Hello,
we have been silent readers for quite some time. Now it is getting serious for us: we have a potential plot, a fixed-price contract with a prefab home builder is signed, and tomorrow is our first appointment with the architect.
I would like to briefly present our plans here and am already looking forward to feedback.
What is especially important to us:
1) A full story is specified, but the ridge height may be up to 9 m (29.5 ft). We want to increase the ground floor area using bay windows so that the usable space on the upper floor under the sloped ceilings is minimal (Hessen; upper floor max. 75% of ground floor with height >2.3 m (7.5 ft) from raw floor to the top of the roof structure). With this, we aim to achieve a knee wall of about 1.5 m (5 ft) clear height with a roof pitch of around 35°. This should keep the total height just under 9 m.
2) Due to our family situation, we need a spacious room on the ground floor (I call it guest) including a fully functional, accessible bathroom with barrier-free features.
I have attached the floor plan ideas. In the image showing the house and outdoor areas, the garden is slightly cut off at the top, meaning the garden extends a bit further. Unfortunately, it faces NNW.
A few details:
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: approx. 580 m² (6,243 sq ft). Width 16 m (52.5 ft), length 36 m (118 ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: 0.35
Floor space index: 0.7
Building envelope, building line and boundaries: 5 m (16.5 ft) distance from street, 3 m (10 ft) on right/left
Parking spaces: one single garage + one parking space in front and one beside
Number of stories: 1 full story
Roof type: gable roof
Style: timeless / rather modern
Orientation: plot faces NW, unfortunately
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height max. 9 m (29.5 ft) above finished street level
Homeowner requirements
Basement, stories: planned without basement unless soil report recommends it
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults about 40 and 2 children aged 1 and 3 years at move-in
Room requirements ground floor / upper floor: total 170-180 m² (1,830-1,940 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office? See above – accessible living area
Guests per year: approx. 6
Open or closed architecture: rather open
Conservative or modern construction: timeless?
Open kitchen, island: open kitchen but slightly screened (so the dirty dishes aren’t visible from everywhere…)
Dining seats: 4, optionally more
Fireplace: rather no
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony from bedroom desired, facing street side because garden faces NW. So some sun can be caught in transitional seasons.
Garage, carport: 1 + 2 parking spaces
House design
Planning by: ourselves
What do we particularly like? We look forward to the relaxation/play area (or whatever one wants to call it) in the upper floor by the large window front to the west. We imagine large windows in the knee wall plus adjacent roof windows.
What don’t we like? Why? We don’t like the NW orientation, but setting the house further back also seems unfavorable.
Personal budget limit for the house incl. equipment: approx. €400,000 only for the house, i.e. excluding additional costs and excluding the plot, turnkey delivery
Preferred heating system: heat pump
If you had to give up any details/extras
- You can do without:
- You can’t do without: elevated knee wall despite single story, we’re willing to pay about €20,000 extra for this (mainly for the two bay windows)
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can we get the most out of the plan with a full story and a northwest orientation?
we have been silent readers for quite some time. Now it is getting serious for us: we have a potential plot, a fixed-price contract with a prefab home builder is signed, and tomorrow is our first appointment with the architect.
I would like to briefly present our plans here and am already looking forward to feedback.
What is especially important to us:
1) A full story is specified, but the ridge height may be up to 9 m (29.5 ft). We want to increase the ground floor area using bay windows so that the usable space on the upper floor under the sloped ceilings is minimal (Hessen; upper floor max. 75% of ground floor with height >2.3 m (7.5 ft) from raw floor to the top of the roof structure). With this, we aim to achieve a knee wall of about 1.5 m (5 ft) clear height with a roof pitch of around 35°. This should keep the total height just under 9 m.
2) Due to our family situation, we need a spacious room on the ground floor (I call it guest) including a fully functional, accessible bathroom with barrier-free features.
I have attached the floor plan ideas. In the image showing the house and outdoor areas, the garden is slightly cut off at the top, meaning the garden extends a bit further. Unfortunately, it faces NNW.
A few details:
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: approx. 580 m² (6,243 sq ft). Width 16 m (52.5 ft), length 36 m (118 ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: 0.35
Floor space index: 0.7
Building envelope, building line and boundaries: 5 m (16.5 ft) distance from street, 3 m (10 ft) on right/left
Parking spaces: one single garage + one parking space in front and one beside
Number of stories: 1 full story
Roof type: gable roof
Style: timeless / rather modern
Orientation: plot faces NW, unfortunately
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height max. 9 m (29.5 ft) above finished street level
Homeowner requirements
Basement, stories: planned without basement unless soil report recommends it
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults about 40 and 2 children aged 1 and 3 years at move-in
Room requirements ground floor / upper floor: total 170-180 m² (1,830-1,940 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office? See above – accessible living area
Guests per year: approx. 6
Open or closed architecture: rather open
Conservative or modern construction: timeless?
Open kitchen, island: open kitchen but slightly screened (so the dirty dishes aren’t visible from everywhere…)
Dining seats: 4, optionally more
Fireplace: rather no
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony from bedroom desired, facing street side because garden faces NW. So some sun can be caught in transitional seasons.
Garage, carport: 1 + 2 parking spaces
House design
Planning by: ourselves
What do we particularly like? We look forward to the relaxation/play area (or whatever one wants to call it) in the upper floor by the large window front to the west. We imagine large windows in the knee wall plus adjacent roof windows.
What don’t we like? Why? We don’t like the NW orientation, but setting the house further back also seems unfavorable.
Personal budget limit for the house incl. equipment: approx. €400,000 only for the house, i.e. excluding additional costs and excluding the plot, turnkey delivery
Preferred heating system: heat pump
If you had to give up any details/extras
- You can do without:
- You can’t do without: elevated knee wall despite single story, we’re willing to pay about €20,000 extra for this (mainly for the two bay windows)
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can we get the most out of the plan with a full story and a northwest orientation?
What would it look like without the bay windows, as 11ant suggests? They do add quite a bit of cost.
I’m not sure if the terrace can be paved there. Still, I would include a door leading to it from the kitchen. Chairs can also be placed on grass.
I wouldn’t move the house further back; that would only enlarge the driveway.
When do you really want the southern sun? During the transitional seasons when children play outside and the first sun rays invite you to have coffee outdoors. In summer, if it gets hot, you prefer the shade.
If possible, place the terrace by the kitchen or at least provide a door to it.
I’m not sure if the terrace can be paved there. Still, I would include a door leading to it from the kitchen. Chairs can also be placed on grass.
I wouldn’t move the house further back; that would only enlarge the driveway.
When do you really want the southern sun? During the transitional seasons when children play outside and the first sun rays invite you to have coffee outdoors. In summer, if it gets hot, you prefer the shade.
If possible, place the terrace by the kitchen or at least provide a door to it.
Emerging markets? – more like no threshold at all – damn auto-correct :-(
Regarding the association with a “terrace house floor plan,” I didn’t mean that it necessarily has to be a bad thing.
As for the bay windows, I a) have my doubts that they actually provide 40cm (16 inches) more knee wall height – especially since b) they themselves create attic floor space again due to the use of balconies.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Regarding the association with a “terrace house floor plan,” I didn’t mean that it necessarily has to be a bad thing.
As for the bay windows, I a) have my doubts that they actually provide 40cm (16 inches) more knee wall height – especially since b) they themselves create attic floor space again due to the use of balconies.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Regarding the south-facing garden:
I grew up in a mid-terrace house with a living-dining room and a garden roughly facing north. In the back part of the garden, there was sun, and at the house, shade, which is very pleasant in summer... otherwise, you would just put up an umbrella or something like that anyway.
So, I would not raise the house.
I grew up in a mid-terrace house with a living-dining room and a garden roughly facing north. In the back part of the garden, there was sun, and at the house, shade, which is very pleasant in summer... otherwise, you would just put up an umbrella or something like that anyway.
So, I would not raise the house.
I would raise the house slightly and place the entrance on the side, also shifting the garage a bit further north.
I would definitely add more windows facing west in the living areas, and position the guest room more to the north.
I previously had a single-family house without any southern exposure, which was also a reason for me to reconsider building. Not because of the terrace or garden, but because the living rooms only received some sunlight starting at 2 p.m., and in winter for just about an hour.
I would definitely add more windows facing west in the living areas, and position the guest room more to the north.
I previously had a single-family house without any southern exposure, which was also a reason for me to reconsider building. Not because of the terrace or garden, but because the living rooms only received some sunlight starting at 2 p.m., and in winter for just about an hour.
I don’t find this issue particularly complicated. I am thinking more along these lines (stairs without a landing – software glitch):
Unfortunately, my software can’t display everything. The kitchen bay window should have the largest possible corner windows.
I still see the terrace only on the north side. Nobody wants to sit cramped next to the fence shared with the neighbor.
I’m not entirely sure, but in my opinion, with a 1.50m (5 feet) knee wall, there’s no need for additional flat roof dormers on the ground floor or similar. I still have the gable with a small roof pitch included at about 75%. However, a professional needs to calculate this.
Since the large play corridor is desired and attractive, I’m struggling to find space for the washing machine. I have it located in the large bathroom, which isn’t ideal.
Overall, I find the wishes and the plot quite challenging. I would probably hire an architect with more expertise than just a draftsman from a general contractor, provided it remains affordable and doesn’t end up looking completely crazy from an aesthetic standpoint.
Whether to give up all the fuss and instead have a long driveway with the house set further back would mainly depend on the street for me. I’m not really the type to want to see cars constantly passing by. On the other hand, sunlight in the living room is important. It’s not an easy decision.
Unfortunately, my software can’t display everything. The kitchen bay window should have the largest possible corner windows.
I still see the terrace only on the north side. Nobody wants to sit cramped next to the fence shared with the neighbor.
I’m not entirely sure, but in my opinion, with a 1.50m (5 feet) knee wall, there’s no need for additional flat roof dormers on the ground floor or similar. I still have the gable with a small roof pitch included at about 75%. However, a professional needs to calculate this.
Since the large play corridor is desired and attractive, I’m struggling to find space for the washing machine. I have it located in the large bathroom, which isn’t ideal.
Overall, I find the wishes and the plot quite challenging. I would probably hire an architect with more expertise than just a draftsman from a general contractor, provided it remains affordable and doesn’t end up looking completely crazy from an aesthetic standpoint.
Whether to give up all the fuss and instead have a long driveway with the house set further back would mainly depend on the street for me. I’m not really the type to want to see cars constantly passing by. On the other hand, sunlight in the living room is important. It’s not an easy decision.
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