Hello House Building Forum
I am new here, and we are currently planning our house with an architect. There are currently 4 of us, but we plan to have a 5th. Therefore, the house will include 3 children's bedrooms.
Here is the questionnaire:
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1250 sqm (13455 sq ft) on 25m x 50m (82 ft x 164 ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: not sure at the moment
Edge development: allowed but I want to avoid it
Number of parking spaces: double carport + 2 cars in front
Roof style: gable roof
Architectural style: classic single-family home
Orientation: see drawing
Owners’ Requirements
Open floor plan on the ground floor, 4 bedrooms on the upper floor, attic with enough space for storage and a hobby area
House Design
Who created the design:
- Architect
What do you like most? Why?
Ground floor: open kitchen and living room. Office accessible from the living room. Direct access to the terrace.
Upper floor: accommodate 3 children’s bedrooms, bedroom with walk-in closet area. The large dormer. The stairs to the attic, where the hobby room will be located.
What do you dislike? Why?
Basically only the staircase to the upper floor. I am a bit bothered by having to walk “around the corner” when coming up. I am looking for ideas to improve this. Or is this concern unfounded?
Cost estimate according to architect/planner:
Not determined yet.
Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings:
350,000 Euro
Preferred heating system:
Gas boiler, solar thermal, and underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, which details or extensions can you do without:
We have already eliminated everything we could possibly do without.
Why is the design the way it is? For example:
We went to the architect with our preferred design. He used our floor plan as a basis and created a floor plan that we like even better. Only the staircase layout is not yet 100% satisfactory for me.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
As mentioned, the staircase to the upper floor is my biggest concern. I hope to get some ideas on how to improve it and maybe some feedback on the rest.
South is “up” on the drawings
If more information is needed, I am happy to provide it.
Best regards
I am new here, and we are currently planning our house with an architect. There are currently 4 of us, but we plan to have a 5th. Therefore, the house will include 3 children's bedrooms.
Here is the questionnaire:
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1250 sqm (13455 sq ft) on 25m x 50m (82 ft x 164 ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: not sure at the moment
Edge development: allowed but I want to avoid it
Number of parking spaces: double carport + 2 cars in front
Roof style: gable roof
Architectural style: classic single-family home
Orientation: see drawing
Owners’ Requirements
Open floor plan on the ground floor, 4 bedrooms on the upper floor, attic with enough space for storage and a hobby area
House Design
Who created the design:
- Architect
What do you like most? Why?
Ground floor: open kitchen and living room. Office accessible from the living room. Direct access to the terrace.
Upper floor: accommodate 3 children’s bedrooms, bedroom with walk-in closet area. The large dormer. The stairs to the attic, where the hobby room will be located.
What do you dislike? Why?
Basically only the staircase to the upper floor. I am a bit bothered by having to walk “around the corner” when coming up. I am looking for ideas to improve this. Or is this concern unfounded?
Cost estimate according to architect/planner:
Not determined yet.
Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings:
350,000 Euro
Preferred heating system:
Gas boiler, solar thermal, and underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, which details or extensions can you do without:
We have already eliminated everything we could possibly do without.
Why is the design the way it is? For example:
We went to the architect with our preferred design. He used our floor plan as a basis and created a floor plan that we like even better. Only the staircase layout is not yet 100% satisfactory for me.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
As mentioned, the staircase to the upper floor is my biggest concern. I hope to get some ideas on how to improve it and maybe some feedback on the rest.
South is “up” on the drawings
If more information is needed, I am happy to provide it.
Best regards
S
Sparfuchs7723 Jul 2019 10:14kaho674 schrieb:
No, but this is the gable option, which is supposedly much more expensive.Mhm, okay... I’m scheduling another appointment with the architect today. I think we still have a few things to discuss XD
S
Sparfuchs7723 Jul 2019 10:32kaho674 schrieb:
Just a quick question: The exterior wall is drawn as 25cm (10 inches) thick. But insulation will be added on the outside, right? Yes, 24cm (9.5 inches) calcium silicate brick and insulation will be installed on the exterior.
S
Sparfuchs7723 Jul 2019 11:01I would like to present three options for discussion. I’m not focusing on the floor plan for now, as most of that has already been addressed and we will review it this evening. This is more about the dormer / bay window / knee wall. Possibly also which solution would be the most cost-effective.
1. The house could be built as originally planned. Covered bay window dining area and the large dormer. Knee wall 75cm (30 inches) in the plan, 1m (40 inches) if compromises are made on the dormer – we will clarify this with the architect.
Advantages in my opinion:
- better usable (larger?) rooms
- good views out through the windows
Disadvantage:
- appearance?
- knee wall ≤1m (40 inches), resulting in less space in the attic
2. Like in the picture but the bay window shifted to the right to fit our floor plan (dining area). Raise the knee wall to 1.15m (45 inches) and add roof windows for the children’s bedrooms.
Advantage:
- appearance?
- full ceiling height in the bedrooms, thus solving the first criticism
Disadvantages:
- smaller children’s rooms without a dormer?
- due to the higher knee wall, it’s harder for the children to look out of the roof windows
- more effort to swap kitchen and living room
3. The bay window as shown in the picture in the center, knee wall 1.15m (45 inches)
Advantages:
- kitchen and living room could be swapped quite easily, dining area in the middle
- appearance?
- space in the attic
Disadvantages:
- sloping ceiling above the bed in the master bedroom, but with the knee wall this might be less of an issue?
- smaller rooms without a dormer?
- due to the higher knee wall, harder for the children to look out of the roof window
The floor plan (with possible modifications) could be implemented with any of these options. My main concern is the implementation with dormer and lower knee wall or a solid bay window and higher knee wall.
What are your thoughts? Or are these questions too fundamental for this kind of thread?
1. The house could be built as originally planned. Covered bay window dining area and the large dormer. Knee wall 75cm (30 inches) in the plan, 1m (40 inches) if compromises are made on the dormer – we will clarify this with the architect.
Advantages in my opinion:
- better usable (larger?) rooms
- good views out through the windows
Disadvantage:
- appearance?
- knee wall ≤1m (40 inches), resulting in less space in the attic
2. Like in the picture but the bay window shifted to the right to fit our floor plan (dining area). Raise the knee wall to 1.15m (45 inches) and add roof windows for the children’s bedrooms.
Advantage:
- appearance?
- full ceiling height in the bedrooms, thus solving the first criticism
Disadvantages:
- smaller children’s rooms without a dormer?
- due to the higher knee wall, it’s harder for the children to look out of the roof windows
- more effort to swap kitchen and living room
3. The bay window as shown in the picture in the center, knee wall 1.15m (45 inches)
Advantages:
- kitchen and living room could be swapped quite easily, dining area in the middle
- appearance?
- space in the attic
Disadvantages:
- sloping ceiling above the bed in the master bedroom, but with the knee wall this might be less of an issue?
- smaller rooms without a dormer?
- due to the higher knee wall, harder for the children to look out of the roof window
The floor plan (with possible modifications) could be implemented with any of these options. My main concern is the implementation with dormer and lower knee wall or a solid bay window and higher knee wall.
What are your thoughts? Or are these questions too fundamental for this kind of thread?
Sparfuchs_ schrieb:
Or are these too basic questions for a thread like this?Well, this really gets to the heart of the matter. Anyone just skimming the topic probably wouldn’t understand what you mean.I’m afraid these are also questions largely influenced by personal taste and budget. That’s why everyone will have a different opinion.
My personal view: I think it’s absolutely wrong to justify poor construction on the upper floor by adding or offsetting a gable.
I assume that dormers will be cheaper for you. It probably comes down to a matter of money. If you install many dormers, the low knee wall becomes hardly noticeable. However, the areas under the dormers often cannot be used as floor space anymore. The room then feels bigger and brighter, but you’re not sure where to place the bed. Of course, that depends on the situation. That’s why you should plan the furniture layout and see if it works.
At the peak, the dormer also widens the room slightly—which I hadn’t considered. You’re right about that. As I said, having 2-meter (6.5-foot) height lines would be very important to get a better impression.
The exterior appearance shouldn’t be forgotten either. Personally, I prefer gables—I only find batten (shed) dormers attractive among dormers. In that case, I’d accept loss of knee wall space right away…
S
Sparfuchs7723 Jul 2019 11:42kaho674 schrieb:
Anyone just skimming through probably won’t understand what you mean. Well, they probably won’t post anything either ^^ I think those who have been involved from the start will understand, right?
kaho674 schrieb:
My personal opinion: I think it’s absolutely wrong to try to justify the mess on the upper floor by adding or shifting a dormer. As I said, the floor plan is on the agenda for tonight if we make it. For example, if we choose option 3, the stairs could be moved easily to “untangle” the upper floor.
kaho674 schrieb:
I guess the dormers will be cheaper for you. It will definitely come down to money. If you add that many, the low knee wall height hardly matters anymore. However, the areas under the dormers often can’t be used for furniture. The room feels larger and brighter, but you don’t really know where to put the bed. Of course, it depends. That’s why you should plan in the furniture and see if it works. Yes, in the end it will be a matter of money. A bat dormer would definitely get very expensive.
kaho674 schrieb:
At the peak, the dormer also widens the room a bit – I hadn’t considered that. You’re right. As I said, having the 2m (6 ft 7 in) height lines would be very important to get an impression of that. We’ll take it again to the architect who can probably show us that clearly.
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