ᐅ Single-family house of approximately 200 sqm with a double garage on a trapezoidal lot
Created on: 5 May 2023 15:45
M
Mucuc18
Hello dear house building forum community!
After carefully reading along for a while, I would now like to share our current design for constructive feedback.
Below are the usual details; south is at the bottom of the site plan:
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size | 512sqm (5509 sq ft)
Slope | No
Site coverage ratio | 160sqm (1722 sq ft) building footprint allowed for main building (+140sqm (1507 sq ft) overrun permitted for other structures)
Number of parking spaces | min. 1.5
Roof type | SD / WD or similar (mansard roofs are common in the area)
Maximum heights / limits | Ridge height 9.4m (31 ft) | Eaves height 6.5m (21 ft)
Additional requirements | Setbacks of 0.4 times the building height on two sides, 0.8 times the building height on other sides
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof shape, building type | classic mansard-hipped roof, somewhat modern interpretation
Basement, floors | Ground floor, first floor, attic + basement
Number of occupants, ages | 2 (30 yrs, 33 yrs) + 1 (0 yrs) + occasional visitors
Space needs on ground floor, first floor | approx. 80–90sqm (860–970 sq ft) each for ground and first floors
Office | 1 office space needed for home office
Guest accommodation per year | to be determined, sometimes longer visits
Open or closed layout | rather open, but with adequate sound insulation and privacy
Conservative or modern construction | rather modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island | large open kitchen with island is important
Seating for dining | 4–6 seats regularly available, with option to extend
Fireplace | yes
Music / stereo wall | no, flexible hi-fi system
Balcony, roof terrace | no
Garage, carport | double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse | garden with beds and 2–3 trees, enclosed by hedge
House Design
Planner: architect & own ideas/drawings
What do you like most? Why? Separate parents’ floor, spacious open living area, straight staircase, number of rooms on first floor (flexibility), sufficient wardrobe space, staircase separated from living room
What do you dislike? Why? Location possibilities for heat pump outdoor unit, attic possibly has somewhat excessive space that might not be used efficiently (sloping ceilings)
Cost estimate by architect/planner: none so far
Budget for house including equipment: 1.4–1.5 million
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
If you have to give up something, which details/features
- can be omitted: fireplace, pool, possibly double garage
- cannot be omitted: preferably a “large” garden
Why was the design developed this way? For example,
A mix of own ideas and architect’s input, along with several rounds of improvements over recent weeks. The main focus is on maintaining as much contiguous garden space as possible on a relatively small lot. Therefore, a setback on the east side is planned to comply with setbacks on the trapezoidal plot. The three floors plus basement help keep the house footprint small and separate the parents’ area from the children/guest area. We feel our wishes are well implemented in the current floor plan. Minor details such as window dimensions still need adjustment (e.g., equal-sized windows on the first floor west side, possibly a slightly larger sliding door on the ground floor, etc.).
What is the most important / basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Do you see potential for improvement that we should consider or any no-gos we need to rethink? We are quite happy with the current status but appreciate input on aspects we may have overlooked or rationalized too optimistically.
Ground Floor
First Floor
Attic
Basement
Section
South Elevation
East Elevation
West Elevation
After carefully reading along for a while, I would now like to share our current design for constructive feedback.
Below are the usual details; south is at the bottom of the site plan:
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size | 512sqm (5509 sq ft)
Slope | No
Site coverage ratio | 160sqm (1722 sq ft) building footprint allowed for main building (+140sqm (1507 sq ft) overrun permitted for other structures)
Number of parking spaces | min. 1.5
Roof type | SD / WD or similar (mansard roofs are common in the area)
Maximum heights / limits | Ridge height 9.4m (31 ft) | Eaves height 6.5m (21 ft)
Additional requirements | Setbacks of 0.4 times the building height on two sides, 0.8 times the building height on other sides
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof shape, building type | classic mansard-hipped roof, somewhat modern interpretation
Basement, floors | Ground floor, first floor, attic + basement
Number of occupants, ages | 2 (30 yrs, 33 yrs) + 1 (0 yrs) + occasional visitors
Space needs on ground floor, first floor | approx. 80–90sqm (860–970 sq ft) each for ground and first floors
Office | 1 office space needed for home office
Guest accommodation per year | to be determined, sometimes longer visits
Open or closed layout | rather open, but with adequate sound insulation and privacy
Conservative or modern construction | rather modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island | large open kitchen with island is important
Seating for dining | 4–6 seats regularly available, with option to extend
Fireplace | yes
Music / stereo wall | no, flexible hi-fi system
Balcony, roof terrace | no
Garage, carport | double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse | garden with beds and 2–3 trees, enclosed by hedge
House Design
Planner: architect & own ideas/drawings
What do you like most? Why? Separate parents’ floor, spacious open living area, straight staircase, number of rooms on first floor (flexibility), sufficient wardrobe space, staircase separated from living room
What do you dislike? Why? Location possibilities for heat pump outdoor unit, attic possibly has somewhat excessive space that might not be used efficiently (sloping ceilings)
Cost estimate by architect/planner: none so far
Budget for house including equipment: 1.4–1.5 million
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
If you have to give up something, which details/features
- can be omitted: fireplace, pool, possibly double garage
- cannot be omitted: preferably a “large” garden
Why was the design developed this way? For example,
A mix of own ideas and architect’s input, along with several rounds of improvements over recent weeks. The main focus is on maintaining as much contiguous garden space as possible on a relatively small lot. Therefore, a setback on the east side is planned to comply with setbacks on the trapezoidal plot. The three floors plus basement help keep the house footprint small and separate the parents’ area from the children/guest area. We feel our wishes are well implemented in the current floor plan. Minor details such as window dimensions still need adjustment (e.g., equal-sized windows on the first floor west side, possibly a slightly larger sliding door on the ground floor, etc.).
What is the most important / basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Do you see potential for improvement that we should consider or any no-gos we need to rethink? We are quite happy with the current status but appreciate input on aspects we may have overlooked or rationalized too optimistically.
Ground Floor
First Floor
Attic
Basement
Section
South Elevation
East Elevation
West Elevation
@ypg .. you are right, just rotating it doesn’t necessarily help. However, I don’t see the spot as critical either, since the dormer corner already has a height of 2m (6 feet 7 inches) at that point. Still, some more precise measurements would be useful. There could also be some space if the upper bedroom wall is moved a few centimeters (about 15-20cm (6-8 inches)) towards the top of the plan... as far as the left side would allow.
RomeoZwo schrieb:
How accurate are the cardinal directions? I couldn't find a north arrow on the plans. Mucuc18 schrieb:
Here are the usual details: south is at the bottom of the plan in the site plan. There is no north arrow; south is at the bottom.
11ant schrieb:
Finally, a mansard roof – and in both dimensions!
Its rarity nowadays is mostly due to its effective elimination by thoughtless zoning and development plans. In principle, this roof style is actually the most efficient for photovoltaic systems. I am also confident that we will install some photovoltaics on it, potentially as in-roof photovoltaic panels. I’m glad the mansard roof is appreciated beyond just our personal liking. The cost factor certainly doesn’t help preserve this roof style in new constructions. In Munich, you see it more often, especially on terraced houses, semi-detached houses, etc., because it allows you to gain usable space in the attic—a very important factor given the insane land prices.
kbt09 schrieb:
Regarding the kitchen, I would plan more thoroughly; the broken-up wall to the hallway should be carefully considered.
There’s just so much space... do you really have that many hobbies for such a large basement? Thanks for the kitchen tip, we’ll address that soon.
In theory, a slightly smaller basement would do. We cook a lot, so we need some storage space. Gradually, we’ll be adding some fitness equipment to the hobby room.
RomeoZwo schrieb:
What exactly are the cardinal directions? I couldn’t find a north arrow on the plans. Sorry, I boldly stated in the opening post that “down” on the location plan is south but then forgot to attach the plan—that’s remedied here. On the floor plans, south is at the bottom with a slight tilt to the left. A small additional note: there is an older house on the lot that still needs to be demolished.
kbt09 schrieb:
@ypg .. you’re right, rotating doesn’t solve the issue immediately. However, I don’t see the dormer corner as too critical since it’s already about 2m (6.5 ft) high at that corner. Some more precise measurements would be helpful though. It might also work if the bedroom wall at the top of the plan is moved up by a few centimeters (around 15–20cm (6–8 inches)), as much as the space on the left would allow. Regarding the general attic bedroom topic: Earlier plan versions had even less space here. The bathroom wall was slightly shifted to the right and the dormer slightly enlarged. We felt it might be sufficient, especially since we are both under 1.80m (5 ft 11 in) and can still stand comfortably behind the 2m (6.5 ft) height line.
Possibly, the bedroom wall could be moved a few centimeters (in plan view) further up, but it lies directly above a structural wall on the upper floor, which is probably beneficial from a structural point of view. Another option would be to widen the dormer to the left, but then it would no longer be centered.
The dormer width is about 2.70m (9 ft), so there is a little extra if the bed is placed on the opposite wall.
Given these conditions, would you actually say the space is too tight?
Regarding other points (I’ll stop quoting exactly here):
- **Guest WC behind the wardrobe:** That is certainly a consideration, we’ll reflect on it again – but off the top of my head, I think we can live with it well enough.
- **Shower door in the children’s bathroom:** We actually preferred to avoid one here. Possibly, the shower wall could just be extended a bit? That should still work with the sink, although the wall would then cover a small part of the window (probably tolerable?). Moving the window further south on the plan would somewhat impact the external appearance.
- **Bathtub in the master bathroom:** We deliberately chose this because the bathroom can be accessed independently from the bedroom. With very small children, you have to supervise anyway. Later, they probably won’t bathe much, and if they do, they can easily go upstairs to the bathroom. We ourselves do enjoy baths from time to time.
I think the bedroom could work. You really should plan your intended furniture to scale in such "tight spots." This includes accounting properly for the bed frame and other elements.
For example, I don’t find the cloakroom/guest toilet situation at all problematic. It’s actually a discreet yet spacious cloakroom area. And, honestly, what’s really wrong with the toilet? It’s just a toilet... and it’s not visible from the kitchen or dining area, etc.
I’ve already shared my thoughts about the shower door and bathtub.
Is the budget just for the house itself or does it also include the land, etc.?
For example, I don’t find the cloakroom/guest toilet situation at all problematic. It’s actually a discreet yet spacious cloakroom area. And, honestly, what’s really wrong with the toilet? It’s just a toilet... and it’s not visible from the kitchen or dining area, etc.
I’ve already shared my thoughts about the shower door and bathtub.
Is the budget just for the house itself or does it also include the land, etc.?
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