ᐅ New Single-Family Home Construction – Join Us on Our Journey!
Created on: 4 Aug 2022 16:13
G
gregman22
Dear community,
We are finally getting a step closer to realizing our dream of building a single-family home.
The plot has been purchased, building plans have been reviewed, construction method decided, and so on. We have now commissioned the architect of the general contractor (GC) of our choice with the planning task and are currently fine-tuning the house design. I would love to take you along on this journey and incorporate your valuable feedback.
At this stage, the focus is on the house design.
Basic data:
Plot: 1062m2 (11,433 sq ft); approx. 25.5m x 41.64m (84 ft x 137 ft)
Orientation: Northwest -> The arrow in the screenshot of the 3D view points south
Desired room layout:
Ground floor:
First floor:
Attic:
Note: I am still discussing this with the architect. Due to the hipped roof shape, the actual living area has shrunk too much. Therefore, further discussion is needed to accommodate the other rooms. I had underestimated the ratio of gross floor area to usable living space.
Basement:
Additional plans:
Now to my first questions for you:
My biggest construction challenge at the moment is the layout of the attic. There are two alternatives:
- Change the roof type, which would increase costs but provide more usable living space in the attic
- Give up the playroom on the first floor, convert it into a guest room, and build only the two offices in the attic (no guest room or bathroom)
Thank you in advance for your comments.
We are finally getting a step closer to realizing our dream of building a single-family home.
The plot has been purchased, building plans have been reviewed, construction method decided, and so on. We have now commissioned the architect of the general contractor (GC) of our choice with the planning task and are currently fine-tuning the house design. I would love to take you along on this journey and incorporate your valuable feedback.
At this stage, the focus is on the house design.
Basic data:
Plot: 1062m2 (11,433 sq ft); approx. 25.5m x 41.64m (84 ft x 137 ft)
Orientation: Northwest -> The arrow in the screenshot of the 3D view points south
Desired room layout:
Ground floor:
- Large living/dining area with adjacent (but separable) kitchen at the bottom left, plus a gallery overlooking the first floor
- Utility room
- Guest toilet
- Garage
- Separate apartment at the top right with its own entrance for parents-in-law
First floor:
- Gallery overlooking the ground floor
- 2 children’s bedrooms with a shared bathroom
- 1 playroom (initially a home cinema room, later to be repurposed) above the garage
- Master wing with main bedroom, dressing room, and bathroom
Attic:
Note: I am still discussing this with the architect. Due to the hipped roof shape, the actual living area has shrunk too much. Therefore, further discussion is needed to accommodate the other rooms. I had underestimated the ratio of gross floor area to usable living space.
- 2 separate offices
- 1 guest bedroom
- 1 small guest bathroom
Basement:
- 1 technical room
- 1 laundry room
- 1 storage room
- Large fitness room
- Wellness room with sauna
Additional plans:
- Air-to-air heat pump or air-to-water heat pump
- Photovoltaic system with/without battery storage
- Possible pool (3.5/4m x 8m or 3.5/4m x 12m) with heat pump (and countercurrent system)
- Sauna in the basement room
- Air conditioning for various rooms
- Smart home system – most likely via KNX
- Garden: Currently planning 2 terraces – one to the left, slightly more to the south, and one facing the main part of the plot further north
Now to my first questions for you:
- How do the floor plans strike you? Do they make sense in terms of the dynamics of family life?
- The location of the separate apartment was chosen based on our wish. We wanted a strict, clearly defined spatial separation with a separate entrance. Do you have any comments on this?
- Do you consider the utility rooms in the basement to be adequately sized (considering KNX, heat pump, etc.)?
My biggest construction challenge at the moment is the layout of the attic. There are two alternatives:
- Change the roof type, which would increase costs but provide more usable living space in the attic
- Give up the playroom on the first floor, convert it into a guest room, and build only the two offices in the attic (no guest room or bathroom)
Thank you in advance for your comments.
K
k-man20217 Aug 2022 22:57ypg schrieb:
Both inside and out. What’s the use of the most beautiful house interior if the exterior looks terrible? You’re not sitting in a golden cage! It shouldn’t just look nice from the garden side; even when you drive down your street every day, you want to be welcomed by a great-looking house, right?!
That doesn’t mean the interior shouldn’t be great as well. And that’s where the architect comes in—with their work starting not just inside, but also on the outside—unlike a layperson who usually only focuses on the interior.
An architect’s role also includes shaping streetscapes or areas with attractive houses 😉
Of course, I’ve started sketching, but I’m not finished yet.. I completely agree with you! The most sustainable thing an architect can do is to design a house that is perceived as beautiful both inside and out. Beautiful buildings are preserved for generations.
A few more suggestions for when you take your wish list to the architect (which is a good idea, by the way—I also don’t find your current floor plan very successful):
I think you don’t have too few rooms, but rather too many. The two children are only planned so far; who knows if they will actually come. You could therefore plan for two offices and two children's rooms. A guest room and home theater/playroom are not really necessary—at least not upstairs. A guest can initially sleep in a children’s room or later in one of the offices or in the separate apartment if it’s available. Or they could have a room in the basement (since they only sleep there). Or a small one in the attic. The home theater room is well suited for the basement because it is dark.
Your bedroom can be much smaller, and so can the walk-in closet, provided it can be properly furnished. Your current one has an awkward shape. For that, I would definitely plan a large, luxurious spa bathroom with a sauna, freestanding tub, and extras, with direct access to the balcony. A spa area in the dark basement with only a light well and no direct outdoor access after sauna use will not be pleasant at all. (I’ve had both and love having the sauna upstairs in the large bathroom.) You would also need an extra shower downstairs and always keep that room heated. On the other hand, I think the fitness area is good in the basement because it’s always cool, although I would consider adding a light well.
A double-height space and windows extending across two levels are excellent if you have the space and budget.
What is the purpose of the utility room next to the kitchen? Either the utility room is upstairs where the laundry is done, or directly in the basement. Food storage is also well suited for the basement since it stays cool there. You do have to use stairs, but that keeps you fit and healthy.
One more thought: If you have small children, you probably don’t want to work in the attic office but rather close to them—so on the ground floor or first floor. For that, a very flat roof would be ideal, which I would at least partially make openable. A flat-roof extension could also be an option.
I would divide it as follows:
Ground floor: Kitchen, dining, living area (nice large kitchen with an island), separate apartment
First floor: Bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom with sauna, children’s bathroom, two children’s rooms, two offices
Basement: Fitness, guest room
I would also place the garage on the east side, probably using the setback area. Living spaces should then face west. I find the basic orientation and placement of the house and separate apartment good.
I really can’t understand the floor plan from [USER=59439]@Sunshine387. Why orient everything to the northeast? And the garage to the southwest? Why give the separate apartment the “best side”? Why put the offices in the basement when the original poster works so much? Unfortunately, you haven’t explained your reasoning behind this.
I think you don’t have too few rooms, but rather too many. The two children are only planned so far; who knows if they will actually come. You could therefore plan for two offices and two children's rooms. A guest room and home theater/playroom are not really necessary—at least not upstairs. A guest can initially sleep in a children’s room or later in one of the offices or in the separate apartment if it’s available. Or they could have a room in the basement (since they only sleep there). Or a small one in the attic. The home theater room is well suited for the basement because it is dark.
Your bedroom can be much smaller, and so can the walk-in closet, provided it can be properly furnished. Your current one has an awkward shape. For that, I would definitely plan a large, luxurious spa bathroom with a sauna, freestanding tub, and extras, with direct access to the balcony. A spa area in the dark basement with only a light well and no direct outdoor access after sauna use will not be pleasant at all. (I’ve had both and love having the sauna upstairs in the large bathroom.) You would also need an extra shower downstairs and always keep that room heated. On the other hand, I think the fitness area is good in the basement because it’s always cool, although I would consider adding a light well.
A double-height space and windows extending across two levels are excellent if you have the space and budget.
What is the purpose of the utility room next to the kitchen? Either the utility room is upstairs where the laundry is done, or directly in the basement. Food storage is also well suited for the basement since it stays cool there. You do have to use stairs, but that keeps you fit and healthy.
One more thought: If you have small children, you probably don’t want to work in the attic office but rather close to them—so on the ground floor or first floor. For that, a very flat roof would be ideal, which I would at least partially make openable. A flat-roof extension could also be an option.
I would divide it as follows:
Ground floor: Kitchen, dining, living area (nice large kitchen with an island), separate apartment
First floor: Bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom with sauna, children’s bathroom, two children’s rooms, two offices
Basement: Fitness, guest room
I would also place the garage on the east side, probably using the setback area. Living spaces should then face west. I find the basic orientation and placement of the house and separate apartment good.
I really can’t understand the floor plan from [USER=59439]@Sunshine387. Why orient everything to the northeast? And the garage to the southwest? Why give the separate apartment the “best side”? Why put the offices in the basement when the original poster works so much? Unfortunately, you haven’t explained your reasoning behind this.
Despite the advice to consult an architect given the available construction budget, I decided to take a chance and experiment.
I have one design, and a second clearer one that is actually under 155 sqm (1,668 sq ft)... and much easier to explain. I won’t say it’s better... but now there is an issue with the ground floor walls: ... this is really frustrating 🙁 The upper floor remains unchanged...
The lowest level is the basement...
I have one design, and a second clearer one that is actually under 155 sqm (1,668 sq ft)... and much easier to explain. I won’t say it’s better... but now there is an issue with the ground floor walls: ... this is really frustrating 🙁 The upper floor remains unchanged...
The lowest level is the basement...
... and here is the initial draft... still incomplete, but you can see the general direction if offices are planned on the ground floor.
Basically, a consistent approach should be followed to avoid leaving good budgets with unused spaces. An office can definitely serve as a guest room, and with two visitors per year, they would use the home's own bathroom.
Although this is more than 155 square meters (I believe 175 sq m), it offers barrier-free living.
Basically, nothing works with a site plan where the lines are one meter (3 ft) thick.
What is the general contractor referring to? There should be a site plan available at the start of the planning process, right???
Basically, a consistent approach should be followed to avoid leaving good budgets with unused spaces. An office can definitely serve as a guest room, and with two visitors per year, they would use the home's own bathroom.
Although this is more than 155 square meters (I believe 175 sq m), it offers barrier-free living.
Basically, nothing works with a site plan where the lines are one meter (3 ft) thick.
What is the general contractor referring to? There should be a site plan available at the start of the planning process, right???
G
gregman2211 Aug 2022 10:10Wow. You are all amazing with the effort you put into the design and feedback. We also have news after the meeting with the architect, which I will summarize step by step.
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