ᐅ Looking for ideas for a square floor plan for a duplex or semi-detached house.
Created on: 5 Oct 2018 00:46
S
Sturkopf86
Hello everyone, we are looking for a floor plan for a semi-detached house!
Most semi-detached houses are long and narrow, but our building area does not allow that.
We want to live in one half of the semi-detached house
And rent out the other half. We prefer not to be alone.
Development plan / restrictions
There is only one supplementary ordinance. Construction according to Paragraph 34.
Size of the plot: 815 sqm (8770 sq ft)
Open construction method according to Paragraph 34.
Slope: yes, over 16 m (52 ft) there is a 1.5 - 2 m (5 - 6.5 ft) gradient.
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Floor space index: not specified anywhere.
Building area, building line, and boundary
8.5 m x 16 m (28 ft x 52 ft) according to surveyor.
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: flexible
Number of floors: 1.5 - 2 (neighbors)
Roof shape: gable roof > 35 degrees
Architectural style: classic mixed with modern
Orientation: see drawing
Maximum heights / limits: unknown
Other requirements
Homeowners’ requirements:
Style, roof shape, building type
Classic-modern, gable roof, semi-detached house
Basement: yes, floors 1.5 - 2
Number of people: 3 adults, 2 children, 1 toddler
Room requirements on ground floor: kitchen, living room, dining room, shower bathroom
Upper floor: master bedroom, two children’s rooms, bathroom.
Office: nice to have, but not mandatory – home office!
Guests sleeping overnight per year: none
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: flexible
Open kitchen, cooking island: would be great
Number of dining seats: 8
Fireplace: no
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: yes, 2 spaces
Utility garden, greenhouse
Other: 1 garden north, 2 gardens south
Requests / special features / daily routine, also reasons why this or that should or should not be included: we are open to everything, we want to build something that makes sense! It does not need to be large! We currently live in 102 sqm (1100 sq ft) plus basement and that is sufficient.
House design
Who is responsible for the planning:
We do not have one yet! The plan below would be acceptable for us, but it needs to be made quite square. Has anyone worked on a similar project?
- Architect: We want an architect to help us but do not want to hire one unprepared.
- DIY: That’s why we want to gather as much input as possible.
What do you particularly like? To make full use of the building area, if possible. Why? So that there is not a 100-130 sqm (1075-1400 sq ft) house on an 815 sqm (8770 sq ft) plot, and we would like to have neighbors!
What do you not like? The 8.5 m (28 ft) width of the building area. Why? 10 m (33 ft) would be optimal for a nice semi-detached house.
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
700,000 euros without land!
Personal price limit for the house including equipment: 400,000 euros per semi-detached half
Preferred heating system: solar thermal combined with gas
If you had to compromise on details/additions:
- What could you live without: office
- What can you not live without: large kitchen, all activity centers around the kitchen and dining room, we hardly ever use the living room!
Why is the current design the way it is?
We actually do not have one.
Standard design from planner? Yes
Which requests were implemented by the architect?
A mixture of many examples from different prefabricated house catalogs.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
No compromise on the kitchen, as it is our central living space.
Bad: possibly planning a semi-detached house, maybe better a house with a granny flat?
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
How can we combine family life with spatial design in one half of a semi-detached house?
Most semi-detached houses are long and narrow, but our building area does not allow that.
We want to live in one half of the semi-detached house
And rent out the other half. We prefer not to be alone.
Development plan / restrictions
There is only one supplementary ordinance. Construction according to Paragraph 34.
Size of the plot: 815 sqm (8770 sq ft)
Open construction method according to Paragraph 34.
Slope: yes, over 16 m (52 ft) there is a 1.5 - 2 m (5 - 6.5 ft) gradient.
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Floor space index: not specified anywhere.
Building area, building line, and boundary
8.5 m x 16 m (28 ft x 52 ft) according to surveyor.
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: flexible
Number of floors: 1.5 - 2 (neighbors)
Roof shape: gable roof > 35 degrees
Architectural style: classic mixed with modern
Orientation: see drawing
Maximum heights / limits: unknown
Other requirements
Homeowners’ requirements:
Style, roof shape, building type
Classic-modern, gable roof, semi-detached house
Basement: yes, floors 1.5 - 2
Number of people: 3 adults, 2 children, 1 toddler
Room requirements on ground floor: kitchen, living room, dining room, shower bathroom
Upper floor: master bedroom, two children’s rooms, bathroom.
Office: nice to have, but not mandatory – home office!
Guests sleeping overnight per year: none
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: flexible
Open kitchen, cooking island: would be great
Number of dining seats: 8
Fireplace: no
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: yes, 2 spaces
Utility garden, greenhouse
Other: 1 garden north, 2 gardens south
Requests / special features / daily routine, also reasons why this or that should or should not be included: we are open to everything, we want to build something that makes sense! It does not need to be large! We currently live in 102 sqm (1100 sq ft) plus basement and that is sufficient.
House design
Who is responsible for the planning:
We do not have one yet! The plan below would be acceptable for us, but it needs to be made quite square. Has anyone worked on a similar project?
- Architect: We want an architect to help us but do not want to hire one unprepared.
- DIY: That’s why we want to gather as much input as possible.
What do you particularly like? To make full use of the building area, if possible. Why? So that there is not a 100-130 sqm (1075-1400 sq ft) house on an 815 sqm (8770 sq ft) plot, and we would like to have neighbors!
What do you not like? The 8.5 m (28 ft) width of the building area. Why? 10 m (33 ft) would be optimal for a nice semi-detached house.
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
700,000 euros without land!
Personal price limit for the house including equipment: 400,000 euros per semi-detached half
Preferred heating system: solar thermal combined with gas
If you had to compromise on details/additions:
- What could you live without: office
- What can you not live without: large kitchen, all activity centers around the kitchen and dining room, we hardly ever use the living room!
Why is the current design the way it is?
We actually do not have one.
Standard design from planner? Yes
Which requests were implemented by the architect?
A mixture of many examples from different prefabricated house catalogs.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
No compromise on the kitchen, as it is our central living space.
Bad: possibly planning a semi-detached house, maybe better a house with a granny flat?
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
How can we combine family life with spatial design in one half of a semi-detached house?
Sturkopf867 Oct 2018 16:41Hamburch schrieb:
Don’t you have to maintain the 3m (10 feet) setback on the other side when building a single-family house / semi-detached house?Yes, I do, but the surveyor’s drawing isn’t ideal. That’s why only one 3m (10 feet) setback needs to be deducted from the 11.5m (38 feet) to get the 8.5m (28 feet) width!
The building envelope is exactly 8.5m (28 feet) by 16m (52 feet), which we are allowed to build within, so there is a 3m (10 feet) setback on every side!
That’s why the idea was to build a semi-detached house measuring 8.5m (28 feet) by 16m (52 feet), where each half would be 8.5m (28 feet) by 8m (26 feet)! One half would have a south-facing garden, and the other one a north-facing garden.
But nobody really likes that idea except my wife and a few family members ;-( well, we’ll find a solution! At the moment it looks like we’ll hire an architect to develop one or more concepts, which is probably the best solution for us.
Good luck and thanks
I quickly sketched something during my lunch break to show how it could be done.
Assuming there is little to no slope within the building plot (you haven’t answered that question yet), the result is a basement granny flat on the north side with excavation in front for access and a terrace. Windows could be placed on the west side, although then the north side of the plot wouldn't be properly accessible from the west.
Access for both units is from the east, with parking spaces/carports in front.
The main house has garden access to the south: a large kitchen with dining area, connected to the living room.
On the upper floor are two children’s bedrooms, a main bathroom, and an office, keeping in mind that the sloped ceilings reduce usable space upstairs.
The granny flat is relatively dark… so it’s not ideal, but just an example of how it could be arranged.
An alternative would be to place the granny flat in the south, have large windows on the west and north sides of the main house, and position the terrace to the north.
Assuming there is little to no slope within the building plot (you haven’t answered that question yet), the result is a basement granny flat on the north side with excavation in front for access and a terrace. Windows could be placed on the west side, although then the north side of the plot wouldn't be properly accessible from the west.
Access for both units is from the east, with parking spaces/carports in front.
The main house has garden access to the south: a large kitchen with dining area, connected to the living room.
On the upper floor are two children’s bedrooms, a main bathroom, and an office, keeping in mind that the sloped ceilings reduce usable space upstairs.
The granny flat is relatively dark… so it’s not ideal, but just an example of how it could be arranged.
An alternative would be to place the granny flat in the south, have large windows on the west and north sides of the main house, and position the terrace to the north.
Sturkopf867 Oct 2018 18:42Thanks for the sketch. According to the surveyor, there is a slope of about 1.5–2 meters (5–6.5 feet) over 16 meters (52.5 feet) within the building plot. The neighbors five houses down to the left built like this: the basement has the entrance and living space with large windows and stairs going up. On the ground floor, you then have access to the garden (north side).
Basically, the side facing the street is two stories, and towards the back (north) it is one and a half stories. I hope this explanation is clear.
I don't find a north-facing garden too bad either! We’re not really sun lovers, and it doesn’t mean there’s no sun at all...
Basically, the side facing the street is two stories, and towards the back (north) it is one and a half stories. I hope this explanation is clear.
I don't find a north-facing garden too bad either! We’re not really sun lovers, and it doesn’t mean there’s no sun at all...
I have now opened the hallway to the south on the ground floor because of a window at the end. This is not necessary; the space could also be used more efficiently.
This is another draft, so there’s still room for improvement.
Accessory apartment: entrance is also on the terrace.
Main apartment is accessed from the west, terrace is on the north side.
The house is currently 14 x 8.5 meters (46 x 28 feet), but with some smarter planning, it could probably be smaller...
Sturkopf8610 Oct 2018 23:29Thanks ypg
Nice breaks you have, it’s clear you really enjoy this kind of thing.
So, we’re not quite sure if a two-family house with a basement might be too much. The original plan was not to exceed about 500,000 euros including the land.
The land cost 180,000 euros. That left 320,000 euros.
By now, we’ve mentally crossed off the land, and my wife and I have set a firm budget of 400,000 euros for the house itself, maximum! For example, things like the garage or terrace don’t necessarily have to be included right away—they can be done step by step—but it should still be reasonable.
So the target budget is 400,000 euros just for the house.
For a duplex, I calculate things a little differently since the land could be divided and we might even sell one part or rent out the other half. That would change the calculation for me. Since the offers aren’t progressing much at the moment and it’s basically no longer an option, let’s just leave that open.
We know two acquaintances who built generously, without a basement but somewhat larger.
They suggested one and a half stories with around 170 sqm (about 1,830 sq ft) as inspiration. They said you have a relatively large plot, so a 9m (30 ft) garage and a large garden shed or garage with a pitched roof for storage would be ideal. Then you wouldn’t need a basement!
We’re also unsure if a slope of 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 6.5 ft) over 16 meters (52 ft) building width is a lot? Would a basement already be worthwhile, or is a slab-on-grade still feasible?
These two acquaintances ended up spending 524,000 euros and 478,000 euros respectively.
My wife and I are feeling overwhelmed right now but want to stay calm, because that’s where the strength lies and in the end, everything should turn out so that we’re satisfied.
As I said, we have time and no pressure to act immediately.
I have requested quotes from two solid construction (masonry) builders! A third provider is supposed to follow, and on Monday we have a meeting with a local developer...
The local developer works only with companies from the region, and you can choose together which company will carry out the trades. I’m not quite sure about all the details yet but will learn more on Monday.
Lots of input, building is a challenge but we’re excited...
Greetings from the Bergisches Land
Nice breaks you have, it’s clear you really enjoy this kind of thing.
So, we’re not quite sure if a two-family house with a basement might be too much. The original plan was not to exceed about 500,000 euros including the land.
The land cost 180,000 euros. That left 320,000 euros.
By now, we’ve mentally crossed off the land, and my wife and I have set a firm budget of 400,000 euros for the house itself, maximum! For example, things like the garage or terrace don’t necessarily have to be included right away—they can be done step by step—but it should still be reasonable.
So the target budget is 400,000 euros just for the house.
For a duplex, I calculate things a little differently since the land could be divided and we might even sell one part or rent out the other half. That would change the calculation for me. Since the offers aren’t progressing much at the moment and it’s basically no longer an option, let’s just leave that open.
We know two acquaintances who built generously, without a basement but somewhat larger.
They suggested one and a half stories with around 170 sqm (about 1,830 sq ft) as inspiration. They said you have a relatively large plot, so a 9m (30 ft) garage and a large garden shed or garage with a pitched roof for storage would be ideal. Then you wouldn’t need a basement!
We’re also unsure if a slope of 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 6.5 ft) over 16 meters (52 ft) building width is a lot? Would a basement already be worthwhile, or is a slab-on-grade still feasible?
These two acquaintances ended up spending 524,000 euros and 478,000 euros respectively.
My wife and I are feeling overwhelmed right now but want to stay calm, because that’s where the strength lies and in the end, everything should turn out so that we’re satisfied.
As I said, we have time and no pressure to act immediately.
I have requested quotes from two solid construction (masonry) builders! A third provider is supposed to follow, and on Monday we have a meeting with a local developer...
The local developer works only with companies from the region, and you can choose together which company will carry out the trades. I’m not quite sure about all the details yet but will learn more on Monday.
Lots of input, building is a challenge but we’re excited...
Greetings from the Bergisches Land
Then build a standard single-family house.
If there is up to a 2-meter (6.5 feet) slope within the building area, a stepped design or a basement level instead of a cellar is worthwhile.
Place the entrance and the living-dining-kitchen area in the basement level with a south-facing terrace, and have the usual bedrooms on the upper floor with the option of a north-facing terrace. My sketch appears somewhat small at 10 x 8.5 meters (33 x 28 feet), and there would be no space for storage rooms. Therefore, make it larger, for example, by extending it toward the back.
If there is up to a 2-meter (6.5 feet) slope within the building area, a stepped design or a basement level instead of a cellar is worthwhile.
Place the entrance and the living-dining-kitchen area in the basement level with a south-facing terrace, and have the usual bedrooms on the upper floor with the option of a north-facing terrace. My sketch appears somewhat small at 10 x 8.5 meters (33 x 28 feet), and there would be no space for storage rooms. Therefore, make it larger, for example, by extending it toward the back.
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