ᐅ New single-family house approximately 190 sqm with double garage, no basement – Design No. 3
Created on: 19 Feb 2020 20:20
T
Thorsten78
Hello everyone,
We have just purchased a plot of land and are now at the stage of planning our house.
After two initial attempts at designing it ourselves without much success, we have now met with a structural engineer who helped us create a floor plan tailored to our needs.
I would like to share this design here for discussion.
We have already chosen a local builder. The plan is for a timber frame house with solid wood interior walls and a timber frame exterior wall filled with blown-in wood fiber insulation.
The entire house is intended to meet the KfW 40+ energy efficiency standard eventually.
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size[/B] 760m² (about 8,180 sq ft)
Slope no, maximum height difference 90cm (35 inches)
Floor area ratio (FAR) 0.3 (but previously built structures did not comply)
Plot ratio (building density) 0.6 (but previously built structures did not comply)
Building envelope, building line, and boundary see attachment
Boundary development yes, garage
Number of parking spaces two per plot, minimum 5m (16 ft) in front of the garage
Number of floors Knee wall max. 0.50m (20 inches) (but previously built structures did not comply)
Roof style Gable roof 30-38°, hipped roof, shed/flat roof 25%
Architectural style ---
Orientation ---
Maximum heights/limits ---
Additional requirements natural red bricks
Owners’ Requirements
We are a small family: two adults, age 41, and one child, age 6. Our family planning is complete.
We would like a detached single-family home with two full stories, no basement, a double garage, and a storage room as a basement substitute.
The architecture should be modern, bright, with an open living/dining/kitchen area.
Architectural style, roof type, building type
- Modern
- We currently favor a gable roof with a 22° pitch.
- We also like the idea of a pyramid (hip) roof, but unfortunately, this roof type is less than ideal for installing photovoltaic panels.
- Large windows for lots of light inside, including external venetian blinds for shading.
Basement, floors
No basement, two full floors
Number of occupants, age
2 adults, 41 years old, and 1 child, 6 years old
Space requirement ground floor and upper floor
Total living area 180-200m² (1,940–2,150 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office?
Office on ground or upper floor
Guest bedrooms per year
None planned
Open or closed layout
Open
Traditional or modern construction
Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island
Yes, yes
Number of dining seats
Dining table for 6-8 people
Fireplace
No
Music/surround sound system
If possible, multi-room audio
Balcony, roof terrace
No
Garage, carport
Double garage + storage room as basement substitute
Utility garden, greenhouse
Low-maintenance garden, lawn with irrigation system, possibly raised beds
Other wishes/special features
Photovoltaic system including battery storage, KNX smart home system
House Design
Designer:
- Planner from a construction company
Structural engineer
- Architect
No
- Do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
Dry access from garage to house, spacious living area with a nice terrace
What don’t you like? Why?
Despite minor compromises, everything is fine
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
€440,000 (house KfW 40+ including double garage)
Personal overall budget limit:
€580,000 including plot (€65,000), landscaping, kitchen, furnishings
Preferred heating system:
Heat pump and central mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
If you had to give up something, which details/features
- Can give up:
Smart home and battery storage
- Cannot give up:
Two full stories, double garage, modern open design
Why did the design end up as it is now?
We wanted to make the best possible use of the plot.
Basically, we would have liked to orient the terrace towards the southwest, but unfortunately, there is the street there, and I don’t want to be completely exposed.
Also, the west side is the weather side with a lot of wind.
What do you think makes it especially good or bad?
???
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What do you think of the design, and what could be done differently?
We might want to redesign the bathroom, maybe a T-wall?
Would you change anything about the window layout?
We would appreciate any ideas or constructive criticism very much.



We have just purchased a plot of land and are now at the stage of planning our house.
After two initial attempts at designing it ourselves without much success, we have now met with a structural engineer who helped us create a floor plan tailored to our needs.
I would like to share this design here for discussion.
We have already chosen a local builder. The plan is for a timber frame house with solid wood interior walls and a timber frame exterior wall filled with blown-in wood fiber insulation.
The entire house is intended to meet the KfW 40+ energy efficiency standard eventually.
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size[/B] 760m² (about 8,180 sq ft)
Slope no, maximum height difference 90cm (35 inches)
Floor area ratio (FAR) 0.3 (but previously built structures did not comply)
Plot ratio (building density) 0.6 (but previously built structures did not comply)
Building envelope, building line, and boundary see attachment
Boundary development yes, garage
Number of parking spaces two per plot, minimum 5m (16 ft) in front of the garage
Number of floors Knee wall max. 0.50m (20 inches) (but previously built structures did not comply)
Roof style Gable roof 30-38°, hipped roof, shed/flat roof 25%
Architectural style ---
Orientation ---
Maximum heights/limits ---
Additional requirements natural red bricks
Owners’ Requirements
We are a small family: two adults, age 41, and one child, age 6. Our family planning is complete.
We would like a detached single-family home with two full stories, no basement, a double garage, and a storage room as a basement substitute.
The architecture should be modern, bright, with an open living/dining/kitchen area.
Architectural style, roof type, building type
- Modern
- We currently favor a gable roof with a 22° pitch.
- We also like the idea of a pyramid (hip) roof, but unfortunately, this roof type is less than ideal for installing photovoltaic panels.
- Large windows for lots of light inside, including external venetian blinds for shading.
Basement, floors
No basement, two full floors
Number of occupants, age
2 adults, 41 years old, and 1 child, 6 years old
Space requirement ground floor and upper floor
Total living area 180-200m² (1,940–2,150 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office?
Office on ground or upper floor
Guest bedrooms per year
None planned
Open or closed layout
Open
Traditional or modern construction
Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island
Yes, yes
Number of dining seats
Dining table for 6-8 people
Fireplace
No
Music/surround sound system
If possible, multi-room audio
Balcony, roof terrace
No
Garage, carport
Double garage + storage room as basement substitute
Utility garden, greenhouse
Low-maintenance garden, lawn with irrigation system, possibly raised beds
Other wishes/special features
Photovoltaic system including battery storage, KNX smart home system
House Design
Designer:
- Planner from a construction company
Structural engineer
- Architect
No
- Do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
Dry access from garage to house, spacious living area with a nice terrace
What don’t you like? Why?
Despite minor compromises, everything is fine
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
€440,000 (house KfW 40+ including double garage)
Personal overall budget limit:
€580,000 including plot (€65,000), landscaping, kitchen, furnishings
Preferred heating system:
Heat pump and central mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
If you had to give up something, which details/features
- Can give up:
Smart home and battery storage
- Cannot give up:
Two full stories, double garage, modern open design
Why did the design end up as it is now?
We wanted to make the best possible use of the plot.
Basically, we would have liked to orient the terrace towards the southwest, but unfortunately, there is the street there, and I don’t want to be completely exposed.
Also, the west side is the weather side with a lot of wind.
What do you think makes it especially good or bad?
???
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What do you think of the design, and what could be done differently?
We might want to redesign the bathroom, maybe a T-wall?
Would you change anything about the window layout?
We would appreciate any ideas or constructive criticism very much.
T
Thorsten7823 May 2020 20:26Thank you for the great and helpful suggestions. We really like them. Sometimes you just can’t see the forest for the trees.
The question is whether a door to the utility room would be practical. My gut feeling leans towards having a door (noise and heat issues?).
The downside, of course, would be the long route to the utility room (maybe a laundry chute from the bathroom?).
I’ve also sketched another idea for the cloakroom in the plan, which would make things a bit more relaxed.


The question is whether a door to the utility room would be practical. My gut feeling leans towards having a door (noise and heat issues?).
The downside, of course, would be the long route to the utility room (maybe a laundry chute from the bathroom?).
I’ve also sketched another idea for the cloakroom in the plan, which would make things a bit more relaxed.
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