ᐅ Planning a single-family house (basement + ground floor + upper floor) on a 480 m² plot
Created on: 19 Jan 2022 17:37
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Elias_dee
Hello! In another thread, I was advised to present my project here. First of all, we are still at the very beginning of the planning process, have luckily secured a plot of land, and now need to study everything carefully. Tips, criticism, suggestions, etc., are always welcome.
Here are "our" key data:
- We are 2 adults, no children, and none planned for the time being
- Electricity consumption: about 3,000 - 3,500 kWh
- Hot water consumption: I don’t have exact data right now, but it’s rather high because we shower with warm water every day
- Fairly handy, so we would like to do at least the painting ourselves (interior + exterior), lay floor coverings (except tiles), and do the garden completely ourselves (we already have experience in all these areas)
Here are the key data for the plot:
- Plot size 480 m² (5,167 ft²)
- New development area
- 2 parking spaces required
- 2 full floors mandatory according to the development plan / zoning plan (building permit / planning permission)
- Ridge direction East-West, renewable energy preferred according to the development plan, photovoltaic as an independent roofing layer is possible
And here is what we want for the house:
- Ground floor with living room, kitchen, guest room, and bathroom with shower
- Upper floor with bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom with shower, office 1, office 2
- Basement with technical room, utility room, possibly sauna and fitness area, but this might shift to just fitness + sauna in the garden
- Central long straight staircase as a design element
- About 80 m² (860 ft²) living space per floor
- Garage: We want an attached (prefabricated?) garage with direct access to the house plus a carport on the opposite side of the house (unfortunately required by the development/zoning plan)
According to the current plan (but I am still very uncertain here, so criticism is always welcome):
- Build according to KfW55 standard, even if there is no subsidy, or at least close to it—KfW40 does not seem worthwhile to me
- Natural gas connection is already laid to the plot, so my current preference is natural gas heating combined with solar thermal energy (for hot water and heating)
- Photovoltaics are currently not planned, as I don’t see the advantage given the low feed-in tariff
- A ventilation system, although I’m not sure yet if it should be central or decentralized
I can’t think of anything else at the moment—comments on anything are always welcome.
Thanks and best regards!
Elias_dee
Here are "our" key data:
- We are 2 adults, no children, and none planned for the time being
- Electricity consumption: about 3,000 - 3,500 kWh
- Hot water consumption: I don’t have exact data right now, but it’s rather high because we shower with warm water every day
- Fairly handy, so we would like to do at least the painting ourselves (interior + exterior), lay floor coverings (except tiles), and do the garden completely ourselves (we already have experience in all these areas)
Here are the key data for the plot:
- Plot size 480 m² (5,167 ft²)
- New development area
- 2 parking spaces required
- 2 full floors mandatory according to the development plan / zoning plan (building permit / planning permission)
- Ridge direction East-West, renewable energy preferred according to the development plan, photovoltaic as an independent roofing layer is possible
And here is what we want for the house:
- Ground floor with living room, kitchen, guest room, and bathroom with shower
- Upper floor with bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom with shower, office 1, office 2
- Basement with technical room, utility room, possibly sauna and fitness area, but this might shift to just fitness + sauna in the garden
- Central long straight staircase as a design element
- About 80 m² (860 ft²) living space per floor
- Garage: We want an attached (prefabricated?) garage with direct access to the house plus a carport on the opposite side of the house (unfortunately required by the development/zoning plan)
According to the current plan (but I am still very uncertain here, so criticism is always welcome):
- Build according to KfW55 standard, even if there is no subsidy, or at least close to it—KfW40 does not seem worthwhile to me
- Natural gas connection is already laid to the plot, so my current preference is natural gas heating combined with solar thermal energy (for hot water and heating)
- Photovoltaics are currently not planned, as I don’t see the advantage given the low feed-in tariff
- A ventilation system, although I’m not sure yet if it should be central or decentralized
I can’t think of anything else at the moment—comments on anything are always welcome.
Thanks and best regards!
Elias_dee
M
Myrna_Loy7 Feb 2022 12:56I wouldn’t want to have to squeeze through the approximately 60 cm (24 inches) gap by the dining table every time to get to the sofa. I don’t think the ground floor layout works well. The staircase disrupts the flow throughout the house.
Why are you making the house seem smaller by recessing the entrance? The 1.50 m (5 feet) would benefit the living room. I also wouldn’t plan an island with bar seating, but rather an L-shaped kitchen to give the dining table more space. The floor plan, in terms of dimensions and room sequence, is almost the same as our 200-year-old house—and I wouldn’t choose to build that way voluntarily.
Why are you making the house seem smaller by recessing the entrance? The 1.50 m (5 feet) would benefit the living room. I also wouldn’t plan an island with bar seating, but rather an L-shaped kitchen to give the dining table more space. The floor plan, in terms of dimensions and room sequence, is almost the same as our 200-year-old house—and I wouldn’t choose to build that way voluntarily.
Elias_dee schrieb:
I unfortunately don’t understand any of your sentences. Thanks @Tolentino for the fairly successful translation attempt 🙂 Elias_dee schrieb:
I initially said that the architect would only provide the drawings, but the execution must be handled by a general contractor (GC). [...] In my request to the construction companies, I wrote that if possible, they should use 36.5 cm (14.4 inches) thickness for the insulation. Either the architect should not only produce drawings but also do the planning (which is, by nature, not done in “rounds” but as a distillation process—see also “A House-Building Roadmap, also for you: the HOAI phase model!”), and then at least up to and including the planning permission/planning approval stage (and preferably further). In that case, the plans are binding for the executing companies; they have no freedom of choice. Or you want to clarify essential matters like these as details directly with the builder. Then the plans shown here are already too far developed and should at most be delivered to the GC draftsman as initial drafts—or even preliminary drafts. Instead of a “request,” I strongly recommend a proper tender process, allowing GCs to bid but not limiting the invitation exclusively to general contractors. Elias_dee schrieb:
What are fantasy dimensions? As I said, I noticed a wall thickness of 14.5 cm (5.7 inches) in several places. This intermediate dimension can be considered “non-standard,” and I see no indication for this unusual size. By fantasy dimensions, I mean, for example, wall lengths of 1.21 or 1.28 meters (4.0 or 4.2 feet): in one case, you have to saw off 4 cm (1.6 inches), and in the other, the mason either has to distribute the excess 3 cm (1.2 inches) over four mortar joints (which is already too much) or fill one joint—resulting in a sloppy patch. In method A, air leaks through the gaps during blower door tests, but even filling the joints is no blessing for achieving the most homogeneous thermal conductivity of the wall. They’re called fantasy dimensions because such numbers cannot be explained as a result; someone must have used a dice cup to “invent” them. Apparently, someone had too much time and added funny numbers—but the mason has to deal with it. Your 1.5 m² (16.1 sq ft) storage room will more likely become a resonance chamber for the toilet flush, which you will hear louder from your bed than quieter (which I guess is the idea behind this small room). The chamber next to the cloakroom with its estimated 63.5 cm (25 inches) door is only good for a broom; even a small ladder won’t fit without bumping into the walls. I see little added value here in working with your own architect halfway and more or less token-like ahead of the GC draftsman. Overall, this will likely be more expensive than a solid, consistent architectural planning process including tendering and construction management.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Elias_dee schrieb:
The gym was intentionally designed as an open space to maximize size. There is no hallway leading to the technical room at the back. You simply walk through the gym. An open staircase to the living/dining area? We have a ventilation system in the house, and the fitness/wellness/sauna area in the basement is about 50m² (540 sq ft), yet there is still a noticeable "sweat smell" after training. Okay, if you also use the sauna, the scent from the steam infusion tends to mask it, but I would prefer not to have either odor in the living room!
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Elias_dee7 Feb 2022 16:44So, thanks very much for the feedback. I now better understand the concerns and your explanation, 11ant 😉
I’m still thinking over a few things and might make some changes. To be honest, I actually like the ground floor as it is. We tend to spend relatively little time in the living room—mainly just for watching TV. Most of the time, especially when we have guests, we stay in the dining area, which is why it was designed larger and the living room smaller.
I originally wanted a sauna in the basement as well, but then you’d need to add a separate shower, a sewage lifting system, etc., so the idea was discarded.
The door to the basement and/or fitness room—that’s a good point, I hadn’t thought about the issue with smells. Good observation!
I’m still thinking over a few things and might make some changes. To be honest, I actually like the ground floor as it is. We tend to spend relatively little time in the living room—mainly just for watching TV. Most of the time, especially when we have guests, we stay in the dining area, which is why it was designed larger and the living room smaller.
I originally wanted a sauna in the basement as well, but then you’d need to add a separate shower, a sewage lifting system, etc., so the idea was discarded.
The door to the basement and/or fitness room—that’s a good point, I hadn’t thought about the issue with smells. Good observation!
Elias_dee schrieb:
I’m reconsidering a few things and might make some changes.Let both mainly relate to reflecting on the process rather than the detailed floor plan. By the way, I want to repeat my suggestion that elevations should also be included (and I hope that so far, it’s not just floor plans being “drawn” – as conceptually, those wouldn’t even be proper “half drafts”).https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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