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
gregman2215 Sep 2022 21:49Another small, rather unspectacular update for the community.
Currently, I am mostly spending my time handling permits and discussions with the local authorities.
The next big highlight: on 22.09. we will receive the first draft from the architect including 3D modeling. Looking forward to it!
So – progress is being made, but lots of details 🙂
Currently, I am mostly spending my time handling permits and discussions with the local authorities.
- Demolition permit: First, the demolition had to be approved by the building authority -> done
- Demolition – Social services: To my surprise, the social services department is also involved here. We are temporarily removing living space, so their approval is also required. We have now obtained a temporary permit to demolish the existing uninhabitable house. Afterwards, we must apply for a final permit for the building project, because the new living space MUST be larger than the old living space. This will be interesting for future generations, who will each need to build a larger house 🙂
- Clearing – a drama:
- First, I was on site with the nature and environmental agency. Everything went well; we reached an agreement on which trees protected under the development plan could be cleared. Everything was documented in writing – I was ready to start.
- Suddenly, the building authority intervened -> Not allowed. We now have to apply for an exemption from the development plan. For this, we need signatures from ALL neighboring landowners with a complete package of documents... So – contacted them, made phone calls, prepared documents, sent them individually. 3/4 are now back – should go smoothly.
- Clearing and demolition contractors: After reviewing 4 companies, I chose one. Clearing and demolition are scheduled for October.
The next big highlight: on 22.09. we will receive the first draft from the architect including 3D modeling. Looking forward to it!
So – progress is being made, but lots of details 🙂
G
gregman2222 Sep 2022 20:50A personal major milestone has been reached: Today, we were presented with the first comprehensive design (including 3D visualization) and we are thrilled. At the same time, there is a lot of information to process.
Therefore, I am happy to share the current design with you. As always, I am very curious to hear your comments!
Side note: The design is currently somewhat larger than planned/budgeted. We have been presented with several options on how to respond to this.
Let’s get started 🙂
Therefore, I am happy to share the current design with you. As always, I am very curious to hear your comments!
Side note: The design is currently somewhat larger than planned/budgeted. We have been presented with several options on how to respond to this.
Let’s get started 🙂
Phew 😉 ... where was north again? I checked the initial post once more, and it mentioned an arrow on one of the views, but I can’t find it.
The floor area has gotten even larger now.
The rooms are all nice and spacious, and the entrance situation with the separate apartment (where is the terrace there?) is clearly better than in the original thread.
Bullet points: what stands out to me are the rather small showers in the master and kids’ bathrooms, even though the bathrooms themselves are quite large.
Then there’s the huge open space right above the dining table ... don’t forget to think about cozy lighting for the table.
Is there supposed to be another bathroom with a shower on the ground floor? And is it larger than the bathroom in the separate apartment?
The stairs from the basement to the ground floor have comfortable dimensions, while the stairs from the ground floor to the upper floor have different dimensions.
If the kitchen is already separated from the dining area, is it really desirable to have the kitchen as the first room you enter?
The floor area has gotten even larger now.
The rooms are all nice and spacious, and the entrance situation with the separate apartment (where is the terrace there?) is clearly better than in the original thread.
Bullet points: what stands out to me are the rather small showers in the master and kids’ bathrooms, even though the bathrooms themselves are quite large.
Then there’s the huge open space right above the dining table ... don’t forget to think about cozy lighting for the table.
Is there supposed to be another bathroom with a shower on the ground floor? And is it larger than the bathroom in the separate apartment?
The stairs from the basement to the ground floor have comfortable dimensions, while the stairs from the ground floor to the upper floor have different dimensions.
If the kitchen is already separated from the dining area, is it really desirable to have the kitchen as the first room you enter?
G
gregman2222 Sep 2022 21:36kbt09 schrieb:
Where was north again?The plot faces northwest. kbt09 schrieb:
The footprint has grown even larger now.Yes, that’s correct. The architect chose the option with one full floor instead of two because this allows 40% more floor area according to the building regulations / planning permission... This results in a more comfortable ground floor layout including the integrated granny flat. Additionally, with the steep roof pitch, we gained a small attic space. kbt09 schrieb:
Separation of the granny flat (where is the terrace there?)The granny flat is currently planned on the east side of the plot. For privacy reasons, it deliberately has no window or door facing north. However, this means it currently has no terrace either. kbt09 schrieb:
Then the huge void directly above the dining table... remember cozy lighting for the table.Good point – I need to think about that again. kbt09 schrieb:
Will there be a bathroom with a shower on the ground floor? And is that bigger than the bathroom in the granny flat?I’ll reconsider that... We might be able to skip that shower since there is one planned in the basement (combined with the guest room). kbt09 schrieb:
If the kitchen is already separated from the dining area, is it really desirable to have the kitchen as the first room you enter?We’re really struggling with this point. Pros for the kitchen: It gets beautiful morning sun, and my wife and I enjoy sitting at the breakfast table for about an hour every morning. Plus, the space is nicely open.
Cons: As a guest, you enter directly into the kitchen. If it’s messy there, it’s not a nice first impression.
Compromises?
- Swap kitchen and dining room – hmm
- Add a sliding structure by the kitchen to close it off flexibly when needed
What I don’t think makes sense is moving the kitchen all the way up next to the living room. Then we’d be working against the sun’s path.
Definitely an improvement.
The guest WC situation would bother me the most. I would move the toilet to the back part of the cloakroom and leave out the shower. The additional space could be added to the basement apartment. Maybe this way you could create a small recessed terrace. It’s a pity that the bathroom will have no window here. I really don’t like that in new builds.
I would probably accept the "kitchen compromise" in favor of light and openness.
The guest WC situation would bother me the most. I would move the toilet to the back part of the cloakroom and leave out the shower. The additional space could be added to the basement apartment. Maybe this way you could create a small recessed terrace. It’s a pity that the bathroom will have no window here. I really don’t like that in new builds.
I would probably accept the "kitchen compromise" in favor of light and openness.
How does the morning sun reach the kitchen if the granny flat is located on the east side? Wouldn't it be simpler to just add a north arrow to the floor plans? 😉
Why can't there be a terrace connected to the living room in the granny flat?
Why can't there be a terrace connected to the living room in the granny flat?
kbt09 schrieb:I have to revise that—I must have been seeing things wrong 😉
The staircase from the basement to the ground floor has comfortable dimensions, while the one from the ground floor to the upper floor has different measurements.
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