ᐅ Floor plan for a single-family house, 14 by 14 meters, with a limited ridge height

Hello everyone,

a bit different and certainly very straightforward – here is our floor plan. The plot is in Brandenburg, just under 1,000 m² (10,764 sq ft). The zoning plan specifies a maximum ridge height at 34 meters above NHN (Normalhöhennull, standard elevation). The manhole cover on the street is approximately at 28.30 meters above NHN. The neighboring plot next door is accessible via a separate street (Pr).

The house itself will be built with a steel frame and prefabricated elements. The roof will be made of sandwich panels (Kingspan/Hoffmann) with a U-value of 0.15 and will be covered with solar panels (K2) on the southern side. This should hopefully reduce the sound of rain and also limit heat buildup somewhat.

There will be a gallery, which, due to limited height, will probably serve more as storage. Possibly, at least one area with 2 m (6 ft 7 in) height could work (finished ceiling height approximately 28.5 m = 5.5 m possible ridge height; 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) ground floor; 0.2 m (8 in) ceiling; the rest 2 m (6 ft 7 in) up to the ridge). We still need to discuss this further with the surveyor and architect to see what is feasible. Depending on that, the gallery will either be open with a railing or closed off. We still want a “proper” staircase though.

The floor plan is quite pragmatic – the bathrooms present some challenges. One has no window, and the other is square.

Zoning plan / restrictions
Plot size: approx. 1,000 m² (10,764 sq ft)
Slope: No (approx. 10 cm (4 in) drop over 40 meters)
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Plot ratio: 1 (+ gallery level)
Building envelope, setback lines: 15 x 15 m (49 x 49 ft), 3 m (10 ft) to neighboring plot, 6 m (20 ft) to street (cul-de-sac)
Edge development: Last house on the street
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1.5
Roof type: Gable roof, minimum 20° slope
Style: Does not matter
Orientation: South
Maximum height limits: Approx. 5.5 m (18 ft) ridge height

Homeowner requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Single-family house / bungalow
Basement, floors: No basement, ground floor + gallery level/storage space
Number and age of occupants: 3 (ages 49, 49, 14)
Room needs on ground/floor level: Living/kitchen, bedroom, child’s room, utility room, office, master bathroom, guest/teen bathroom, walk-in closet
Office: Family use and home office? Both
Guest stays per year: Weekends
Open or closed architecture: Open
Conservative or modern build: Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Yes
Number of dining seats: Corner bench/table, max 6-8
Fireplace: Probably not (no suitable place, cost) — if anyone has tips for an affordable fireplace, please share
Music/stereo wall: No
Balcony, roof terrace: No
Garage, carport: No, cars (2) will probably park on the east side of the building (with charging station) or below the turning circle
Utility garden, greenhouse: No

House design
Design origin: Do-it-yourself
What we like most and why?
Affordable, no structural challenges due to steel frame construction with large-panel wall elements, wooden stud partition walls, trapezoidal profile roof panels with insulating core, structural flexibility
What we dislike and why?
Guest bathroom has no window, master bathroom is tricky because it is square, likely limited height in the attic due to gable roof and max ridge height limit (34 m above NHN compared to 28.2 m above NHN street level), difficult to find space for fireplace, driveway is structurally unusable — it was set like that during street construction.
Cost estimate by architect/planner: Shell construction 210,000
Personal budget limit for house including equipment: 350,000
Preferred heating system: Heat pump (air source)

If you had to waive some details/upgrades
- Could waive: Luxury features, KNX system (instead Shelly devices), garage, external blinds (raffstores), expensive lift-and-slide doors, elaborate garden
- Cannot waive: Central ventilation system, large living space, as much photovoltaic as possible (approx. 120 m² (1,292 sq ft) south-facing)

Why did the design end up like this?
Basically quite pragmatic, maximizing living space at low cost. A lot of self-work planned – construction time is not critical, as about 1–1.5 years until move-in.

Hello @tempusfugit,

with a 14 x 14m (46 x 46 ft) layout, the center tends to be quite dark.
I would rotate the roof and bring in natural light with skylights.
An east-west orientation also works well with photovoltaic panels, giving you twice the available surface area. Our bungalow faces south with large windows, and the gallery is accessible from the main living area.

tempusfugit schrieb:

But we still want a "proper" staircase.

And where is it?

tempusfugit schrieb:

There will be a gallery,

A gallery can be something really great. However, a gallery shouldn’t just be a corridor; it should be designed to merge with an open void. This means it needs to be planned! An open void is not merely a simple opening up to the sloping roof—it should allow additional daylight into the space, ideally through well-placed windows, and also add structural character. The space can handle quite a bit of light, so the building envelope should be constructed accordingly. A staircase that is supposed to be functional also belongs in the planning phase. Only after that should the rooms be designed.
Otherwise, I see a lot of Tetris, mathematics, and geometry—unfortunately just in 2D—focused mainly on fitting everything without gaps. But I don’t see any zoning. I also don’t understand the orientation of the rooms or the corridor/entrance. Yes, it’s obvious that the driveway to the property is unusual given the building envelope. But considering the size of the lot, it shouldn’t be an issue to avoid having to walk around half the house just to reach the front door.
So, place the entrance on the east side and, regarding thermal protection, rotate the house/room orientation. However, the child’s room should receive plenty of light and could be swapped with the bedroom or office.

I would suggest fully furnishing the layout with actual furniture to identify the first potential issues. It gives the impression that some rooms are simply large because there is space available, not because the room actually needs to be that size.

There is a huge hallway with hardly any usable space, plus a side-shifted access door to the open living area, which I don’t find appealing. The children’s room is enormous and definitely requires at least some planning; otherwise, the child will just have a lot of empty space in the middle.

The bedroom, on the other hand, is about 13 square meters (140 square feet), and you walk directly from the door onto the bed. I don’t understand why the rooms are designed this way, as there is a lack of information and that essential sense of spatial arrangement. Maybe you should look for a floor plan online that suits you better. With this one, you probably won’t get very far—it’s a waste of effort.

tempusfugit schrieb:

Costs

tempusfugit schrieb:

Affordable

tempusfugit schrieb:

Cost estimate according to the architect/planner: Shell construction 210,000
Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings: 350,000

Honestly: when it comes to affordable house building, who would plan over 170m² (1,830 sq ft) for 3 people?!
I also think it’s a myth that a 14 x 14m (46 x 46 ft) footprint doesn’t pose structural challenges, regardless of whether it’s a timber frame or not.
Also, finishing the house (I remind you: 170m²) will probably cost more than €140,000. Bathrooms, heating, plumbing, electrical, some plaster on walls, and floor coverings... then your 120m² (1,290 sq ft) photovoltaic system (the south-facing roof area will be much smaller).
As @Arauki11 has already said: the rooms are oversized.
I would advise not building larger than about 10 x 12m (33 x 39 ft) to end up with roughly 120-130m² (1,290-1,400 sq ft) on the ground floor.
That way it will also be affordable.

Thank you very much for the helpful advice so far. The costs are based on the current quotes, and we are planning about a 20% contingency. Heating and sanitary installations are based on the DIY kit from G+S, electrical and solar work will be done by a local electrician and solar technician, screed locally, bathroom, floor coverings, and walls we will do ourselves, landscaping will initially be just grass, and the necessary tools and experience are available (several houses renovated and various trades in the family).

I have attached a 3D view with furnishings for reference.