ᐅ Single-family Home on a North-facing Slope – Request for Opinions and Advice on Orientation
Created on: 23 Nov 2009 15:13
A
AzaleeHello, forum,
In spring/summer, I already received some nice and helpful answers here regarding questions about house planning. At that time, I still thought we were sure about our plot of land. Somehow, doubts crept in again; we looked at many other plots, let the whole thing rest for a while, and finally decided to make a completely rational selection again about what we want, to what extent "our" plot meets that, and which compromises we have to make.
The result is that the plot we had chosen is the best option in our area for us, but I don’t want to make such a decision based purely on rational grounds—I also want to be fully emotionally committed to it. This means that when buying the plot, we should already know what kind of personal “dream house” we want to build on it. Well, that’s what we are working on right now.
Compared to the planning from a few months ago, some things have changed; many, of course, have stayed the same.
Here are some floor plans of the ground floor. It will be a single-family house, one and a half stories, fully basemented with level access to the northern rooms in the basement. One problem—and I’ll start with that—is that the home office on the ground floor should, if possible, have a west-facing window without the living room losing its panoramic view to the north (the hillside side). And that’s not easy... *sigh*
A brief orientation: below is north (I know, unusual, but that's looking “up” the hill); the plot is on a north-facing slope with roughly 3-4m (10-13 feet) elevation difference over 30m (100 feet) (the surroundings are less steep) and measures about 25x30m (82x100 feet). The street runs at the top to the south; the view to the west is relatively open, otherwise the surroundings are or will be developed.
We hope to build the house slightly below street level (about 1m (3 feet)) so that it doesn’t stand out like it’s on a “showcase.” Then a hedge will take care of the rest.
Regarding option 1: basically our oldest, though revised, plan: kitchen facing the street, next to it on the south side the dining area, and further south and west the living area. This shifts the home office to the northeast.
Option 2: very different; the entrance is on the north and would need to be reached via a surrounding “balcony.” No idea what our architect would say about that, but before we discuss feasibility with him and commission him and the builder, we would like to have a clear idea.
The home office is nicely positioned in the northwest, but unfortunately the great view from the living room down the slope is gone, partially compensated by the view from the conservatory.
Option 3: here, two corners are added so that the living room still has a north-facing window despite the west-facing home office. It’s no longer a true panorama, but maybe a compromise. The front door remains on the east side facing the street.
Thank you very much for your help!
Christiane
In spring/summer, I already received some nice and helpful answers here regarding questions about house planning. At that time, I still thought we were sure about our plot of land. Somehow, doubts crept in again; we looked at many other plots, let the whole thing rest for a while, and finally decided to make a completely rational selection again about what we want, to what extent "our" plot meets that, and which compromises we have to make.
The result is that the plot we had chosen is the best option in our area for us, but I don’t want to make such a decision based purely on rational grounds—I also want to be fully emotionally committed to it. This means that when buying the plot, we should already know what kind of personal “dream house” we want to build on it. Well, that’s what we are working on right now.
Compared to the planning from a few months ago, some things have changed; many, of course, have stayed the same.
Here are some floor plans of the ground floor. It will be a single-family house, one and a half stories, fully basemented with level access to the northern rooms in the basement. One problem—and I’ll start with that—is that the home office on the ground floor should, if possible, have a west-facing window without the living room losing its panoramic view to the north (the hillside side). And that’s not easy... *sigh*
A brief orientation: below is north (I know, unusual, but that's looking “up” the hill); the plot is on a north-facing slope with roughly 3-4m (10-13 feet) elevation difference over 30m (100 feet) (the surroundings are less steep) and measures about 25x30m (82x100 feet). The street runs at the top to the south; the view to the west is relatively open, otherwise the surroundings are or will be developed.
We hope to build the house slightly below street level (about 1m (3 feet)) so that it doesn’t stand out like it’s on a “showcase.” Then a hedge will take care of the rest.
Regarding option 1: basically our oldest, though revised, plan: kitchen facing the street, next to it on the south side the dining area, and further south and west the living area. This shifts the home office to the northeast.
Option 2: very different; the entrance is on the north and would need to be reached via a surrounding “balcony.” No idea what our architect would say about that, but before we discuss feasibility with him and commission him and the builder, we would like to have a clear idea.
The home office is nicely positioned in the northwest, but unfortunately the great view from the living room down the slope is gone, partially compensated by the view from the conservatory.
Option 3: here, two corners are added so that the living room still has a north-facing window despite the west-facing home office. It’s no longer a true panorama, but maybe a compromise. The front door remains on the east side facing the street.
Thank you very much for your help!
Christiane
Okay, then I am relieved.
There are various aspects to consider in architectural design, such as form follows function, creating a liveable flow throughout the house, managing light and ventilation, walking distances, building services, building shadows, to name just a few.
And not to forget your personal taste, because you need to feel at home and comfortable in your house.
Therefore, start with a blank sheet, sketch the orientation and site elevation, and then, for example, follow a mix of liveable flow and function. (This is just one example.)
A preliminary design should definitely comply with the local building plan / building regulations. Also, work with the correct wall thicknesses from the start. Pay attention to the building’s volume for energy efficiency. Plan functional circulation paths.
I hope this is enough to inspire you.
Best regards
P.S.: Why don’t you let an architect handle this? They have been trained for exactly this.
There are various aspects to consider in architectural design, such as form follows function, creating a liveable flow throughout the house, managing light and ventilation, walking distances, building services, building shadows, to name just a few.
And not to forget your personal taste, because you need to feel at home and comfortable in your house.
Therefore, start with a blank sheet, sketch the orientation and site elevation, and then, for example, follow a mix of liveable flow and function. (This is just one example.)
A preliminary design should definitely comply with the local building plan / building regulations. Also, work with the correct wall thicknesses from the start. Pay attention to the building’s volume for energy efficiency. Plan functional circulation paths.
I hope this is enough to inspire you.
Best regards
P.S.: Why don’t you let an architect handle this? They have been trained for exactly this.
Hello and thank you for the tips!
It’s simply that I want to know BEFORE finalizing the contract whether it’s possible to build a house on this plot—despite some of its (partly challenging) conditions—that we would be completely happy with. I don’t want to buy land without having a basic idea of the future house on it. Some aspects are part of my idea of everyday quality of life, for example, an east-facing window in the kitchen or dining area, or natural light in the study (ideally facing west, since I use it in the afternoons and evenings—I am a teacher), and so on.
If some of our preferences cannot be realized (or not at a reasonable price), I would like to know this in advance in order to decide whether we should still go for this plot or keep looking. In short: it has to be clear where we would need to make compromises and how significant they would be.
That’s why our goal is not a precise, professional design ready for construction, but rather a plan along the lines of “This is roughly how it could work, and all the important elements are included.” I hope this makes sense.
I would appreciate any further tips or concrete suggestions!
Best regards,
Christiane
It’s simply that I want to know BEFORE finalizing the contract whether it’s possible to build a house on this plot—despite some of its (partly challenging) conditions—that we would be completely happy with. I don’t want to buy land without having a basic idea of the future house on it. Some aspects are part of my idea of everyday quality of life, for example, an east-facing window in the kitchen or dining area, or natural light in the study (ideally facing west, since I use it in the afternoons and evenings—I am a teacher), and so on.
If some of our preferences cannot be realized (or not at a reasonable price), I would like to know this in advance in order to decide whether we should still go for this plot or keep looking. In short: it has to be clear where we would need to make compromises and how significant they would be.
That’s why our goal is not a precise, professional design ready for construction, but rather a plan along the lines of “This is roughly how it could work, and all the important elements are included.” I hope this makes sense.
I would appreciate any further tips or concrete suggestions!
Best regards,
Christiane
Hello Christiane,
I understand, but I also see that you haven’t really managed to solve it yet. To know what you are allowed to build, someone needs to look into the development plan and the state building regulations.
The preliminary draft (not the approval planning) clarifies what is possible. A first cost estimate would be based on that.
Only then can you draw conclusions for the further planning, such as what level of energy efficiency standard to aim for in order to potentially qualify for KfW loans, BAFA, or state subsidies.
In other words, what you want is quite extensive and definitely goes beyond the scope of this forum. I would have to research and start with a blank sheet of paper,...
It would be better if you first had a plot of land and said, this is exactly what we want.
Then a solution will always be found. As a teacher, you can teach very different children, but you would also need to know the class and specific conditions. Okay, working with a "difficult" student might be a challenge,...
Best regards
I understand, but I also see that you haven’t really managed to solve it yet. To know what you are allowed to build, someone needs to look into the development plan and the state building regulations.
The preliminary draft (not the approval planning) clarifies what is possible. A first cost estimate would be based on that.
Only then can you draw conclusions for the further planning, such as what level of energy efficiency standard to aim for in order to potentially qualify for KfW loans, BAFA, or state subsidies.
In other words, what you want is quite extensive and definitely goes beyond the scope of this forum. I would have to research and start with a blank sheet of paper,...
It would be better if you first had a plot of land and said, this is exactly what we want.
Then a solution will always be found. As a teacher, you can teach very different children, but you would also need to know the class and specific conditions. Okay, working with a "difficult" student might be a challenge,...
Best regards
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