ᐅ New Single-Family Home Construction – Join Us on Our Journey!
Created on: 4 Aug 2022 16:13
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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 Sep 2022 14:33I have now gained access to the 3D rendering. Therefore, I can also present the proportions between the house and the plot using a screenshot.
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gregman2223 Sep 2022 14:44Before addressing specific points, I would like to put things into perspective again:
I do like the idea as well. It would be possible to add a terrace door to the granny flat on the north side. The terrace itself could be separated by a privacy screen – that would be sufficient.
That’s how I understood it as well.
@11ant – here I agree with you. There is currently a gallery, but it can only be used as a passageway at the moment. The upper area could be enlarged slightly to make it more livable. I really like your example picture with the shelving!
- The architect had to complete this planning phase under pressure (in about 2.5 weeks including vacation absences).
- The plan is a first draft and can be adjusted.
- The design is independent of building materials. We can decide on solid wood or masonry construction.
- Honestly, I remain somewhat skeptical about wood as well. I like the appearance, but weather exposure and similar concerns worry me. The color is also just a suggestion and has not been approved by us.
K a t j a schrieb:
I have already made a recommendation for implementing a terrace.
I do like the idea as well. It would be possible to add a terrace door to the granny flat on the north side. The terrace itself could be separated by a privacy screen – that would be sufficient.
K a t j a schrieb:
The kitchen faces fully south and is not shaded thanks to this large window front. Trees can be trimmed to avoid darkening the rooms. Small trees are also an option.
That’s how I understood it as well.
K a t j a schrieb:
I clearly see a gallery there.
@11ant – here I agree with you. There is currently a gallery, but it can only be used as a passageway at the moment. The upper area could be enlarged slightly to make it more livable. I really like your example picture with the shelving!
gregman22 schrieb:
- The architect had to complete this planning phase under pressure (in about 2.5 weeks including vacation absences).
- The plan is a first draft and can be adjusted.
Planning under time pressure is unprofessional; good planners refuse that, and at the same time wasting time on a preliminary sketch just doesn’t add up.gregman22 schrieb:
The design is independent of building materials. We can decide between solid wood or masonry.
- Honestly, I remain somewhat skeptical about wood. I like the look, but weather exposure and related issues worry me as well.
Then I don’t understand your anxious question about the material. I see no reason to be skeptical about wood, and the appearance has nothing to do with that. If the visible surface is also wood, that is rather coincidental in terms of being independent from the structural building material. I also don’t understand the restriction to just these two construction methods—why exclude other panel construction types?Overall, it seems you rely heavily on visuals but have limited spatial imagination and not enough experience with conceptual planning, so you get distracted by renderings. I recommend you take a more systematic approach. Since we are still at the preliminary design stage and you haven’t decided on the building method yet, I would follow either my recommendation ("Baulotse Hoffmann," now with the preliminary design request bids from a handful of general contractors and continue working with the architect through design phase 5) or my colleague Beuler’s suggestion ("Fertighausexperte," work with the architect through design phase 3 and then request bids from the general contractors). These two approaches can also be combined. My “classic” approach involves keeping the architect on board through design phase 8; the route suggested by the “Fertighausexperte” makes the most sense if you continue working with this expert throughout the entire process up to the final acceptance.
So far, I have not gotten the impression that this architect would be recommended for design phase 8 :-(
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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gregman2223 Sep 2022 15:4711ant schrieb:
So far, I haven’t gotten the impression that this architect would be recommended for phase 8 :-( It was clear from the beginning that the architect would not support us through phase 8 due to the distance to the site. Therefore, they are only handling the planning and acting as a link to the other service providers (e.g., general contractor).
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gregman2223 Sep 2022 15:4911ant schrieb:
still little spatial imagination and too little practice in conceptual approaches and let yourselves be (mis)led by renderings. That made me smile. How are we supposed to have that kind of experience? We are neither civil engineers nor architects, nor have we built 37 houses before.
That is exactly why I am asking the community here for advice.
S
Sunshine38723 Sep 2022 15:52Overall, the planning is not bad and meets your requirements, but I would suggest considering the following points that, in my opinion, need to be changed. First, something positive: we also have an open void and with the bedroom door closed, you cannot hear anything from the living room, even though the walls are not especially thick. So, sleep is completely undisturbed unless you are a very sensitive sleeper. Personally, I find an open void to be a great feature and, as you said, simply nice.
1.) The ceiling height seems very low. With a budget like this, you should have ceiling heights of 2.8m (9 feet 2 inches) or more. How oppressive must a 60m² (645 ft²) living room with only 2.6m (8 feet 6 inches) ceiling height feel, especially when it is 9m (30 feet) long? I wouldn’t feel comfortable there.
2.) The living room in the granny flat is quite small. It should be at least 25m² (270 ft²). I would remove your bathroom, put the kitchen against the bathroom wall, and place the guest toilet under the stairs. Also, the granny flat should have a nice terrace.
3.) Missing setback from the boundary for the garage: Is it really only about 3m (10 feet) high near the neighbor? I doubt that.
4.) The facade definitely needs to be changed. It currently looks like an architectural style from the 1960s (sorry). This dark, unfriendly-looking wood is not to my taste at all. I would recommend clinker brick instead. It looks much nicer and bright clinker bricks immediately improve the appearance. Especially with this budget, you should choose a durable, low-maintenance solid construction. Clinker brick never needs painting or repairs. Wood, without regular cleaning, looks like an old house after just a few years.
5.) Dormer windows are also missing. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in a house without nice dormers that provide plenty of light and usable space. Without dormers, you end up with the living quality of a Town & Country house at the price of a million-dollar villa.
Otherwise, the floor plan fits your needs well, and having the kitchen at the entrance wouldn’t bother me at all.
1.) The ceiling height seems very low. With a budget like this, you should have ceiling heights of 2.8m (9 feet 2 inches) or more. How oppressive must a 60m² (645 ft²) living room with only 2.6m (8 feet 6 inches) ceiling height feel, especially when it is 9m (30 feet) long? I wouldn’t feel comfortable there.
2.) The living room in the granny flat is quite small. It should be at least 25m² (270 ft²). I would remove your bathroom, put the kitchen against the bathroom wall, and place the guest toilet under the stairs. Also, the granny flat should have a nice terrace.
3.) Missing setback from the boundary for the garage: Is it really only about 3m (10 feet) high near the neighbor? I doubt that.
4.) The facade definitely needs to be changed. It currently looks like an architectural style from the 1960s (sorry). This dark, unfriendly-looking wood is not to my taste at all. I would recommend clinker brick instead. It looks much nicer and bright clinker bricks immediately improve the appearance. Especially with this budget, you should choose a durable, low-maintenance solid construction. Clinker brick never needs painting or repairs. Wood, without regular cleaning, looks like an old house after just a few years.
5.) Dormer windows are also missing. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in a house without nice dormers that provide plenty of light and usable space. Without dormers, you end up with the living quality of a Town & Country house at the price of a million-dollar villa.
Otherwise, the floor plan fits your needs well, and having the kitchen at the entrance wouldn’t bother me at all.
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