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os24laenger30 Nov 2021 16:33Hello,
I have been following this forum for a while, and now we have purchased a plot of land and are planning to build a house on it.
Questionnaire:
Zoning plan / restrictions
Plot size = 525 m2 (5650 sq ft)
Slope – 1 m (3 ft) elevation difference downward towards the south
Site coverage ratio = 0.4
Floor area ratio unknown
Building envelope, building line and boundary = Plot 18.2 x 29 m (60 x 95 ft), building envelope 12.2 x 20 m (40 x 66 ft). Similar plots on the left and right (new development area)
Edge development = No
Number of parking spaces = 2
Number of floors = 2
Roof pitch = 25–45 degrees
Style = Modern, timeless
Orientation = unknown
Maximum heights / limits = Eaves height 4.5 m (15 ft), ridge height 8.5 m (28 ft). Since eaves height is measured from the base reference height, which is 1.5 m (5 ft) above ground level, we can build two full stories.
Homeowner requirements
Style, roof type, building type = Modern, straight and practical. Gable roof oriented east–west (with photovoltaic panels).
Basement, floors = No basement, 2 floors
Number of occupants, age = 2 adults (around 50), 2 teenagers
Space requirements ground floor (GF), upper floor (UF)
Office: family use or home office? = Home office 4 days a week, requires a dedicated room.
Guests per year = Several, family lives far away and often stays for 1–3 weeks at a time.
Open or closed architecture = Open
Conservative or modern design = Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island = Yes!
Number of dining seats = About 6
Fireplace = Yes, small masonry stove
Music / stereo wall = No, no TV on the ground floor either
Balcony, roof terrace = Yes
Garage, carport = Yes
Utility garden, greenhouse = No, rather flowers and nature, small but nice.
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why something is or isn’t wanted
We enjoy cooking; the kitchen should be the centerpiece. Inside and outside should feel connected. Lots of natural light, no roller shutters.
The ground floor should be accessible and age-appropriate, not just for us but also so that a grandparent could live there someday (then we could use the upper floor). Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
A southern view (fields and forest) is important.
The upper “chill room” should be designed so that a kitchen can be installed later if a child or grandparent wants/needs to live there independently.
We want to build the house from solid wood, though the exact type is not decided yet.
Possibly a polished concrete floor on the ground floor, parquet or similar upstairs. Ground floor ceiling height 2.7 m (9 ft) – is that sufficient? For the ceiling thickness, I have currently planned 40 cm (16 in) using glued solid wood panels (no beams). The upper floor ceiling height can be lower since these rooms are smaller.
Garage is less for a car and more intended as a double carport.
House design
Who designed it:
- Do-it-yourself
What do you like most? Why? Ground floor with easy access to the terrace and garden and a private southern view, covered terrace (usable even in rain). Kitchen near the west terrace with its own access.
What do you dislike? Why? The upper floor feels a bit too large, but this results from the ground floor layout (compromise). Also, I think the staircase doesn’t have enough space.
Cost estimate from architect/planner: We haven’t reached that stage yet, I currently estimate about 2500–3000 Euros/sqm (230–280 USD/sq ft).
Personal price limit for the house including fittings: less than 600K (plot already paid for, terrace and carport I can do myself)
Preferred heating system: Air-source heat pump with underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, what would it be?
- Can give up: Living space, kitchen island
- Cannot give up: Barrier-free accessibility on the ground floor
Why is the design like it is now?
Days of careful planning and adjustments.
What is the most important basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can we reduce the house size or cost without losing ground floor functionality (barrier-free)? We worry about costs (maybe unnecessarily). Any other cost drivers you see? (Apart from masonry stove and too much glazing). General feedback is welcome.
(I’m not a native speaker, please excuse any spelling mistakes.)
Thanks to all!
I have been following this forum for a while, and now we have purchased a plot of land and are planning to build a house on it.
Questionnaire:
Zoning plan / restrictions
Plot size = 525 m2 (5650 sq ft)
Slope – 1 m (3 ft) elevation difference downward towards the south
Site coverage ratio = 0.4
Floor area ratio unknown
Building envelope, building line and boundary = Plot 18.2 x 29 m (60 x 95 ft), building envelope 12.2 x 20 m (40 x 66 ft). Similar plots on the left and right (new development area)
Edge development = No
Number of parking spaces = 2
Number of floors = 2
Roof pitch = 25–45 degrees
Style = Modern, timeless
Orientation = unknown
Maximum heights / limits = Eaves height 4.5 m (15 ft), ridge height 8.5 m (28 ft). Since eaves height is measured from the base reference height, which is 1.5 m (5 ft) above ground level, we can build two full stories.
Homeowner requirements
Style, roof type, building type = Modern, straight and practical. Gable roof oriented east–west (with photovoltaic panels).
Basement, floors = No basement, 2 floors
Number of occupants, age = 2 adults (around 50), 2 teenagers
Space requirements ground floor (GF), upper floor (UF)
Office: family use or home office? = Home office 4 days a week, requires a dedicated room.
Guests per year = Several, family lives far away and often stays for 1–3 weeks at a time.
Open or closed architecture = Open
Conservative or modern design = Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island = Yes!
Number of dining seats = About 6
Fireplace = Yes, small masonry stove
Music / stereo wall = No, no TV on the ground floor either
Balcony, roof terrace = Yes
Garage, carport = Yes
Utility garden, greenhouse = No, rather flowers and nature, small but nice.
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why something is or isn’t wanted
We enjoy cooking; the kitchen should be the centerpiece. Inside and outside should feel connected. Lots of natural light, no roller shutters.
The ground floor should be accessible and age-appropriate, not just for us but also so that a grandparent could live there someday (then we could use the upper floor). Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
A southern view (fields and forest) is important.
The upper “chill room” should be designed so that a kitchen can be installed later if a child or grandparent wants/needs to live there independently.
We want to build the house from solid wood, though the exact type is not decided yet.
Possibly a polished concrete floor on the ground floor, parquet or similar upstairs. Ground floor ceiling height 2.7 m (9 ft) – is that sufficient? For the ceiling thickness, I have currently planned 40 cm (16 in) using glued solid wood panels (no beams). The upper floor ceiling height can be lower since these rooms are smaller.
Garage is less for a car and more intended as a double carport.
House design
Who designed it:
- Do-it-yourself
What do you like most? Why? Ground floor with easy access to the terrace and garden and a private southern view, covered terrace (usable even in rain). Kitchen near the west terrace with its own access.
What do you dislike? Why? The upper floor feels a bit too large, but this results from the ground floor layout (compromise). Also, I think the staircase doesn’t have enough space.
Cost estimate from architect/planner: We haven’t reached that stage yet, I currently estimate about 2500–3000 Euros/sqm (230–280 USD/sq ft).
Personal price limit for the house including fittings: less than 600K (plot already paid for, terrace and carport I can do myself)
Preferred heating system: Air-source heat pump with underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, what would it be?
- Can give up: Living space, kitchen island
- Cannot give up: Barrier-free accessibility on the ground floor
Why is the design like it is now?
Days of careful planning and adjustments.
What is the most important basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can we reduce the house size or cost without losing ground floor functionality (barrier-free)? We worry about costs (maybe unnecessarily). Any other cost drivers you see? (Apart from masonry stove and too much glazing). General feedback is welcome.
(I’m not a native speaker, please excuse any spelling mistakes.)
Thanks to all!
Hello,
let me start. The “true floor plan experts” will have even more to say. :p
- I find the budget quite questionable. In Baden-Württemberg, with cast concrete floors, photovoltaic system, solid wood construction, wooden facade, and so on... Is the carport/terrace included in the budget? Even if you do the work yourself, you still have to pay for the materials... The price per square meter is probably closer to 3000 €/m² (about $280/sq ft).
- Construction style described as modern and timeless... well, that’s a matter of taste, and I’m not good with graphics, but to me it doesn’t look particularly modern... though I could be wrong.
- You can also raise roller shutters or blinds; they don’t always have to be down. Depending on the orientation, I’d consider this for summer shading.
The floor plan itself didn’t really click for me.
- The idea of a chill room upstairs for later conversion is nice, but be careful that the plumbing lines will work for that (drainage etc.).
- Is the bed supposed to be placed like this on the ground floor? Having the head next to the entrance wall seems uncomfortable to me. What are the exact dimensions here? An en-suite bathroom is certainly nice, but keep in mind everything is arranged along the living room wall — noise could be an issue.
- Where do you hang your coats?
- You are building without a basement — did I miss something, or do you plan to fit technical equipment, laundry, and storage into less than 7 m² (about 75 sq ft)?
- What about the small room by the kitchen? Pantry? What are the dimensions and intended use?
That’s my quick first impression...
let me start. The “true floor plan experts” will have even more to say. :p
- I find the budget quite questionable. In Baden-Württemberg, with cast concrete floors, photovoltaic system, solid wood construction, wooden facade, and so on... Is the carport/terrace included in the budget? Even if you do the work yourself, you still have to pay for the materials... The price per square meter is probably closer to 3000 €/m² (about $280/sq ft).
- Construction style described as modern and timeless... well, that’s a matter of taste, and I’m not good with graphics, but to me it doesn’t look particularly modern... though I could be wrong.
- You can also raise roller shutters or blinds; they don’t always have to be down. Depending on the orientation, I’d consider this for summer shading.
The floor plan itself didn’t really click for me.
- The idea of a chill room upstairs for later conversion is nice, but be careful that the plumbing lines will work for that (drainage etc.).
- Is the bed supposed to be placed like this on the ground floor? Having the head next to the entrance wall seems uncomfortable to me. What are the exact dimensions here? An en-suite bathroom is certainly nice, but keep in mind everything is arranged along the living room wall — noise could be an issue.
- Where do you hang your coats?
- You are building without a basement — did I miss something, or do you plan to fit technical equipment, laundry, and storage into less than 7 m² (about 75 sq ft)?
- What about the small room by the kitchen? Pantry? What are the dimensions and intended use?
That’s my quick first impression...
O
os24laenger30 Nov 2021 17:15Thank you, I’ve added the missing dimensions to the ground floor plan here. (I’m unable to edit the original for some reason). The small room is indeed a pantry.
“Modern” mainly refers to the layout (lots of glass, large open living/kitchen/dining area), but of course, that is a matter of personal taste or how you want to define it.
On the west side, we still need something to block the evening sun; we are still considering options.
Coats will be hung in the hallway on the lower right wall.
The garage will also be used for storage, but yes, it will be tight, that is true.
“Modern” mainly refers to the layout (lots of glass, large open living/kitchen/dining area), but of course, that is a matter of personal taste or how you want to define it.
On the west side, we still need something to block the evening sun; we are still considering options.
Coats will be hung in the hallway on the lower right wall.
The garage will also be used for storage, but yes, it will be tight, that is true.
... and here we already have the first person who likes it – modern and timeless 🙂
Regarding the floor plan, I’m not sure if the furniture is to the correct scale. There isn’t much extra space if something doesn’t fit perfectly. On the ground floor, the entrance area, staircase, and utility room are too small. A coatroom is completely missing. You could try moving the hallway wall downward (toward the pantry). The room entrance would then be through the hallway. While doing this, I would also try combining the guest toilet and the ground floor bathroom. The space gained could be used for the staircase, coatroom, and a larger utility room. It’s still a bit of a puzzle, but there is potential here. If it helps, the kitchen area could be compressed a bit to the left, and the stools could be removed in favor of a larger island.
On the upper floor, I would remove the door between the staircase and the chill room and swap the office with the bathroom. If the guest room can be moved downward, it would eliminate the unused space in the bottom right room. The extra space gained could be used for closet space or room for laundry equipment.
Regarding the floor plan, I’m not sure if the furniture is to the correct scale. There isn’t much extra space if something doesn’t fit perfectly. On the ground floor, the entrance area, staircase, and utility room are too small. A coatroom is completely missing. You could try moving the hallway wall downward (toward the pantry). The room entrance would then be through the hallway. While doing this, I would also try combining the guest toilet and the ground floor bathroom. The space gained could be used for the staircase, coatroom, and a larger utility room. It’s still a bit of a puzzle, but there is potential here. If it helps, the kitchen area could be compressed a bit to the left, and the stools could be removed in favor of a larger island.
On the upper floor, I would remove the door between the staircase and the chill room and swap the office with the bathroom. If the guest room can be moved downward, it would eliminate the unused space in the bottom right room. The extra space gained could be used for closet space or room for laundry equipment.
os24laenger schrieb:
Eaves height 4.5 m (15 ft), ridge height 8.5 m (28 ft). Since eaves height is measured from the finished floor level, and the finished floor level is 1.5 m (5 ft) above ground, we can build two full stories.Such differences usually don’t happen without reason. I read this cautiously as an indication of a steep slope and/or significant changes in ground levels after site development. Can you say (not as a link!) where we can find the original development plan? os24laenger schrieb:
The upper floor is a bit too large for us, but it results from the ground floor (Düh)Düh? My immediate surprise is why anyone would choose a side entrance or leave a narrow 2.5 m (8 ft) gap between garage and house, forcing the footprint unnecessarily into a rectangular shape.
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O
os24laenger30 Nov 2021 17:51Thank you for the valuable comment (Hangman),
I believe the dining table is shown too large (3m long), it can comfortably seat 8 people (Trimble warehouse comes to mind, thanks for the hint). There should actually be enough space overall (our current house has 8 x 4m (26 x 13 feet) for living and dining, here it would even be a bit more).
I like the idea of the entrance area, stairs, and utility room; I'll try something in the next few days. A downside would be that the bedroom access is via the shared corridor, so if my kids come home late after a party, you would hear them more easily. That was actually the reason for having the access inside the apartment. The advantage would be more utility room space 🙂.
Upper floor: I need to analyze the swap between the office and bathroom.
The door between the stairs and chill room can be removed (or moved a few meters forward so the bathroom and guest room are also behind it). The idea is to give the upstairs residents more privacy when the door is closed. I might build a double door there that can open across the entire hallway width for flexibility. (Leaving it open would be like having no door.) This could also be done later if needed.
Reducing the size of the large room on the lower right will be difficult, as that will cause issues here. 🙂
I believe the dining table is shown too large (3m long), it can comfortably seat 8 people (Trimble warehouse comes to mind, thanks for the hint). There should actually be enough space overall (our current house has 8 x 4m (26 x 13 feet) for living and dining, here it would even be a bit more).
I like the idea of the entrance area, stairs, and utility room; I'll try something in the next few days. A downside would be that the bedroom access is via the shared corridor, so if my kids come home late after a party, you would hear them more easily. That was actually the reason for having the access inside the apartment. The advantage would be more utility room space 🙂.
Upper floor: I need to analyze the swap between the office and bathroom.
The door between the stairs and chill room can be removed (or moved a few meters forward so the bathroom and guest room are also behind it). The idea is to give the upstairs residents more privacy when the door is closed. I might build a double door there that can open across the entire hallway width for flexibility. (Leaving it open would be like having no door.) This could also be done later if needed.
Reducing the size of the large room on the lower right will be difficult, as that will cause issues here. 🙂
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