several months because the plot was only reserved and could only be purchased recently). The delay in purchasing the plot was not clear at the beginning and was repeatedly postponed by the city. Now it is one year later, and the construction company charges significantly more for the same offer due to the 1-year delay. We now hope to save some floor space because we have no financial buffer left.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Can we save about 5 sqm (54 sq ft) on the floor plan (excluding garage and conservatory) without giving up the conservatory? I know the conservatory is a luxury, but I’ve always dreamed of it and would prefer not to let that dream go. To avoid making the upper floor rooms too small, I would like to remove the walk-in closets.
Thank you very much in advance for your help and suggestions!
we are planning to build a city villa of about 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) plus a 12 sqm (130 sq ft) conservatory on an east-west oriented plot. Unfortunately, the purchase of the plot was delayed by a full year, which has caused our construction costs for the same scope of work to increase significantly. I hope you might be able to help us save a few square meters on the floor plan. Another option would be to build a carport instead of a solid garage, but then we would lose a storage room. A further option would be to do without the conservatory entirely, but I would regret that later because, without meaning to offend anyone, I am not a fan of a modern "city villa cube" look and prefer a more classic style. According to the construction company, reducing the size of the conservatory would only lead to higher costs per square meter, so that is not feasible.
I hope you can help.
Many thanks!
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 705 sqm (7,590 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor space ratio: 0.4
Plot ratio: II
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 12 m x 33 m (39 ft x 108 ft)
Edge development: possible on the western street side and eastern neighboring plot
Number of parking spaces: 1
Number of floors: 2 full floors
Roof type: hipped roof (max 25° pitch)
Style: classic
Orientation: east-west
Maximum heights / limits:
Other requirements:
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: city villa with hipped roof
Basement, floors: no basement, 2 full floors
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults, 2 children (3 years)
Space requirements ground floor, upper floor: ground floor – 80 sqm (860 sq ft), upper floor – 60 sqm (645 sq ft)
Office, family use or home office: 1 office / guest room
Number of overnight guests per year: 1-2 (possible in office)
Open or closed architecture: open layout
Conservative or modern style: conservative
Open kitchen with island: closed kitchen-dining room
Number of dining seats: 4
Fireplace: yes
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: 1 single garage with storage room
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why certain things are wanted or not: Garden with terrace in the northeast, as better privacy from the two adjoining streets (to the south and west) and to avoid higher connection costs since the house connections are on the west side
House Design
Who planned it: architect provided by construction company
What do you particularly like? Why? Closed kitchen and terrace to the northeast garden (due to privacy), entrance on the west side, overall room layout on the upper floor
What do you not like? Why? Difficult building window with street exposure, so a compromise on the location of the bathroom and office windows on the ground floor to maintain a symmetrical exterior appearance. Also, about 5 sqm (54 sq ft) smaller would help reduce costs, but the architect says smaller is not possible because of the staircase (note the floor height requiring 16 steps). Floor-to-ceiling window in the living room is unnecessary and better replaced by a double terrace door from the kitchen and a double instead of single door between kitchen and living room.
Cost estimate according to the architect/planner: 400,000 including conservatory, solid garage, and special features
Personal budget limit for house including features: 400,000
Preferred heating technology: air-source heat pump
If you have to give up something, which details / expansions
- can you give up: carport instead of solid garage, walk-in closets in bedroom and children’s rooms
- cannot give up: 2 children’s rooms, office on ground floor, closed kitchen
Why does the design look like it does now?
We have been planning with the architect for almost a year (with breaks of several months because the plot was only reserved and could only be purchased recently). The delay in purchasing the plot was not clear at the beginning and was repeatedly postponed by the city. Now it is one year later, and the construction company charges significantly more for the same offer due to the 1-year delay. We now hope to save some floor space because we have no financial buffer left.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Can we save about 5 sqm (54 sq ft) on the floor plan (excluding garage and conservatory) without giving up the conservatory? I know the conservatory is a luxury, but I’ve always dreamed of it and would prefer not to let that dream go. To avoid making the upper floor rooms too small, I would like to remove the walk-in closets.
Thank you very much in advance for your help and suggestions!
And yet, a cube.
I would choose a carport with a storage room.
If you want to save space, remove the second dining area downstairs and the walk-in closets upstairs.
Furnish the rooms with the desired or existing furniture to scale. Especially the dining areas.
On the ground floor, remove the doors between the office and living room, and between the garage and utility room. They waste usable space.
Check the dimensions in the bedroom. How wide is the parents' walk-in closet?
Remove your bedroom from the south side.
I would choose a carport with a storage room.
If you want to save space, remove the second dining area downstairs and the walk-in closets upstairs.
Furnish the rooms with the desired or existing furniture to scale. Especially the dining areas.
On the ground floor, remove the doors between the office and living room, and between the garage and utility room. They waste usable space.
Check the dimensions in the bedroom. How wide is the parents' walk-in closet?
Remove your bedroom from the south side.
May I ask why you planned a city villa cube if you don’t like it? What was the reason against a rectangle with a pitched roof? Rectangles are usually more efficient in terms of space usage. Is the 5 square meters (54 square feet) less enough for you? What is the planned level of equipment? Perhaps there is still room to save there?
Then I’ll start with the price and share my surprise about the architect’s cost estimate:
- 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) * 2,500 € (rather low) = 375,000 €
- Garage: 20,000 €
- Conservatory: 40,000 €???
- Special features: xxx.
- Additional construction costs: 30,000 €
So we’re easily at 500,000 €.
If your actual budget limit is the architect’s estimate, you don’t have any buffer, which is very risky when building a house. I would suggest:
- Leave out the conservatory
- Skip the garage, you can add a carport later
- One walk-in closet upstairs is more than enough. Large wardrobes can be placed in the children’s rooms
- The bathroom is a bit small for four people and quite cramped. If the mother-in-law uses the upstairs toilet and doesn’t close the door, the view when entering might be priceless... I wouldn’t necessarily place the toilet there, unless it’s made of gold...
- 150 sqm (1,615 sq ft) * 2,500 € (rather low) = 375,000 €
- Garage: 20,000 €
- Conservatory: 40,000 €???
- Special features: xxx.
- Additional construction costs: 30,000 €
So we’re easily at 500,000 €.
If your actual budget limit is the architect’s estimate, you don’t have any buffer, which is very risky when building a house. I would suggest:
- Leave out the conservatory
- Skip the garage, you can add a carport later
- One walk-in closet upstairs is more than enough. Large wardrobes can be placed in the children’s rooms
- The bathroom is a bit small for four people and quite cramped. If the mother-in-law uses the upstairs toilet and doesn’t close the door, the view when entering might be priceless... I wouldn’t necessarily place the toilet there, unless it’s made of gold...
fab101 schrieb:
How do you arrive at a saving of 5 square meters?We have the price per square meter from the construction company and with this saving, we would be well within budget again.
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