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.

grericht18 Nov 2019 14:24

#115

Exactly. And since we will be going back and forth between the ground floor and the upper floor very often, it is essential for me to improve this area. In my proposal, the staircase is extended by 65 cm (25.6 inches). This accounts for one extra rise and a longer tread. The new dimensions are:
from the basement to the ground floor 17.3/28.7 (The staircase only works if it is turned again at the top. If this is not possible, it will have to remain steep. However, this could again mean that the headroom above the staircase with the shallower incline is not sufficient.)
from the ground floor to the upper floor 17.6/28.5
from the upper floor to the attic 17.9/28.15

The rise measurements of 18.5–18.8–19.2 cm (7.3–7.4–7.6 inches) with a tread length of 26.1 cm (10.3 inches) are, in my opinion, too steep, uncomfortable, and unsafe. This might be acceptable for the basement and possibly even for the attic. But the connection between the ground floor and the upper floor must have shallower steps!

kaho67418 Nov 2019 14:56

#116

What’s with this awkward maneuvering around the guest bathroom on the ground floor? That’s what creates this maze-like path. Why not just place the bathroom entirely at the bottom of the plan?
But what am I saying. I really can only suggest ideas based on the pictures. Then just walk in a zigzag.

grericht18 Nov 2019 15:10

#117

We don’t want it as shown in your plan because the access to the bathroom requires going through the same route that visitors use when entering from outside and taking off their shoes. Your suggestion to swap the cloakroom and bathroom would work well. That was actually something I still wanted to try. However, this still creates a small hallway in front of the bathroom (which is currently only wasted space inside the bathroom itself) that can’t really be used. Although our layout is a bit tricky (and everything is still flexible), it does result in a larger cloakroom. That’s the goal with three children—without compromising on the living room space.

Also, the idea with the passageway is to make good use of the lowest stair step as a sitting spot where kids or elderly visitors can put on their shoes. Yes, shoes will still be taken off there briefly, but that’s just how it will be. As I said, the entrance area is still very tentative. Your suggestion isn’t forgotten. I’ll take another look tonight to see if everything comes together better.

What do you think about the rest (apart from the tower structure)? Are the hallways and stairs adequately sized?

kaho67418 Nov 2019 15:40

#118

grericht schrieb:

What do you think about the rest (apart from the tower construction)? Are the hallways and stairs adequately sized?

No measurements provided. Also, I prefer not to discuss projects that completely contradict my own convictions. Good luck!

grericht18 Nov 2019 16:04

#119

kaho674 schrieb:

No dimensions. Also, I prefer not to discuss projects that completely contradict my beliefs. Good luck!

I tried to describe the dimensions as completely as possible WITHIN THE ROOM. This is unusual, but Sweet Home 3D is really poor when it comes to dimensioning.
Of course, I have to accept that you prefer not to discuss such projects. Still, I can find that unfortunate. Above all, I would like to give feedback that I don’t understand why this is the case. We have now fully sunken the basement. It is also not planned as living space. So, we are basically only talking about the project: a house with a small footprint, and therefore, instead of two full stories, the attic is finished as living space, and the upper floor is fully built rather than a loft. Such a “crazy” project as was criticized at the beginning is no longer the case, right? It is just a (possibly legitimate) alternative to a 1.5-story build with a footprint of 12m by 10m (39ft by 33ft). Now it’s 9m by 9m (30ft by 30ft) with 2.5 (or 2 – is the attic counted?) stories.

kbt0918 Nov 2019 18:40

#120

Why are you planning the attic without underfloor heating? What kind of living spaces are intended there? By the way, post 113 is really hard to follow. It’s always better to create a separate post for each option here in the thread. Also, please label the rooms.

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

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