ᐅ Log Cabin with Half-Hipped Roof by the Forest – How to Improve the Design?
Created on: 11 Jun 2018 19:45
K
keychain
Hello everyone,
We have been planning and actively reading for over a year now. As our plans become more concrete, we would like to present our design and get your feedback.
First of all: Yes, the house is big. It is our dream, we are doing a lot of the work ourselves, and we know that we cannot extend it further — the situation here is a bit unusual, as strictly speaking this is only officially buildable land for a short time window.
A brief introduction: I am 36 years old and co-owner of an IT company. My partner is 31 and works as a lecturer. About two years ago, we found our dream plot — a little over 2800sqm (about 0.7 acres), with direct forest access and located in the third row. All neighboring plots are, as far as possible, already built on, mostly with former weekend houses or residential homes.
First, the questionnaire:
Building plan / restrictions?
No, there is no building plan, so we are following common local building standards. The neighboring house has two full stories, which we are using as a reference.
Plot size
2800sqm (about 0.7 acres)
Slope
Slight slope; we are on a ridge of the Ore Mountains. The building site has a height difference of max. 60cm (about 2 feet) from northeast to southwest. The entire plot slopes about 1.80m (6 feet) downward to the south along the west boundary. Rocky ground starting at 2.5m (8 feet) depth.
Plot ratio / floor area ratio
No exact figures known; according to the lawyer from the building permit office, we are well within limits.
Building envelope, building line and boundary
None
Boundary setbacks
Do you mean setback distances and boundary construction? If so: 3m (10 feet) all around; boundary construction for sheds and garages is theoretically permitted.
Number of parking spaces
1–2 under the porch + double garage.
Number of floors
2
Roof type
Half-hipped roof (Dutch hip roof).
Architectural style
Hmm... not sure?
Orientation
South-southwest
Maximum height/limits
None
Other requirements
Homeowners’ needs
We want our house to welcome us. Warm wood, natural building materials, lots of light and air — high ceilings, large beams. It should blend well with the environment, be warm and cozy.
Style, roof type, building type
Log house made from glue-laminated beams (probably Finnlog).
Basement, floors
Fully basemented with two full floors.
Number of residents, age
Currently 2 people. Children may come, parents as well.
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor
Currently about 300sqm (about 3200 sqft). This seems quite large, but looking at individual rooms (living/dining area) I don’t know where else to put the sound system. Maybe the planning is off or our space expectations are. We don’t have a TV; the fireplace is the central element.
Office: family use or home office?
An office is planned, but only as a fallback. I don’t want to work from home and only need space for private files and a desk.
Guest bedrooms per year
Variable, currently very few. Hopefully many more with the house — then we can accommodate them.
Open or closed architecture
Mixed. I prefer open, but an open void above the living area is not possible if you don’t want all cooking smells in the bedroom.
Traditional or modern construction
Hmm... solid wood house? Traditional.
Open kitchen, cooking island
An open, large kitchen with a big island where more than two people can cook comfortably. No seating in the kitchen, but a huge workspace.
Number of dining seats
10
Fireplace
Yes, a large soapstone stove.
Music / stereo wall
I am considering installating a Sonos system with a music room in the basement.
Balcony, roof terrace
No; we have a garden for that.
Garage, carport
Both; at least the entrance canopy is large enough for one car.
Vegetable garden, greenhouse
We want a greenhouse, a swimming pond, and a fire pit.
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why or why not
House design
Who designed it:
The design was created with an architect, based on our drafts.
What do you particularly like? Why?
High ceilings and visible ceiling beams on the upper floor, separated area upstairs for us, the fireplace room as a second retreat, the single-story “extension” for the dining room, the large kitchen, the fireplaces... and especially the abundant wood.
What don’t you like? Why?
The gable windows should get an added triangular top to maximize light. The current window layout feels a bit outdated. We actually wanted an open void, but this can’t be sensibly integrated. Heating is a constant issue and never fully resolved.
The worst: the master bathroom fixtures. We want a large bathtub and a double shower. Either the bathroom is too small or we lack imagination. It doesn’t look cozy...
Preferred heating system: currently unfortunately natural gas. Solid fuel heating is out for various reasons: a wood gasifier is too expensive and labor-intensive; pellet or woodchip stoves are not economical, plus we can’t reliably get deliveries in winter when the road is snowed in. Natural gas is about 100m (330 feet) away; we are still waiting for connection cost estimates. Heat pumps only make financial sense with geothermal; however, installation and technology would then be more expensive than a current compact car. We do not want oil heating or liquefied gas tanks.
If you have to omit something, which details/extensions
-can you omit:
-can you not omit:
Why is the design like it is now? For example:
The architect received a draft from us, every room was discussed beforehand (use, size, contents), and the design was revised multiple times. We like that it implements nearly everything we wanted and that the house does not look too bulky — due to the half-hipped roof and the gables, it does not seem so on the plans at least.
What is your most important / basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Apart from the effort for plastering: is the floor plan practical? For example: washing machine on the first floor where laundry occurs, bathroom for the children...
Now some free text — our notes:
Some things are already different from the plans:
We have also been thinking about other things:
I think that’s it. Thanks for your opinions!
We have been planning and actively reading for over a year now. As our plans become more concrete, we would like to present our design and get your feedback.
First of all: Yes, the house is big. It is our dream, we are doing a lot of the work ourselves, and we know that we cannot extend it further — the situation here is a bit unusual, as strictly speaking this is only officially buildable land for a short time window.
A brief introduction: I am 36 years old and co-owner of an IT company. My partner is 31 and works as a lecturer. About two years ago, we found our dream plot — a little over 2800sqm (about 0.7 acres), with direct forest access and located in the third row. All neighboring plots are, as far as possible, already built on, mostly with former weekend houses or residential homes.
First, the questionnaire:
Building plan / restrictions?
No, there is no building plan, so we are following common local building standards. The neighboring house has two full stories, which we are using as a reference.
Plot size
2800sqm (about 0.7 acres)
Slope
Slight slope; we are on a ridge of the Ore Mountains. The building site has a height difference of max. 60cm (about 2 feet) from northeast to southwest. The entire plot slopes about 1.80m (6 feet) downward to the south along the west boundary. Rocky ground starting at 2.5m (8 feet) depth.
Plot ratio / floor area ratio
No exact figures known; according to the lawyer from the building permit office, we are well within limits.
Building envelope, building line and boundary
None
Boundary setbacks
Do you mean setback distances and boundary construction? If so: 3m (10 feet) all around; boundary construction for sheds and garages is theoretically permitted.
Number of parking spaces
1–2 under the porch + double garage.
Number of floors
2
Roof type
Half-hipped roof (Dutch hip roof).
Architectural style
Hmm... not sure?
Orientation
South-southwest
Maximum height/limits
None
Other requirements
Homeowners’ needs
We want our house to welcome us. Warm wood, natural building materials, lots of light and air — high ceilings, large beams. It should blend well with the environment, be warm and cozy.
Style, roof type, building type
Log house made from glue-laminated beams (probably Finnlog).
Basement, floors
Fully basemented with two full floors.
Number of residents, age
Currently 2 people. Children may come, parents as well.
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor
Currently about 300sqm (about 3200 sqft). This seems quite large, but looking at individual rooms (living/dining area) I don’t know where else to put the sound system. Maybe the planning is off or our space expectations are. We don’t have a TV; the fireplace is the central element.
Office: family use or home office?
An office is planned, but only as a fallback. I don’t want to work from home and only need space for private files and a desk.
Guest bedrooms per year
Variable, currently very few. Hopefully many more with the house — then we can accommodate them.
Open or closed architecture
Mixed. I prefer open, but an open void above the living area is not possible if you don’t want all cooking smells in the bedroom.
Traditional or modern construction
Hmm... solid wood house? Traditional.
Open kitchen, cooking island
An open, large kitchen with a big island where more than two people can cook comfortably. No seating in the kitchen, but a huge workspace.
Number of dining seats
10
Fireplace
Yes, a large soapstone stove.
Music / stereo wall
I am considering installating a Sonos system with a music room in the basement.
Balcony, roof terrace
No; we have a garden for that.
Garage, carport
Both; at least the entrance canopy is large enough for one car.
Vegetable garden, greenhouse
We want a greenhouse, a swimming pond, and a fire pit.
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why or why not
House design
Who designed it:
The design was created with an architect, based on our drafts.
What do you particularly like? Why?
High ceilings and visible ceiling beams on the upper floor, separated area upstairs for us, the fireplace room as a second retreat, the single-story “extension” for the dining room, the large kitchen, the fireplaces... and especially the abundant wood.
What don’t you like? Why?
The gable windows should get an added triangular top to maximize light. The current window layout feels a bit outdated. We actually wanted an open void, but this can’t be sensibly integrated. Heating is a constant issue and never fully resolved.
The worst: the master bathroom fixtures. We want a large bathtub and a double shower. Either the bathroom is too small or we lack imagination. It doesn’t look cozy...
Preferred heating system: currently unfortunately natural gas. Solid fuel heating is out for various reasons: a wood gasifier is too expensive and labor-intensive; pellet or woodchip stoves are not economical, plus we can’t reliably get deliveries in winter when the road is snowed in. Natural gas is about 100m (330 feet) away; we are still waiting for connection cost estimates. Heat pumps only make financial sense with geothermal; however, installation and technology would then be more expensive than a current compact car. We do not want oil heating or liquefied gas tanks.
If you have to omit something, which details/extensions
-can you omit:
-can you not omit:
Why is the design like it is now? For example:
The architect received a draft from us, every room was discussed beforehand (use, size, contents), and the design was revised multiple times. We like that it implements nearly everything we wanted and that the house does not look too bulky — due to the half-hipped roof and the gables, it does not seem so on the plans at least.
What is your most important / basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Apart from the effort for plastering: is the floor plan practical? For example: washing machine on the first floor where laundry occurs, bathroom for the children...
Now some free text — our notes:
Some things are already different from the plans:
- All windows can be opened.
- Sliding doors open outwards, not inwards.
- All dormer windows will not be rectangular but have added triangular tops.
- Between the hallway and living area there is no central post; instead, a large double door is planned.
- The basement has a technical room beside the stairs, designed as a through room. In my opinion, this is a poor solution; we probably also need to plan a separate boiler room.
- Where the embankment is drawn, doors will be installed. This will allow the large rooms to get natural daylight and be usable living space.
- The stair step projecting into the hallway is bad and will definitely be removed.
We have also been thinking about other things:
- The hallway upstairs is planned as a “library.” To bring in light, we intend to use two light wells with diameters of 30–35cm (12–14 inches). The advantage: it will never be completely dark at night when someone needs to use the bathroom.
- The fireplace will be a soapstone stove; no plan exists yet. Strictly speaking, it will not stand against a wall but form the wall itself. We also planned a second connection in the fireplace room; originally we wanted a tunnel fireplace but were convinced it’s not a good idea as a room divider.
- The children’s rooms are not ideal — one faces north, the other south. We could make two narrow, elongated rooms and a corridor so both face south, but we consider that clearly suboptimal.
- All doors on the ground floor will be 1m (3.3 feet) wide to at least accommodate wheelchair access reasonably.
I think that’s it. Thanks for your opinions!
We want a wooden house with a large south-facing window front. However, with a log house, the settlement behavior causes significant problems, so we switched from a continuous window front to divided panes. Then we changed from divided panes to simple rectangular windows, because otherwise the solid construction is not possible; otherwise, the beams above the window rest directly on the window. The timber frame house is not a log house, but still a wooden house, and we can have as many windows as we want.
The architect is still checking whether it is possible to build the side walls using log construction and the south and north walls as timber frame. Alternatively, we could line the infill panels with wood. So, it’s not so much about log house or timber frame house, but rather: lots of wood, lots of glass.
The architect is still checking whether it is possible to build the side walls using log construction and the south and north walls as timber frame. Alternatively, we could line the infill panels with wood. So, it’s not so much about log house or timber frame house, but rather: lots of wood, lots of glass.
What I don’t understand: Do you already have an architect or not?
If yes, why are you still worrying about the floor plan?
The architect only needs to know that you want a 20m² kitchen (215 sq ft), a 30m² dining area (323 sq ft), 2 children’s rooms, large windows, a basement, a granny flat, and so on. You simply take this long list and maybe a sketch of your dream house and say, “Go ahead!”
If yes, why are you still worrying about the floor plan?
The architect only needs to know that you want a 20m² kitchen (215 sq ft), a 30m² dining area (323 sq ft), 2 children’s rooms, large windows, a basement, a granny flat, and so on. You simply take this long list and maybe a sketch of your dream house and say, “Go ahead!”
Then try talking to HUF and Baumeister. They both offer timber frame houses. Baumeister is more in the standard price range, while HUF is positioned higher-end, featuring an impressively large, luxurious master suite. The shower alone is bigger than some entire bathrooms.
Maybe solid wood (cross-laminated timber) could be an option for you. It is available with exposed wood interiors. I don’t think it’s bad, although I’m not overly optimistic regarding ecology and vapor permeability.
Exposed wood inside wherever you want it, otherwise paint and tiles; on the exterior, either plaster or wood cladding.
Maybe solid wood (cross-laminated timber) could be an option for you. It is available with exposed wood interiors. I don’t think it’s bad, although I’m not overly optimistic regarding ecology and vapor permeability.
Exposed wood inside wherever you want it, otherwise paint and tiles; on the exterior, either plaster or wood cladding.
kaho674 schrieb:
Do you already have an architect or not?Short answer: Yes and no.
Long answer:
Over a year ago, we contacted three architects, visited the plot, and held initial discussions. The one who seemed to fit us best was asked to develop our ideas. So, we created a list of priorities and room requirements and discussed what we liked (solid wooden beams, visible joinery, natural building materials) and what was absolutely not acceptable (Bauhaus style, stairs/landings on the ground floor, etc.). The first six meetings were extremely frustrating — we received designs in the Bauhaus style with landings, back and forth. Only when we reviewed a design we had drawn ourselves did things slowly start moving in the right direction — but too slowly and with far too little input from the architect’s side (in my opinion).
We therefore ended the collaboration and looked for an architect who exclusively designs timber houses, not just among other types. Planning began again; once more, our drawn floor plan was discussed, we visited about 10 houses and noted what we liked and didn’t like — then designed a house that externally resembled a property we had visited and liked. The changes mainly involved adjustments like: the 2.50m (8 ft) deep recess was unusable, the initially planned void space did not work at all... then, with the building permit application deadline approaching, the priority became: first submit the permit, then make further changes.
Now, since not even the bedroom fits (I don’t know which design @ypg was referring to—I noticed the issue early in the discussion in the “old” design), we found a new architect again. This one also comes from a company that specializes in timber houses because by now we know not everyone can do that. After the issues with the old floor plan, we explicitly chose an architect experienced in designing large single-family homes. So, he isn’t exactly our ideal architect.
He has now received an initial idea from us, along with our Pinterest collection of images and our wish list. Let’s see what he says. At this point, my main expectation is for him to point out mistakes, problems, or better solutions. I’ve given up hoping for a particularly creative design that will blow me away. What I like about the current concept is that it has one less floor, seems flexible enough to adapt to different phases of life, and is moving back toward the style we wanted. Since we created the first design ourselves, I know that my 4x4m (13 x 13 ft) bedroom can also fit my 220 x 240cm (86 x 94 in) waterbed.
haydee schrieb:
Then talk to HUF and Baumeister. They have timber-framed houses. Baumeister is more in the standard price range, while HUF is more upscale with an incredibly large, luxurious master section. The shower alone is bigger than some entire bathrooms.We will definitely do that! I’m really curious about their houses; there’s certainly something to learn from them. The HUF website gives me a similar impression as DaVinci, who also use a lot of glass inside and have a very modern style. I miss the rustic charm though — in one house we visited, they had painted the huge wooden beams with a glossy gray color... But that doesn’t rule out good ideas. In particular, I want to, armed with a tape measure, look at and try out different staircases. Now we can easily build a straight staircase without landings or winders if we find something great.
Just ask if the beams can be left more natural. A wardrobe or fireplace framed with slate, wooden floorboards, and it already looks more rustic.
Kitchen in a country style—not built-in cabinets but rustic oak, with a range cooker instead of a built-in oven and steam oven installed at a raised height.
Kitchen in a country style—not built-in cabinets but rustic oak, with a range cooker instead of a built-in oven and steam oven installed at a raised height.
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