Hello,
I have had preliminary discussions with several architects. They all asked me about the basic framework conditions (location, building regulations, neighborhood) and my personal preferences. The next step is for me to provide a wish list, in exchange for which I will receive proposals for the architectural services. I am currently compiling this wish list and would appreciate your feedback. In particular, I am interested in:
Wish List for the Architect
Framework Conditions
Priority 1
Priority 2
Priority 3
Open Questions
I have had preliminary discussions with several architects. They all asked me about the basic framework conditions (location, building regulations, neighborhood) and my personal preferences. The next step is for me to provide a wish list, in exchange for which I will receive proposals for the architectural services. I am currently compiling this wish list and would appreciate your feedback. In particular, I am interested in:
- Are there wishes included that lead to a significant cost increase without much added value?
- Are there important aspects missing that I should still add to my list?
Wish List for the Architect
Framework Conditions
- Two-story two-family house without basement and without internal staircase
- Exterior dimensions (W x D) approx. 19.2 x 9 m (63 x 30 feet), depth not yet fixed (7 – 11 m (23 – 36 feet)); 15° pitched roof
- Gable sides without windows (due to adjacent buildings)
- Budget: total €300,000 – 350,000 (without land, additional costs, or finishes)
- Buildings should visually blend in with the existing courtyard ensemble (four-sided farmyard, mainly brick, partly half-timbered)
Priority 1
- Each apartment: one bedroom, two studies/offices, a bathroom with shower and WC, a guest WC with shower (plus open kitchen, living area, dining area, etc.)
- Barrier-free living for 2 people
- Suitable for rollator; single-level living; minimal thresholds (entrance area)
- External staircase with the option to install an elevator later; external corridor/walkway
- Walk-in showers without enclosures at the entrance (similar to swimming pools)
- Light switches, door handles, and electrical outlets at 85 cm (33 inches) height
- Very bright rooms (hence: tall windows; ground floor ceiling height at least 320 cm (10.5 feet), upper floor at least 290 cm (9.5 feet); preferably higher if it brings more daylight)
- Main entrance on the courtyard side (northeast), living room facing the garden (southwest)
- Ground floor living room with garden access
- Excellent thermal and sound insulation; triple-glazed sash windows
- Windows and exterior doors with opening sensors and RC2 (burglary resistance class)
- Bathroom: forced ventilation
- Separate fresh water and greywater systems; rainwater cistern
- Photovoltaic system (southwest orientation)
Priority 2
- Door widths: 90 cm (35 inches), front door 100 cm (39 inches)
- Bathroom door opens from outside (emergency lock)
- In the bathroom:
- Thermostatic faucets
- Raised toilet seat (48 cm / 19 inches)
- Air-to-water heat pump (reversible for summer cooling?)
- Underfloor heating (also for cooling?)
- Wood plank flooring (or parquet?)
- Electrical system:
- At least two circuit breakers per room (for outlets and lighting)
- All cables installed in conduit
- Conduits to all windows (for later installation of opening sensors)
- CAT7 cabling from the technical room to every room
Priority 3
- Apartment can be divided into two smaller units with reasonable effort (not required for all apartments)
- Windows positioned relatively far outward to create interior "window seats"
Open Questions
- Central or decentralized ventilation system (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery)? Possibly only decentralized in WC, bathroom, kitchen, laundry room
- Bidet?
- Possibly suspended ceiling (10 cm (4 inches) to install lighting, cables), adjust room heights accordingly
- Simple wall construction (for recycling/disposal), no external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS / EIFS)
- KfW55 or better? KfW40, KfW40Plus?
- Electric exterior roller shutters? Is it possible to integrate them into a suspended ceiling so that no window height (= daylight) is lost?
karl.jonas schrieb:
Ok. What does that mean? I quoted @k-man2021: he had exactly the approaches written on how to proceed well.
karl.jonas schrieb:
There is no development plan / zoning plan. However, I wouldn’t leave it up to the architect to decide alone, because it should be professionally checked and designed. The architect can definitely work better with the requirements than a layperson.
karl.jonas schrieb:
We’ll see. A development plan that imposes many rules makes many things easier. But it also limits the possibilities. Many believe that building a house under section 34 is much more difficult.
How did you all go about getting your quotes?
I usually went directly to a company, explained what I wanted, and got a price. That was it. Of course, I always compared offers, but it was really straightforward for me. Call, meet, sign, execute. Things like interior plaster are typically negotiated as a fixed price per square meter (per square yard), so that simplifies everything. I also personally knew about 95% of the companies for years. Hiring local people definitely paid off for me. For example, I needed 12 window sashes completely replaced because they made a mistake. That was handled without any issues. Nobody wants bad word of mouth.
It got more difficult with the subcontractors or day laborers, who were often paid at the end of the day...
I usually went directly to a company, explained what I wanted, and got a price. That was it. Of course, I always compared offers, but it was really straightforward for me. Call, meet, sign, execute. Things like interior plaster are typically negotiated as a fixed price per square meter (per square yard), so that simplifies everything. I also personally knew about 95% of the companies for years. Hiring local people definitely paid off for me. For example, I needed 12 window sashes completely replaced because they made a mistake. That was handled without any issues. Nobody wants bad word of mouth.
It got more difficult with the subcontractors or day laborers, who were often paid at the end of the day...
hampshire schrieb:
A tender should never be created by an amateur.What amateurs come up with usually doesn’t even deserve such a professional "title." The typical amateur handles price inquiries for complete houses in the same way as if it were just painting a single room. hampshire schrieb:
I think it’s important to mention another aspect: awarding contracts individually does not mean a bidding process. [...] We defined the services together with the subcontractors based on the target requirements.You probably drew not least from professional and life experience, including specific skills in negotiating with the goal of keeping all parties satisfied. The much more typical homeowner and forum reader is around thirty-five years old, only partially trained or educated for a leadership role, and above all: a first-time expectant homeowner. They are playing with a very different "handicap," as golfers would say.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
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