ᐅ House on a slope – approximately 200 square meters of living space

Good morning everyone,

we are building a single-family house with approximately 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft) of living space on a beautiful sloped plot not far from the city center. We shared some initial drafts a few months ago. Since a lot has changed since then, we are posting the current planning status again and look forward to the discussions:

Development plan/restrictions: development plan
Plot size: 500 sqm (5,380 sq ft)
Slope: yes, about 6 m (20 ft) drop over 28 m (92 ft) plot length (southeast facing slope)
Floor area ratio: 0.2
Plot ratio: 0.3 (variations are expected to be approved if the floor area ratio is respected)
Building envelope, building line and boundaries: standard setback distances
Edge development: garage will be built on the boundary line, which is permitted
Number of parking spaces: 1 + garage driveway
Number of storeys: I + IS (meaning 1 full floor + basement level → basement on the slope)
Roof style: no specification
Architectural style: no specification
Orientation: ridge must run east-west
Maximum heights/limits: eaves max. 3.60 m (11.8 ft) above street level
Other requirements

Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: gable roof with 48° pitch
Basement, floors: basement level – to be used as primary living space on the south slope with access to the terrace
Number of people, ages: parents just over 30, children 0 and 2 years old
Space requirements for ground floor and upper floor: ground floor: main living area and kitchen; upper floor: 3 bedrooms + bathroom; basement: summer living room/playroom with garden access, guest room
Office use: possibly a studio office under the roof (not a decisive factor)
Guests per year: long-term visits anticipated
Open or closed architecture: open
Traditional or modern construction: classic form with large, high windows
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with cold island and seating
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: probably yes, but as an external chimney
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: prefabricated garage with masonry undercroft
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why certain things should be included or excluded:

terrace access at ground level from the basement
photovoltaic system

House design
Who designed it:
- Planner from a construction company (civil engineer) / self-planned by homeowners

What do you particularly like? Why? Large basement room with terrace access. Comfortable overnight accommodation for guests.
What don’t you like? Why? The stair shape is very functional; it optimizes space usage on the upper floor and generally towards the south side of the house. A straight staircase would be preferred visually, though.
The current full storey definition according to the Bavarian Building Code of 1969 forbids, for example, raising the knee wall or adding a second dormer on the upper floor.
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: €360,000
Personal price limit for the house including fixtures: 400,000
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump

If you have to give up something, what details/finishes can you live without?
- Can give up: photovoltaic system
- Cannot give up: basement with living-quality standards

Why does the design look the way it does? For example:
Based on the plot conditions and the development plan, we have completely redesigned the first draft step by step, incorporating inspiration from this forum and new build areas (offline) / Pinterest and similar sources (online).

Currently, we are still considering the following questions:
- Floor-to-ceiling windows on the south side: single- or double-leaf? Originally double-leaf with 150 cm (60 inches) width planned. We prefer the look without the division, but then probably max. 120 cm (47 inches) wide would be possible.
- Fixed glazing as a large light strip on the southwest corner of the basement or rather two windows aligned with those above on the west facade?
- Omit the window in the small basement room on the northwest side to improve facade appearance?
- Add 2 extra roof windows next to the dormer on the upper floor to bring more light to the children’s rooms?
- Flooring on ground and basement floors: upper floor will have parquet; still undecided between parquet, continuous granite flooring, or exposed screed/smooth floor for the other two levels

We look forward to your comments!

Here is the floor plan of the main bathroom

Unfortunately, I don’t find this design coherent. Overall, the rooms are poorly laid out and, in my opinion, way too large.
- A rectangular hall with 60 square meters (645 square feet) as a living/dining area? 60 square meters (645 square feet) is okay for this, but the shape is very uninviting.
- Pantry 13 square meters (140 square feet)? For what purpose?
- The upper floor has only 4 rooms on about 100 square meters (1076 square feet) of floor space – nobody needs a children's room over 20 square meters (215 square feet).
- The basement is not really fully planned; the cellar rooms are all very oddly shaped – where is the utility/technical room? (If that is supposed to be the heating/utility room, 8 square meters (86 square feet) probably won’t be enough).
- ….

Furthermore, I don’t think your budget will be sufficient. The basement also includes some areas at living quality, and you may also want to finish the studio.

You should discuss your requirements with an architect and have a design created for you.

Best regards,
ivenh0

I remember the planning back then: you focused on having access from the hobby room to the garden, while keeping the living room and kitchen closed off. I didn’t understand that at the time.
Now, I also don’t understand quite a few things, sorry, for example, the window placements.

Why don’t you hire an architect who can professionally implement your wishes?

Still a huge stock remaining.
I think the washing machine will go in the utility room. So, the longest possible route. Storage rooms and basement are really confusingly laid out.
Garden/terrace and main living area separated is and remains a no-go for me.

The budget will be very tight.

Are you planning to build with masonry or timber frame?

Oh, I forgot:
Basement walls basically serve as the structural foundation for the upper floors.
Your hobby room cannot be structurally realized this way, let alone be considered a base for the floors above [emoji853]