ᐅ Single-family house of approximately 160 m², with basement, ground floor, and upper floor featuring knee walls

Created on: 31 Mar 2019 19:56

Hello everyone,

We have finally found our little plot and are already busy planning.

After gathering so many ideas and suggestions here in the forum, especially in the floor plan section where there are so many valuable tips, I would now like to benefit from your experience as well.

Development plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 365m2 (3926 sq ft)
Slope: Yes (north highest, south lowest, approx. 1m (3 ft) drop within the building zone from north to south, 1.5m (5 ft) across the entire property)
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: -
Building zone, building line and boundary: approx. 10 x 11 m (33 x 36 ft), specifications for garage + carport location see plan
Adjacent buildings: None
Number of parking spaces: 1 garage, 1 parking space in front
Number of floors: Basement, ground floor, upper floor with knee wall approx. 125cm (49 inches)
Roof type: Gable roof, pitch 35-40°
Style: ?
Orientation: Ridge from east to west (see plan)
Maximum heights / limits: Maximum finished height 9.00m (30 ft), maximum eaves height 4.50m (15 ft)
Other specifications

Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Solid construction house, gable roof, single-family house
Basement, floors: basement, ground floor, upper floor
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults, 2 children planned
Room requirements on ground and upper floors:

Ground floor: living room, kitchen, bathroom with shower and toilet, study
Upper floor: bedroom, 2 children’s rooms, study, bathroom

Office: home office 1-2 days per week
Guest bedrooms per year: 4
Open or closed layout: rather open
Conservative or modern design: conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island: closed kitchen
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: 1 garage space and 1 parking spot in front
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes, special features, daily routine, including reasons for preferences or restrictions:

Dormer or cat-slide dormer facing south on the upper floor
Stairs should be easy to walk, not too many triangular steps
The lower study should also be usable as a bedroom for aging-in-place on one level
Ground floor bathroom should accommodate a washing machine for this reason
The house will get a KNX smart home installation, so an electrical riser shaft should be planned
Laundry chute with access doors from both bathrooms
Terrace should be raised at the front
Single garage at least 3.5 x 7 m (11.5 x 23 ft)
Rainwater cistern for garden irrigation

House Design
Who designed it: planner from a construction company / own drawings
What is liked: overall layout is fine, all desired spaces included
What is disliked?

Front door too close to the garage
Garage location due to development plan, we would prefer it moved further back
Ground floor: entrance area / stairs / hallway / technical riser interaction

Estimated price by architect/planner: not clear yet
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: 450k
Preferred heating system: hot water heat pump and photovoltaic on the roof

If you had to give up something, which details or additions
-can you compromise on:
-can you not compromise on: basement, number of rooms

Why is the design like it is now?
Various plans from developers and own ideas

What is your most important / basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?

Any additional comments on the plan?
Suggestions to improve the entrance area on the ground floor: hall/stairs/technical riser and bathroom?
Other improvement suggestions?

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Many thanks in advance!

haydee31 Mar 2019 21:45

Has everything actually been written down?
I would separate the laundry room from the building services.
The ground floor bathroom is not accessible for people with disabilities.
The pantry is pointless.
I don’t like the kitchen either.

The budget is not enough for KNX.

hampshire31 Mar 2019 22:53

bubbas schrieb:

Does anyone have any comments on the planning?
Improvements for the ground floor entrance area: hallway/staircase/utility shaft and bathroom?
Any other suggestions for improvement?

The design gives the impression that you live oriented inward toward the house. The windows seem rather small, especially in the study and kitchen, and the living room’s windows face away from the main view. I personally wouldn’t want to live in this house, as it feels too dark and lacks connection to the outside.

The idea of being able to live on the ground floor later without steps, while avoiding triangular steps, shapes the north side of the ground floor and leads to your questions about the entrance area. Consider how you can arrange the ground floor bathroom and study in an apartment-like style for future step-free living. For this, you will need to shift the staircase, which will require corresponding changes in the basement and upper floor. More light upstairs can be provided by installing skylights.

For one or two days of working from home, two studies seem generously sized.

I find the cost estimate optimistic.

ypg31 Mar 2019 23:03

I wouldn’t want to live there either. I find the exterior access points or exits far too few. I would try to open up as many rooms as possible to the outdoor area. On top of that, the entrance is very uninviting. It’s inconspicuous and doesn’t feel welcoming—neither to visitors nor to yourself.

bubbas31 Mar 2019 23:06

#10

Thank you very much for your feedback!

kaho674 schrieb:

Check how many steps you can cover so that there is still about 2.10m (7 feet) of headroom for the staircase. Then adjust the storage room wall accordingly.

I will try that, good advice!

kaho674 schrieb:

The access panel for the technical equipment should be moved to the hallway and the entire bathroom wall straightened accordingly.

I’m not sure about that. I would like to have a direct view of the rising cables, and I was worried that a panel inside the bathroom might cause drafts.

kaho674 schrieb:

I would also straighten the wall of the home office.

Do you mean the wall facing the hallway or the one toward children's room 2?

kaho674 schrieb:

I would also straighten the wall of the home office.

kaho674 schrieb:

I would make the bathroom window the same size as the adjacent one.

I’ll have to check on that. At the moment, it is parallel and the same size as the bathroom window downstairs.

kaho674 schrieb:

I find the pantry in the kitchen too small, so it’s pointless.

Yes, I’m not entirely happy with it either, but it’s not meant to be a pantry, rather a small storage/utility room.

kaho674 schrieb:

I would probably reduce the guest toilet a bit to make more space for the cloakroom.

Yes, I’ll try that, thanks!

kaho674 schrieb:

I would add another window to the home office.
Otherwise, it’s quite cute.

Do you mean the home office downstairs? The window facing the rear is not possible since the garage is in front. Or do you mean the upstairs home office with the two windows facing forward?

rick2018 schrieb:
How many square meters is it roughly? Based on the room sizes given, you are over 200 m² (2,150 sq ft).
In Baden-Württemberg, you have to count on at least €2500 per m² (about $250 per sq ft) for slightly upscale finishes. Plus garage, landscaping, additional construction costs, and fixtures.
It’s crazy right now. We're just about to start building and have current quotes.
At first glance, the budget doesn’t match.
If you do KNX properly, and not just to control lights by phone, it gets more expensive since you need several sensors, programming, and software.
Make sure to plan sufficient LAN cabling, especially in the ceilings for access points.

I’m not exactly sure about the square meters with the knee wall and basement. I think it should be under 200 m² (2,150 sq ft). But you’re right, including landscaping and additional costs it gets tight. KNX is planned to be done properly and will probably be a bit more expensive. Thanks for the tip about the LAN cables.

Mottenhausen schrieb:
Even at the risk of being wrong again:

A floor area ratio (FAR) of 0.3 means just under 110 m² (1,185 sq ft), so your building footprint. Garage, driveway, terrace?
By the way, the terrace also requires setback distance, so the animation doesn't quite fit.

What exactly counts toward the floor area ratio? The builder had it that way before, but I’ll ask again. The terrace shows at least a 1m (3 feet) setback from the southern boundary in the drawing.

ypg schrieb:
Normally, the floor area ratio can be built up to 100%, but only up to 0.8 with ancillary structures.
Terrace normally counts as part of the main building, so the floor area ratio is exceeded precisely by this terrace area.
And normally, it must also comply with the setback area.
“Normally” means: If it’s different, it’s stated in the state building regulations or development plan.

Yes, according to the development plan here, 100% coverage is allowed. But the terrace would be included in the floor area ratio. The garage and driveway would not?

ypg schrieb:

Apart from that, I agree with this:
- Pantry is a problem
- Guest toilet with shower and roll-in shower (RBM) is not barrier-free
- Kitchen is really no highlight, more like a retro 1980s kitchen
- Straighten wall between home office and children’s room 2

The pantry is actually a storage/utility room. But yes, it’s not very attractive.
For the shower, we want a shallow tray recessed into the floor with only a slight rise. Tiled showers don’t appeal to us because of the many grout lines.
For the kitchen, we originally wanted a closed layout to keep cooking smells and noises from the living room. That’s why this arrangement along the wall developed. How could it be designed more modern? Suggestions welcome!
The wall between the home office and children’s room 2 is shifted a bit toward children’s room 2 to make the home office symmetrical to the gable.

11ant schrieb:
It seems like the garage on the boundary has too much wall height.

It’s a slightly taller garage so the VW bus fits, which we don’t have yet.

haydee schrieb:
Everything has actually been written.
I would separate laundry from the technical room.
Ground floor bathroom is not barrier-free.
Pantry makes no sense.
I don’t like the kitchen either.
Budget won’t be enough with KNX.

The laundry is located in the multipurpose room at the front right. I still need to rename it simply “Technical.” Thanks for the note.
Maybe some tips on improving the kitchen?
Yes, the budget does seem tight now; we’ll see. Thanks!

bubbas31 Mar 2019 23:27

#11

Sorry, I double-checked. You are allowed to build 50% over, which results in a factor of 0.45, corresponding to 164m² (1,766 sq ft).

kaho67431 Mar 2019 23:32

#12

bubbas schrieb:

I'm not sure here, I would prefer to look straight at the rising cables.

How often do you think you'll actually look at the cables once they are installed? We didn’t even install an access panel, we just sealed it completely. Trust me, that is wasted square meters in the hallway.

bubbas schrieb:

Do you mean the ones facing the hallway or those towards children's room 2?

The ones facing the hallway. The office doesn’t get significantly bigger with the bend, but the hallway feels like a maze—chaotic and unpleasant.

bubbas schrieb:

You mean the study on the lower floor? The window facing the back isn’t possible because the garage is in front.

Ah, sorry, I had completely forgotten about that.

ᐅ Single-family house of approximately 160 m², with basement, ground floor, and upper floor featuring knee walls

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