ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a Single-Family Home of Approximately 250 sqm with a Separate Granny Flat
Created on: 26 Jan 2025 21:52
C
CornforthWhite
I already feel a bit anxious writing this, anticipating the inevitable criticism of our design, but I’m posting it anyway. We struggled somewhat with the software, so much of the presentation is still quite provisional. Our main goal is to find out whether what we’ve basically planned could work. We’re primarily looking for feedback on functional planning errors. Style critique is sure to come since our design is unlikely to suit most people’s taste here—but that interests us less (we like what we like, and that probably won’t change). Although tastes vary, I’ve learned a lot from other threads recently and hope that “the usual suspects” might also take a look at our design. Thanks in advance!
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 960 m² (10,333 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: 0.2, maximum buildable footprint however <175 m² (1,883 sq ft)
BUT: the 1977 Building Use Ordinance applies
Floor space index: -
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 5 m (16 ft) from the road on the south and west, 3 m (10 ft) from neighbors on the north and east
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: 1.5 per dwelling unit
Number of storeys: 1 + attic
Roof style: no fixed style, but roof pitch regulation with 2 options
Option 1: 22–26 degrees
Option 2: 33–44 degrees
Architectural style: no specification
Orientation: flexible
Maximum heights / limits: in red the official restrictions of the development plan, in green the generously granted exceptions we are aware of (several times approved). The neighbors recently submitted a building application aiming for slightly higher eaves and knee wall heights—this will serve as a reference for us.
For roof option 1 (22–26 degrees pitch): ridge height max. 8 m (26 ft) (or 8.15 m / 27 ft), eaves height max. 4.0 m (13 ft) (or 5.20–5.30 m / 17–17.5 ft), knee wall max. 115 cm (45 in) (or 2.20–2.30 m / 7–7.5 ft)
For roof option 2 (33–44 degrees pitch): ridge height max. 10.5 m (34 ft), eaves height max. 3.5 m (11.5 ft), knee wall max. 40 cm (16 in) (exceptions probably possible but no figures known)
Definition of eaves height: Top of rough ground floor slab to intersection of exterior wall with the bottom edge of the rafters
Definition of knee wall: Top of rough attic floor slab to intersection of exterior wall with the bottom edge of the rafters
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof shape, building type: a new build that does not look like a typical new build
Basement, floors: no basement (high groundwater level, no living space planned underground), two full stories (which are effectively possible due to generous exceptions from the development plan)
Number of people, age: my mother (70+), my husband and I (late 30s), 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 child planned
Space requirements on ground and upper floors: On the ground floor a self-contained apartment for my mother and kitchen / living / dining / utility for us;
Office: 2 offices (both approx. 50% and 80% remote work)
Guest stays per year: about 2–3 weeks
Open or closed layout: open on the ground floor
Conservative or modern building style: conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes to both
Number of dining seats: 6–8
Fireplace: yes (gas fireplace)
Music/sound system wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony would be nice
Garage, carport: spacious double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: rather no
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why some things are desired or not:
House Design
Who designed it: DIY
What do you like most and why?
- Style inspired by classic American Colonial architecture
- Living area centered around the fireplace
- Porch with insect protection, fireplace & privacy
- Kitchen island with plenty of workspace
- Small “secondary kitchen” to temporarily hide dirty dishes / cooking mess
What do you not like? Why?
I wouldn’t exactly say “dislike,” but we have doubts about the following points:
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: we’re budgeting €3,000 per m² plus additional costs and landscaping, but have significant equity and thus some flexibility upwards; also plan a lot of personal work.
Preferred heating technology: heat pump with geothermal probe
If you have to give up something, which features/finishes
- Could be sacrificed: balcony
- Cannot be sacrificed: no compromises on the self-contained apartment
Why is the design like it is now?
We originally wanted to buy a house with old-style charm but found nothing suitable. Although we like modern, minimalist architecture, it’s not for us personally.
I’ll help a bit with the images.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 960 m² (10,333 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: 0.2, maximum buildable footprint however <175 m² (1,883 sq ft)
BUT: the 1977 Building Use Ordinance applies
- § 19 IV: Ancillary structures according to § 14 are not counted towards the allowable footprint. The same applies to balconies, loggias, terraces, and structural elements as far as they are permitted within setback areas or distance zones under regional law (here: Bavaria) (…).
- § 21a III: Covered parking spaces and garages are not to be counted towards the allowable footprint as long as they are less than 0.1 of the plot area.
Floor space index: -
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 5 m (16 ft) from the road on the south and west, 3 m (10 ft) from neighbors on the north and east
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: 1.5 per dwelling unit
Number of storeys: 1 + attic
Roof style: no fixed style, but roof pitch regulation with 2 options
Option 1: 22–26 degrees
Option 2: 33–44 degrees
Architectural style: no specification
Orientation: flexible
Maximum heights / limits: in red the official restrictions of the development plan, in green the generously granted exceptions we are aware of (several times approved). The neighbors recently submitted a building application aiming for slightly higher eaves and knee wall heights—this will serve as a reference for us.
For roof option 1 (22–26 degrees pitch): ridge height max. 8 m (26 ft) (or 8.15 m / 27 ft), eaves height max. 4.0 m (13 ft) (or 5.20–5.30 m / 17–17.5 ft), knee wall max. 115 cm (45 in) (or 2.20–2.30 m / 7–7.5 ft)
For roof option 2 (33–44 degrees pitch): ridge height max. 10.5 m (34 ft), eaves height max. 3.5 m (11.5 ft), knee wall max. 40 cm (16 in) (exceptions probably possible but no figures known)
Definition of eaves height: Top of rough ground floor slab to intersection of exterior wall with the bottom edge of the rafters
Definition of knee wall: Top of rough attic floor slab to intersection of exterior wall with the bottom edge of the rafters
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof shape, building type: a new build that does not look like a typical new build
Basement, floors: no basement (high groundwater level, no living space planned underground), two full stories (which are effectively possible due to generous exceptions from the development plan)
Number of people, age: my mother (70+), my husband and I (late 30s), 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 child planned
Space requirements on ground and upper floors: On the ground floor a self-contained apartment for my mother and kitchen / living / dining / utility for us;
Office: 2 offices (both approx. 50% and 80% remote work)
Guest stays per year: about 2–3 weeks
Open or closed layout: open on the ground floor
Conservative or modern building style: conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes to both
Number of dining seats: 6–8
Fireplace: yes (gas fireplace)
Music/sound system wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony would be nice
Garage, carport: spacious double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: rather no
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why some things are desired or not:
- Covered terrace / loggia / outdoor seating with reliable but as discreet as possible insect protection (lakeside location, regular mosquito issue) & fireplace (probably gas as well)
- A rather unpopular opinion here, but we explicitly do not want roller shutters or venetian blinds. We currently have them despite many south-facing windows and never use them (feels like a vault). Instead, we plan air conditioning (powered by photovoltaics) and larger trees.
- Gas stove (I just can’t get comfortable with induction)
- Washing machine & dryer on the upper floor
- In one office, a small niche for an exercise bike (turbo trainer)
House Design
Who designed it: DIY
What do you like most and why?
- Style inspired by classic American Colonial architecture
- Living area centered around the fireplace
- Porch with insect protection, fireplace & privacy
- Kitchen island with plenty of workspace
- Small “secondary kitchen” to temporarily hide dirty dishes / cooking mess
What do you not like? Why?
I wouldn’t exactly say “dislike,” but we have doubts about the following points:
- Passage between garage and house might be too narrow?
- Entrance and staircase possibly not spacious enough?
- Staircase: can’t properly design it in the software, but according to a stair calculation tool it should work. Is the space requirement adequate? Are the asymmetrical runs a problem?
- Bedroom in the self-contained apartment is borderline small
- Bathrooms: enough space?
- Utility/technical room: large enough?
- Could a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery possibly be installed in the crawl space attic?
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: we’re budgeting €3,000 per m² plus additional costs and landscaping, but have significant equity and thus some flexibility upwards; also plan a lot of personal work.
Preferred heating technology: heat pump with geothermal probe
If you have to give up something, which features/finishes
- Could be sacrificed: balcony
- Cannot be sacrificed: no compromises on the self-contained apartment
Why is the design like it is now?
We originally wanted to buy a house with old-style charm but found nothing suitable. Although we like modern, minimalist architecture, it’s not for us personally.
I’ll help a bit with the images.
C
CornforthWhite28 Jan 2025 08:48wiltshire schrieb:
Regarding privacy: this can be achieved through garden design when it comes to screening from the street.
About the location of the living room: it’s certainly unusual not to design it with plenty of light and direct views outside, but it is a deliberate choice to make this area a bit more “cave-like.” I lived for a few months in an adobe house in New Mexico. The “dark” living room worked very well there – although the lighting conditions and climate are very different from anything we have in Central Europe. It’s not my personal preference, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
Enjoy working with the fireplace installer. Be open and don’t anticipate the results based on your questions. Thanks, that’s roughly the idea behind it. I have a nice view of the garden from the dining area; in the sofa zone, I deliberately prefer not to have large glass surfaces and find it cozier to have a more enclosed space. Not everyone has to like it, but it’s not such an unusual layout as some have claimed, and besides, it’s copied from a very expensive architect-designed house we really like. So apparently even a professional once considered it acceptable.
We will still enlarge the dining area somewhat (I think I’m mentioning it at least for the third time). I don’t understand why having a walkway past the dining table should always be a problem, as long as there’s enough space, which can still be optimized. Even with the current design, where the fireplace is between the sofas, the windows to the right and left could be floor-to-ceiling, with one of them designed as a door to the terrace, providing a second access.
C
CornforthWhite28 Jan 2025 08:53Privacy on the south and west sides facing the street would be achieved by planting a beech hedge along the property boundary and, of course, by adding more vegetation closer to the house and the terrace.
C
CornforthWhite28 Jan 2025 09:10wiltshire schrieb:
Regarding privacy
Have fun with the stove builder. Be open and don’t jump to conclusions based on your questions. We will. This morning we had a discussion about the so-called “banana republic” Germany, which despite record tax revenues can no longer reliably manage the core functions of the state, including the heavily flawed energy transition. We are not fully confident that there will always be enough electricity available to run the heat pump continuously, so the idea of having a stove as a backup is worth reconsidering. Of course, that would open up a much bigger discussion. We will think about this over the next few days and might use the appointment with the stove builder to discuss the possible options.
W
wiltshire28 Jan 2025 09:34CornforthWhite schrieb:
and therefore the idea of discussing the stove as a backup again came up,An important aspect for us regarding wood stoves as a heating source was the health benefit provided by radiant heat. This may not be relevant for everyone. However, anyone who has dealt with depression and noticed a connection to the winter season will likely recognize this. We heat our living space (we have three separate “studio” apartments in our wooden cabin) exclusively with wood. Thanks to the combination of electronic combustion control and thermal mass storage, one load of wood every 24 hours is sufficient even at single-digit subzero temperatures. The picture shows the fire at startup.
I find it too exhausting to argue against your firmly held beliefs. If you really want to block access to the terrace, go ahead. Maybe you should already install the lintels as a precaution. Then, when it eventually dawns on you that in a new build you hardly ever use the fireplace because it’s too warm, and that the garden access would be needed much more at that spot, at least you can still remove it.
N
nordanney28 Jan 2025 09:41CornforthWhite schrieb:
not enough confidence in consistently providing sufficient power for operating the heat pump, so the idea of having a stove as a backup should also be reconsidered, Just remember the weeks-long power outages of the last 10 years, and the discussion quickly ends with the conclusion, "A stove is great for the look and the feel, but I don’t need it as a heating replacement."
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