ᐅ Single-family house of approximately 180 m² in the city with a view of a nature reserve
Created on: 28 Jun 2020 16:55
Z
Zylon
Hello dear forum members,
After the great fortune of being allowed to build on a beautiful family plot near the city, yet surrounded by nature with a view of the nature reserve, my partner and I are currently deep in the planning of our single-family home.
Construction is planned for spring 2022, with preliminary bid inquiries in Q2 and Q3 2021.
We would greatly appreciate any tips or opinions on the attached designs. Many thanks in advance.
(The dimensions on the attached plans may not be perfect, please excuse that.)
Zoning Plan / Restrictions:
Plot size: 850 m² (9,150 sq ft)
Slope: No (slightly sloping terrain, not yet precisely measured)
Building coverage ratio: No zoning plan
Floor area ratio: No zoning plan
Building envelope, building lines, boundaries: No zoning plan (--> according to Bavarian state building code)
Edge development: Double garage planned, 6 x 9 m (20 x 30 ft)
Parking spaces: 2 parking spaces in front of the garage + 2 parking spaces inside the garage
Number of floors: 2 full stories
Roof type: Flat roof
Architectural style: Modern (inspired by Bauhaus style)
Orientation: North-south with entrance on the north and window front on the south
Maximum heights / limits: No zoning plan (neighboring buildings east: 3 full stories / west: 2 ½ full stories)
[U]Client Requirements[/U]
Style, roof type, building type: Modern single-family home in the city with flat roof in Bauhaus style
Basement, floors: 2 full stories, no basement (--> cost savings)
Number of occupants, ages: 2 people (33 + 32) + 1-2 children (in progress)
Space requirement on ground and upper floor: ~180 m² (1,938 sq ft) over both floors
Office: Combination of office (20-40% home office), guest room, and eventual elderly parents’ bedroom on ground floor
Guest sleepers per year: approximately 10-12
Open or closed architecture: Compromise
Conservative or modern construction: Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Open kitchen connected to dining area with breakfast bar
Number of dining seats: 6-8
Fireplace: No
Music / stereo wall: Yes
Balcony, roof terrace: No (--> cost savings)
Garage, carport: Solid garage (optional: prefabricated garage)
House Design
Planner: Self-designed with Sweet Home 3D based on forum information and discussions with other homeowners
What do you particularly like? Why?:
- Entrance area with view through living room windows into the garden
- full south orientation of all living and sleeping rooms with many windows and view of the nature reserve
- ground floor fully designed to be age-appropriate
- direct access between garage and house
- fixed roof over the outdoor seating area on the ground floor through the staggered upper floor (so no awning or similar needed, which would have to be added separately)
- all rooms with water connections or technical room located on the north side (short plumbing routes)
- open-plan living/dining area including kitchen in L-shape (no direct line of sight between kitchen and living room)
- separate parents’ wing on the upper floor with private bathroom and dressing area separated from sleeping area by a wall/visual divider
- using half of the space under the stairs for the technical room and half for a pantry possible
- separate laundry area with washer, dryer, laundry baskets (visually separated) in the upper floor children’s bathroom
- small cloakroom on ground floor can be dismantled if needed to relocate the washing machine from the upper floor there (water connection is planned)
- the wall between the two children’s rooms will only be added later, so initially there is one large room of about 31 m² (333 sq ft) for one child
What do you not like? Why?:
- Currently the living area is slightly above the planned 180 m², which is problematic for the budget calculation
Cost estimate according to own calculation: 400,000 € (house including windows, bathrooms, floor coverings, electrical work), 40,000 € garage, 30,000 € kitchen, 20,000 € exterior works (minimal effort - lawn only, with further improvements over coming decades), 20,000 € additional costs (site development, notary, soil survey, lawyer, etc.)
Personal budget limit for the house including fittings: 550,000 €
Preferred heating system: Gas condensing boiler + solar thermal (hot water)
If you had to cut back, on which features or expansions
- can you do without: Unfortunately we cannot think of anything else at the moment, as we have already cut many initial wishes and ideas during planning for cost reasons
Why did the design turn out this way?
The unusual architecture with staggered cubes resulted from our space requirements and fits our preferred style for residential buildings (inspired by Bauhaus style). Numerous adjustments and changes have been made in the past 6 weeks with consultations from friends, other homeowners, and family.
Additional questions:
1. We would like to commission a soil survey, clearing work, and surveying in advance at our own cost, to submit these documents along with our design and a rough draft construction description to different general contractors / construction managers for bidding. Does this make sense? What would be the best approach?
2. The plot cannot currently be (sensibly) transferred by notarial deed (from my parents to me) due to the tax exemption being used within the last 10 years. Could this lead to difficulties during construction or limit us regarding coordination appointments, land charge registration, etc.?
3. Where is there still potential for optimization in certain rooms or areas, possibly to save even more space?
4. We understand that the cubic staggered form results in larger exterior surface areas = higher heating costs + more insulation material. Does this form also lead to additional costs beyond that?
After the great fortune of being allowed to build on a beautiful family plot near the city, yet surrounded by nature with a view of the nature reserve, my partner and I are currently deep in the planning of our single-family home.
Construction is planned for spring 2022, with preliminary bid inquiries in Q2 and Q3 2021.
We would greatly appreciate any tips or opinions on the attached designs. Many thanks in advance.
(The dimensions on the attached plans may not be perfect, please excuse that.)
Zoning Plan / Restrictions:
Plot size: 850 m² (9,150 sq ft)
Slope: No (slightly sloping terrain, not yet precisely measured)
Building coverage ratio: No zoning plan
Floor area ratio: No zoning plan
Building envelope, building lines, boundaries: No zoning plan (--> according to Bavarian state building code)
Edge development: Double garage planned, 6 x 9 m (20 x 30 ft)
Parking spaces: 2 parking spaces in front of the garage + 2 parking spaces inside the garage
Number of floors: 2 full stories
Roof type: Flat roof
Architectural style: Modern (inspired by Bauhaus style)
Orientation: North-south with entrance on the north and window front on the south
Maximum heights / limits: No zoning plan (neighboring buildings east: 3 full stories / west: 2 ½ full stories)
[U]Client Requirements[/U]
Style, roof type, building type: Modern single-family home in the city with flat roof in Bauhaus style
Basement, floors: 2 full stories, no basement (--> cost savings)
Number of occupants, ages: 2 people (33 + 32) + 1-2 children (in progress)
Space requirement on ground and upper floor: ~180 m² (1,938 sq ft) over both floors
Office: Combination of office (20-40% home office), guest room, and eventual elderly parents’ bedroom on ground floor
Guest sleepers per year: approximately 10-12
Open or closed architecture: Compromise
Conservative or modern construction: Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Open kitchen connected to dining area with breakfast bar
Number of dining seats: 6-8
Fireplace: No
Music / stereo wall: Yes
Balcony, roof terrace: No (--> cost savings)
Garage, carport: Solid garage (optional: prefabricated garage)
House Design
Planner: Self-designed with Sweet Home 3D based on forum information and discussions with other homeowners
What do you particularly like? Why?:
- Entrance area with view through living room windows into the garden
- full south orientation of all living and sleeping rooms with many windows and view of the nature reserve
- ground floor fully designed to be age-appropriate
- direct access between garage and house
- fixed roof over the outdoor seating area on the ground floor through the staggered upper floor (so no awning or similar needed, which would have to be added separately)
- all rooms with water connections or technical room located on the north side (short plumbing routes)
- open-plan living/dining area including kitchen in L-shape (no direct line of sight between kitchen and living room)
- separate parents’ wing on the upper floor with private bathroom and dressing area separated from sleeping area by a wall/visual divider
- using half of the space under the stairs for the technical room and half for a pantry possible
- separate laundry area with washer, dryer, laundry baskets (visually separated) in the upper floor children’s bathroom
- small cloakroom on ground floor can be dismantled if needed to relocate the washing machine from the upper floor there (water connection is planned)
- the wall between the two children’s rooms will only be added later, so initially there is one large room of about 31 m² (333 sq ft) for one child
What do you not like? Why?:
- Currently the living area is slightly above the planned 180 m², which is problematic for the budget calculation
Cost estimate according to own calculation: 400,000 € (house including windows, bathrooms, floor coverings, electrical work), 40,000 € garage, 30,000 € kitchen, 20,000 € exterior works (minimal effort - lawn only, with further improvements over coming decades), 20,000 € additional costs (site development, notary, soil survey, lawyer, etc.)
Personal budget limit for the house including fittings: 550,000 €
Preferred heating system: Gas condensing boiler + solar thermal (hot water)
If you had to cut back, on which features or expansions
- can you do without: Unfortunately we cannot think of anything else at the moment, as we have already cut many initial wishes and ideas during planning for cost reasons
Why did the design turn out this way?
The unusual architecture with staggered cubes resulted from our space requirements and fits our preferred style for residential buildings (inspired by Bauhaus style). Numerous adjustments and changes have been made in the past 6 weeks with consultations from friends, other homeowners, and family.
Additional questions:
1. We would like to commission a soil survey, clearing work, and surveying in advance at our own cost, to submit these documents along with our design and a rough draft construction description to different general contractors / construction managers for bidding. Does this make sense? What would be the best approach?
2. The plot cannot currently be (sensibly) transferred by notarial deed (from my parents to me) due to the tax exemption being used within the last 10 years. Could this lead to difficulties during construction or limit us regarding coordination appointments, land charge registration, etc.?
3. Where is there still potential for optimization in certain rooms or areas, possibly to save even more space?
4. We understand that the cubic staggered form results in larger exterior surface areas = higher heating costs + more insulation material. Does this form also lead to additional costs beyond that?
Good evening,
Thank you for the many comments. I will try to combine my response in one post again. (Unfortunately, due to work, I cannot write anytime or more often):
@Ypsi aus NI: Thank you for your remarks and the attached proposed solution! Pointing out weaknesses is one thing, but formulating a solution approach is another. So, many thanks for your time. We will reconsider the approach regarding the glass roof including the awning. We are also currently rearranging the rooms as suggested. However, having the staircase open directly into the living room is deliberately not desired, even though it would offer us some advantages on the upper floor.
@Pinky0301: I am familiar with the basic situation from an earlier apartment where the neighbors’ balcony was directly above my terrace. So, I can well imagine it. Near my current apartment, I found a house (unfortunately only one) that also has an overhanging upper floor in the same way. The rooms underneath still feel very open there.
@saralina87 & haydee: Good point. We will check when we can next visit the building authority / planning office. However, along this street, there is a mix of buildings from three-story apartment buildings (old-fashioned from around 1970 to very modern from 2018), to semi-detached houses with flat roofs, to city villas with gable and hipped roofs. (Immediate neighbor to the west = apartment building with about 9-12 units and flat roof from the 1970s, immediate neighbor to the east city villa with bay windows and gable roof from the 1980s – see site plan). A "real" Bauhaus house is too expensive / impractical for us, so I try to only speak of Bauhaus style.
@ypg: Criticism is give and take. I already consulted an architect about this plot 4 years ago. Based on that experience, I want to first challenge my own brain cells when re-planning. When contracting a general contractor / construction manager, usually an architect is involved again anyway. Since I have a deeper technical background / training, at least a rough draft should be possible. If it doesn’t work on my own at all, at least I will have worked thoroughly on the topic before consulting an architect again.
I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone.
Thank you for the many comments. I will try to combine my response in one post again. (Unfortunately, due to work, I cannot write anytime or more often):
@Ypsi aus NI: Thank you for your remarks and the attached proposed solution! Pointing out weaknesses is one thing, but formulating a solution approach is another. So, many thanks for your time. We will reconsider the approach regarding the glass roof including the awning. We are also currently rearranging the rooms as suggested. However, having the staircase open directly into the living room is deliberately not desired, even though it would offer us some advantages on the upper floor.
@Pinky0301: I am familiar with the basic situation from an earlier apartment where the neighbors’ balcony was directly above my terrace. So, I can well imagine it. Near my current apartment, I found a house (unfortunately only one) that also has an overhanging upper floor in the same way. The rooms underneath still feel very open there.
@saralina87 & haydee: Good point. We will check when we can next visit the building authority / planning office. However, along this street, there is a mix of buildings from three-story apartment buildings (old-fashioned from around 1970 to very modern from 2018), to semi-detached houses with flat roofs, to city villas with gable and hipped roofs. (Immediate neighbor to the west = apartment building with about 9-12 units and flat roof from the 1970s, immediate neighbor to the east city villa with bay windows and gable roof from the 1980s – see site plan). A "real" Bauhaus house is too expensive / impractical for us, so I try to only speak of Bauhaus style.
@ypg: Criticism is give and take. I already consulted an architect about this plot 4 years ago. Based on that experience, I want to first challenge my own brain cells when re-planning. When contracting a general contractor / construction manager, usually an architect is involved again anyway. Since I have a deeper technical background / training, at least a rough draft should be possible. If it doesn’t work on my own at all, at least I will have worked thoroughly on the topic before consulting an architect again.
I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone.
Zylon schrieb:
And I would be interested to see a front view. It looks quite jagged. Unfortunately, there is still no front view available (meaning from the entrance side).
A clear structural height of 270 cm (106 inches)... is that sufficient for the stair planning, which assumes a floor-to-floor height of 280 cm (110 inches), including all ceilings? Also, in the stair dimensions on the ground floor, I see 277 cm (109 inches) plus about half the exterior wall thickness.
Here is the north elevation (unfortunately, the software does not provide much more detail).
To put it this way: When there is a conflict between stair height and ceiling height, a solution can be found for the last few centimeters. This is still just a rough draft by an amateur using free software. Sooner or later, an architect or technical draftsman will need to take over.
To put it this way: When there is a conflict between stair height and ceiling height, a solution can be found for the last few centimeters. This is still just a rough draft by an amateur using free software. Sooner or later, an architect or technical draftsman will need to take over.
P
pagoni202029 Jun 2020 20:42Of course, you usually can’t do it better yourself. There is still plenty to plan and adjust once the architect's initial, good floor plan is ready.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the exterior except for the intended style. In my opinion, the most important thing is to find a floor plan that is completely tailored to your needs; a good architect will then create an attractive exterior design for you.
Maybe you could look online to find an architect whose portfolio shows examples of work in styles you like. Based on references like that, I could decide whether this would be my architect or not.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the exterior except for the intended style. In my opinion, the most important thing is to find a floor plan that is completely tailored to your needs; a good architect will then create an attractive exterior design for you.
Maybe you could look online to find an architect whose portfolio shows examples of work in styles you like. Based on references like that, I could decide whether this would be my architect or not.
Still worth asking. About 13 years ago, I wouldn’t have been allowed to build something like this here.
The previous chief wanted to preserve the old appearance—style, orientation, size.
The next chief’s priority is to eliminate vacancies, bring life back to town centers, and keep families in the area.
The current chief remains to be seen.
The previous chief wanted to preserve the old appearance—style, orientation, size.
The next chief’s priority is to eliminate vacancies, bring life back to town centers, and keep families in the area.
The current chief remains to be seen.
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