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
gregman2230 Oct 2022 22:05@ypg what do you think about the window front? Is it too fragmented?
This ridiculous subdivision required by the development plan annoys me a lot. What nonsense to mandate a window division after just 1.5m² (16 sq ft). Maybe we can negotiate it away. Otherwise, I can't think of any alternative solution.
This ridiculous subdivision required by the development plan annoys me a lot. What nonsense to mandate a window division after just 1.5m² (16 sq ft). Maybe we can negotiate it away. Otherwise, I can't think of any alternative solution.
C
Costruttrice30 Oct 2022 22:17gregman22 schrieb:
If you accept the basic structure of the granny flat as a given for now, I can’t imagine how to change the layout to address all the points. I would need someone to roughly sketch it out for me.Unfortunately, I don’t have any ideas either. But if you arrange the kitchen in the L-shape as suggested by @ypg, there might be a possibility.
gregman22 schrieb:
That would also mean we need to create a small area for a terrace, right?No, stepping stones are enough. You might want to grow tomato plants or herbs at some point. Then you can harvest them easily. Also, garden maintenance is often done while cooking or between the second and third coffee in the morning. But I bet you’ll also want to set up a seating area somewhere in the garden.
gregman22 schrieb:
Can you explain the open kitchen square again? Is it open to the living room and hallway? Where would you place the coat rack that many people feel is missing?There is a coat rack. I’m a supporter of coat racks: 60cm (24 inches) per person! I don’t know what others are thinking about when they talk about a large coat rack or whom it is meant for. What’s drawn in should be sufficient for your needs. The square with a circle symbol represents the washing machine.
I would probably design it open to the living area… maybe with a small peninsula and the dining table attached to it. You should ask your parents what they prefer. With an open kitchen, they benefit from the coat rack window. However, as mentioned earlier, if the entrance is frequently used during cold weather, it can have disadvantages. If your parents don’t go for walks all the time or something like that, the layout should work fine for several weeks per year. And if an au pair moves in, it still fits. It’s not as busy coming and going as in a family household.
gregman22 schrieb:
Do you think the "new" WC you suggested is too narrow?I would try to squeeze out a clear width of 110cm (43 inches). There are great slim toilets without windows if you look online. I changed it again: placing the WC towards the front so you can quickly get from the garden through the back hallway door to the toilet before you go into the pool. I noticed the window between the hallway and living room: how does that work?
Regarding the living room: how do you plan to furnish it? Around 24 square meters (258 square feet), large sofas placed in front of windows start to make more sense. This looks more spacious than pushing a sofa against the wall (as shown here). Where is the TV supposed to go?
PS: many people here have a different opinion about placing sofas away from walls and windows than I do. I say if the space allows it, definitely give some distance.
Changes in blue 🙂
gregman22 schrieb:
@ypg what do you think about the window facade? Is it too fragmented?
This ridiculous segmentation required by the development plan annoys me a lot. What nonsense to mandate a window division after 1.5 square meters (16 square feet). Maybe we can negotiate that away. Otherwise, I can’t think of an alternative solution. I don’t think so. I really like 1/3 2/3 and 1/4 3/4 divisions. It looks modern without being boring. You can also play around with asymmetry a bit. Maybe that’s why the house appeals to me positively.
Where will the photovoltaic system be installed?
ypg schrieb:
I noticed the window between the hallway and the living room: how does that work? I noticed that too. I definitely wouldn’t use a glass partition between the cloakroom and the living room. Also, someone had already mentioned that the door from the cloakroom/hallway to the living area should open the other way. I would position it a bit further down towards the bottom of the plan and maybe make it wider.
Here are some examples of how cozy mobile homes can be. Usually, the floor plans are designed for vacation use with four people and feature a kitchenette in the "hallway." With comfortable furnishings, it’s definitely more than just a hallway.
The latter is the €200,000 Flying Space from Schwörerhaus, as seen on Hausbauhelden.
The latter is the €200,000 Flying Space from Schwörerhaus, as seen on Hausbauhelden.
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