ᐅ Requesting Opinions on Floor Plans for a “House on a Slope”
Created on: 10 Aug 2013 14:18
S
Shadowblues
Hello,
we have now spoken with many builders and also with two architects. An ideal floor plan with the available budget has not emerged, at best a compromise between cost and use. But please have a look for yourselves. I would appreciate any constructive tips.
The building will be solid construction through an architect with individual contracting.
General conditions:
Requirements for the floor plan:
Sloped site – so the basement is underground on the entrance side, and above ground on the opposite side.
Keep it simple, without much fuss.
Ridge and eaves height fixed as a maximum limit, as well as a gable roof; either we go for a high kneewall or dormers. We have decided on a high kneewall, otherwise it would not be approved according to the development plan.
Financially no more than 375,000 USD (approximate equivalence), which according to my architect corresponds to about 950 cubic meters (33,560 cubic feet) of enclosed space.
Upper floor as a separate living unit, initially for the children, later rentable.
Ground floor with open kitchen, dining and living area, bedroom (bed size 190cm x 230cm (75 in x 90 in)) and bathroom. Ideally a small storage room for vacuum cleaner etc.
Basement for technical equipment, separate entrance for one office, anteroom and WC, second office as well as a potential guest or hobby room accessible from the house side.
Fireplace possible in the living room.
Carport on the ground floor with basement underneath, open to the garden, uninsulated is sufficient.
When the children move out, a door will be installed on the ground floor between the stairway to the other apartment and the stairway down to the offices. This separation of staircases is very important to us. Accordingly, the stairs will be concrete.
Roger
P.S.: Please ignore any graphic errors in the program..
we have now spoken with many builders and also with two architects. An ideal floor plan with the available budget has not emerged, at best a compromise between cost and use. But please have a look for yourselves. I would appreciate any constructive tips.
The building will be solid construction through an architect with individual contracting.
General conditions:
Requirements for the floor plan:
Sloped site – so the basement is underground on the entrance side, and above ground on the opposite side.
Keep it simple, without much fuss.
Ridge and eaves height fixed as a maximum limit, as well as a gable roof; either we go for a high kneewall or dormers. We have decided on a high kneewall, otherwise it would not be approved according to the development plan.
Financially no more than 375,000 USD (approximate equivalence), which according to my architect corresponds to about 950 cubic meters (33,560 cubic feet) of enclosed space.
Upper floor as a separate living unit, initially for the children, later rentable.
Ground floor with open kitchen, dining and living area, bedroom (bed size 190cm x 230cm (75 in x 90 in)) and bathroom. Ideally a small storage room for vacuum cleaner etc.
Basement for technical equipment, separate entrance for one office, anteroom and WC, second office as well as a potential guest or hobby room accessible from the house side.
Fireplace possible in the living room.
Carport on the ground floor with basement underneath, open to the garden, uninsulated is sufficient.
When the children move out, a door will be installed on the ground floor between the stairway to the other apartment and the stairway down to the offices. This separation of staircases is very important to us. Accordingly, the stairs will be concrete.
Roger
P.S.: Please ignore any graphic errors in the program..
S
Shadowblues11 Aug 2013 17:23I told you .. it will be a carport .. 95% sure .. and if I need a window there, then 100% certain
Shadowblues schrieb:
I told you .. it will be a carport .. 95% sure .. and if I need a window there, then definitely 100% Hey, sorry, my browser hadn’t refreshed yet. So here’s another suggestion with a gable back in the right direction (you guys are really strict).
The staircase is a half-turn type here (a square of 2.20m x 2.20m (7.2 ft x 7.2 ft) should be enough). The chimney might need to be placed in front of the wall, since that wall is probably load-bearing. Otherwise, it has to be carefully planned in advance.
Basically, no big difference except for the gable, and the bedroom has more space – which I personally find important.
S
Shadowblues11 Aug 2013 20:03Hello, thanks a lot for thinking along. It’s always a bit difficult on your own without any feedback, and the architect doesn’t have many ideas either…
A door to the carport? No, that was a window. But a door there? The idea has something to it… Maybe something like a patio door?
A door to the carport? No, that was a window. But a door there? The idea has something to it… Maybe something like a patio door?
Hello Roger, I think the exterior dimensions are too small to plan an additional room on the ground floor (which would be the bedroom for you). We originally wanted that too, so you could move downstairs and have barrier-free living as you get older, if that’s your main reason. We decided against another room on the ground floor for the following reasons: 1) The room can still be added if needed in 30 years. 2) Our grandmother is now 95 years old and still walks upstairs to sleep. Stairlifts or similar aids would help, but she doesn’t want them! 3) Quality of life now (why have a small living and dining area with kitchen when this is where daily life happens). I would definitely include access from the carport or garage.
For the basement, I would integrate the toilet better so that, if needed when the children get older, one or two kids can be confined downstairs – possibly also the bedroom in the basement. The room temperature in summer would definitely be more comfortable there (of course, this depends on the children’s ages).
On the upper floor, did you forget to mark the windows on the side, or are there actually none?
Best regards,
Martin
For the basement, I would integrate the toilet better so that, if needed when the children get older, one or two kids can be confined downstairs – possibly also the bedroom in the basement. The room temperature in summer would definitely be more comfortable there (of course, this depends on the children’s ages).
On the upper floor, did you forget to mark the windows on the side, or are there actually none?
Best regards,
Martin
S
Shadowblues12 Aug 2013 00:27Hello,
Yes, the space is a bit small, but if I want to rent it out in 15 years, it has to work. And besides, where else would I put a bedroom? There’s no space upstairs either. Maybe I’m just used to living simply since I currently have a mid-terrace house. There isn’t much space there either—right now, I work in a 9cm² (97 sq ft) room without a window... *sigh* Yeah, that’s really frustrating. Our life mostly happens in the office rooms and kids’ bedrooms, so it’s important to me that those get bigger than they are now. The living room and so on are fine as they are. And if the kids also have room for a model train or drum set in a hobby room, that would be perfect.
There won’t be any side windows upstairs because the knee wall will be about 1.40m (4 ft 7 in) high—otherwise, I’d be breaking building regulations. That’s already pushing the limit.
I couldn’t let it go, so I revisited the plan and added an upper floor and basement. I actually like it a lot better now; I’ll see what my architect thinks when he has time for me.
It will probably be a bit too expensive, so I’m thinking about saving a little on the heating system—maybe a standard budget gas plus solar setup instead of pellets—but first, I need to see some actual numbers.
Roger
P.S.: Criticism is very welcome
Yes, the space is a bit small, but if I want to rent it out in 15 years, it has to work. And besides, where else would I put a bedroom? There’s no space upstairs either. Maybe I’m just used to living simply since I currently have a mid-terrace house. There isn’t much space there either—right now, I work in a 9cm² (97 sq ft) room without a window... *sigh* Yeah, that’s really frustrating. Our life mostly happens in the office rooms and kids’ bedrooms, so it’s important to me that those get bigger than they are now. The living room and so on are fine as they are. And if the kids also have room for a model train or drum set in a hobby room, that would be perfect.
There won’t be any side windows upstairs because the knee wall will be about 1.40m (4 ft 7 in) high—otherwise, I’d be breaking building regulations. That’s already pushing the limit.
I couldn’t let it go, so I revisited the plan and added an upper floor and basement. I actually like it a lot better now; I’ll see what my architect thinks when he has time for me.
It will probably be a bit too expensive, so I’m thinking about saving a little on the heating system—maybe a standard budget gas plus solar setup instead of pellets—but first, I need to see some actual numbers.
Roger
P.S.: Criticism is very welcome
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