ᐅ House Design on a 1,000 m² Sloped Plot: Reviewing Our Modern Single-Family Home Plan
Created on: 2 Dec 2025 19:14
U
Uwe-gss11
Hello everyone,
so ... starting over, and this time properly ;-)
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size
- approx. 1,000 sqm (10,764 sq ft)
Slope
- slight slope starting from the middle; drops about 1.5 m (5 ft), but should not be a problem for the house
Site occupancy index / Floor area ratio
- Buildable according to the building regulations of RLP, similar to neighboring buildings ... 2 houses nearby also have 2 full stories + 45° gable roof
Building window, building line, and boundary
- about 20 m (66 ft) from the street, 3 m (10 ft) boundary clearance
- boundary construction max. 12 m (39 ft) on one side, average wall height 3.2 m (10.5 ft), construction facing the street does not count as boundary construction ... only 50 cm (20 inches) distance must be kept from the sidewalk
- Plot width: 25.8 m (85 ft) - depth: approx. 38 m (125 ft)
Edge development
- no
Parking spaces
- Garage = 2 parking spaces, at least 4 more cars can fit in the driveway (for visitors, for example)
Number of floors
- 2 full stories
Roof type
- Gable roof with 45° pitch (= slight optimization for photovoltaic systems from autumn to spring ... summer gets plenty of sun anyway)
Architectural style
- simple but modern
Orientation
- South-southeast
Maximum heights / limits
- previous building (demolished) was 11.9 m (39 ft) high
Further requirements
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type
- see above
Basement, floors
- no basement, 2 full stories + unfinished attic under the gable roof
Number of occupants, ages
- 2 adults in their mid to late 50s, 2 teenagers
Space requirements on ground and upper floors
- We currently live in an old building with large rooms ... it should not feel cramped ;-)
Office: family use or home office?
- Yes, "multipurpose room for office + guests"
Guest stays per year
- rare ... probably mainly used as office, or if one parent wants to "move abroad" for a while ;-)
Open or closed plan
- living, dining, and kitchen open; rest closed
Conservative or modern construction
- modern, whatever that means ;-)
Open kitchen, kitchen island
- Yes
Number of dining seats
- basically a table for 6 is enough but should be extendable for gatherings
Fireplace
- no
Music / stereo setup
- 2 floor-standing speakers next to the TV
Balcony, roof terrace
- terrace ... the one on the east is shaded in midsummer (= good), but the terrace also extends to the south ... we will see which becomes our "main terrace" once we live there
Garage, carport
- large garage with plenty of storage space (since we don’t have a basement)
Utility garden, greenhouse
- some space for growing things ... strawberries, mint, chives, rhubarb, tomatoes
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for preferences or exclusions
- the "village main road" is to the north and relatively busy during peak hours. Therefore, all living areas face south
House Design
Who designed it:
- Do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
- Large, bright rooms with unobstructed views of greenery
What do you not like? Why?
- Overall it fits, but where/how does the living room door open onto the terrace ... we still don’t know where our main terrace will be.
- When I wasn’t sure how much space I needed, I preferred to have "a bit more" ... maybe it’s too big? ... honestly, I don’t know where to cut significantly ... okay, I could reduce 1 m (3 ft) in the south, but I don’t want the dining table and sofa directly at the glass wall. Upstairs this would be easier, but that one meter???
- I originally wanted the wardrobe directly between the front door and the door to the garage (on the exterior wall, where the guest WC is now). But a guest WC without daylight is probably not desirable.
Cost estimate from architect/designer:
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings:
- none yet ... but I’m relatively flexible
Preferred heating technology:
- waiting for the heating demand calculation ... ideally, at least 80% would be covered by controlled residential ventilation. For extremely cold days (if they still happen), more baking in the oven or other heating methods will be used ;-)
If you had to give up on any details or additions
- basically nothing ... we are only building once in life, and then it should fit.
Why was the design made this way?
Own design based on “gut feeling” about what we would like ... it has been in my mind for years.
PS: This is my second attempt here; the first one (under https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/unser-efh-aufm-land-4-personen.49842/) had too little information.
I have already adjusted the plan a bit here:
- The garage is less deep so that the technical room gets a window, and the supply / air for controlled residential ventilation can go directly outside.
- I have slightly redesigned the kitchen (dining table in the middle instead of at the bottom). This could save some space downstairs, but not much.
... I’m a bit clueless ... but maybe you can give me some suggestions. I will also talk to the planner again and ask a friendly architect for advice.
Okay, now “fire away” 😀
THANK YOU!
Uwe-gss11
so ... starting over, and this time properly ;-)
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size
- approx. 1,000 sqm (10,764 sq ft)
Slope
- slight slope starting from the middle; drops about 1.5 m (5 ft), but should not be a problem for the house
Site occupancy index / Floor area ratio
- Buildable according to the building regulations of RLP, similar to neighboring buildings ... 2 houses nearby also have 2 full stories + 45° gable roof
Building window, building line, and boundary
- about 20 m (66 ft) from the street, 3 m (10 ft) boundary clearance
- boundary construction max. 12 m (39 ft) on one side, average wall height 3.2 m (10.5 ft), construction facing the street does not count as boundary construction ... only 50 cm (20 inches) distance must be kept from the sidewalk
- Plot width: 25.8 m (85 ft) - depth: approx. 38 m (125 ft)
Edge development
- no
Parking spaces
- Garage = 2 parking spaces, at least 4 more cars can fit in the driveway (for visitors, for example)
Number of floors
- 2 full stories
Roof type
- Gable roof with 45° pitch (= slight optimization for photovoltaic systems from autumn to spring ... summer gets plenty of sun anyway)
Architectural style
- simple but modern
Orientation
- South-southeast
Maximum heights / limits
- previous building (demolished) was 11.9 m (39 ft) high
Further requirements
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type
- see above
Basement, floors
- no basement, 2 full stories + unfinished attic under the gable roof
Number of occupants, ages
- 2 adults in their mid to late 50s, 2 teenagers
Space requirements on ground and upper floors
- We currently live in an old building with large rooms ... it should not feel cramped ;-)
Office: family use or home office?
- Yes, "multipurpose room for office + guests"
Guest stays per year
- rare ... probably mainly used as office, or if one parent wants to "move abroad" for a while ;-)
Open or closed plan
- living, dining, and kitchen open; rest closed
Conservative or modern construction
- modern, whatever that means ;-)
Open kitchen, kitchen island
- Yes
Number of dining seats
- basically a table for 6 is enough but should be extendable for gatherings
Fireplace
- no
Music / stereo setup
- 2 floor-standing speakers next to the TV
Balcony, roof terrace
- terrace ... the one on the east is shaded in midsummer (= good), but the terrace also extends to the south ... we will see which becomes our "main terrace" once we live there
Garage, carport
- large garage with plenty of storage space (since we don’t have a basement)
Utility garden, greenhouse
- some space for growing things ... strawberries, mint, chives, rhubarb, tomatoes
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for preferences or exclusions
- the "village main road" is to the north and relatively busy during peak hours. Therefore, all living areas face south
House Design
Who designed it:
- Do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
- Large, bright rooms with unobstructed views of greenery
What do you not like? Why?
- Overall it fits, but where/how does the living room door open onto the terrace ... we still don’t know where our main terrace will be.
- When I wasn’t sure how much space I needed, I preferred to have "a bit more" ... maybe it’s too big? ... honestly, I don’t know where to cut significantly ... okay, I could reduce 1 m (3 ft) in the south, but I don’t want the dining table and sofa directly at the glass wall. Upstairs this would be easier, but that one meter???
- I originally wanted the wardrobe directly between the front door and the door to the garage (on the exterior wall, where the guest WC is now). But a guest WC without daylight is probably not desirable.
Cost estimate from architect/designer:
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings:
- none yet ... but I’m relatively flexible
Preferred heating technology:
- waiting for the heating demand calculation ... ideally, at least 80% would be covered by controlled residential ventilation. For extremely cold days (if they still happen), more baking in the oven or other heating methods will be used ;-)
If you had to give up on any details or additions
- basically nothing ... we are only building once in life, and then it should fit.
Why was the design made this way?
Own design based on “gut feeling” about what we would like ... it has been in my mind for years.
PS: This is my second attempt here; the first one (under https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/unser-efh-aufm-land-4-personen.49842/) had too little information.
I have already adjusted the plan a bit here:
- The garage is less deep so that the technical room gets a window, and the supply / air for controlled residential ventilation can go directly outside.
- I have slightly redesigned the kitchen (dining table in the middle instead of at the bottom). This could save some space downstairs, but not much.
... I’m a bit clueless ... but maybe you can give me some suggestions. I will also talk to the planner again and ask a friendly architect for advice.
Okay, now “fire away” 😀
THANK YOU!
Uwe-gss11
M
MachsSelbst10 Dec 2025 13:08Schmirgel schrieb:
Dear Te,
you apparently assume that your children will live with you until at least age 22, or even into their mid or late 20s. In my opinion, having bedrooms right next to the parents’ room in that case is practically out of the question.
(...) Where else should the children’s bedrooms be located then? And you’re mistaken—I know many cases where children lived at home until their mid-20s, with their rooms naturally on the upper floor or in a rented apartment right next to the parents. Simply because during vocational training or university studies in larger cities, affording an independent apartment is often impossible. This is becoming difficult even for full-time workers nowadays.
N
nordanney10 Dec 2025 13:17MachsSelbst schrieb:
Where else should the children’s rooms go? And you’re mistaken, I know many cases where kids lived at home until their mid-20s and their rooms were, of course, on the upper floor or in a rental unit right next to their parents. Yes, that’s true. BUT, if you already have money and space, you can solve this more elegantly.
Because under a pitched roof there is a ready-made space that only needs to be finished (saving you floor space elsewhere). So you can build more cost-effectively and at the same time give the children their own area.
When I built with my ex, we designed our offices in the attic and the children’s bedrooms on the upper floor – all on one level with the parents. The plan was for the kids to move upstairs later and for us to move the offices downstairs. This is how it is now in my ex’s new house, and in my house the children have their own space in the basement – undisturbed by me (the eldest will turn 18 next year and is looking forward to having their own space).
M
MachsSelbst10 Dec 2025 13:53If he has the money, let him throw it away. The tradespeople will be happy.
U
Uwe-gss1110 Dec 2025 13:54Nope... nothing got sold ;-)
Similar topics