ᐅ Single-Family Home Design – Approximately 160–170 sqm / Innovative Gable Roof
Created on: 5 Jan 2019 23:43
S
schwimbi
Hello everyone,
I have been following this forum for several years because I am very interested in the topic of building (especially smart homes). Now that we have decided to actually build, I registered and would like to participate more actively in the discussions.
First of all, I would really appreciate feedback on our first draft for a single-family house.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 700 sqm (7,535 sq ft)
Slope: yes, approximately 1.5-2 m (5-6.5 ft) sloping to the south
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.4
Gross floor area ratio (GFAR): 0.6
Building envelope, building line and boundary: Blue line, site plan
Edge development: garage allowed
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Roof type: Gable roof
Architectural style: Modern
Orientation: South
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height 8.50 m (28 ft), max. building length 18 m (59 ft)
Other requirements:
According to the development plan, only gable roofs, staggered shed roofs, and hip roofs are permitted. However, we are trying to interpret the development plan creatively.
Excerpt from the development plan
12.1 Roof shape and pitch, covering and green roofs
Compared to the original plan, previous restrictions regarding green roofs will be relaxed. Freestanding garages are also allowed to have flat roofs, even if these are not greened.
For ecological reasons, solar panels on or integrated into the roof covering are generally permitted and explicitly encouraged. Therefore, when an integrated solar or photovoltaic solution is installed, roof coverings in darker colors are exceptionally allowed.
Homeowners’ requirements:
Pantry, basement, built-in masonry fireplace, built-in walk-in showers on ground and upper floors, laundry chute, direct access from the garage, no balcony but a terrace, double garage, kitchen island
Rooms on ground floor - office, living room, kitchen, dining room
Rooms on upper floor - 2 children’s rooms, bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom (possibly separate toilet)
Style, roof type, building type - modern, gable roof *cough*, cube
Basement, floors: with basement, 2 full stories
Number of occupants, age: 2 (aged 33 and 35)
Space requirement ground floor and upper floor - ground floor 80 sqm (860 sq ft) / upper floor 80 sqm (860 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office? Home office (frequent)
Overnight guests per year: few
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction style: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: kitchen island
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: yes, masonry
Music/sound wall: not necessary
Balcony, roof terrace: not necessary
Garage, carport: double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: not necessary
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why something should or should not be included
- The house was planned based on experiences from friends who have built (we are basically the last in the group to build)
House design
Who designed the plan: architect
What do you like most and why?
- Kitchen - dining room - living room aligned towards the south
- Ground level access to house and terrace
- From our point of view meets (most of) the requirements
- Gable roof interpreted as almost flat roof creatively in accordance with the development plan (if it gets approved, feedback on this is also welcome)
What do you dislike and why?
- Sense of space, initially the house was planned as split-level but we were just afraid about aging difficulties; however, from our perspective, split-level offers a nicer spatial experience. Also, less earth would need to be moved, and the house would fit better to the terrain.
- Windows still need detailed planning
- The garage door is visible from outside
- Initially, an overhang of the upper floor above the terrace was planned, which might be more sensible
- Staircase should be smaller
- The plan is still very rough, this is only version 3
Price estimate by architect/planner: n/a
Personal price limit for house including fixtures: 770,000 (without plot)
Preferred heating system: heat pump (possibly brine/water system)
If you had to give up something, which features / expansions
- Could you do without: basically nothing, we want to implement all our requirements (you only build once). If really necessary, maybe the basement and thus the office on the ground floor
- Cannot do without: direct access from garage, ground-level access
Why is the design the way it is now? Talks with friends who have built (e.g., direct garage access)
Standard design from planner? No, individually planned by the architect
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? Ground-level access, room layout, modern house appearance
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion?
Good
- Modern and creative form (the neighborhood mainly consists of steep gable roofs, few hip roofs, and only one staggered shed roof)
Bad
- Previous design was split-level which would have created a more attractive house with better spatial feeling, but everyone advised against split-level and we are very skeptical as well and have ruled it out
What is the most important basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
What is your general feedback on the design? What is good/bad? What can be improved?
How do you see the chances of approval regarding the "distorted gable roof"/"capped split level"?
Best regards
Building plot:
Ground floor:
Upper floor:
Exterior view:
Upper floor variant 2:
I have been following this forum for several years because I am very interested in the topic of building (especially smart homes). Now that we have decided to actually build, I registered and would like to participate more actively in the discussions.
First of all, I would really appreciate feedback on our first draft for a single-family house.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 700 sqm (7,535 sq ft)
Slope: yes, approximately 1.5-2 m (5-6.5 ft) sloping to the south
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.4
Gross floor area ratio (GFAR): 0.6
Building envelope, building line and boundary: Blue line, site plan
Edge development: garage allowed
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Roof type: Gable roof
Architectural style: Modern
Orientation: South
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height 8.50 m (28 ft), max. building length 18 m (59 ft)
Other requirements:
According to the development plan, only gable roofs, staggered shed roofs, and hip roofs are permitted. However, we are trying to interpret the development plan creatively.
Excerpt from the development plan
12.1 Roof shape and pitch, covering and green roofs
Compared to the original plan, previous restrictions regarding green roofs will be relaxed. Freestanding garages are also allowed to have flat roofs, even if these are not greened.
For ecological reasons, solar panels on or integrated into the roof covering are generally permitted and explicitly encouraged. Therefore, when an integrated solar or photovoltaic solution is installed, roof coverings in darker colors are exceptionally allowed.
Homeowners’ requirements:
Pantry, basement, built-in masonry fireplace, built-in walk-in showers on ground and upper floors, laundry chute, direct access from the garage, no balcony but a terrace, double garage, kitchen island
Rooms on ground floor - office, living room, kitchen, dining room
Rooms on upper floor - 2 children’s rooms, bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom (possibly separate toilet)
Style, roof type, building type - modern, gable roof *cough*, cube
Basement, floors: with basement, 2 full stories
Number of occupants, age: 2 (aged 33 and 35)
Space requirement ground floor and upper floor - ground floor 80 sqm (860 sq ft) / upper floor 80 sqm (860 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office? Home office (frequent)
Overnight guests per year: few
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction style: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: kitchen island
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: yes, masonry
Music/sound wall: not necessary
Balcony, roof terrace: not necessary
Garage, carport: double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: not necessary
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why something should or should not be included
- The house was planned based on experiences from friends who have built (we are basically the last in the group to build)
House design
Who designed the plan: architect
What do you like most and why?
- Kitchen - dining room - living room aligned towards the south
- Ground level access to house and terrace
- From our point of view meets (most of) the requirements
- Gable roof interpreted as almost flat roof creatively in accordance with the development plan (if it gets approved, feedback on this is also welcome)
What do you dislike and why?
- Sense of space, initially the house was planned as split-level but we were just afraid about aging difficulties; however, from our perspective, split-level offers a nicer spatial experience. Also, less earth would need to be moved, and the house would fit better to the terrain.
- Windows still need detailed planning
- The garage door is visible from outside
- Initially, an overhang of the upper floor above the terrace was planned, which might be more sensible
- Staircase should be smaller
- The plan is still very rough, this is only version 3
Price estimate by architect/planner: n/a
Personal price limit for house including fixtures: 770,000 (without plot)
Preferred heating system: heat pump (possibly brine/water system)
If you had to give up something, which features / expansions
- Could you do without: basically nothing, we want to implement all our requirements (you only build once). If really necessary, maybe the basement and thus the office on the ground floor
- Cannot do without: direct access from garage, ground-level access
Why is the design the way it is now? Talks with friends who have built (e.g., direct garage access)
Standard design from planner? No, individually planned by the architect
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? Ground-level access, room layout, modern house appearance
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion?
Good
- Modern and creative form (the neighborhood mainly consists of steep gable roofs, few hip roofs, and only one staggered shed roof)
Bad
- Previous design was split-level which would have created a more attractive house with better spatial feeling, but everyone advised against split-level and we are very skeptical as well and have ruled it out
What is the most important basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
What is your general feedback on the design? What is good/bad? What can be improved?
How do you see the chances of approval regarding the "distorted gable roof"/"capped split level"?
Best regards
Building plot:
Ground floor:
Upper floor:
Exterior view:
Upper floor variant 2:
I also find the floor plan lacking thoughtful consideration in many areas.
Why have an extra door to the garage when the path to the main entrance is already covered and is just as close as using the garage door? This also means additional costs for an F30-rated door, which I believe is required there. The two doors to the pantry basically make it useless because too much storage space is lost. The pantry doesn’t have a window anyway, as far as I can tell, so you could move it to the right side of the plan, giving direct access to the kitchen and only one door for the pantry.
Overall, I’m not completely satisfied with the ground floor layout either. The toilet is essentially a long narrow corridor — not my preference, but it somehow works.
I really don’t like the double switchback staircase here; it doesn’t fit the style of the house. I would consider a straight staircase in the center instead. However, that would mean the floor plan needs to be redone. But it does function.
The upper floor is a disaster, sorry. The bathroom looks really unattractive and uncomfortable, and the walk-in closet is so impractical. Why is there a third bedroom upstairs? The office is on the ground floor. Guests, since they are rare, could sleep on a pull-out couch there. This also has the advantage that they would reliably use the bathroom with a shower and toilet on the ground floor instead of the family bathroom.
I would rather have a nice large bathroom upstairs and a walk-in closet worthy of the name, and eliminate the third bedroom. If two children are planned, I might also consider a second bathroom upstairs. Definitely, though, the utility room should be moved upstairs so that laundry can be done there.
What is the purpose of the room on the right side of the basement when there is no access to it?
With this slope, I would definitely make use of it, even if only to provide some natural light to some of the basement rooms. Overall, there is quite a significant slope, and I think the design is simply not suitable for it.
Much has already been said about the exterior elevations... I like flat-roofed houses, but if it’s not feasible, then it’s not feasible. That should be accepted. This simply looks ridiculously awkward.
It’s not what I would call beautiful.
Why have an extra door to the garage when the path to the main entrance is already covered and is just as close as using the garage door? This also means additional costs for an F30-rated door, which I believe is required there. The two doors to the pantry basically make it useless because too much storage space is lost. The pantry doesn’t have a window anyway, as far as I can tell, so you could move it to the right side of the plan, giving direct access to the kitchen and only one door for the pantry.
Overall, I’m not completely satisfied with the ground floor layout either. The toilet is essentially a long narrow corridor — not my preference, but it somehow works.
I really don’t like the double switchback staircase here; it doesn’t fit the style of the house. I would consider a straight staircase in the center instead. However, that would mean the floor plan needs to be redone. But it does function.
The upper floor is a disaster, sorry. The bathroom looks really unattractive and uncomfortable, and the walk-in closet is so impractical. Why is there a third bedroom upstairs? The office is on the ground floor. Guests, since they are rare, could sleep on a pull-out couch there. This also has the advantage that they would reliably use the bathroom with a shower and toilet on the ground floor instead of the family bathroom.
I would rather have a nice large bathroom upstairs and a walk-in closet worthy of the name, and eliminate the third bedroom. If two children are planned, I might also consider a second bathroom upstairs. Definitely, though, the utility room should be moved upstairs so that laundry can be done there.
What is the purpose of the room on the right side of the basement when there is no access to it?
With this slope, I would definitely make use of it, even if only to provide some natural light to some of the basement rooms. Overall, there is quite a significant slope, and I think the design is simply not suitable for it.
Much has already been said about the exterior elevations... I like flat-roofed houses, but if it’s not feasible, then it’s not feasible. That should be accepted. This simply looks ridiculously awkward.
It’s not what I would call beautiful.
Thank you very much for your feedback and honest comments, we will definitely take some of them into account.
Regarding the garage, I consider the price fair for an F30. It is also useful, for example, to store wood, bring groceries in directly without having to walk around outside, especially if the distance is the same.
What would be your suggestion for the roof to achieve the best possible cube/flat roof character?
A staggered shed roof sloping to the south with a small lip on the north side?
A hip roof with a high parapet and no eaves?
Regarding the garage, I consider the price fair for an F30. It is also useful, for example, to store wood, bring groceries in directly without having to walk around outside, especially if the distance is the same.
What would be your suggestion for the roof to achieve the best possible cube/flat roof character?
A staggered shed roof sloping to the south with a small lip on the north side?
A hip roof with a high parapet and no eaves?
As already mentioned, I would try a half-shed roof. First (is it called the same there?) east/west. The line above the partition wall between the office/living room and hallway/pantry. No overhangs/anthracite-colored flat tiles. Everything on the north side as a flat roof... provided the building authority allows this compromise.
I think this would also be suitable for photovoltaic panels and would look modern. Whether you add some features like a skylight strip at the top is a matter of personal taste…
I think this would also be suitable for photovoltaic panels and would look modern. Whether you add some features like a skylight strip at the top is a matter of personal taste…
C
chand19867 Jan 2019 13:04schwimbi schrieb:
What would be your suggestion for the roof to achieve the best possible cube/flat roof character?
A staggered shed roof sloping to the south with a small lip on the north?
A hip roof with a high parapet wall and no overhang?But none of that even remotely resembles a gable roof, does it?
The only effective advice would be to look for a different development area with a different zoning plan.
Everything you have in mind would have to be visually distorted to death until it complies with the zoning regulations. You simply don’t have a development area where a flat-roofed cube is permitted. Period. Now you can either accept that and consider a more suitable building shape (or at least a more suitable roof), or try to force something half-baked with many poor compromises. But then it will definitely look like trying too hard and failing.
schwimbi schrieb:
Gable roofs, staggered shed roofs, and hipped roofs are permitted. However, we are trying to interpret the zoning plan creatively.According to this, at least shed roofs are allowed.
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