ᐅ Single-Family Home Design on a Sloping Site (2,700 sqm Plot) – Experiences / Discussion
Created on: 3 Jun 2021 09:00
B
Bamboochaa
Hello everyone. I would like to introduce our upcoming project below. It is meant to inspire discussion and serve as documentation.
Plot size: approximately 2,700 sqm (29,000 sq ft), of which about 1,200 sqm (13,000 sq ft) is forested area (marked in green). Demolition of the current building: house number 33.
The plot is located at the end of a cul-de-sac (NRW). There is no zoning plan. The planned building area has about a 2 m (6.5 ft) height difference. The slope declines towards the east/south.
Maximum height/limits: Ridge height of neighboring property approx. 9 m (30 ft).
We have largely given the architect free rein (exclusions: flat roof, hip/pyramid roof, or city villa/Bauhaus style).
Two adults (31 + 27), no children yet. Planned maximum living area is 160-170 sqm (1,720–1,830 sq ft).
Ground floor: spacious living and dining area. Large kitchen. Small shower/WC on ground floor, small storage/utility room with mudroom function.
Upper floor: master bedroom, two children’s rooms, separate dressing room, one bathroom. Guest room either in basement or upper floor.
Basement: utility/technical room, fitness room, office/guest room, small WC (due to direct garden access).
Only a small office is needed, as no home office work is planned.
Balcony, roof terrace: unnecessary due to the garden.
Garage, carport: double garage plus 2 parking spaces.
Small outdoor sauna planned for the future.
House design (In the 3D plan, I removed two walls on the south side of the ground floor so you can see inside the house. Window planning is not yet included in the design.)
Ground floor: We personally like the layout 100%.
Upper floor: We find it almost perfect. The small open space is nice. The children’s rooms are next to each other. The parents’ room is somewhat separated. The upper floor also provides shading for the ground floor terrace area. (Balcony is unnecessary and will be removed.)
What do we not like? Why?
The floor plan is currently a bit too large. The plan was for 160-170 sqm (1,720–1,830 sq ft) of living space (we actually find this size almost too big, especially if we do not have children). The current floor plan shows about 190 sqm (2,045 sq ft) living space plus basement (approx. 6 m x 13 m (20 ft x 43 ft) + 6.5 m x 6.5 m (21 ft x 21 ft) living area).
It is questionable how much the floor plan can be reduced without significantly restricting the sense of space. The living area and possibly the staircase area could be made slightly smaller. Traffic area (hallways, circulation) is relatively high. The upper floor layout could be optimized, e.g., the master bedroom could face more towards the north. It is also questionable whether a second bathroom on the upper floor is necessary.
Placement of the building on the plot still needs to be discussed. (The garage is currently planned at the boundary with the neighbor.)
Price estimate according to the architect/planner: starting at approximately €2,700/m² (about $280/sq ft) (without interior finishes).
Personal price limit for house including landscaping, architect, additional costs, interior finishes is about €700,000 (about $730,000), with a buffer of about €100,000 (about $105,000) remaining. (Land already paid.)
Construction type planned was timber frame, but due to material cost and delivery time developments for wood, solid construction is also being reconsidered.
Preferred heating system: heat pump, with additional photovoltaic system for electricity (without storage).
If you had to give up anything, what details or features?
The living area and terrace could be smaller. The garage could be smaller. An L-shaped floor plan is not essential. The photovoltaic system could be installed later. Partial basement would be sufficient (due to the slope this makes less sense and probably would not lead to financial savings). The open space (atrium) is not absolutely necessary.
What you cannot give up: separation of kitchen/dining from living area, double garage, separate dressing room.
Why is the design like this now?
We gave the architect a broadly defined requirements profile. No specifications regarding floor plan or room sizes were given.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Is the price limit and rough cost estimate from the architect realistic? How can the living area be reduced? How will acoustics distribute via the open space to the upper floor? Is the planned terrace problematic? (Basement ceiling as terrace floor a good idea?)
We are open to general criticism and suggestions for improvement 🙂 We will gladly report on further progress in the coming weeks.
Plot size: approximately 2,700 sqm (29,000 sq ft), of which about 1,200 sqm (13,000 sq ft) is forested area (marked in green). Demolition of the current building: house number 33.
The plot is located at the end of a cul-de-sac (NRW). There is no zoning plan. The planned building area has about a 2 m (6.5 ft) height difference. The slope declines towards the east/south.
Maximum height/limits: Ridge height of neighboring property approx. 9 m (30 ft).
We have largely given the architect free rein (exclusions: flat roof, hip/pyramid roof, or city villa/Bauhaus style).
Two adults (31 + 27), no children yet. Planned maximum living area is 160-170 sqm (1,720–1,830 sq ft).
Ground floor: spacious living and dining area. Large kitchen. Small shower/WC on ground floor, small storage/utility room with mudroom function.
Upper floor: master bedroom, two children’s rooms, separate dressing room, one bathroom. Guest room either in basement or upper floor.
Basement: utility/technical room, fitness room, office/guest room, small WC (due to direct garden access).
Only a small office is needed, as no home office work is planned.
Balcony, roof terrace: unnecessary due to the garden.
Garage, carport: double garage plus 2 parking spaces.
Small outdoor sauna planned for the future.
House design (In the 3D plan, I removed two walls on the south side of the ground floor so you can see inside the house. Window planning is not yet included in the design.)
Ground floor: We personally like the layout 100%.
Upper floor: We find it almost perfect. The small open space is nice. The children’s rooms are next to each other. The parents’ room is somewhat separated. The upper floor also provides shading for the ground floor terrace area. (Balcony is unnecessary and will be removed.)
What do we not like? Why?
The floor plan is currently a bit too large. The plan was for 160-170 sqm (1,720–1,830 sq ft) of living space (we actually find this size almost too big, especially if we do not have children). The current floor plan shows about 190 sqm (2,045 sq ft) living space plus basement (approx. 6 m x 13 m (20 ft x 43 ft) + 6.5 m x 6.5 m (21 ft x 21 ft) living area).
It is questionable how much the floor plan can be reduced without significantly restricting the sense of space. The living area and possibly the staircase area could be made slightly smaller. Traffic area (hallways, circulation) is relatively high. The upper floor layout could be optimized, e.g., the master bedroom could face more towards the north. It is also questionable whether a second bathroom on the upper floor is necessary.
Placement of the building on the plot still needs to be discussed. (The garage is currently planned at the boundary with the neighbor.)
Price estimate according to the architect/planner: starting at approximately €2,700/m² (about $280/sq ft) (without interior finishes).
Personal price limit for house including landscaping, architect, additional costs, interior finishes is about €700,000 (about $730,000), with a buffer of about €100,000 (about $105,000) remaining. (Land already paid.)
Construction type planned was timber frame, but due to material cost and delivery time developments for wood, solid construction is also being reconsidered.
Preferred heating system: heat pump, with additional photovoltaic system for electricity (without storage).
If you had to give up anything, what details or features?
The living area and terrace could be smaller. The garage could be smaller. An L-shaped floor plan is not essential. The photovoltaic system could be installed later. Partial basement would be sufficient (due to the slope this makes less sense and probably would not lead to financial savings). The open space (atrium) is not absolutely necessary.
What you cannot give up: separation of kitchen/dining from living area, double garage, separate dressing room.
Why is the design like this now?
We gave the architect a broadly defined requirements profile. No specifications regarding floor plan or room sizes were given.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Is the price limit and rough cost estimate from the architect realistic? How can the living area be reduced? How will acoustics distribute via the open space to the upper floor? Is the planned terrace problematic? (Basement ceiling as terrace floor a good idea?)
We are open to general criticism and suggestions for improvement 🙂 We will gladly report on further progress in the coming weeks.
B
Bamboochaa4 Jun 2021 09:18hanghaus2000 schrieb:
Great plot. The height will be determined by the buildings to the north and west, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
Quite a bit has already been said about the floor plans. The area around the staircase is very generous. I’m missing a pantry. The upper floor can also be optimized further. But more on that after your appointment with the architect. Please keep us updated.
I don’t want to put myself in the northern neighbor’s shoes. If the staircase isn’t open, you could add a door to the kitchen area and build a cupboard under the stairs. Otherwise, food can be stored in the utility room. I still find the route from the kitchen to there acceptable.
The upper floor will definitely be optimized. I’ll report back 🙂
Depending on where we place the house/garage, it won’t look very nice for him. However, we have initially promised him that he can continue to use the garden shed in the eastern part, even though it is on our property. It’s a bit out of the way anyway.
RomeoZwo schrieb:
Since the basement is not yet planned or used (and probably not included in the 170–190m² [1830–2045 sq ft]) a partial use as living space is certainly an option. Your basement will create nice, private living rooms and is really “too good to be just a utility basement.”
You want the open living space on the ground floor, which I understand to create a sense of spaciousness and not feel enclosed by the forest.
How about having only one child’s bedroom upstairs (later an office/reading/TV room) while the child is small, and then two rooms in the basement with garden access and a private bathroom? The upstairs kid’s bathroom could be omitted since during the first years you end up using the bathroom with the child anyway 🙂.
P.S.: Very nice plot! A partial use of the basement as living space is actually planned, at least for the part that extends into the garden. Planned now is a fitness room/office and a small WC for the garden. The idea of placing one or two children’s rooms plus a bathroom down there isn’t bad either. We’ll definitely incorporate that idea 🙂
Thank you for your suggestions!
H
hanghaus20004 Jun 2021 09:30I sketched this out. The red area is up to 2.5 m (8 feet) deeper than the ground floor. Either a partial basement is built underneath or very strong retaining walls are needed.
With the walk-out basement, the building height might become a critical issue.
Definitely with the budget as well.
The idea of adapting the old house to the hillside is understandable. Actually, the house should be rotated to align with the contour line.
With the walk-out basement, the building height might become a critical issue.
Definitely with the budget as well.
The idea of adapting the old house to the hillside is understandable. Actually, the house should be rotated to align with the contour line.
Schimi17914 Jun 2021 09:41Bamboochaa schrieb:
...
Plot size: approx. 2,700 sqm (29,063 sq ft), including about 1,200 sqm (12,917 sq ft) of woodland area (marked in green).
...Amazing! Who's going to maintain all that? 🙂Large plots certainly provide great freedom for design.
B
Bamboochaa4 Jun 2021 09:42hanghaus2000 schrieb:
I sketched this out. The red area is up to 2.5 m (8 feet) lower than the ground floor. You either put a partial basement underneath or have extremely strong supporting walls.
With a habitable basement, the building height will likely become a critical issue, right?
Especially considering the budget.
The idea of having the old house nestled into the hillside makes sense. Actually, the house should be rotated to follow the contour line.
As of now, the plan is to have the entire ground floor (except for the living area) built over a basement. This would determine the building height, as already shown in the 3D drawings. The basement would also serve as the terrace floor. To maintain a living space character, the basement ceiling height would need to be at least 2.5 m (8 feet). But that can be achieved by digging a bit deeper if necessary.
I am not a fan of retaining the plot in any way. The building must simply be constructed with a (partial) basement!
Rotating the house along the contour line would naturally create an opening of the building towards the west, directing the view more along the street that runs by the property boundary.
B
Bamboochaa4 Jun 2021 09:47Schimi1791 schrieb:
Amazing! Who’s supposed to maintain all that? 🙂
Large plots of land definitely offer great design freedom. Hey, out of the 2,700sqm (29,063 sqft), about 1,200sqm (12,917 sqft) is forest. This area is mostly on a steep slope. There’s really no maintenance involved. We’d just let nature take its course (we’re not allowed to do much there anyway since it’s a protected area). Maybe just trim the borders occasionally. So after building the house, there will probably be around 1,000sqm (10,764 sqft) of garden space left.
We don’t want a traditional English lawn. We’re aiming for a fairly natural look, with a wildflower meadow and so on.
Of course, the property will require more work than an average plot. But since we enjoy gardening, it won’t be an issue for now. As we get older, that might change, though.
Bamboochaa schrieb:
Partial use as a living basement is even planned. At least in the part that extends into the garden. The plan is now for a fitness room/office as well as a small restroom for the garden. The idea of adding one or two children’s bedrooms plus a bathroom there wouldn’t be a bad option either. We’ll keep that idea in mind 🙂 I would try to work with your architect to create a floor plan that allows flexible use of the basement/upper floor. If the children are young (<7), I would prefer to have them on my sleeping level. At that age, two children can also share one room (and the basement would become a playroom). Later on, the teenagers can have their own space in the basement, while you enjoy peace and an additional nice room on the upper floor.
If the terrace above is also part of the basement space, your basement will be huge! That leaves a lot more room than just for fitness/office/small restroom. (Oh, and the basement will also be quite expensive.)
Similar topics