ᐅ Single-family house (2 floors + finished basement + converted attic), approximately 200 sqm – modifications

Created on: 20 Oct 2019 21:50

Hello,
We are currently working with an architect on the design of our single-family home. Since we have three children, the house should accommodate several future scenarios. These include:

Enough space for everyone
At some point, the children will move out, and we will downsize to the living basement while renting out the rest
One or two children might continue living with us (multi-generational living) – possibly in the basement with a separate entrance
Possibly one child even starts a family in the house, and we move to the basement

Plot:

710 sqm (8,000 sq ft) close to the city center
To the south is our rear building (two stories) attached to a 3.5-story apartment building (boundary development)
To the north and west are the streets (a corner plot)
Behind to the west is a large green plot with a single-family house
To the north beyond the street are apartment buildings
To the east there is a narrow parking lot followed by a green recreational garden area
We have to keep a 6 m (20 ft) setback to the streets and the usual 3 m (10 ft) to the parking lot

Since the plot already has a building, and we want to keep the rear building (it is fully shaded by the apartment building, is in reasonable condition, and might provide future expansion potential—at least suitable for workshops and storage), and since the plot is not very large, we decided on a tall house with a small footprint.

About the house

Eder XP9 or 10 (timber frame) in 42.5 or 49 cm (17 or 19 inches) thickness
Living basement (150 cm (5 ft) below ground / 100 cm (3 ft) above ground) – if affordable (this allows for the utility room in the basement and more space on the ground floor for a large open-plan living/dining/kitchen area as the main living space)
Knee wall either 150 cm (5 ft) or, if not much more expensive, a dormer wall above the full upper floor (both options allow the roof space to be used for two rooms; with the dormer, these rooms are very large and could even accommodate an attic instead of bunk beds)
50-degree roof pitch (for solar energy efficiency in winter)
The basement should be designed to eventually allow for a small separate living unit
Both bathrooms should have a standing toilet or urinal
We definitely want a windbreak/entry vestibule
The terrace should be raised with fill
Underfloor heating with geothermal energy
Solar energy planned for the future

We have already developed a fairly comfortable floor plan with our chosen architect. Our biggest concern is accidentally planning a wall or something else 5 cm (2 inches) too far to the left or right and then being unable to fit our furniture. I would appreciate it if you would be interested in looking over the current design and giving feedback.

Floor plan of an apartment with rooms, doors, and dimensions (22.78 m2, bathroom 6.79 m2).

Floor plan of a living and dining area with sofa, table group, chairs, plants, and doors.

Floor plan of an apartment with two bedrooms, study, bathroom, dressing room, and hallways.

Floor plan of an apartment with multiple rooms, doors, and corridor; area measurements in m².

Floor plan of a building with several rooms, area measurements in m2, and north arrow.

Isometric view of a white apartment building with green garden and neighboring building.

3D rendering: white apartment building with garden, fence, next to adjacent residential area.

White single-family house with dark roof, garden; next to a modern apartment building, blue sky.

Two-story house with dark gable roof, garden, fence, and driveway.

grericht29 Oct 2019 11:22

#55

The site plan will be provided at some point. Unfortunately, I cannot add it to the first post.

Neighbor’s house/living space: I am not a lawyer and currently find it difficult to resolve this legally, as we want to focus on building our house first. The situation seems quite clear: there are unauthorized openings in the fire wall. Regardless of where we extend, we will not receive permission to create living space. The procedure should therefore be: request that the neighbor close the openings (the boundaries should probably be precisely measured beforehand, and we will likely have to share the costs equally). If the neighbor is unwilling, it will have to be resolved legally. The matter APPEARS to be legally quite clear but lengthy. Once the openings are closed, we can do whatever we want with the house. Possibly, we will create a guesthouse with three guest apartments.

Until then, everything must proceed without significant changes because nothing can be done without permission. So only securing, insulating, and similar work.

haydee29 Oct 2019 11:36

#56

Reasons for Demolition
- no maintenance costs
- no insurance
- no sealed surface affecting rainwater runoff, etc.

So far, the entire area has been just storage space without any use
and it continuously incurs costs

grericht29 Oct 2019 12:03

#57

The rear building dates back to 1903 and features some very charming details. Maintenance should primarily focus on the roof, as in the coming years (after the house is occupied) I am willing and able to do much of it myself (it’s essentially a hobby).

For us, insurance and sealed surface area do not justify the 150sqm (1,615 sq ft) of storage space. Electricity and water are connected, so it is definitely usable. We really like the option of potentially expanding it someday.

grericht29 Oct 2019 13:11

#58

I would like to revisit the current ground floor layout draft. There haven’t been any comments on it yet. Is it because it is even worse than the previous one?

Is it conceivable to shift this staircase on every floor by 1-2 steps upward in the plan?

Always upwards in the plan:
Basement: starting with a double half-turn, then straight, and at the top the exit with another turn
Ground floor: starting with about one and a half turns (up to the bathroom door), then straight
Top floor: starting with about half to one turn, then straight up to the center of the house

Grundriss einer Wohnung: Grosses Wohnzimmer mit Sofa, Esstisch links, Küche unten links, Bad rechts

kaho67429 Oct 2019 13:18

#59

grericht schrieb:

I would still like to return to the current ground floor layout draft. There haven’t been any comments on it yet. Is it because it’s even worse than the last one?

It only makes sense if all floors are shown.
Please also mark the parking spaces for the cars so that the walking routes are clear.
What about the area in front of the existing building? It looks like it is paved. Can that be removed and added to the garden? Possibly making the house 2m (6.5 ft) longer to compensate?

grericht29 Oct 2019 13:32

#60

I will only be able to complete all floors tonight. Unfortunately, my software won’t be able to properly represent the stairs.
The rooms on the attic and the top floor will basically stay the same, except the bedroom will get access from the corridor, become a bit larger, and the built-in wardrobe will be removed.
A bathroom with a shower will be added on the top floor aligned with the stairs.

Regarding the plot: yes, it is concreted and can/should be cleared again. Currently, there is a driveway there. It will probably remain for now (house renovation takes priority). The car, which is only used about once every two weeks anyway, will be parked in front of the rear building.
Whether a parking space will be created in front of the house during the construction phase is still undecided. The plan is to have a parking space at some point at the latest.
For us, the bigger issue is the bicycles. They are used daily, so they need to be quickly accessible while still being secure. Maybe even a bike ramp down to the basement =)

ᐅ Single-family house (2 floors + finished basement + converted attic), approximately 200 sqm – modifications

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