ᐅ New Construction of a Single-Family Home on a Sloping Lot

Dear forum members,

After purchasing the plot, we thankfully received today the initial draft from the architect of the general contractor.

Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: approx. 735 sqm (21 meters wide, 35 meters deep) (22,700 sq ft (69 ft) wide, 115 ft deep)
Slope: yes
Site coverage ratio: ?
Floor area ratio: ?
Building envelope, building line and boundary: basically at the rear part of the plot
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: 2 (double garage)
Number of stories: 2
Roof style: gable roof
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: south/north
Maximum heights/limits: 1.125 m knee wall at top
Other requirements: roof pitch 38 degrees

Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: modern gable roof
Basement, stories: basement, 2 floors
Number of occupants, ages: 3 persons, 2 adults, 1 child (0.5), possibly one more
Space requirement: total 160-180 sqm (1,720-1,940 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office? Home office in basement
Guest bedrooms per year: none
Open or closed architecture
Traditional or modern construction
Open kitchen, cooking island: yes
Number of dining seats: 8
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: TV wall, possibly as divider between living and dining areas
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double garage with direct house access
Utility garden, greenhouse: flower beds and lawn
Other wishes/particulars/daily routine, also reasons why some things should or should not be included
-

House Design
Who created the plan: architect of the general contractor
What do you particularly like? Why? – Entrance located in the basement because otherwise a steep entrance staircase around the house would be necessary; home office with window in the basement; terrace on the garage; upper floor with separate bathroom for children.
What do you dislike? We don’t like the orientation. We would prefer the gable sides to face north/south (mainly for the view; as currently planned, from the upper floor the southern or city view is only visible through roof windows). On the ground floor, a laundry room is planned facing the sunny south, which we find less practical. With the office in the basement, the usable living area is now 212 sqm (2,280 sq ft). We think we can manage well with 180 sqm (1,940 sq ft) overall. Perhaps the children’s rooms are each 2 sqm (22 sq ft) too small. Also, we are not comfortable with the many small, irregularly arranged windows.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: approx. 550,000 EUR turnkey plus 20,000 EUR landscaping plus 10,000 EUR landscaping = 580,000 EUR
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 550,000 EUR
Preferred heating technology: ?

If you had to give up, which details/finishings
- Utility room on the ground floor
- Cannot do without: separate bathroom for children

Why is the design like it is now? For example,
We gave some initial verbal ideas but allowed the planner considerable freedom.

What is the most important/basic question regarding the floor plan in 130 characters?

The planner sees only this orientation as sensible; however, we do not like it. How could the ground floor be better designed despite the staircase at the south side, which takes space from more practical rooms (possibly the kitchen)? Any ideas on the exterior design?

Oh my goodness. Sorry, I find this a bit disastrous – it’s hardly worth tearing it apart, right? Especially since you don’t even like it yourselves.

Do you want the terrace facing the street? Sure, there’s sun, but also cars.
Does the staircase have to be straight?

Having the terrace on the south side definitely makes sense. On one hand, you can use the garage roof, and on the other hand, only about ten cars pass by in that area daily. It is just a quiet residential street. The straight staircase is not absolutely necessary. However, it is certainly advantageous between the basement and the ground floor, as from the ground floor you can directly see visitors who enter the house through the basement.

Are the garage and excavation work included in the construction costs?

Somehow, I’m not satisfied with the floor plan. I just don’t know if I’m being objective.

Do you need the basement? The utility room is doubled. Why isn’t the cloakroom located on the ground floor?

The question from @haydee is valid. That’s easily over 1000 cubic meters of waste volume alone! At 20€ per cubic meter Z0 (which would be a best-case scenario), that already adds up to a significant amount. For Z1.1, it’s double that. Anything else is unaffordable and would only be dealt with off the books!

Building on a slope is challenging. We also spent months thinking hard about the floor plan. Is the earthwork included in the $550,000? For us, it was almost 100% more expensive than estimated.

Here are some points I notice:

- The garage, partially integrated into the house, is not very energy-efficient.
- The entrance is narrow and dark, with little space for a wardrobe, and the dirty area is directly in front of the stairs.
- The straight staircase, combined with the resulting winding hallway, consumes a lot of space, yet doesn’t feel generous.
- For the size of the house, the kitchen is tiny with inadequate work surfaces; the pantry doesn’t compensate for this.
- The living room is an awkward walk-through space with limited room for furniture.
- The wardrobe feels oddly out of place.
- Laundry should at least be done roughly where it’s generated.
- The walk-in closet is far too narrow.
- The layout of the upper floor is not very appealing.
- The master bathroom drains through the living room.