ᐅ Floor Plan for a Multi-Generational Home on a Challenging Plot of Land

Hello everyone,

I am currently considering building a multigenerational house together with my parents. We have a plot of land available (about 700m² (8,350 sq ft)) in a location we really like, but the shape of the plot is unusual and presents some challenges for the initial planning.

I hope to get some ideas from you that might lead me in completely different directions. I keep coming back to the same solution (I have included a very rough draft below): From the street view, a single-family house with a garage to the right, and at the back an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) as an extension.

We’ve already had several discussions with my parents and know what kind of solution we envision. Fortunately, there is no pressure or obligation that an additional unit must definitely be included. However, we can well imagine it if these conditions are met:

• Separate entrances on different sides of the building
• The terraces of the single-family house and the ADU should not be directly adjacent; preferably separated or around the corner
• Windows of main living spaces (living room, kitchen, etc.) should not face into each other’s garden

This should not be understood as us wanting no contact or view of each other. We already live together under one roof without any issues. But we would like to implement the points above. Also to be able to rent out the ADU to “outsiders” in a few decades, if needed.

The rough draft basically shows a classic single-family house with a detached garage. The kitchen and living room face south/west towards the garden. Behind the garage is an extension (single story only, possibly flat roof) that partially overlaps with the main house. The living/kitchen area is in the northern part, with the possibility to place a terrace in the designated cutout (to keep within the 3m (10 ft) limit). The bedroom is located by the wall next to the garage; the bathroom roughly beneath the “9.5m (31 ft)” dimension.

What I like about this draft:

• Structurally and physically separated; from the street, the extension is barely visible; it still looks like a “normal” single-family house
• Separate outdoor areas in the garden
• The possibility to drive past the single-family house on the left into the garden (especially useful with a trailer for garden work, etc.)

What I’m not so happy with:

• I struggle with the idea of not allowing my parents proper south/west-facing windows in this design
• The described bathroom with an existing window would look directly into our garden

I look forward to more ideas, especially completely different approaches. As I said, I fear I’m a bit “blind” at this point. I hope this “draft stage” is okay—I haven’t dared to start interior planning until the basic structure is more satisfactory.