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.
G
gregman2223 Aug 2022 20:16Hi everyone,
There is a new update.
Yesterday, my architect and I visited the site together. We went through the various requirements, and he thoroughly examined and documented the entire surroundings. To his surprise, the northern part of the property gets a lot of sun from around 3 to 4 p.m., which benefits that section of the site greatly.
Additionally, I had an appointment with a civil engineering company to assess clearing and demolition. We could probably start quite quickly here.
Today, immediately afterward, we had another meeting at the architect’s office. Once again, we reviewed numerous project examples, our ideas, requirements, and much more. My wife’s input was again very valuable. The architect will now begin the design phase with his team. We have a great feeling about it, and all the details make sense. The presentation is scheduled for September 22, where we will see a complete 3D model.
Since the topic of the garden came up several times today, I would like to get your opinion on this.
The architect recommended hiring a landscape architect for the project in addition—not for all phases of the contract (HOAI), but only to develop a concept. The goal is for the house design to harmonize perfectly with the garden. Consequently, I already had a pleasant phone call with a landscape architect today.
To my surprise, it almost sounded like I had opened Pandora’s box. Everything sounded extremely complicated, time-consuming, and costly.
One more piece of information upfront: I have checked the requirements with the building authority. We do not need to submit a site development plan or a tree survey. Instead, it is sufficient to take the protected trees into account (2 at the front, 4 at the back).
Now, my question is: Which option would you choose?
a) Work with the architect for the entire process
b) Work with the architect only to develop a concept, then hand it over to a landscape contractor
c) Work only with a landscape contractor, as their expertise is enough to create a suitable concept themselves
As always, a big thank you to you all!
There is a new update.
Yesterday, my architect and I visited the site together. We went through the various requirements, and he thoroughly examined and documented the entire surroundings. To his surprise, the northern part of the property gets a lot of sun from around 3 to 4 p.m., which benefits that section of the site greatly.
Additionally, I had an appointment with a civil engineering company to assess clearing and demolition. We could probably start quite quickly here.
Today, immediately afterward, we had another meeting at the architect’s office. Once again, we reviewed numerous project examples, our ideas, requirements, and much more. My wife’s input was again very valuable. The architect will now begin the design phase with his team. We have a great feeling about it, and all the details make sense. The presentation is scheduled for September 22, where we will see a complete 3D model.
Since the topic of the garden came up several times today, I would like to get your opinion on this.
The architect recommended hiring a landscape architect for the project in addition—not for all phases of the contract (HOAI), but only to develop a concept. The goal is for the house design to harmonize perfectly with the garden. Consequently, I already had a pleasant phone call with a landscape architect today.
To my surprise, it almost sounded like I had opened Pandora’s box. Everything sounded extremely complicated, time-consuming, and costly.
One more piece of information upfront: I have checked the requirements with the building authority. We do not need to submit a site development plan or a tree survey. Instead, it is sufficient to take the protected trees into account (2 at the front, 4 at the back).
Now, my question is: Which option would you choose?
a) Work with the architect for the entire process
b) Work with the architect only to develop a concept, then hand it over to a landscape contractor
c) Work only with a landscape contractor, as their expertise is enough to create a suitable concept themselves
As always, a big thank you to you all!
It depends on what you want… a skilled landscape contractor can also create a design that looks good and works well.
We hired a landscape architect who also oversaw the implementation. That worked quite well, but was far from perfect. We changed some things right away in the next gardening season.
We hired a landscape architect who also oversaw the implementation. That worked quite well, but was far from perfect. We changed some things right away in the next gardening season.
G
gregman2223 Aug 2022 21:56aero2016 schrieb:
It depends on what you want… a skilled landscaping contractor can also create a design that looks good and works well.
We hired a landscape architect who also oversaw the implementation. That worked fairly well, but it was far from perfect. We ended up changing quite a few things in the next gardening season. Well, what do we want...
Our house architect will already make sure that protected trees, terraces, and the pool (even though it’s not finalized yet) are included in the designs during the modeling phase.
We see the garden as an ongoing project. For the initial concept, it’s important to have a nice lawn (sod turf???), a few stone features placed thoughtfully, and an appropriate fence or hedge solution. Overall, we have a rather “minimalist” modern approach for the garden. Once we are well settled, we can gradually add more elements over time.
The remaining budget definitely won’t cover a garden costing over 120,000–150,000 euros (about $130,000–160,000). I don’t want that either.
My only question is whether I’m being too pragmatic and might end up regretting it. Am I basically getting a Ferrari (house) with steel rims (garden), or can we trust a good landscaping contractor to create a nice concept alongside the house construction?
B
Bertram10023 Aug 2022 22:21On ZDF, there is a gardening show where two landscape gardeners design a garden for a family after the family shares a few things that are important to them and must be included. Each landscaper then creates a design, the family chooses one, and that design is implemented.
Budgets of 20,000 euros or more are not uncommon. However, the designs are often not very spectacular. If you watch the beginning and the end of some episodes, you get an idea of the designs and gardens.
I often feel a bit puzzled by the somewhat dull results and the high costs. But it is still interesting. I only watch the beginning for the designs and the end for the final result in real life.
I find truly beautiful gardens are those that have naturally matured over time, with clear sight lines, old trees, and established plants. Of course, you can’t achieve that immediately. I get the impression that (just like with house building) a lot of knowledge from previous generations has been lost, and the planning is becoming more superficial. There’s not much that can go very wrong that way.
If I had the money, I would hire a landscape gardener for both planning and implementation. But I would choose someone with a focus on specific types of projects (for example, pools, natural ponds, permaculture gardens, natural gardens, rock gardens, or whatever is important to you).
Budgets of 20,000 euros or more are not uncommon. However, the designs are often not very spectacular. If you watch the beginning and the end of some episodes, you get an idea of the designs and gardens.
I often feel a bit puzzled by the somewhat dull results and the high costs. But it is still interesting. I only watch the beginning for the designs and the end for the final result in real life.
I find truly beautiful gardens are those that have naturally matured over time, with clear sight lines, old trees, and established plants. Of course, you can’t achieve that immediately. I get the impression that (just like with house building) a lot of knowledge from previous generations has been lost, and the planning is becoming more superficial. There’s not much that can go very wrong that way.
If I had the money, I would hire a landscape gardener for both planning and implementation. But I would choose someone with a focus on specific types of projects (for example, pools, natural ponds, permaculture gardens, natural gardens, rock gardens, or whatever is important to you).
K
k-man202123 Aug 2022 22:45gregman22 schrieb:
Hi everyone,
There’s a new update.
Yesterday, my architect and I visited the site together. We reviewed the various requirements and he thoroughly inspected and documented the entire surrounding area.
…
Today, right afterward, we had another meeting at the architect’s office. We went through countless project examples, our ideas, requirements, and much more once again. My wife’s input was again very important. The architect and his team will now start the design phase. We have a great feeling about it, and all the details are solid and well thought out. The presentation is scheduled for 22.09., where we will see a complete 3D model. That sounds really great! I hope you’ve found the right architect this time! Be sure to give them enough time for the design…
Regarding the garden… we have a VERY detail-oriented architect who has included a landscape architect as an option in the cost estimate. However, that role will clearly be subordinate to the house and, if at all, will only come in towards the end.
Similar topics