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.

kbt0916 Nov 2019 08:44

#109

grericht schrieb:

Basement to ground floor and ground floor to upper floor both 2.75

Yes, as clear room height, but not as floor-to-floor height:

Section A--A: Staircase with railing, human figure on steps, interior view.

This is how my software sets it by default ... 258 cm (102 inches) clear room height results in 295 cm (116 inches) floor-to-floor height ... a 37 cm (15 inches) difference. The 30 cm (12 inches) that Katja suggested is the minimum you should allow. This height difference corresponds to almost 2 steps.

grericht schrieb:

I based it on a staircase with a tread depth of about 29 cm (11½ inches) and a rise of 17 cm (6¾ inches). The final measurements are now basement-ground floor 28.6/17.2 and ground floor-upper floor 28.4/17.2 (each with 16 steps), and upper floor to attic 28.4/17.5

grericht16 Nov 2019 14:15

#110

We now have the design. The architect is planning 15 steps, or 14 in the attic, with rises of 18.5 | 18.8 | 19.2 cm (7.3 | 7.4 | 7.6 inches) and widths of 26.1 cm (10.3 inches). The heights to be overcome are 277.5 | 281.5 | 268.5 cm (109.3 | 110.8 | 105.7 inches) (all floors are now planned with a clear rough construction height of 263.5 cm (103.7 inches)).
The dimensions seem acceptable but are at the limit of the safety formula and rather steep, exceeding 35 degrees. In my opinion, his plan allows the stairs to be extended by one step each and the treads to be widened.

I am currently preparing the design and will probably post it later today. It looks very coherent to us. One room is a bit small (but that wall can likely be moved a bit), and the entrance area is quite tight. And then there’s the staircase. I lack a comparison to know if it will work well or if we will always feel it’s uncomfortable. Regarding all the discussions about having a tower or not: opinions may differ visually from the outside, but you will have to climb stairs either way. They really need to be comfortable to use.

EDIT: What software do you use? I am using Sweet Home 3D. I find it quite good for furnishing and visualization. The usability is also acceptable. However, the lack of stair-building options and insufficient dimensioning tools have become almost unbearable for me. I even tried a paid demo version, but it wasn’t better regarding stairs. Dimensioning improved, but the operation was not acceptable.

kaho67416 Nov 2019 15:13

#111

Those are unusual dimensions. I would personally be interested in the exact floor structure, including the flooring layers. Is underfloor heating planned?

grericht16 Nov 2019 15:27

#112

Yes, underfloor heating is planned for the basement, ground floor, and first floor – not in the attic.
Planned (floor slab/floor build-up/height | clear structural height)
Basement: 25/20 (due to insulation)/243.5 | 263.5
Ground floor: 18/16/247.5 | 263.5
First floor: 18/16/247.5 | 263.5
Attic: 18/3 (no underfloor heating)/up to 486.5

grericht18 Nov 2019 09:52

#113

I have now managed to recreate the architect’s design on my end and included our current ideas for comparison.

The main changes are as follows: All staircases have one additional step plus about 2.5cm (1 inch) more tread depth, and the staircase from the basement to the ground floor is twisted again at the top. I’m not sure if that is technically feasible. This should not affect the headroom clearances?!

We also adjusted the bathroom layout a bit, mainly taking into account the suggestion to position it above the other bathroom.

We are currently planning the entrance area to be a bit more open. The entrance might also be moved to the north side (bottom of the plan). All proposed floor plan changes represent the maximum extent we consider possible. Of course, compromises are possible to find a middle ground.

Our proposal always comes first, followed by the architect’s. The basement comes last.

Grundriss eines Wohn-, Ess- und Küchenbereichs mit Badbereich und Eingangsbereich

Grundriss einer Wohnung: großer Wohn-/Küchenbereich 47,08 m², Bad, Treppenhaus.

Grundriss eines Hauses mit Elternschlafzimmer, Kinderzimmer, Arbeitszimmer und Bad.

Grundriss eines Apartments mit Eltern Schlafzimmer, Eltern Arbeitszimmer, Kinderzimmer und Bad.

Grundriss eines Innenraums mit mehreren Zimmern, Treppe, Bad und Flächenangaben.

Grundriss eines Gebäudes: linke und rechte Großräume, zentraler Flur, Treppenhaus, Bad und Nebenräume

Grundriss einer Etage: Mehrere Räume mit Flächenangaben, Türen, Treppenhaus und Badezimmer.

Grundrissplan: Vier Räume (Hobby 1, Hobby 2, Hobby 3, HT/AR) mit Türen und Maßen.

Grundriss eines Hobbyhauses mit drei Hobbyräumen, HT/AR und einem orangefarbenen Treppenbereich.

Climbee18 Nov 2019 14:17

#114

I find the steps quite high – they are not comfortable to walk on.

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

Reaktionen