ᐅ Location of a city villa or detached single-family house on a 500 m² rectangular plot

Created on: 17 Jan 2020 18:03

Dear all,

after sharing the floor plans of my possible hamster cage with you in the other thread , here comes the next thread (thanks again for all the constructive suggestions there).
Just so you know, the semi-detached house is not off the table yet, as this plot of land is highly sought after and it’s not clear whether it will work out. But this one would be my favorite.

Now to this plot. For now, I’m mainly concerned with where and roughly how the house should be positioned on this plot.

Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 500 m² (5400 sq ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: 0.2
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 5 m (16 ft) from the street, 3 m (10 ft) from neighbors
Edge development: allowed for garages and sheds, none existing on the plot
Number of parking spaces: 1-2
Number of floors: 1.5–2.5
Roof shape: no preference
Architectural style: no preference
Orientation: aligned parallel to the street
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height max. 9 m (30 ft)

Below are the site plans I created myself based on the details from the listing.

This is a rough overview of the plot with building boundaries and dimensions.

Site plan: green center outlined by red frame, street names on the left and compass top left.

My question is: where to put the house?
The broker suggests placing it towards the back, since you already have the 5 m (16 ft) setback at the front and would “gain” about 3 m (10 ft) of garden. My partner doesn’t like this because of the visibility from the street. I say: privacy screen! But I also think, a fence too high might create a prison-yard feel.

But even if you follow this suggestion, I wonder if a more square floor plan (-> town villa style) would be better?

Like this, for example:

Floor plan: street on the left, orange buffer zones, green area, central grey building (100 m²).

Then parking space might be tricky, right?

Or upright like this?

Floor plan of a plot with orange buffer zones, green yard and grey building block.

I really want as much of a west-facing view and garden as possible. I tend to be an evening person and that side is less built up, due to the road. So I think more light comes through.
But the narrow floor plan caused lots of problems with the semi-detached house already. Well, here you could build longer instead.

What do you think?

Best regards

Tolentino

ypg13 Mar 2020 19:15

#115

Tolentino schrieb:

Reversing straight back for 16m (52 feet) is definitely more of a challenge.

There will be a fence at the front of the plot. The 1.5 meters (5 feet) of space left from the house will act as a buffer.

Tolentino schrieb:

I don’t think it’s as bad as you believe.

I think that, as a pragmatist, you don’t see a problem, especially since you work from home and don’t have to do that in-and-out parking maneuver multiple times a day. Consider, though, if you have three kids, you’ll be performing these driving skills quite often during the day. Sure, you get practice, but I believe it can be quite frustrating – especially if you have crying or unruly children on the back seat... and that’s not uncommon. But I admit that since I once lived in a terraced house without a yard or parking space, I tend to be more critical when I don’t see a nice paved area in front where you could do something like repairing a bike without disturbing anyone.

Tolentino schrieb:

To be honest, it would really suit my nature to position the house at an angle. For example, my desk in my office is also angled. So it’s not that I want to avoid conventions (although the building permit/planning permission for a diagonally positioned house might still be an issue to discuss).

Why worry about conventions? Just because many don’t feel the need, or aren’t creative, or often the local development plan/planning regulations (roof ridge orientation, building line, etc.) get in the way? Take a look at your Google site plan you posted earlier: half of the houses in the neighborhood are similarly angled.

Tolentino schrieb:

But from my perspective, what’s really unacceptable is the restriction on available space.

But you don’t actually have that issue. Look, I got a little creative

Two house floor plans drawn on paper with garden, paths, trees, and hedges.

I won’t comment on the design quality here. The point is your concern about losing part of the plot or garden... Both have their pros and cons and could be improved.

I was referring to the Scan SH 142 XXL model. It is a single-story, but there’s no problem making it two stories. However, I should note that the budget probably won’t cover a two-story house. But of course, you can do a lot yourself.

Here is the floor plan, plus some from Danwood with a somewhat blocky aspect ratio:

Two floors: Ground floor with open-plan living kitchen, hallway; upper floor with four rooms, bathroom, and landing.

Two floor plans PARK 140W: Ground floor with living/dining, kitchen, hallway, WC; upper floor with 4 rooms, bathroom.

Two-story floor plan: Ground floor with living/dining, kitchen; upper floor with rooms 1–4, bathroom.

I think these give you some inspiration. By the way, you could also position the house rotated the other way, parking the car in the resulting “triangle” between the house and the 5-meter (16 feet) property boundary. Since your south-facing orientation is at the narrow end of the plot, you will benefit from good sunlight, a garden, and a terrace, provided you can see the potential in positioning the house diagonally.

Tolentino13 Mar 2020 20:45

#116

Wow, thank you very much! We definitely need to think this over now.
I still feel like too much of the south-facing garden is lost, but I’m already starting to reconsider.
I do like evening sun as well.

ypg13 Mar 2020 20:58

#117

Tolentino schrieb:

Wow, thank you very much! Now we really have to think about it.
Although I still feel like too much of the south-facing garden will be lost, I’m already starting to rethink it.
I also like the evening sun.

Exactly. In summer (June), the sun sets in the northwest. Only by September does it set in the west. You would have both, and any attentive reader here knows that south-facing gardens are overrated. Often too large. Try using a sun position simulator like Sonnenstand dot de or similar to visualize it.
Also: you can turn the car around. If everything is arranged cleverly, a visitor might even park there. In the north of the house, in the triangular area, you could create an emergency bay. No one will really measure later on as long as you stay within 5 meters (16 feet).

kaho67414 Mar 2020 06:51

#118

ypg schrieb:

By the way, you could also position the house diagonally the other way and place the car in the triangular space created between the house and the 5-meter (16 feet) boundary. Since you have a south-facing orientation at the narrow end of the plot, you would still benefit from the terrace, garden, and natural light. Provided you recognize the potential of the diagonal layout

That sounds interesting, especially since the house and terrace wouldn’t face the street, which is a key point for me.

ypg14 Mar 2020 10:16

#119

kaho674 schrieb:

That sounds interesting, especially since the house and terrace wouldn’t face the street, which would be a major point for me.

looking for this sentence or a similar statement about the street ....

Tolentino schrieb:

So it’s a very quiet street, only built with single-family homes and townhouses. No sidewalk. Whether anyone actually walks there, well.

....I found this:

ypg schrieb:

Guys, you’re making a mistake!

You can’t expect to park at a 90-degree angle on a 3-meter (10 feet) wide street. That’s not possible unless you add another meter (3 feet) and take 5 minutes each time to maneuver. Or use a crane.
However, I don’t understand why you insist on a square shape: it’s easier to fit three kids’ bedrooms in a more elongated layout, and that’s easily achievable here without any strain.

Already pointed that out back then!!!

Regarding the street: I don’t know if it’s necessary to panic every time the garden faces the street. Our neighbors across the way have absolutely no problem with it. There’s a fully opaque hedge everywhere now. And yes: in winter you can see that their garden isn’t that far from the street. So what?
It’s not a through street. And if it were, there would have been prior consideration whether the location fits the property. I don’t see a problem here at all.

And yes: pedestrians also use streets without sidewalks. They take walks, go shopping, or accompany their children. A perfectly normal sight. And you’ll do the same as your neighbors. That’s what life is about — getting fresh air, stepping outside, and participating in social life.

kaho67414 Mar 2020 15:08

#120

ypg schrieb:

And yes: pedestrians also walk along streets without sidewalks. They go for walks, do shopping, or accompany children. A completely normal sight. And you will do the same as your neighbors. That is called living, getting fresh air, going outside, and participating in social life.

No way, I don’t want to see them and they shouldn’t see me. :P

Another one in landscape format. If the turning radius gets too tight, I would plan for 5m (16 feet) to the property line at the bottom of the plan. It currently shows 4m (13 feet).
(The staircase is not a landing)

ᐅ Location of a city villa or detached single-family house on a 500 m² rectangular plot

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