Hello,
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!
P
pagoni20201 Dec 2021 14:54ypg schrieb:
The technician and installer need working space. Connections/fixtures/meters, you need access to all of them and sometimes need to turn tools on them.
The electrical cabinet requires a clearance of 1.50 meters (5 feet) in front of the cabinet itself. This is exactly what happened to us. The general contractor thought everything would fit easily, but it turned out differently. The electrician demanded a proper working area, no arguments there. Water and all other pipes needed to be placed somewhere and can’t all be installed crossing over each other, and just like that, our planned shelving disappeared.
I recommend a CLEAR plan for the utility room with some extra space as a buffer. The general contractor then said, “Oops… that’s actually a big appliance… but it fits in” 😡 … after we had essentially canceled our planned shelving. The storage tank needs clearance due to heat, etc. Educate yourself or provide space for it!
Currently, there are many individual rooms that take up space and also require additional access areas (circulation space). At the same time, some of these rooms are clearly described as being used only occasionally (e.g., guest/family room, relaxation area). You also describe yourselves as flexible ("when grandma visits, we move upstairs," "drying laundry in the living room," etc.), which I find very sympathetic.
Perhaps you can use this flexibility to create multipurpose rooms? For example, the guest room and workspace on the upper floor don't necessarily have to be two separate rooms. Or combine guest and relaxation areas—if visitors are around, then you just won’t use the chill space for a couple of weeks 🙂. A workspace corner could possibly be set up in the bedroom. Or combine guest and workspace on the ground floor and sleep upstairs. A guest toilet and an en-suite bathroom on the ground floor could also be combined. I’m not sure if this is allowed by building regulations/planning permission, but maybe you could also house the building services in a separate part of the garage, and have generous bathrooms on both floors facing northeast that also accommodate utility room equipment.
These are just suggestions to consider. The current use scenarios are reflected in individual rooms, which makes the layout fragmented. If you move away from that, it would feel more spacious.
On a related note:
- Teenagers eventually move out
- Adults in their 50s eventually stop working (or do so more flexibly and independently)
Both of these things happen quite quickly...
Perhaps you can use this flexibility to create multipurpose rooms? For example, the guest room and workspace on the upper floor don't necessarily have to be two separate rooms. Or combine guest and relaxation areas—if visitors are around, then you just won’t use the chill space for a couple of weeks 🙂. A workspace corner could possibly be set up in the bedroom. Or combine guest and workspace on the ground floor and sleep upstairs. A guest toilet and an en-suite bathroom on the ground floor could also be combined. I’m not sure if this is allowed by building regulations/planning permission, but maybe you could also house the building services in a separate part of the garage, and have generous bathrooms on both floors facing northeast that also accommodate utility room equipment.
These are just suggestions to consider. The current use scenarios are reflected in individual rooms, which makes the layout fragmented. If you move away from that, it would feel more spacious.
On a related note:
- Teenagers eventually move out
- Adults in their 50s eventually stop working (or do so more flexibly and independently)
Both of these things happen quite quickly...
P
pagoni20201 Dec 2021 15:08Hangman schrieb:
Maybe you can use this flexibility to create multipurpose rooms? For example, guest and work spaces on the upper floor don’t have to be separate rooms. Or combine guest and chill areas — when visitors are around, you just don’t use the chill space for a couple of weeks. Exactly my thinking.
We have a room on the ground floor that serves as a guest room, maybe the TV room, a second bedroom (younger readers might want to skip this), possibly a bedroom for old age, or it can simply be a room without a fixed purpose. When guests are here, there’s no TV; when there’s TV, guests are around. It’s no longer common (everywhere) to have special dishes for visitors or to prepare a formal dining room for boring family celebrations. Just loosen up the designated uses for rooms...
Hangman schrieb:
Teenagers eventually move out which often remains just a wishful thought for parents, and if it’s too cozy, why would they move into an unheated shared flat?
Hangman schrieb:
Both happen pretty quickly... That could be said a bit more tactfully!
One more word about the staircase. We have similar dimensions in the entrance area (2.55m by 3.8m (8 ft 4 in by 12 ft 6 in) with a ceiling height of 3.11m (10 ft 2 in)) and a similar staircase. Here is the floor plan:
The staircase is really very, very steep! The rise and run are at the limit of what is even allowed. One more step would be better! We have 3.8m (12 ft 6 in) length. In your current plan, there are 3.64m (11 ft 11 in) – and even for that, you already have to notch out one step at the top in the hallway. That will not work like this. You need at least 3.8m (without a notched step!) or you have to add more steps going down toward the lower part of the plan (which means shifting the entrance door).
Under the stairs, we had a cabinet maker build us a shoe cabinet, and above it a coat rod. That’s enough for us – but we are only two people.
Alright, enough confusion – it’s puzzle time!
The staircase is really very, very steep! The rise and run are at the limit of what is even allowed. One more step would be better! We have 3.8m (12 ft 6 in) length. In your current plan, there are 3.64m (11 ft 11 in) – and even for that, you already have to notch out one step at the top in the hallway. That will not work like this. You need at least 3.8m (without a notched step!) or you have to add more steps going down toward the lower part of the plan (which means shifting the entrance door).
Under the stairs, we had a cabinet maker build us a shoe cabinet, and above it a coat rod. That’s enough for us – but we are only two people.
Alright, enough confusion – it’s puzzle time!
O
os24laenger3 Dec 2021 11:51I have now worked on the ground floor hallway, extended the staircase (it was democratically decided that the staircase should remain in the hallway), made the hallway larger, and increased the size of the technical room. The toilet is placed under the staircase (minimum height is 2 m (6 ft 7 in)). The toilet wall also serves as the boundary to the terrain.
In my opinion, it doesn’t look bad.
In my opinion, it doesn’t look bad.
os24laenger schrieb:
Toilet under the stairs (minimum height is 2m (6 ft 7 in)). The wall of the toilet also serves as the terrain.
In my opinion, it doesn’t look bad.I assume you used a similarly, let’s say, “unconventional” calculation model of the stairs for the visualization as shown in the drawing.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
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