ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a Gable Roof House Measuring 9x13 m with an Attached 6x9 m Loft Extension

Hello,

I came across this interesting forum yesterday and would like to take the opportunity to present my first floor plan draft here in the hope of receiving valuable advice. Often, being too focused on one direction limits ideas, so fresh eyes and new inspiration from others are always very helpful.

The general idea is to have the house built completely turnkey by a prefab house company, without any DIY efforts on our part. So far, no architect has been hired because I first wanted to try putting my own wishes and ideas on paper. I believe that with this DIY preliminary planning, there might be a better basis to go directly to an architect or even several prefab home providers to obtain feasible implementations and corresponding cost estimates.

I look forward to your feedback (and I’m already bracing myself...).

Development Plan / Restrictions

Currently, paragraph 34 applies. However, a design guideline is expected next year. The house has already been initially designed within the preliminary framework of this guideline.

The plot size is about 650 m² (7000 sq ft). It is a flat lot on a road with through traffic. Floor area ratio is 1.5. A detached garage will be attached to an existing building with two full floors plus an attic conversion on the right side, and next to the garage will be the new house.

The existing building is oriented with the eaves side to the street. The new house is planned to be positioned with the gable end facing the street.

The neighboring house on the other side (directly on the street) also has its gable end facing the street. Parking spaces: 2 (in front of the garage) plus a double garage (6 x 9 m (20 x 30 ft)). Number of floors: 1.5. Roof type: pitched roof, 25 to max 35 degrees. Style: conventional. Orientation: northeast to southwest.

Maximum heights/limits

The planned maximum height is about 8.5 m (28 ft).

The house must be set back 3 m (10 ft) from the front property line. The double garage should/setback 5 m (16 ft) from the front property line (unfortunately, no more was allowed in the planning approval inquiry, so from my view, only a front entrance to the house is currently feasible).

A direct connection from the double garage to the house is desired.

A corresponding positively approved preliminary building permit is available.

Homeowners’ Requirements

We want a modern house with a pitched roof.

A basement (possibly a partial basement) is desired and unfortunately required due to space constraints (not for living purposes; the basement should only serve as storage or a hobby/craft room).

For the knee wall height of the 1.5-story building, we envision 1.60 to 1.80 m (5’3” to 6’0”).

Number of occupants: 2 persons, 60 years old.

The house should be designed to be barrier-free as much as possible and should allow living only on the ground floor at an advanced age.

The total required area on the ground floor and upper floor should be around 180 m² (1937 sq ft).

The office will be used privately only.

We expect about 5 guest stays per year.

The living/dining area should be spacious and as open as possible.

A storage room between the double garage and the house (which also allows access from the garage to the house) is required.

The kitchen should be open with a cooking island or peninsula.

A central fireplace in the living/dining area is planned/desired.

A balcony with access from the gallery and the office is also desired. Alternatively, a loggia (either one-sided or spanning the width of the house) could be considered.

It is important for us to have an open gallery over the dining area where you can stay and where fitness equipment will also be placed.

The double garage measuring 6 x 9 m (20 x 30 ft) is fixed, as several vehicles need to be accommodated.

House Design

A first preliminary plan created using a 3D program is available.

What I like about the initial plan are the open sight lines, the gallery, and the large living/dining area facing the garden (southwest).

I especially struggled with the staircase design. Initially, I wanted a straight staircase with access from the living/dining area, but I discarded this for various reasons (also because a cellar staircase is still needed “underneath,” which makes a straight staircase less visually appealing).

After initially planning bathroom access from the sleeping area (which also leads to the dressing room), I eventually decided for an access from the hallway to allow a wider shower, a large double washbasin in front of the window, and a toilet with at least 90 cm (35 inches) clearance to the side.

What I don’t like yet is the gable side area between the open space and the office with the 90-degree angle.

In the (probably too) narrow utility room, the washing machine and dryer are to be accommodated.

Why did the design turn out this way?

For example, only about 18 m (59 ft) of plot width is available, which limits the house width to a maximum of 9 m (30 ft) with a set double garage width of 6 m (20 ft).