Hello everyone,
we have already read quite a bit in the forum and are impressed by your ideas. This motivated us to take the planning into our own hands and create some drawings. After several planning attempts, we now have a version we’d like to share with you :-)
Currently, we do not have an architect and are not yet sure if we will build with a prefabricated house company or a general contractor.
Development plan / restrictions
-> The plot is 1270 sqm (13659 sq ft) and is not solely owned by us. We would like to divide it and build for two families. For this purpose, we created a first draft plan. It includes our considerations regarding the plot size, boundary alignment (preferably a real division), surrounding environment, and the general spatial orientation.
The plot slopes, and the elevation difference is also shown in the plan. Since it is located in the old village center, there is no formal development plan, resulting in relatively few regulations.
The property is situated at a dead-end street with very limited parking options. For this reason, cars must be accommodated on the property.
Requirements from the building owners
For the roof design, we considered a shallow gable roof or a hip roof. We have currently not planned a basement for cost reasons. The house planning is based on a total of 4 residents (2 children, 2 adults). Initially, however, the house will only be occupied by two people, both in their late twenties.
Space requirements on the ground floor: open kitchen, large living and dining area, pantry, shower bathroom, office, utility room, spacious hallway
Space requirements on the upper floor: master bedroom with walk-in closet, bathroom, storage room, 2 bedrooms
On the ground floor, it is important to create a workspace suitable for working from home. The hallway should be welcoming and spacious, offering enough storage and shelving options.
The living and dining area should be as bright and spacious as possible (preferably with the option for a fireplace) and integrate the kitchen. An additional pantry allows for food storage. The utility room also serves as a laundry room. It was important for us to include a shower in the guest bathroom. Another idea was to be able to separate the floors for independent living. This would require conversion measures.
The upper floor should include a master bedroom with walk-in closet and two additional rooms. The bathroom should have enough space for a bathtub, two sinks, toilet, and shower. A separate storage room on the upper floor for storing items is important to us! Current planning includes two full stories.
We have planned the garage in the rear corner of the plot to also store garden equipment.
Building services:
- Controlled mechanical ventilation
- Gas heating
- Fireplace still undecided
- Underfloor heating
- Electric roller shutters throughout
- KFW70 standard
Open questions – plot:
- Effort for earthworks
- Long distances for utility connections
- Long driveway on the property
- Clarification on plot division – whether this is possible at all
…
The detailed room planning is included in another plan but is not yet finalized.
- Little light in the upper-floor hallway?
- Staircase – is a straight staircase better?
- Staircase directly in the entrance area – too narrow?
- Kitchen garden
- Is the utility room sufficiently sized?
- Office on the ground floor – is the space between desk and wall too small?
- Window distribution
What are your thoughts?
We look forward to your comments / assessments / ideas.
Thank you very much & best regards
Thomas
we have already read quite a bit in the forum and are impressed by your ideas. This motivated us to take the planning into our own hands and create some drawings. After several planning attempts, we now have a version we’d like to share with you :-)
Currently, we do not have an architect and are not yet sure if we will build with a prefabricated house company or a general contractor.
Development plan / restrictions
-> The plot is 1270 sqm (13659 sq ft) and is not solely owned by us. We would like to divide it and build for two families. For this purpose, we created a first draft plan. It includes our considerations regarding the plot size, boundary alignment (preferably a real division), surrounding environment, and the general spatial orientation.
The plot slopes, and the elevation difference is also shown in the plan. Since it is located in the old village center, there is no formal development plan, resulting in relatively few regulations.
The property is situated at a dead-end street with very limited parking options. For this reason, cars must be accommodated on the property.
Requirements from the building owners
For the roof design, we considered a shallow gable roof or a hip roof. We have currently not planned a basement for cost reasons. The house planning is based on a total of 4 residents (2 children, 2 adults). Initially, however, the house will only be occupied by two people, both in their late twenties.
Space requirements on the ground floor: open kitchen, large living and dining area, pantry, shower bathroom, office, utility room, spacious hallway
Space requirements on the upper floor: master bedroom with walk-in closet, bathroom, storage room, 2 bedrooms
On the ground floor, it is important to create a workspace suitable for working from home. The hallway should be welcoming and spacious, offering enough storage and shelving options.
The living and dining area should be as bright and spacious as possible (preferably with the option for a fireplace) and integrate the kitchen. An additional pantry allows for food storage. The utility room also serves as a laundry room. It was important for us to include a shower in the guest bathroom. Another idea was to be able to separate the floors for independent living. This would require conversion measures.
The upper floor should include a master bedroom with walk-in closet and two additional rooms. The bathroom should have enough space for a bathtub, two sinks, toilet, and shower. A separate storage room on the upper floor for storing items is important to us! Current planning includes two full stories.
We have planned the garage in the rear corner of the plot to also store garden equipment.
Building services:
- Controlled mechanical ventilation
- Gas heating
- Fireplace still undecided
- Underfloor heating
- Electric roller shutters throughout
- KFW70 standard
Open questions – plot:
- Effort for earthworks
- Long distances for utility connections
- Long driveway on the property
- Clarification on plot division – whether this is possible at all
…
The detailed room planning is included in another plan but is not yet finalized.
- Little light in the upper-floor hallway?
- Staircase – is a straight staircase better?
- Staircase directly in the entrance area – too narrow?
- Kitchen garden
- Is the utility room sufficiently sized?
- Office on the ground floor – is the space between desk and wall too small?
- Window distribution
What are your thoughts?
We look forward to your comments / assessments / ideas.
Thank you very much & best regards
Thomas
D
Doc.Schnaggls30 Mar 2015 09:33Hello,
I have a question regarding the shared plot area of about 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft).
Is this area used exclusively by you as driveway and access to the house, or do the residents of Plot 1 also use this space?
Personally, I really like the walls set at a 45° angle—I designed the access to the children’s rooms in our attic the same way, with two walls at 45°, and so far the resulting more spacious hallway and the break from the usual right angles have been appreciated by every visitor. Of course, it’s a matter of personal taste… 😎
If you like something like that, then go for it—we didn’t let terms like “makeshift solution” bother us and are very happy about it today.
The bathroom on the ground floor seems a bit large to me personally, but considering a possible future division into two apartments, it’s not entirely unreasonable.
I share your concerns about the staircase—I find both the location and size a bit unfortunate.
I would also reconsider the wall between the bedroom and the walk-in closet. With it, you can only fit one wardrobe; otherwise, it gets too tight. How about replacing the partition wall with a built-in wardrobe (floor to ceiling)? That way, you’d nearly double your storage space—we approached our bedroom/walk-in closet area this way as well.
I would also rethink the bathroom layout in the attic—at least swap the shower and toilet (including the window) so that the shower head can be installed on the narrower end of the shower, probably eliminating the need for a shower door altogether.
Best regards,
Dirk
I have a question regarding the shared plot area of about 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft).
Is this area used exclusively by you as driveway and access to the house, or do the residents of Plot 1 also use this space?
Personally, I really like the walls set at a 45° angle—I designed the access to the children’s rooms in our attic the same way, with two walls at 45°, and so far the resulting more spacious hallway and the break from the usual right angles have been appreciated by every visitor. Of course, it’s a matter of personal taste… 😎
If you like something like that, then go for it—we didn’t let terms like “makeshift solution” bother us and are very happy about it today.
The bathroom on the ground floor seems a bit large to me personally, but considering a possible future division into two apartments, it’s not entirely unreasonable.
I share your concerns about the staircase—I find both the location and size a bit unfortunate.
I would also reconsider the wall between the bedroom and the walk-in closet. With it, you can only fit one wardrobe; otherwise, it gets too tight. How about replacing the partition wall with a built-in wardrobe (floor to ceiling)? That way, you’d nearly double your storage space—we approached our bedroom/walk-in closet area this way as well.
I would also rethink the bathroom layout in the attic—at least swap the shower and toilet (including the window) so that the shower head can be installed on the narrower end of the shower, probably eliminating the need for a shower door altogether.
Best regards,
Dirk
Tschi schrieb:
Development Plan/Restrictions
-> This is a 1270 sqm (13,668 sq ft) plot of land that we do not own solely. We would like to divide it and build on it for two families. For this, we have created an initial draft plan. It includes our considerations regarding the plot size, boundary delineation (preferably a physical subdivision), the surrounding environment, and the general spatial orientation.
The land slopes, and the elevation difference is also included in the plan. Since it is located in the old town center, there is no formal development plan or zoning regulations. Therefore, the requirements are relatively minimal.
The plot is situated at a dead-end street with very limited parking options. For this reason, cars must be accommodated on the property. Hello Tschi,
The floor area ratio/building coverage ratio should not be an issue, but subdividing the plot would be unnecessarily expensive in NRW and could result in construction encumbrances. Therefore, you should consult with a surveyor or architect to explore alternative solutions.
- Is the building plot already burdened with encumbrances for the wine producer’s halls?
- Why is a joint ownership plot being created? I would resolve this with easements instead...
- Is a garage directly accessible from the street permitted?
Best regards,
Dirk Grafe
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