ᐅ Floor Plan Discussion: Single-Family Home, 11.3m x 9.4m, 5 Occupants, Sloped Site
Created on: 19 Nov 2022 10:28
D
diaphonHello everyone,
Thank you for taking the time to look into our building project!
## Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 635m² (6,836 sq ft)
Slope: Yes, diagonal gradient approx. 8.5%
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: 0.4
For outbuildings (garage, shed), we are allowed to build up to an additional 50m² (540 sq ft).
Number of parking spaces: 3
Maximum ridge height: 8.7m (28.5 ft)
Building zone, building line and boundary: See ground floor plan (Blue: building zone; red dashed: outbuildings)
Contour lines: See floor plan
Roof shape and pitch: 0 to 50 degrees
## Homeowners’ Requirements
# General
5 people (2 adults, 3 children aged 5, 3, and 3 years)
Urban villa, hipped roof, 2 full floors plus basement
# Rooms
Open-plan living area (kitchen, dining, living)
Open kitchen (U-shaped)
4 bedrooms
3 bathrooms (one per floor)
1 office: home office
1 technical room
1 utility room
2 garages/carports
1 residential basement (for bedroom and office, basement may protrude up to 1.3m (4 ft 3 in) above ground)
Optional: walk-in closet
Optional: guest room
Optional: pantry
Optional: storage room
Optional: hobby room
Optional: granny flat (for KFW funding)
# Building Services
Geothermal heat pump with cooling function
Central ventilation system with bypass
Underfloor heating
KFW-standard: as low as possible, as high as necessary (cost-benefit ratio)
KNX smart home system: yes, where practical
Optional: photovoltaic system
Optional: rainwater cistern
Optional: greywater recycling
# Additional Wishes
Wood-burning fireplace (because we like the warmth and light)
Double carport or one garage + one carport (for cars, bicycles, and trash bins)
Sustainability where reasonable and cost-effective
Optional: home cinema in living room (hobby)
Optional: covered terrace (luxury: rainproof garden shelter)
Optional: workshop (always something to do)
Optional: kitchen garden (hobby)
Optional: greenhouse (hobby)
# Other
Depending on costs, it may make sense to include some features during construction that can also be added later.
It is more important to us that aspects which are difficult or impossible to change later (e.g. house size, walls, windows, bus system) are right from the start.
For some other items, we are willing to compromise initially (e.g. cheaper kitchen, furniture, lamps).
## House Design
Overview of the entire plot with building boundaries for the house (blue) and outbuildings (red dashed)
Access is from the front via a public road.
At the bottom left is a public parking area with 3 spaces between 2 trees.
The 2.5m² (27 sq ft) in the central lower area is reserved for street sweeping machine access.
Adjacent to the plot on the left
The terrace is planned on the west side to provide some shade from direct sun in midsummer and because I want a roof over it. The building authority has noted that with a roof, we can only exceed the building boundary by about 1 to 1.5m (3 to 5 ft).
Basement:
The basement is planned to extend about 1.3m (4 ft 3 in) above ground on the north side to allow sufficient daylight for the bedroom and office. It is also required not to level the plot.
Ground floor (GF)
Upper floor (UF):
From the upper floor, there will be a beautiful view to the north over the surrounding landscape, overlooking the northern neighbour.
# The floor plan is our original creation and is currently with the architect from the construction company.
More than 40 different versions with various larger and smaller adjustments and different approaches were necessary.
Although a lot of time and thought has gone into the planning, I look forward to honest and constructive feedback without compromise!
What we don’t consider now will mainly annoy me after the build. Of course, I understand that not everything can be perfect afterwards. ;-)
# Our impression of the floor plan
We really like the ground floor. The open layout of kitchen, dining, and (small) living area.
Separately set apart is the (large) living room with TV. The fireplace is integrated into the center.
As long as the kids are young, everyone can sleep upstairs. Later, they can fight over the basement bedroom. ;-)
Initially, we wanted 4 bedrooms on the upper floor, but the rooms then get small and the ground floor and basement become disproportionally large.
Therefore, we currently tend towards 3 bedrooms upstairs and 1 bedroom plus office in the basement.
I am unsure about the connection on the ground floor between the open living area and the TV room.
How much space should be left to keep the rooms separate but still open in design?
The floor plan and driveway from the south side make planning more difficult, in my opinion.
With access from the side, we have more views towards the southwest.
However, the (uncovered) path to the front door will be longer.
Is this a problem?
# What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What problems and/or improvement suggestions do you see?
# Additional questions:
There is only one other house between our future home and a daycare center. What kind of sound insulation should we focus on?
xMisterDx schrieb:
If you have the money, you go to an architect, yes... if not, you use a standard floor plan from the developer.
But above all, you should deal with your budget before starting, even if you prefer to draft plans yourself. Because you quickly realize you might still need an architect 😉
I don’t think the comparison with a car inspection is accurate here. It would be better to compare it to buying a new car. Few people opt for a fully customized design, including bodywork adjustments, and most choose standard options.
PS:
Even with a standard floor plan of one of the most sold/built houses in Germany, the Flair 152 RE, I already found some things before starting the interior work that I wouldn’t do the same way next time 😉If you equate an architect with free design services, that’s understandable.
But an architect does much more than just the HOAI Phase III - after all, there are 9 phases.
I think an architect makes a lot of sense, especially for a layperson – even if you start with a ready-made design.
Of course, you could say – I’ll go with a prefab house, that’s simpler.
But for a layperson, in my opinion, a prefab house is actually a more complicated solution than working with an architect.
Because the prefab company is only interested in the effective construction of the house.
You have to figure out and handle all the other details yourself.
There are also architects who work with existing floor plans, and a good architect will earn back their fee.
In other words:
I wouldn’t automatically equate an architect with expensive and luxury.
A house built with an architect can ultimately be cheaper and offer better value for money than an off-the-shelf house.
xMisterDx schrieb:
But there was already a draft that was only adjusted, right?
1,500 EUR, for that the architect can work about 10 hours, with 2-3 hours already spent on the initial meeting?
Isn’t it common to calculate around 10% of the construction costs for the architect with a full architect-designed house? No, the adjustment of the company’s drafts by an architect would have been free of charge. The 1,500 EUR option was an extra fee because it was an independent design. However, what we actually received was only the draft. An architect who receives about 10% of the construction costs usually takes on many other tasks as well.
Similar topics