ᐅ Looking for opinions and advice on a 220 sqm single-family house.
Created on: 26 Mar 2014 12:28
T
tommo
Hello fellow homebuilding enthusiasts,
We are excited to make our dream of owning a house come true and have already done a lot of planning. We’ve also secured a plot of land, so we can get started soon.
The plan is for a detached single-family house with a timber frame construction (walls plastered), at least KFW70 standard, without a basement.
The land slopes slightly (from east to west), and according to the development plan, 2m (6.5 ft) can be cut and 1.5m (5 ft) built up. There is a building boundary line on the north side (north edge of the house), and I have approval for an exemption to exceed this boundary for the garage. We have two children, and I work from home.
The house will have a ground source heat pump and a central mechanical ventilation system (if the budget allows 😉).
There will be an extension on the west side (not insulated as part of the main building envelope) that will house the sauna. The roof of the extension will be used as a roof terrace.
Allowed knee wall height: 2.00m (6.6 ft) with a roof pitch of 25°.
Hmm, what else might be important...??
Attached are images of the floor plan, 3D views of the house, and the site layout showing the house’s orientation on the plot.
Thank you very much, and I’m really looking forward to your feedback.
Best regards,
Thomas
We are excited to make our dream of owning a house come true and have already done a lot of planning. We’ve also secured a plot of land, so we can get started soon.
The plan is for a detached single-family house with a timber frame construction (walls plastered), at least KFW70 standard, without a basement.
The land slopes slightly (from east to west), and according to the development plan, 2m (6.5 ft) can be cut and 1.5m (5 ft) built up. There is a building boundary line on the north side (north edge of the house), and I have approval for an exemption to exceed this boundary for the garage. We have two children, and I work from home.
The house will have a ground source heat pump and a central mechanical ventilation system (if the budget allows 😉).
There will be an extension on the west side (not insulated as part of the main building envelope) that will house the sauna. The roof of the extension will be used as a roof terrace.
Allowed knee wall height: 2.00m (6.6 ft) with a roof pitch of 25°.
Hmm, what else might be important...??
Attached are images of the floor plan, 3D views of the house, and the site layout showing the house’s orientation on the plot.
Thank you very much, and I’m really looking forward to your feedback.
Best regards,
Thomas
tommo schrieb:
The hallways are already quite spacious, but no matter how I move the walls, if I make the hallways smaller, living space or storage area is lost somewhere else.That's why you should leave it to the professionals! As it stands, you have a lot of living area, but nowhere near as much usable space as 220m² (2,368 sq ft) would suggest. Besides, the structural engineering alone would be very, very expensive. Skimping without an architect is saving money in the wrong place.
W
Wanderdüne27 Mar 2014 09:13Ground floor: Entrance looks unattractive, where is the cloakroom supposed to be? Why a spiral staircase with the available space? Why do you have to walk through a dirty zone to reach the upper floor? The pantry takes up more space than it provides, kitchen layout is inefficient, living room feels closed off – was this intentional? Sauna feels like an isolated room, why?
Upper floor: Why is the walk-in closet an isolated space? Bedroom feels small, where is the corridor lighting coming from? Is the bathroom designed this way on purpose?
A design by someone experienced would result in a more affordable, efficient building with better living quality (and it would look better too).
Upper floor: Why is the walk-in closet an isolated space? Bedroom feels small, where is the corridor lighting coming from? Is the bathroom designed this way on purpose?
A design by someone experienced would result in a more affordable, efficient building with better living quality (and it would look better too).
Ground floor: The "family cloakroom" will be located under the closed staircase (passage to the utility room). This way, the children can enter the utility room through the garage after their next mud fight and leave their clothes there. Since the staircase is closed, a cloakroom for guests can be integrated on the other side (hallway).
We have a very expensive kitchen in our current house that we definitely want to keep, so the entire layout is planned around the kitchen.
What do you mean by "trapped space"? Because there is no window in it?
Upper floor: The hallway lighting is provided through glass panels in the doors to the office and bathroom. The bedroom is small but sufficient for us; no need to play soccer inside. Yes, the design is intentional: there are three half-height walls, two of which (by the shower) are extended with glass. The shower is planned to be open and level-access.
There is a window behind the bathtub, so you can look at the stars while bathing. Admittedly, it’s a bit inconvenient for ventilation, but that’s okay...
Thomas
We have a very expensive kitchen in our current house that we definitely want to keep, so the entire layout is planned around the kitchen.
What do you mean by "trapped space"? Because there is no window in it?
Upper floor: The hallway lighting is provided through glass panels in the doors to the office and bathroom. The bedroom is small but sufficient for us; no need to play soccer inside. Yes, the design is intentional: there are three half-height walls, two of which (by the shower) are extended with glass. The shower is planned to be open and level-access.
There is a window behind the bathtub, so you can look at the stars while bathing. Admittedly, it’s a bit inconvenient for ventilation, but that’s okay...
Thomas
You mentioned that you want a timber frame construction. However, I can’t see that clearly in your plans, as my understanding of timber frame construction is a bit different—typically featuring large glazing areas and a more open layout.
Most likely, you will need to rely on a prefab home manufacturer for this. They should handle the design since they do this every day, with plenty of examples and show homes to give you a realistic idea.
From my own experience, when you plan on your own, you tend to stay trapped in your own little world, holding on to old habits and fixed ideas, making it extremely difficult to think outside the box.
Sorry, but some parts of your design seem outdated. For example, pantries are really a thing of the past, and with such a large house, you should be able to integrate a sauna properly instead of having it look like an afterthought.
Beyond that, you might plan endlessly, only to find that it doesn’t work because of technical limitations, building codes (e.g., paragraph xyz), or because it becomes unaffordable.
For a project like this, you really need a professional who can create the basic concept first, which you can then refine.
Most likely, you will need to rely on a prefab home manufacturer for this. They should handle the design since they do this every day, with plenty of examples and show homes to give you a realistic idea.
From my own experience, when you plan on your own, you tend to stay trapped in your own little world, holding on to old habits and fixed ideas, making it extremely difficult to think outside the box.
Sorry, but some parts of your design seem outdated. For example, pantries are really a thing of the past, and with such a large house, you should be able to integrate a sauna properly instead of having it look like an afterthought.
Beyond that, you might plan endlessly, only to find that it doesn’t work because of technical limitations, building codes (e.g., paragraph xyz), or because it becomes unaffordable.
For a project like this, you really need a professional who can create the basic concept first, which you can then refine.
Yes, it will be a timber frame construction. The living and dining area features floor-to-ceiling windows and lift-and-slide doors, with only a solid wall around the dining table. On the upper floor, no large glass surfaces are planned deliberately, as we want the rooms to be completely darkened.
We are negotiating with a (smaller) local timber construction company, so nothing “off the shelf.” A pantry is something we have always missed, and I don’t see any downside to it.
The sauna extension will serve both as a roof terrace and create a nicely sheltered patio where you can sit even when it’s windy.
You’re right, maybe after weeks of planning you develop tunnel vision, which is why I posted the plans here 😉. I am considering having an architect review the plans for optimization. The timber company employs a building technician who is responsible for implementing our ideas. Everything we have planned is approved (after consultation with the building authority). There is also a zoning plan.
We are negotiating with a (smaller) local timber construction company, so nothing “off the shelf.” A pantry is something we have always missed, and I don’t see any downside to it.
The sauna extension will serve both as a roof terrace and create a nicely sheltered patio where you can sit even when it’s windy.
You’re right, maybe after weeks of planning you develop tunnel vision, which is why I posted the plans here 😉. I am considering having an architect review the plans for optimization. The timber company employs a building technician who is responsible for implementing our ideas. Everything we have planned is approved (after consultation with the building authority). There is also a zoning plan.
You posted this here asking for improvement suggestions, but you defend everything that many people criticize or consider poorly executed.
You can’t do the work of an architect. It’s not without reason that it requires years of study!
Don’t just leave it to the architect to “optimize,” but have the architect design a house tailored specifically to your needs! Simply provide a list of your wishes and ideas, and possibly a sketch as well. There’s no need for such (sorry) “poor” software for this.
Good luck.
You can’t do the work of an architect. It’s not without reason that it requires years of study!
Don’t just leave it to the architect to “optimize,” but have the architect design a house tailored specifically to your needs! Simply provide a list of your wishes and ideas, and possibly a sketch as well. There’s no need for such (sorry) “poor” software for this.
Good luck.
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