ᐅ Building alignment including or excluding garage on a sloped lot
Created on: 27 Jul 2025 15:35
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HeinzBosslauch
Hello everyone,
Originally, we planned a solid construction house with an architect. Due to the uncertain market situation and potential cost increases with individual contracts, we have now decided to go with a prefabricated house provider and are therefore switching to timber frame construction. The floor plan remains largely unchanged, but the new construction method requires some adjustments:
The architect planned two or three steps as well as a concrete slab with a raised edge in the outbuilding. The prefabricated house provider rejects this, arguing that both buildings must be at the same level. Direct contact between the exterior wall and the foundation/reinforced concrete wall would lead to moisture and long-term damage. The height difference is small and is better compensated through the foundation.
However, the section shows a critical height offset. Possible solutions would be:
Elevations, sections, and floor plans are attached – I look forward to your feedback!
Thanks in advance!
Originally, we planned a solid construction house with an architect. Due to the uncertain market situation and potential cost increases with individual contracts, we have now decided to go with a prefabricated house provider and are therefore switching to timber frame construction. The floor plan remains largely unchanged, but the new construction method requires some adjustments:
The architect planned two or three steps as well as a concrete slab with a raised edge in the outbuilding. The prefabricated house provider rejects this, arguing that both buildings must be at the same level. Direct contact between the exterior wall and the foundation/reinforced concrete wall would lead to moisture and long-term damage. The height difference is small and is better compensated through the foundation.
However, the section shows a critical height offset. Possible solutions would be:
- Lowering the house (possibly with disadvantages for drainage, daylight, and appearance),
- Separating the garage and designing the transition with steps,
- Or leveling the front height already and building the garage higher (steep driveway)
Elevations, sections, and floor plans are attached – I look forward to your feedback!
Thanks in advance!
H
hanghaus202329 Jul 2025 21:13189.16 - 187.6 = 1.56 m (5.12 ft). Obviously, any lowering of the garage is beneficial.
Papierturm29 Jul 2025 21:26HeinzBosslauch schrieb:
Here are the heights from the plans again. Just to make sure I understand correctly, because I’m... well, completely exhausted:
The driveway starts at 187.8 meters (616 feet) and goes up to the forecourt at 4.65 meters (15 feet) higher, which is sloped and rises from 188.2 meters (617 feet) on the left side up to 189.16 meters (620 feet) by the garages?
If these numbers are correct and I’m reading the drawing right, you’d have to drive around a bend here. That would make the situation even more complicated. Is my assumption correct? Or am I so off track that I really should just go to sleep?
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hanghaus202330 Jul 2025 11:35Papierturm schrieb:
So I understand this correctly, because I’m... well, completely overtired:
Driveway from the bottom, from 187.8 up to the forecourt (4.65 m (15 ft 3 in)), which itself is sloped and leads from 188.2 (left) up to the garages at 189.16?
If these numbers are correct and I understand the drawing properly, you would have to drive around the curve here. That makes the situation even more difficult. Is my assumption correct? Or am I so off track here that I really should just go to sleep? I hope you slept well.
The road level is 187.6, going up to the garage level at 189.16. I already showed that in post #19.
On the outer curve, the distance is about 24 m (79 ft), and on the inner curve about 12 m (39 ft).
Outer curve: 1.56 m (5 ft 1 in) / 24 m (79 ft) * 100% = 6.5% slope.
Inner curve: 1.56 m (5 ft 1 in) / 12 m (39 ft) * 100% = maximum 13% slope.
That is still far from 19%.
The area is very large and even suitable for turning around. However, I would still avoid parking cars facing backward.
I rarely see such a large paved area at a single-family house. I hope the floor area ratio allows for it.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
The street level is at 187.6 meters (616.1 feet) and the garage level at 189.16 meters (619.9 feet). I already showed this in post #19.
On the outer curve, the path is about 24 meters (79 feet), and on the inner curve about 12 meters (39 feet).
Outer curve: 1.56 meters (5.1 feet) / 24 meters (79 feet) * 100% = 6.5% slope.
Inner curve: 1.56 meters (5.1 feet) / 12 meters (39 feet) * 100% = 13% maximum slope.
This is still far from 19%. But aren’t the first 5 meters (16 feet), before the curve begins, with about 100 cm (1 meter) (3.3 feet) height difference (red=187.6 meters (616.1 feet) and blue=188.6 meters (618.8 feet)) a significant part?
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hanghaus202330 Jul 2025 17:27@kbt09 The steep ramp at the beginning needs to be redesigned.
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HeinzBosslauch2 Aug 2025 22:38Hello everyone, and thank you very much for your support so far. I have now realized that I made a mistake in my thinking. The height difference is actually measured along the curve and is not as steep as I initially thought. Basically, hanghaus2023 explained it perfectly. We will still need to make some adjustments and try to create a somewhat “flatter” area in front of the garage. The middle section will probably be a bit steeper, but that might be a reasonable compromise. What do you think?
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