ᐅ Corner plot with a secondary apartment / granny flat

Created on: 25 Oct 2024 16:35
H
Hausmma
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size 537 sqm (5780 sq ft)
Slope no
Site coverage ratio 0.35
Floor area ratio
Building area, building line and boundary 14.42/15.00 × 13.52/17.56 meters (47.3/49.2 × 44.4/57.6 feet)
Edge development Garages are allowed within the side setback areas
Number of parking spaces 3
Number of floors 2
Roof type gable roof
Architectural style modern, simple
Orientation south
Maximum height/limits ridge height 10.5 m (34.4 ft)

Site plan of a plot with dimensions, outlines, and adjacent buildings


Clients’ Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type 2 full floors, classic gable roof
Floors 2
Number of occupants 2 adults over 40 + 2 children (3 and 16), separate apartment: 1 person under 70
Ground floor room requirements: living/dining + L-shaped kitchen, guest toilet, utility/technical room
Upper floor: 3 bedrooms, 2 offices, 2 bathrooms, laundry room
Separate apartment 3 rooms: living/dining, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, small guest room
Office: 2 home offices
Overnight guests per year: separate apartment 10 times
Open or closed architecture
Conservative or modern design
Open kitchen with island: semi-open, not directly visible from living area
Number of dining seats 6
Fireplace no
Music/soundproof wall no
Balcony, roof terrace
Garage, carport at least 1, preferably 2
Utility garden, greenhouse desired
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine separate terraces; both want sunlight

Ground floor plan of a house with garage, terrace, living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, WC

Floor plan of a single-family house with living room, kitchen, bathroom, entrance hall, and garage


House Design
Designer: Architect
What is particularly liked? The bright kitchen in the separate apartment
What is disliked? Long narrow hallway, living/dining area in the main residence
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: 650
Personal price limit for the house, including fixtures: 700
Preferred heating technology: heat pump

If you have to give up something, which details/extensions
- can be foregone: the second garage

Hello everyone,

After reading a lot here and planning for three months now, I’m trying to get some help.
The plot is complicated, maybe a bit narrow to also fit a separate apartment on the ground floor.

We are unsure how to “split” the plot.
Who should get the west or east side?
Which street should the house face?
The 5.5 m (18 ft) setback area on the north side suggests itself as the driveway/parking area. Also, no one wants a north-facing garden.
We all want sunlight somehow, but with further construction progress on other houses (marked in red) and the low sun angle, hardly any sun reaches the southern area.
The separate apartment really only needs a sunny terrace (because mowing the lawn will get harder with age).

I’ve simply added the architect’s two drafts here.
Hand-drawn sketch of plot and building plan with boundaries and building outline
Y
ypg
1 Nov 2024 00:23
11ant schrieb:

Then don’t say it’s not possible.
11ant schrieb:

I said ..
Maybe you should just stop complicating every thread with side issues. Lately, it’s not only the added value that’s suffering.
Often, a simple or extended silence is enough when real life makes it hard to keep up with a thread. Explaining that you have a life is not something I do.
Hausmma schrieb:

May I share my rough sketch?
There was something I missed.
Hausmma schrieb:

I already mentioned that it might have been my fault:
I just said: "let’s try swapping the dwelling units" "it’s too small" "add a second garage"
It’s okay and recommended to have questions and ideas for the architect, but then it’s their responsibility to review them and convince the client why something won’t work or, if it is feasible, explain the consequences.

I haven’t strictly followed the 12 x 12 rule, but I modified the plan again.
I had major issues with the stairs, and I couldn’t make some corners any smaller or larger. However, I personally find the design quite smooth now. I would appreciate one or two of the features. The rooms function well.
The front yard still needs some adjustments.
Floor plan of a house with rooms 13/14, kitchen 2, guest, multipurpose room, hallway, terrace, and garden.

Floor plan of a house with rooms 12 and 13, bathroom, shower, utility room, walk-in closet, office, gallery, child 1, child 2.

3D building model of a two-story house with wooden carport, two cars, and garden

Modern two-story house with garden, terrace, planter boxes, and carport with car.
Y
ypg
1 Nov 2024 00:27
Ps the children's bedrooms are different sizes due to the age difference between them
K
kbt09
1 Nov 2024 08:24
I quite like this. It has an interesting look. The layout is suitable for photovoltaic panels, and the terrace of the larger apartment still receives west-facing sun in the summer. The southern sun in summer is quite vertical, so there isn’t too much shadow from neighboring houses. The offset also creates nice, individual outdoor niches.

The upper floor with the office/walk-in closet, etc., feels a bit like Tetris. I would probably make the office accessible from the hallway gallery. That way, the walk-in closet can be a bit narrower, and the master bedroom a bit wider.

The arrangement of the bathrooms/laundry room still needs some fine-tuning, but that wasn’t the primary goal of the design by @ypg. After looking at it more closely, the laundry room between the bathrooms actually has a certain charm, even though the children’s bathroom then requires two doors. These doors are not super critical here, but rather practical, since, for example, the bathtub can be made easily accessible for everyone involved.
ypg schrieb:

I haven’t followed the 12 x 12 rule exactly, but I’ve modified it a bit.
Could you maybe add some exterior dimensions to the ground floor plan?
H
Hausmma
1 Nov 2024 08:31
I just skimmed through it.
kbt09 schrieb:

Could you perhaps add some exterior dimensions to the ground floor plan after all?
That could easily be 15 m (49 feet) wide.
K
kbt09
1 Nov 2024 08:41
Yes, that could be the case. However, Yvonne’s design has a good flow and I like it much more than a simple 12x12m (39x39 ft) box. Admittedly, that layout offers quite good plans for a granny flat, but the main living area on the ground floor suffers as a result. Yvonne’s layout solves this issue. As a side benefit, you also get some nice corners in the ground floor garden where you can have sheltered spots protected from the wind and break the line of sight between terraces.

You could also consider replacing the sloped roofs (which I like) with balconies. At least maybe the north-facing balcony. One could imagine that after the children move out, the parents’ bathroom could be converted into a sauna, thus creating fresh air access. Just an idea.
Y
ypg
1 Nov 2024 09:31
kbt09 schrieb:

Could you maybe add some external dimensions to the ground floor plan after all?

I can of course do that later, although I have to say I didn’t strictly follow the brick dimensions, but rather the layout, furniture optimization, and the building envelope. So, as always, it’s just an idea and should be seen as a rough sketch.
kbt09 schrieb:

The upper floor with office/walk-in closet etc. is a bit of a puzzle. I would probably make the office access from the corridor gallery. Then the closet could be a bit narrower and the master bedroom a bit wider.

Yes, the entire upper floor was a puzzle until this version emerged.
This is due to the long and narrow shape of the upper floor, which didn’t work well with the conservative staircase position on the ground floor.
I missed the office door. Good point. That way the bedroom becomes a proper room and isn’t so cramped.
kbt09 schrieb:

The arrangement of bathrooms/laundry room still needs some fine-tuning,

Yes, but I don’t see how. You could, of course, move the laundry room to the outside, but then the master bathroom ends up with two doors in a small space.
Or you could do without the second bathroom and create a nice shared one. The bathtub acts somewhat like a room divider, yes.
If the bedroom becomes a bit wider, then the bathroom and laundry room could probably be enlarged a little.