ᐅ Floor plan for a single-family house, 14 by 14 meters, with a limited ridge height
Created on: 6 May 2025 19:07
T
tempusfugit
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.
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.
The design is not improving, and the questions remain unanswered.
On average, you calculate around 3000€/m² (approximately 280 USD/ft²) for a standard house.
A 14x14 meter (46x46 feet) bungalow is no longer standard—the floor plan is too large. Also, roof insulation in the attic space costs more than a standard ceiling.
500,000€ (about 470,000 USD) including heating. Photovoltaic system another 40,000€ (about 38,000 USD). My advice: budget 40,000€ (about 38,000 USD) for additional construction costs; earthworks will become more expensive.
tempusfugit schrieb:What was actually quoted? A house costs money. Even a timber frame structure.
The costs are based on the previous quotes
On average, you calculate around 3000€/m² (approximately 280 USD/ft²) for a standard house.
A 14x14 meter (46x46 feet) bungalow is no longer standard—the floor plan is too large. Also, roof insulation in the attic space costs more than a standard ceiling.
500,000€ (about 470,000 USD) including heating. Photovoltaic system another 40,000€ (about 38,000 USD). My advice: budget 40,000€ (about 38,000 USD) for additional construction costs; earthworks will become more expensive.
tempusfugit7 May 2025 13:56ypg schrieb:
The design isn’t improving, and the questions remain unanswered.Which questions exactly? So far, it seems to me that the questions mainly concern the size of the house, which differs from the usual 10x12m (33x39 feet) or 15x14m (49x46 feet) corner bungalows. The reason is simple: because the local building regulations allow it, and we decided to forgo a basement and bay windows or similar features. We rejected having the entrance on the east side after several drafts because it would result in too much hallway space. In the current design, there is a central hallway with storage on the west side (at least 60cm (24 inches) deep floor-to-ceiling built-in closets for coats, shoes, and miscellaneous items). We come from the city and walk at least 3–6 km (2–4 miles) daily here, so walking 10 meters (33 feet) around the house should be manageable.ypg schrieb:
What was offered then? A house costs money. Even a skeleton/frame structure.I will prepare a cost breakdown once we finish the shell construction. But even if we had built turnkey with the local contractor, we would have been just under 2,300 EUR/m² (square meter) (Poroton blocks, rafter roof, earthworks, foundation slab, etc.). This contractor has already built several houses in the area and was spot-on with price and schedule for our neighbors. The downside: he only builds his three standard models, and we wanted to deliberately build something different and use steel. Plus, we have enough time and interest to do some of the work ourselves.However, the focus here should primarily be on the floor plan. At the moment, we do have some doubts about the guest bathroom, which has no window. Suggestions regarding a fireplace or similar features would also be welcome. Of course, we are also open to other sample floor plans – structurally, we are quite flexible on the inside due to the steel frame.
tempusfugit schrieb:
What questions exactly?Quickly:- Draw furniture to scale. Three kitchen units are never enough.
- How exactly do you get light into the second hallway, the interior corridor with four doors leading off it?
- Square meter (sqm) figures are not enough; you need to provide length and width, also for windows, doors, and furniture.
- Cloakroom?
- A fireplace can partially affect photovoltaic systems. What kind of advice is there on this? How is its use planned?
- Have you considered the interaction between the fireplace and a slow-response underfloor heating system?
I have seen more questions and unclear points here that remain unanswered.
tempusfugit7 May 2025 15:40Arauki11 schrieb:
Quick summary:
- Draw furniture to scale. Three kitchen cabinets are never enough.
- How exactly do you plan to bring light into the second hallway, the interior corridor with four doors?
- Area measurements alone are not sufficient; length and width are needed, also for windows, doors, and furniture.
- Coat rack or wardrobe?
- The fireplace could partly interfere with photovoltaics—what kind of advice is there on that? How is its use intended?
- Have you considered the interaction between the fireplace and the slow-responding underfloor heating?
I have seen more questions or unclear points here that remain unanswered. There are seven kitchen cabinets measuring 60 cm (24 inches) wide, 60 cm (24 inches) deep, and 280 cm (110 inches) high, plus ten kitchen cabinets at 60 cm (24 inches) wide, 60 cm (24 inches) deep, and 80 cm (31 inches) high—which I find more than sufficient. The kitchen definitely should not be bigger and is already three times the size of the rental apartment.
The hallway will get light through the glass door to the living room and a strip window next to the exterior door. Unfortunately, that’s all the natural light possible. For lighting, we will rely heavily on indirect lighting and possibly use stretch ceilings.
The coat storage runs along the entire wall facing west in the hallway (2.8 m (9 ft) high, 60 cm (24 inches) deep, over 6 m (20 ft) long).
Yes, solar is an issue—we have an offer for 48 panels (21.6 kWp) x JAM54D40-450/LB on the south-facing roof. The strings would need adjusting accordingly. Hydraulic balancing has already been done, although we have currently removed the fireplace from the planning. I’m curious how others view this: a must-have or nice-to-have?
tempusfugit schrieb:
There are 7 kitchen cabinets measuring 60cm (24 inches) wide, 60cm (24 inches) deep, and 280cm (110 inches) high, as well as 10 kitchen cabinets measuring 60cm (24 inches) wide, 60cm (24 inches) deep, and 80cm (31 inches) high – which I find more than sufficient. Sorry, I didn’t take that from your drawing, which is why participants here always ask for detailed drawings with measurements including furniture. The process shouldn’t be unnecessarily complicated by missing information.
tempusfugit schrieb:
...although currently we have removed the fireplace from the plan. I’m curious how others see this: Is it a must-have or a nice-to-have? In my personal experience, I wouldn’t have both a fireplace and underfloor heating at the same time. We have excellent insulation and like to use the fireplace for heating in winter, so we only need minimal additional heating. Because of that, we didn’t need an expensive heat pump with underfloor heating.
It would also be sensible to align different floor plans consistently, preferably oriented as they are intended to be placed on the plot. To avoid having to search repeatedly, it is best to always provide two drawings with each new planning post: one showing the house with the site plan, and one showing just the house floor plan.
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