ᐅ Single-family house – flat roof – edge of forest location – 175 sqm
Created on: 16 Feb 2019 22:03
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benediktrB
benediktr16 Feb 2019 22:03After being a silent reader in this forum for a long time, I would now like to share my thoughts and ideas with you. I hope to receive some suggestions for improvement and constructive feedback.
Unfortunately, I cannot provide a site plan at the moment. Therefore, here is a screenshot of the property. I have roughly traced it on the ground floor plan. The exact orientation definitely needs further planning. It is plot number 51.
Below, I try to outline the essentials in the questionnaire.
Development plan/restrictions
Section 34 of the Building Code
Plot size
580 sqm (6,243 sq ft)
Slope
No direct slope; terrain descends about 3 m (10 ft) from north to south and roughly 3 m (10 ft) from west to east; retaining wall to the south present
Building setbacks
North/East/South – 3 m (10 ft), West – 6 m (20 ft)
Number of parking spaces
1-2
Number of floors
2 full stories plus basement
Roof type
Flat roof
Architectural style
Modern
Orientation
Southwest
Maximum heights/limits
-
Other specifications
Owners’ requirements
Room layout as shown in the plan; spacious living-dining-kitchen area
Style, roof type, building type
Flat roof
Number of occupants, ages
Currently 2 people, 28 and 26 years old; planning for 1-2 children
Room requirements on ground floor (GF) and upper floor (UF)
GF: living, dining, kitchen, utility room, WC
UF: bathroom, 2 children's rooms, bedroom plus walk-in closet
Office: family use or home office?
Family use
Guest overnight stays per year
Very seldom
Open or closed architecture
Open
Conservative or modern construction
Modern construction
Open kitchen, kitchen island
Yes
Number of dining seats
6
Fireplace
Corner fireplace
Music/stereo wall
No
Additional wishes/particularities/daily routine, including reasons for preferences
- Staircase from ground floor to upper floor should start in the dining area and not be visible from the living room
- Living room preferably on the west side, as we both work very long hours
House design
Who did the planning?
Do-it-yourself, using various floor plans as templates
What do you particularly like? Why?
Straight staircase, layout of living, dining, and kitchen areas, corner fireplace
What do you not like? Why?
I am unsure if the rooms upstairs might be a bit too narrow due to the straight staircase. This could be improved with a landing staircase, but that is just a minor point to accept.
Estimated cost according to architect/planner:
Personal budget limit for the house including fittings:
450,000
Preferred heating technology:
Gas condensing boiler, possibly with a water jacket in the fireplace
If you have to give up something, what details/features
- can you forgo? Partition separating the WC in the bathroom
- cannot you do without? Walk-in closet
Why did the design become what it is now?
Room orientation on the plot guided the design based on our wishes. View to the west, looking over forest and fields. Access from the north to avoid an outdoor staircase.
What do you think are its strengths or weaknesses?
We would prefer to avoid floor-to-ceiling windows on the south side, as the neighbor’s front door is there, which is not ideal for brightness. Large window fronts on the west side due to the view, as mentioned. A window in the walk-in closet could still be planned.
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Do you think the upper floor rooms might feel "narrow and elongated"? Budget?
Unfortunately, I cannot provide a site plan at the moment. Therefore, here is a screenshot of the property. I have roughly traced it on the ground floor plan. The exact orientation definitely needs further planning. It is plot number 51.
Below, I try to outline the essentials in the questionnaire.
Development plan/restrictions
Section 34 of the Building Code
Plot size
580 sqm (6,243 sq ft)
Slope
No direct slope; terrain descends about 3 m (10 ft) from north to south and roughly 3 m (10 ft) from west to east; retaining wall to the south present
Building setbacks
North/East/South – 3 m (10 ft), West – 6 m (20 ft)
Number of parking spaces
1-2
Number of floors
2 full stories plus basement
Roof type
Flat roof
Architectural style
Modern
Orientation
Southwest
Maximum heights/limits
-
Other specifications
Owners’ requirements
Room layout as shown in the plan; spacious living-dining-kitchen area
Style, roof type, building type
Flat roof
Number of occupants, ages
Currently 2 people, 28 and 26 years old; planning for 1-2 children
Room requirements on ground floor (GF) and upper floor (UF)
GF: living, dining, kitchen, utility room, WC
UF: bathroom, 2 children's rooms, bedroom plus walk-in closet
Office: family use or home office?
Family use
Guest overnight stays per year
Very seldom
Open or closed architecture
Open
Conservative or modern construction
Modern construction
Open kitchen, kitchen island
Yes
Number of dining seats
6
Fireplace
Corner fireplace
Music/stereo wall
No
Additional wishes/particularities/daily routine, including reasons for preferences
- Staircase from ground floor to upper floor should start in the dining area and not be visible from the living room
- Living room preferably on the west side, as we both work very long hours
House design
Who did the planning?
Do-it-yourself, using various floor plans as templates
What do you particularly like? Why?
Straight staircase, layout of living, dining, and kitchen areas, corner fireplace
What do you not like? Why?
I am unsure if the rooms upstairs might be a bit too narrow due to the straight staircase. This could be improved with a landing staircase, but that is just a minor point to accept.
Estimated cost according to architect/planner:
Personal budget limit for the house including fittings:
450,000
Preferred heating technology:
Gas condensing boiler, possibly with a water jacket in the fireplace
If you have to give up something, what details/features
- can you forgo? Partition separating the WC in the bathroom
- cannot you do without? Walk-in closet
Why did the design become what it is now?
Room orientation on the plot guided the design based on our wishes. View to the west, looking over forest and fields. Access from the north to avoid an outdoor staircase.
What do you think are its strengths or weaknesses?
We would prefer to avoid floor-to-ceiling windows on the south side, as the neighbor’s front door is there, which is not ideal for brightness. Large window fronts on the west side due to the view, as mentioned. A window in the walk-in closet could still be planned.
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Do you think the upper floor rooms might feel "narrow and elongated"? Budget?
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benediktr16 Feb 2019 22:46Unfortunately, the uploaded plans are of poor quality. Therefore, I am trying again ...
"No direct slope," and the house is shown level in the perspective drawing, yet the garage appears to be at basement level (?) – I’m not quite following that.
The extended dimension lines make the plans a bit harder to read, as does the orientation to the south.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
The extended dimension lines make the plans a bit harder to read, as does the orientation to the south.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Is it really a retaining wall or just a garden wall?
The slope was mentioned by 11 users.
The budget is not sufficient. The basement is roughly missing. I don’t know how much DIY work is planned—flooring and wallpapering probably won’t balance that out.
Do you have direct garden access from the ground floor?
A kitchen next to the terrace would be good and practical. Breakfast and grilling are done outside; kids, especially younger ones, basically move into the garden when the weather is nice—and some even when it’s raining. They need drinks and always have to go through the dining or living area. I can already imagine 6-year-olds, coming from the forest in muddy boots, running straight through the living room to the kitchen. Near the stairs, they suddenly realize they forgot to take off their shoes.
Wider rooms on the upper floor would be better.
Maybe a different staircase, reducing hallway space, moving the utility room to the basement, making the footprint a few square meters smaller—then the budget might work.
The slope was mentioned by 11 users.
The budget is not sufficient. The basement is roughly missing. I don’t know how much DIY work is planned—flooring and wallpapering probably won’t balance that out.
Do you have direct garden access from the ground floor?
A kitchen next to the terrace would be good and practical. Breakfast and grilling are done outside; kids, especially younger ones, basically move into the garden when the weather is nice—and some even when it’s raining. They need drinks and always have to go through the dining or living area. I can already imagine 6-year-olds, coming from the forest in muddy boots, running straight through the living room to the kitchen. Near the stairs, they suddenly realize they forgot to take off their shoes.
Wider rooms on the upper floor would be better.
Maybe a different staircase, reducing hallway space, moving the utility room to the basement, making the footprint a few square meters smaller—then the budget might work.
B
benediktr17 Feb 2019 09:3711ant schrieb:
"No direct slope" and the house appears level in the perspective drawing, yet the garage seems to be at basement level (?) – I’m not quite sure I understand that.
The extended dimension lines make the plans a bit harder to read, as does the south orientation of the plans.I will draw a sectional sketch for you around midday today. The terrain rises approximately 3 m (10 feet) from south to north. The garage would need to be placed quite far south at basement level. As you move further north, the basement would then be buried in the ground.
I will also revise the dimensions and orient the floor plans to "north."
haydee schrieb:
Is that really a retaining wall or just a garden wall?
The slope location was already mentioned by 11ant.
Budget is not sufficient. The basement is roughly missing. I don’t know how much self-labor is planned, but with flooring and wallpapering, you probably won’t balance that out.
Can you access the garden from the ground floor at grade?
A kitchen on the terrace side would be good and practical. Breakfast, grilling is outdoors, and smaller children basically settle in the garden when the weather is nice – some even when it’s raining. They need drinks and so always have to go through the dining or living area. I can already imagine six-year-olds, with muddy boots, coming from the forest and dashing straight through the living room to the kitchen. Halfway down the stairs, they realize they forgot to take off their boots.
Wider rooms on the upper floor would be better.
Maybe another staircase design, reduce hallway space, move the utility room to the basement, reduce the footprint by a few square meters, and the budget might fit.The budget may be tight, so we still need to optimize here. The self-labor work will cover heating, plumbing, some electrical work, as well as floors, walls, ceilings, and drywall.
We do have ground-level access from the dining area and living room to the garden.
The topic of placing the kitchen by the terrace is a hotly debated issue here. Nevertheless, we decided on this location with all its pros and cons. I accept having to carry my breakfast rolls 5 m (16 feet) from the island to the terrace on Sunday mornings.
Regarding dirt brought in by children, it wouldn’t help me much if the kitchen were there.
The utility room is not a typical one as many use here. It is mainly intended for ironing and storage of cleaning supplies, vacuum cleaners, etc. Therefore, positioning it on the ground floor seems sensible to me. I have already tried a landing or U-shaped staircase, which allowed significantly wider rooms on the upper floor. However, we prefer the layout with a straight staircase on the ground floor.
At first glance, I actually find the layout quite good.
I don’t see it as a narrow, corridor-like design. The rooms upstairs are at least 3.3 m (11 feet) wide.
It may be that you decided on the ground floor layout this way based on your current perspective, but if you have children, you won’t be happy with this arrangement. When the kids are in the garden, it’s not just about Sunday breakfast. Well, maybe if you’re away for work all week and only home for Sunday mornings.
Move the staircase to the other side of the hallway and swap the kitchen and living room. Maybe also play around a bit with the dimensions.
The slope doesn’t seem to have been fully considered yet in terms of what it means for building the house, or I didn’t understand the explanation. A slope of 3 m (10 feet) is a significant incline.
Accordingly, the budget is a bit uncertain.
Regarding self-performance… are you planning to take half a year of unpaid leave, or how is that supposed to work?
I don’t see it as a narrow, corridor-like design. The rooms upstairs are at least 3.3 m (11 feet) wide.
It may be that you decided on the ground floor layout this way based on your current perspective, but if you have children, you won’t be happy with this arrangement. When the kids are in the garden, it’s not just about Sunday breakfast. Well, maybe if you’re away for work all week and only home for Sunday mornings.
Move the staircase to the other side of the hallway and swap the kitchen and living room. Maybe also play around a bit with the dimensions.
The slope doesn’t seem to have been fully considered yet in terms of what it means for building the house, or I didn’t understand the explanation. A slope of 3 m (10 feet) is a significant incline.
Accordingly, the budget is a bit uncertain.
Regarding self-performance… are you planning to take half a year of unpaid leave, or how is that supposed to work?
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