ᐅ Design of a Single-Family House Floor Plan (Convertible to a Two-Family Home for Later Use) on a Sloped Site
Created on: 1 Apr 2021 21:58
S
Seppl's HäusleS
Seppl's Häusle1 Apr 2021 21:58Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 440 m² (4,736 ft²)
Slope: steep slope of 30° - 40° in the rear area, 7-10 m (23-33 ft) towel-shaped plateau along the street
Floor area ratio: not applicable, suitable
Gross floor area ratio: not applicable, suitable
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: no zoning plan, building permit for another project already approved
Edge development: single-family house, 2 full stories, mostly gable roof, but also flat and hipped roofs
Number of parking spaces: 2 required (no trapped parking space)
Number of stories: 2 full stories plus partial basement on the south-facing slope
Roof type: gable roof
Design style: open to planning
Orientation: hillside facing southwest
Maximum heights / limits: unknown
Other requirements: no zoning plan
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: gable roof, timeless both inside and out
Basement, stories: partial basement (on the slope) + 2 full stories (see cross-section)
Number of people, ages: 2 adults + 2 children
Space needed on ground and upper floor: approx. 85 m² (915 ft²) per floor
Office: initially none, if needed in guest room or basement
Overnight guests per year: hopefully many 🙂
Open or closed architecture: compromise, as the two apartments should remain separable in old age on ground and upper floor
Conservative or modern construction: as above
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes
Number of dining seats: minimum 4
Fireplace: yes, in the conservatory
Balcony, roof terrace: yes, on the basement level, 2.5 m (8 ft) facing south
Garage, carport: yes, on the east side by the main entrance
Utility garden, greenhouse: terraced garden planned with usable areas
Other wishes / special features: no water connection in the basement to avoid a lifting system. Therefore, laundry room in the upper floor instead of basement. It is located by the stairwell so it can still be used in old age when the upper-floor apartment is separated by a door.
House Design
Who designed it:
Planner from a construction company together with us
What is especially liked? Why?
Open floor plan on the ground floor combined with private retreat areas on each floor. Bay window facing south (downhill side), conservatory, and terrace there as well
What is disliked? Why?
Basement and shape of the basement are not entirely satisfactory but likely cannot be changed due to staircase position in the stairwell.
WC and room on the ground floor feel cramped; have not found a better solution as access should not be through the main hallway
Cost estimate: none yet
Personal price limit including fittings: as long as we stay under 5 million, everything is fine 😀
Preferred heating system: solar combined with pellet heating
What you could live without
-could live without:
Upper floor bathroom is still very large; could be smaller
-cannot live without:
Ability to separate living units for old age, bay window in the living room
Why is the design like this?
The plot has a towel-shaped plateau measuring 22 m (72 ft) wide and 7-10 m (23-33 ft) long. The house’s mass will be placed there. A seating area/garden is planned to the west with access from the kitchen via a few meters of wooden terrace. The slope on the south side drops steeply. The garage and a parking space at the driveway will be located on the east side.
Windows are positioned symmetrically from the outside perspective, which is why their arrangement on the ground and upper floor appears a little unusual.
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
We want to use the plot as it is, not fight against it. The unobstructed south view should be emphasized. The sightline from the entrance through the hallway, glass door over the dining table to the garden in the west should make the house feel spacious. Three old trees on the plot will be integrated into the garden. Inside, we aim for minimalism and a timeless living feel.
We welcome all suggestions and ideas but also have clear concepts that can hopefully already be seen in the floor plan.
Is there anything you think we should consider or improve?
Thank you very much for your support 🙂
Plot size: 440 m² (4,736 ft²)
Slope: steep slope of 30° - 40° in the rear area, 7-10 m (23-33 ft) towel-shaped plateau along the street
Floor area ratio: not applicable, suitable
Gross floor area ratio: not applicable, suitable
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: no zoning plan, building permit for another project already approved
Edge development: single-family house, 2 full stories, mostly gable roof, but also flat and hipped roofs
Number of parking spaces: 2 required (no trapped parking space)
Number of stories: 2 full stories plus partial basement on the south-facing slope
Roof type: gable roof
Design style: open to planning
Orientation: hillside facing southwest
Maximum heights / limits: unknown
Other requirements: no zoning plan
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: gable roof, timeless both inside and out
Basement, stories: partial basement (on the slope) + 2 full stories (see cross-section)
Number of people, ages: 2 adults + 2 children
Space needed on ground and upper floor: approx. 85 m² (915 ft²) per floor
Office: initially none, if needed in guest room or basement
Overnight guests per year: hopefully many 🙂
Open or closed architecture: compromise, as the two apartments should remain separable in old age on ground and upper floor
Conservative or modern construction: as above
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes
Number of dining seats: minimum 4
Fireplace: yes, in the conservatory
Balcony, roof terrace: yes, on the basement level, 2.5 m (8 ft) facing south
Garage, carport: yes, on the east side by the main entrance
Utility garden, greenhouse: terraced garden planned with usable areas
Other wishes / special features: no water connection in the basement to avoid a lifting system. Therefore, laundry room in the upper floor instead of basement. It is located by the stairwell so it can still be used in old age when the upper-floor apartment is separated by a door.
House Design
Who designed it:
Planner from a construction company together with us
What is especially liked? Why?
Open floor plan on the ground floor combined with private retreat areas on each floor. Bay window facing south (downhill side), conservatory, and terrace there as well
What is disliked? Why?
Basement and shape of the basement are not entirely satisfactory but likely cannot be changed due to staircase position in the stairwell.
WC and room on the ground floor feel cramped; have not found a better solution as access should not be through the main hallway
Cost estimate: none yet
Personal price limit including fittings: as long as we stay under 5 million, everything is fine 😀
Preferred heating system: solar combined with pellet heating
What you could live without
-could live without:
Upper floor bathroom is still very large; could be smaller
-cannot live without:
Ability to separate living units for old age, bay window in the living room
Why is the design like this?
The plot has a towel-shaped plateau measuring 22 m (72 ft) wide and 7-10 m (23-33 ft) long. The house’s mass will be placed there. A seating area/garden is planned to the west with access from the kitchen via a few meters of wooden terrace. The slope on the south side drops steeply. The garage and a parking space at the driveway will be located on the east side.
Windows are positioned symmetrically from the outside perspective, which is why their arrangement on the ground and upper floor appears a little unusual.
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
We want to use the plot as it is, not fight against it. The unobstructed south view should be emphasized. The sightline from the entrance through the hallway, glass door over the dining table to the garden in the west should make the house feel spacious. Three old trees on the plot will be integrated into the garden. Inside, we aim for minimalism and a timeless living feel.
We welcome all suggestions and ideas but also have clear concepts that can hopefully already be seen in the floor plan.
Is there anything you think we should consider or improve?
Thank you very much for your support 🙂
Seppl's Häusle schrieb:
We would like to use the plot as it is, Great, finally someone who doesn’t try to mess up the plot.
Still, the design is puzzling to me...!
Seppl's Häusle schrieb:
We are open to all suggestions and ideas, but we also have clear ideas, as the floor plan hopefully shows. That’s exactly what it doesn’t: what is the room down there on the left side of the plan? The room with the stove... what is it supposed to be? A conservatory?
Don’t you watch TV? Shouldn’t you be able to go outside through the patio doors?
Seppl's Häusle schrieb:
Basement and basement shape aren’t quite satisfactory yet, but it probably can’t be helped because of the staircase position in the stairwell. What is the basement for if the utility room is on the upper floor? Is this what you mean by “using the plot as it is”?
Seppl's Häusle schrieb:
Toilet and room on the ground floor are somewhat “blocked in”, What does that tell you? To me, it says: “Redesign this.”
Seppl's Häusle schrieb:
Open floor plan on the ground floor combined with quiet spaces on each level. I don’t see that. You might want to put more effort into the upper floor. What are the trapped rooms supposed to represent? I thought you were planning for two children? No separate rooms for the kids?
On the ground floor, I don’t see the living area as a retreat: not only is it a passage area, but you also have to walk behind the sofa. That is anything but a quiet retreat.
Seppl's Häusle schrieb:
Separability of living units for old age, Why? For age-appropriate living later on? The bedroom and bathroom are not suitable for that.
I would say you should provide the design for the upper floor, definitely including the planned furniture layout on the ground floor as well.
Right now, I don’t see living space, just a platform for looking outside.
This might be due to poor or missing furniture planning. The questionnaire is also rather vague. Where are the trees marked? Where is the terrace? Do you even want to build?
S
Seppl's Häusle2 Apr 2021 08:21First of all, thank you for your honest opinion.
To make everything a bit clearer, I’ve labeled the floor plans with the names of the rooms:
Yes, the rooms are probably not yet age-appropriate. The idea is to make the wall between the guest room and bathroom non-load-bearing so that later, the hallway can be added to the bathroom to create an en suite bathroom for elderly living.
Otherwise, we are still grateful for alternative suggestions on how to create a well-planned and yet separable design on the property, oriented toward sunlight and the lot layout.
To make everything a bit clearer, I’ve labeled the floor plans with the names of the rooms:
ypg schrieb:
Why? Because of age-appropriate living in old age? The bedroom and bathroom are not suitable for elderly use.
Yes, the rooms are probably not yet age-appropriate. The idea is to make the wall between the guest room and bathroom non-load-bearing so that later, the hallway can be added to the bathroom to create an en suite bathroom for elderly living.
Otherwise, we are still grateful for alternative suggestions on how to create a well-planned and yet separable design on the property, oriented toward sunlight and the lot layout.
Here again, there is the challenge of trying to meet all demands at once, which complicates many aspects.
Stairwell design from the 80s—far from modern.
Bedroom and bathroom are not accessible or barrier-free, even if the hallway is removed.
Terrace instead of garden access. With children, this is very impractical; without children, unsatisfactory.
Kitchen facing the outdoor dining area.
Living area’s quiet zone is located in a passageway.
What is the purpose of the conservatory/sunroom?
Do you have a TV?
Are the children’s rooms walk-through rooms?
What about the conservatory/sunroom on the upper floor?
Shower is too narrow.
Have you ever laid out the rooms with properly scaled furniture?
It’s good that you accept the plot and are not desperately trying to fill it with flat boards.
I would remove the constraint of a two-family house, better integrate the basement (lower ground floor) into the design, and re-plan the upper floors.
Stairwell design from the 80s—far from modern.
Bedroom and bathroom are not accessible or barrier-free, even if the hallway is removed.
Terrace instead of garden access. With children, this is very impractical; without children, unsatisfactory.
Kitchen facing the outdoor dining area.
Living area’s quiet zone is located in a passageway.
What is the purpose of the conservatory/sunroom?
Do you have a TV?
Are the children’s rooms walk-through rooms?
What about the conservatory/sunroom on the upper floor?
Shower is too narrow.
Have you ever laid out the rooms with properly scaled furniture?
It’s good that you accept the plot and are not desperately trying to fill it with flat boards.
I would remove the constraint of a two-family house, better integrate the basement (lower ground floor) into the design, and re-plan the upper floors.
Seppl's Häusle schrieb:
The idea is to make the wall between the guest room and the bathroom non-load-bearing, so that in old age the hallway can be allocated to the bathroom, creating an en suite bathroom. Even then, the room is too narrow. Just take a look at the placeholder furniture—you won’t fit much more in there. I don’t see a double bed with age-appropriate clearance on both sides.
Seppl's Häusle schrieb:
Otherwise, we are still grateful for alternative suggestions on how to create a good yet separable layout on the property, oriented towards sunlight and the plot. Well, you were asked several questions that perhaps need to be answered first?!
If you are planning yourself, you also have to respond—or let the professional take over. From what I know of the property, there is no problem building a single-family home there...
If you are worried about using a walker or difficulty getting into bed due to frailty, then plan the sleeping area on the ground floor—but do it properly: enough space on both sides of the bed and freedom of movement in the bathroom. And space for a wardrobe: it should not be difficult to design a bedroom in residential construction where a double bed and a 3-meter (10 feet) wardrobe fit comfortably in 12 square meters (130 square feet).
If you intend to live in your house for a long time, you can also install a stairlift.
Children’s room open to the void?
It won't get any better if you ignore the questions asked (and their answers):
I never receive the questionnaire with the information I need! Every question has its purpose, and now the answers are missing.
You have received plenty of feedback that you have not responded to. Living area is practically nonexistent, no garden access, and no trees either.
Just like the questionnaire was only partially filled out, the house looks the same—the neglected half remains unaddressed.
Seppl's Häusle schrieb:
Is there anything you think we should still consider or could improve? Not really, just consult an architect. Your combination of a partly unbasemented ground floor and a partly non-above-ground basement is rather awkward than clever, and so expensive that it unfortunately outweighs the otherwise "restrained" approach to architectural details. Which of the two should the designer base the plans on: the design simplicity or the technical extravagance? These are ultimately two very different budget ranges.
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