Hello everyone,
we have purchased a quite challenging sloped plot and have now received the first draft from our architect. I have personally revised it to address some weaknesses that arose due to my requested changes. The exterior dimensions are relatively fixed. I am fairly satisfied but would appreciate some additional feedback before sending it back to the architect.
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 731 sqm (7870 sq ft)
Slope: Yes, steep slope; the street runs north down into the valley and the garden is elevated on the mountain to the east
Building envelope, building line and boundaries: 3 m (10 feet) to neighbors/street
Orientation: Garden east, street west
Maximum heights/limits: still uncertain. According to the preliminary building inquiry, about 9.50 m (31 feet) from basement slab
Other requirements: according to § 34
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Modern, flat roof
Basement, floors: Basement plus 2 full floors
Number of occupants, ages: 4 persons (41 years, 29 years, 3 years, 1 year), possible third child later
Space needs on ground floor: Living-dining-cooking area, storage/pantry, guest WC, office
Space needs on upper floor: Bedroom, dressing room, master bathroom, utility room, 2 children’s bedrooms, children’s bathroom
Space needs in basement: Secondary apartment as office and fitness area, technical room, entrance/wardrobe, storage, technical room, garage
Office: Family use or home office? 2 home office rooms
Overnight guests per year: 2 weeks per year
Open or closed layout: Very open living-dining-kitchen area; rest more closed
Conservative or modern construction: ?
Open kitchen, kitchen island: both desired
Number of dining seats: 8-10
Fireplace: rather no
Music/sound wall: if possible
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: Large garage with double door
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons why something should or should not be included: very different daily rhythms, husband goes to bed late and sleeps accordingly long. Basement office for undisturbed work.
We would like the garden level to be as high as possible above street level since the plot borders a nice meadow that is currently about 1-2 m (3-6 feet) above garden level. However, the house cannot be set too high because otherwise the garage entrance would become too steep.
House Design
Planner: Architect, with interior adjustments by myself
What do you particularly like? Why? Open, spacious living area, bay window
What do you dislike? Why? Unfavorable cloakroom situation when arriving from the garage. Long dirt zone through which you have to pass to reach the office.
Price estimate by architect: over 1 million
Personal price limit for house, including features: basically already stretched at 1 million, possibly up to 1.1-1.2 million
Preferred heating technology: Heat pump, underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, which details/extensions
- Can you give up: Installation of the basement office as a separate apartment, but desired for tax reasons
- Cannot give up: Basically everything is in some way desired/important
Why does the design look the way it does? For example:
Due to the challenging slope of the plot, many factors are more or less predetermined. There was already an approved building application from another architect, which independently resembles this design closely.
I fell in love with the kitchen bay window in a show home, which unfortunately means the pantry cannot be used as the direct extension of the kitchen as originally planned... Since the kitchen is very large, the room will probably function more as a storage pantry.
On the upper floor, the second children’s bedroom is located in the northwest rather than the southwest because the higher neighbor's house stands directly to the south, and to the north there is a great view of the green valley.
we have purchased a quite challenging sloped plot and have now received the first draft from our architect. I have personally revised it to address some weaknesses that arose due to my requested changes. The exterior dimensions are relatively fixed. I am fairly satisfied but would appreciate some additional feedback before sending it back to the architect.
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 731 sqm (7870 sq ft)
Slope: Yes, steep slope; the street runs north down into the valley and the garden is elevated on the mountain to the east
Building envelope, building line and boundaries: 3 m (10 feet) to neighbors/street
Orientation: Garden east, street west
Maximum heights/limits: still uncertain. According to the preliminary building inquiry, about 9.50 m (31 feet) from basement slab
Other requirements: according to § 34
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Modern, flat roof
Basement, floors: Basement plus 2 full floors
Number of occupants, ages: 4 persons (41 years, 29 years, 3 years, 1 year), possible third child later
Space needs on ground floor: Living-dining-cooking area, storage/pantry, guest WC, office
Space needs on upper floor: Bedroom, dressing room, master bathroom, utility room, 2 children’s bedrooms, children’s bathroom
Space needs in basement: Secondary apartment as office and fitness area, technical room, entrance/wardrobe, storage, technical room, garage
Office: Family use or home office? 2 home office rooms
Overnight guests per year: 2 weeks per year
Open or closed layout: Very open living-dining-kitchen area; rest more closed
Conservative or modern construction: ?
Open kitchen, kitchen island: both desired
Number of dining seats: 8-10
Fireplace: rather no
Music/sound wall: if possible
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: Large garage with double door
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons why something should or should not be included: very different daily rhythms, husband goes to bed late and sleeps accordingly long. Basement office for undisturbed work.
We would like the garden level to be as high as possible above street level since the plot borders a nice meadow that is currently about 1-2 m (3-6 feet) above garden level. However, the house cannot be set too high because otherwise the garage entrance would become too steep.
House Design
Planner: Architect, with interior adjustments by myself
What do you particularly like? Why? Open, spacious living area, bay window
What do you dislike? Why? Unfavorable cloakroom situation when arriving from the garage. Long dirt zone through which you have to pass to reach the office.
Price estimate by architect: over 1 million
Personal price limit for house, including features: basically already stretched at 1 million, possibly up to 1.1-1.2 million
Preferred heating technology: Heat pump, underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, which details/extensions
- Can you give up: Installation of the basement office as a separate apartment, but desired for tax reasons
- Cannot give up: Basically everything is in some way desired/important
Why does the design look the way it does? For example:
Due to the challenging slope of the plot, many factors are more or less predetermined. There was already an approved building application from another architect, which independently resembles this design closely.
I fell in love with the kitchen bay window in a show home, which unfortunately means the pantry cannot be used as the direct extension of the kitchen as originally planned... Since the kitchen is very large, the room will probably function more as a storage pantry.
On the upper floor, the second children’s bedroom is located in the northwest rather than the southwest because the higher neighbor's house stands directly to the south, and to the north there is a great view of the green valley.
N
nordanney16 Jan 2025 17:40Skya2020 schrieb:
Let the room layout be our concern; we have already put thought into it.Then why are you even discussing the floor plan if you have already considered everything? Just because you find something from a distant, idealized past to be “acceptable” doesn’t mean it is objectively good. There is a lot of “I just want it this way” involved. Then just do it that way. For me, the house is poorly planned for its size in almost every respect. Whether it’s the mentioned small bathroom for the children, the waste niches in the rooms, the “wrong” size proportions of the rooms, and so on.nordanney schrieb:
Why are you even discussing the floor plan if you’ve already thought everything through? Just because you find something from a distant, idealized past to be “acceptable” doesn’t mean it’s objectively good. There’s a lot of “I want it this way” in there. Then just do it that way.
To me, the house is poorly designed for its size. In almost every aspect. Whether it’s the small bathroom for the kids, the trash niches in the rooms, “wrong” size proportions of rooms, and so on. If I hadn’t put the floor plan up for discussion, I wouldn’t now be working on an alternative with a different staircase design, which I actually like better in the end. That’s exactly why I’m here. I didn’t want to overhaul the whole concept, just improve my design.
Of course, there’s a lot of “I want it this way.” After all, it will be our house, and we have put a lot of thought into what we want and what’s important to us. We saved square meters (square feet) on the children’s bathroom, but ensured there is enough space to do laundry later on. Having sufficiently large kids’ rooms is also important to me. So I’m saving space in the master bedroom. Everyone has their own experiences that shape what is important and what is not. I have seen award-winning architect-designed houses where I wouldn’t feel comfortable at all. That’s why we build new — to do it exactly the way we want.
I have already received good feedback here, though I see some things differently, and in the end, it’s me who has to move in there.
H
hanghaus202316 Jan 2025 17:59Here with a separate apartment and 3 children’s bedrooms on the upper floor (first floor).
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Here with a granny flat and 3 children's bedrooms on the upper floor.
If we can’t afford the bay window, that would be an interesting layout. Although then you have quite a large light well in the garden. I like the idea of turning the garage, but I’m not sure if it would all fit with 2 cars. It looks a bit tight for maneuvering to me.
W
wiltshire16 Jan 2025 18:08Skya2020 schrieb:
Of course, a lot of it is "I just want it that way" That is completely valid.
Skya2020 schrieb:
I have seen award-winning architect-designed houses where I wouldn’t feel comfortable at all. I feel the same way. A good architect designs the house based on the customer's requirements and wishes. Unfortunately, many future homeowners spend too little time clarifying their goals, priorities, and the consequences, and architects often stop asking questions too early and start drawing before the commission is truly clear. Because of this shortened process, it’s a matter of luck whether a good house results. Few admit this—but the saying “The first house you build is for your enemy, the second for a friend, and the third for yourself” comes exactly from this.
Skya2020 schrieb:
That’s the reason for building new: to do it exactly the way you want.
Do what you want, but also want what you do. Skya2020 schrieb:
After all, I have to move in there myself. Hopefully, you want to move in there and live well for a long time.
N
nordanney16 Jan 2025 18:24Skya2020 schrieb:
Saved on square meters for the kids’ bathroom, but enough space to do the laundry afterwards. Hey, nice to see you thought about the kids with less than five square meters (50 square feet) for their bathroom. Just over four percent of the upstairs area is available for the kids’ hygiene needs. And without a window, too. THAT is really enough.
That means later on, Child 1 will be in the kids’ bathroom while Child 2 uses the parents’ bathroom. Getting ready together in this tiny bathroom is simply not an option. Just imagine when they become teenagers. They will literally hate it and curse you. Even worse when they have overnight guests.
But hey, you had a good experience as a child (sarcasm!).
This is not what I mean by “I like the floor plan” at all. We built almost 300 square meters (3,230 square feet) of living space years ago, and no one would do anything this ridiculous. It’s better to make the kids’ rooms noticeably smaller and have either en-suite bathrooms or a spacious kids’ bathroom where more than one person can fit. And please, with a window. You won’t even find interior bathrooms like these (even with a light dome) in new social housing.
That’s enough for me on the floor plan discussion. It’s just not my thing.
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