ᐅ Single-family house with a flat roof and 367 sqm of living space
Created on: 13 Mar 2021 22:42
C
Clx2021
Hello dear forum members,
I recently discovered this forum and have already been able to clarify a few topics for myself. Many thanks for that!
My wife and I recently purchased a plot of land (1260 sqm (14,980 sq ft), very good location, slight south-facing slope). There is an old house on the plot that we plan to demolish.
We want to build a house with enough space for our family of four (2 children, almost 2 and almost 4 years old) plus an au pair and are still quite early in the process. Attached is the first draft from our architect, which we already like very much.
We would appreciate any feedback.
+++
Development plan / restrictions:
No development plan; construction according to §34 of the Federal Building Code
Plot size: 1260 sqm (14,980 sq ft) (21 m (69 ft) wide, 60 m (197 ft) long)
Slope:
Floor area ratio (FAR): n/a
Building coverage ratio: n/a
Building envelope, building line and boundary:
Edge development: see above
Number of parking spaces: double garage
Number of floors: 2, with 3 floors facing south due to slope
Roof type: open choice
Architectural style: open choice
Orientation: fixed by street position
Maximum heights/limits: heights have been discussed and approved with the building authority
Other requirements: open building concept
Owner requirements
House design
Designed by: our architect
What we like most: it reflects our wishes and ideas, modern, bright house with a spacious layout
What we don’t like:
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: within our expectations
Personal price limit for house, including equipment: unknown
Preferred heating technology: air source heat pump
If you had to compromise, which features or finishes could you give up?
Why did the design turn out as it is now?
We created our own draft and gave it to our architect along with a detailed briefing. Our architect then developed a draft based on this, which we already like very much.
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
How can it be improved and why? Also, your views on our open questions (summarized again below):
I recently discovered this forum and have already been able to clarify a few topics for myself. Many thanks for that!
My wife and I recently purchased a plot of land (1260 sqm (14,980 sq ft), very good location, slight south-facing slope). There is an old house on the plot that we plan to demolish.
We want to build a house with enough space for our family of four (2 children, almost 2 and almost 4 years old) plus an au pair and are still quite early in the process. Attached is the first draft from our architect, which we already like very much.
We would appreciate any feedback.
+++
Development plan / restrictions:
No development plan; construction according to §34 of the Federal Building Code
Plot size: 1260 sqm (14,980 sq ft) (21 m (69 ft) wide, 60 m (197 ft) long)
Slope:
- Slight slope of 2.5 m (8 ft) over the first 20 m (66 ft), further 2.5 m (8 ft) over the remaining 40 m (131 ft), south-facing slope, street/access from the north
- Street elevation rises 0.8 m (2.6 ft) from east to west across the width of the plot
Floor area ratio (FAR): n/a
Building coverage ratio: n/a
Building envelope, building line and boundary:
- Agreed with the building authority as follows without a formal development plan
- 5 m (16 ft) distance to the street on the north side (same as neighboring buildings)
- 3 m (10 ft) distance to the property boundary on east and west sides; garage may be built on the property line
- Maximum building envelope (excluding terrace, pool) 15 x 16 m (49 x 52 ft)
Edge development: see above
Number of parking spaces: double garage
Number of floors: 2, with 3 floors facing south due to slope
Roof type: open choice
Architectural style: open choice
Orientation: fixed by street position
Maximum heights/limits: heights have been discussed and approved with the building authority
Other requirements: open building concept
Owner requirements
- Architectural style, roof type, building type: modern architecture with lots of glass, flat roof, inspired by Bauhaus style (although this term is often overused)
- Basement, floors: basement (UG), ground floor (EG), upper floor (OG)
- Number and age of occupants: 5 people, including 2 children almost 2 and almost 4 years old, plus au pair
- Space requirements on EG and OG: according to the plan
- Office: separate workroom necessary; guest room can double as a second office
- Overnight guests per year: parents-in-law several times a year for a few days, friends on weekends (several times a year)
- Open or closed architecture: open on the ground floor
- Conservative or modern construction: modern, straightforward
- Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with island
- Number of dining seats: 8 (we often have guests and love dinner parties, which hopefully will be possible again soon)
- Fireplace: We opted for an ethanol fireplace. It’s very convenient and doesn’t require a chimney. We currently have a wood-burning fireplace but rarely use it.
- Music/sound wall: No. We have a very good soundbar with subwoofer and rear speakers for the living room that meets our needs; additional multiroom speakers will be in the dining room and kitchen.
- Balcony, roof terrace: yes, see plans
- Garage, carport: double garage with attached bike storage area
- Utility garden, greenhouse: no, only a small bed for kitchen herbs
- Other requests/particulars/daily routine, also reasons for choices or exclusions:
- Due to slope, the basement can partially be used as living space
- Office, guest room (= second office), and au pair room in the basement
- Open area on the upper floor with library (we have one now, appreciate it a lot, adds flexibility for living room layout since a large book wall doesn't always fit)
- Separate entrance to basement; possibility to combine au pair and guest rooms later into a separate apartment
- Covered terrace on the ground floor
- Direct access from the ground floor to the garden via outdoor stairs
- Large terrace on the basement level (5 m (16 ft) deep, connecting to the pool)
- Aluminum windows
- Glass balcony railing (expensive, but gives the house a lightness we like)
- Large walk-in closet on the upper floor
- Fitness room in the basement
- Wine cellar in the basement
- Airlock to the garage acting as a second cloakroom (in addition to a built-in wardrobe at the entrance)
- Lots of natural light
- Exterior walls on ground and upper floors made of Poroton clay blocks with mineral wool insulation (36.5 cm (14 in))
- Room height: 287.5 cm (9 ft 5 in) on the ground floor, 275 cm (9 ft) in the upper floor, and 254 cm (8 ft 4 in) in the basement, all measured before ceiling suspension; we currently plan a minimal 6 cm (2 in) drop for recessed spotlights
- Oak parquet flooring in all rooms except bathrooms and basement rooms
- Underfloor heating
- Air source heat pump with cooling function
- Controlled residential ventilation with heat recovery
- Smart Home with KNX, although we are still considering what is really useful versus just a gimmick
- Pool 12 x 4 m (39 x 13 ft) with in-ground rolling cover, counter-current system, and pool heating via an additional heat pump
- Using the roof area for photovoltaic panels with appropriately sized battery storage (with heat pump, electric car, and pool, we expect relatively high electricity consumption, so it seems economically sensible)
- What we don’t need
- Gallery / open void space on the ground floor (very beautiful but reduces usable upper floor area and can cause acoustic issues)
- Sauna (we enjoy sauna on ski trips but rarely at home; possibly a steam shower in the master bathroom, see questions below)
- Pantry (kitchen has enough storage for provisions; separate storage room on ground floor for vacuum cleaner, cleaning supplies, ironing board, etc., plus cellar for drink crates, etc.)
- Laundry room (washing machine and dryer will be located in the basement utility room, which also has space for hanging laundry)
- Solar thermal system (we’ve opted for photovoltaic and looked into hybrid systems, but they don’t make sense for us)
- Where we’re still unsure
- Air conditioning: do we need it? We have many windows, and the house faces south; the cooling function of the air source heat pump is limited. If air conditioning is needed, should it be multi-split with wall units above the door or somehow concealed, or a central system? Has anyone here experience with central air conditioning? How much ceiling space does a central system require (we currently plan only 6 cm (2 in) ceiling suspension)? Costs?
House design
Designed by: our architect
What we like most: it reflects our wishes and ideas, modern, bright house with a spacious layout
What we don’t like:
- Garage is located below the ground floor due to street slope, so it needs a lower height to meet height restrictions for boundary development; we are still thinking about how to design this. The current draft has a canopy over the entrance and another shallower canopy over the garage, which overlap slightly, but this might be improved.
- We can’t find a suitable spot for a piano on the ground floor; placing it on the upper floor seems to be the trade-off for having so many glass surfaces on the ground floor.
- According to the architect, the air source heat pump can only be installed outside because no products with cooling and the required capacity are available for indoor installation.
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: within our expectations
Personal price limit for house, including equipment: unknown
Preferred heating technology: air source heat pump
If you had to compromise, which features or finishes could you give up?
- Could give up: We don’t really want to give up any rooms or planned equipment. The upper floor terrace is quite large; we considered partially green roofing it but then discarded that idea.
- Cannot give up: see above statement about “could give up”
Why did the design turn out as it is now?
We created our own draft and gave it to our architect along with a detailed briefing. Our architect then developed a draft based on this, which we already like very much.
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
How can it be improved and why? Also, your views on our open questions (summarized again below):
- Ideas for the north side (street side), canopy design, problem of lower garage height
- Necessity of air conditioning, multi-split vs central system, ceiling suspension depth for central system, costs?
- Are there air source heat pumps with cooling function for indoor installation at the required capacity (>14 kW)?
matte1987 schrieb:
I think a split-level design could be absolutely amazing with that budget....
I’m really into it and glad we built ours that way. It just creates a great sense of space. Your home theater box seats really impressed me, although the sauna is a close second. I’m still unsure if a split-level would truly be the best solution here; for that, the land’s elevation profile would need to be described in more detail.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Thank you very much for your comments. I’m really impressed by how many and how well-founded your contributions were in such a short time.
I’ll try to summarize the points raised and our thoughts on them:
Requirements for the Architect
House Placement on the Plot
Surrounding Buildings
“Block” with 360 sqm
South Elevation – Oversized, Flat, Too Tall
Living Room / Dining Room / Kitchen Not on the Same Level as the Garden
Split-Level as Architecturally Appealing Alternative
North Side: Problem with Lower Garage Height
Only One Bathroom in the Basement
Requirements for the Au-Pair Area
Shared Terrace for Children’s Room and Bedroom
Dining Room Size
Shoe Cabinet Blocking Doors
I’ll try to summarize the points raised and our thoughts on them:
Requirements for the Architect
- Not sure if we found the right balance here. Ultimately, the architect’s design differs quite a bit from our own ideas. So I don’t think we restricted the architect’s creativity. Of course, certain limitations arise from the building envelope, the location of the plot, and the desired rooms, but I think that is always the case.
House Placement on the Plot
- @ypg suggested making better use of the plot (longer driveway, etc.). Unfortunately, the building envelope doesn’t allow this. The building envelope starts 5 m (16 ft) from the street and has a depth of 15–16 m (50–52 ft) (we used 15 m (50 ft)).
Surrounding Buildings
- All with the same building envelope
- Plots are all similar in length and width to ours
- Modern houses with flat roofs as well as traditional pitched roofs
“Block” with 360 sqm
- We have nicknamed it our “little block”
- It’s true the architecture is simple, without many projections or recesses. But we don’t see that as a negative
- Do we need 360 sqm (3880 sq ft)? Of course not. However, with our room concept, it feels quite balanced, and I don’t think any room is oversized.
South Elevation – Oversized, Flat, Too Tall
- @ypg: The house has three stories facing south, so naturally it looks taller. The setback on the upper floor and the roof terrace help counter that effect, as you mentioned.
Living Room / Dining Room / Kitchen Not on the Same Level as the Garden
- This was a central topic in your suggestions, including the idea of moving these rooms to the basement. We considered this too but ultimately decided against it:
- “Daylight” would be limited because large windows would only be possible on the south side; excavations to get light from the west and east would not be practical given the plot’s elevation
- Building up a terrace on the ground floor with an additional staircase to the garden is also difficult (building permit / planning permission) and would partly block daylight to the basement’s south side
- Therefore, we chose a solution with a small covered terrace “for table and grill” on the ground floor in front of the living room and an outdoor staircase leading to the large terrace in the basement and the garden. The staircase was very important to us as a connection to the garden.
- @ypg: Thank you for your design. It’s impressive how you “just whipped it up.” However, excavation on the west side is not an option for us, as there is a neighboring plot just 3 m (10 ft) away that is over 2 m (6.5 ft) higher.
- @icandoit: From our point of view, a terrace facing west is not feasible because the plot is too narrow.
Split-Level as Architecturally Appealing Alternative
- That is certainly true, as the example from matte1987 shows. But for us, too many stairs up and down.
North Side: Problem with Lower Garage Height
- @icandoit: Thank you for your suggestion. We had already considered an additional support. Definitely a solution we will discuss with our architect.
Only One Bathroom in the Basement
- This topic came up repeatedly:
- No shower for the pool
- No separate bathroom for guests
- Fitness room without shower
- Our considerations:
- No bathrooms that are rarely used
- The pool has an outdoor shower; otherwise everyone can use “their bathroom”
- Fitness room without sauna (which we don’t want) doesn’t need its own shower; here too, everyone uses “their bathroom”
- When we have guests, they use the bathroom in the basement
- Since we could easily place a bathroom in the wine cellar (the wine cellar would move to the smaller cellar), we are reconsidering this.
Requirements for the Au-Pair Area
- For us, Au-Pair is a “temporary family member”
- We currently have an Au-Pair and don’t want to miss this arrangement
- From our perspective, an Au-Pair needs their own room and bathroom but not necessarily a separate apartment (our Au-Pair does not have one now)
- We will reevaluate the size of the Au-Pair room versus the guest room and consider shifting the wall in favor of the Au-Pair room
Shared Terrace for Children’s Room and Bedroom
- We don’t see any issues here: all windows have external roller shutters, so privacy is ensured
Dining Room Size
- The dining room is 5.63 m (18.5 ft) wide. There should be enough space for a dining table for eight people.
Shoe Cabinet Blocking Doors
- @11ant: Thanks for the hint, we will find another solution.
tomtom79 schrieb:
I thought it would be a huge space, but then I saw that only a table for six fits in the dining room.There is easily enough room for a table for eight.Clx2021 schrieb:
Thank you for your design. It’s impressive how you put it together so quickly. However, cutting into the ground on the west side is, as we said, not an option for us (it would mean being 3m (10 feet) from the neighbor’s property, which is more than 2m (6.5 feet) higher).What excavation? The basic software doesn’t allow anything else... basically to be carried out as your architect plans.Clx2021 schrieb:
That’s probably true, as shown by matte1987’s example. But for us, there is too much going up and down stairs.There are no more steps than you currently plan… just easier to walk because it’s shorter with landings.Clx2021 schrieb:
We don’t see any problem there:...For a moment I wondered what you wanted from the forum now, since (almost) everything is already fixed. Then I looked:
Clx2021 schrieb:
Where we are still unsure:
- Air conditioning: Do we need it?
Yes, definitely with your south-facing window exposure!Clx2021 schrieb:
What else can be improved and why?See the discussion! Unfortunately, you don’t engage with it.Clx2021 schrieb:
and I have already been able to clarify a few topics for myself.That’s not very productive for a forum if one only clarifies things “for oneself.” In hindsight, such comments annoy me more than the lack of follow-up questions or curiosity from me about what the floor plan of my design might look like. But I can live with that, since it’s not a friend’s or acquaintance’s house and I have my own appreciation for designing something pleasant within a limited building plot with restrictions.haydee schrieb:
The stairs are not an adequate connection to the garden. Only once and never again.Haydee is right: a house with insufficient indoor-outdoor connection, which makes living there enjoyable, is in many people’s eyes not worth building. It’s a shame for the plot, which seems quite nice but suffers from missing information (questions are still open).Similar topics