Are building plans with a 1m knee wall still up-to-date?

Hello everyone.

Plots are getting smaller and building is getting more expensive. So why are development plans for new residential areas still imposed that require something like a 1m high knee wall, and that with only one possible full floor. I understand that you want to create a uniform appearance somehow, but why restrict the builders so much with a 1m knee wall? The definition of a full floor would already show the limits. But please not at one meter... The often still permitted ridge height of 9-10m would give you the opportunity to simplify the planning significantly. But no... you are often forced to create sufficiently bright and walkable space on the upper floor with roof windows, dormers and the like. Sometimes you have no choice but to enlarge the ground floor area to create this space on the upper floor. All this only makes building unnecessarily more expensive. I have always had an aversion to sloping ceilings, but honestly, you can't sugarcoat such a small knee wall... What do you think?

I feel the same way. It’s the same for us, but there are exceptions now, meaning a higher knee wall, but no concrete ceiling (which I would prefer, as I also imagine that with a concrete ceiling the soundproofing would be better and you wouldn’t just have "only" roof tiles, boarding or these wood fiber boards, insulation, drywall). For us, it’s even the case that east and west of the development area there are streets that allow a second full floor. It was planned at the same time.

The fact that you cannot afford a larger plot of land must not lead to you overshadowing the neighbor’s property with your high-rise building. I consider this attitude, deriving a kind of right to the maximum possible floor area in the upper floor from having little money for plot area, to be wrong. But I also consider knee wall restrictions to be nonsense: how far below the eaves the floor slab lies does not matter from the outside and therefore makes no sense to regulate separately. Apart from that, the eaves height is also a dividing line between facade and roof windows, and you can actually do a great disservice to yourself with high knee walls. Sensible knee walls are in a height window between about (clear) 1.0 and 1.2 m above the finished upper floor level of the attic.

That you cannot afford a larger plot must not lead to you shading the neighbor’s property with your high-rise building. I consider this attitude, deriving a kind of right to the maximum possible floor space in the upper floors from limited money for land area, to be wrong.

Well, I think that the political directive to reduce land consumption and for municipalities to only designate small plots also requires some flexibility here. Even with double the money, we would not have had the opportunity to purchase a larger building plot. For my part, I am very grateful that our municipality reacted here and allowed 2 full floors with up to 3 residential units. Many greetings! mini

Small plots - houses close together Height of buildings - shading of the mini-gardens and ground floor Although I wouldn't necessarily call 2 full floors a high-rise. It depends on the overall height.

I find it completely OK that there are rules that do not suddenly allow taller buildings in an existing development just because land prices are rising. After all, everyone in a settlement should feel comfortable, and that includes things like shadows and, especially in densely built settlements, a few formal criteria. The eye lives along.

Larger plots and more building freedom are available at the same price further out in the countryside—so there are alternatives. But there is no right to "everything at once."

You can talk to building authorities in advance and get approvals for deviating construction if it fits into the settlement. We were allowed to build 2 meters wider than the intended maximum width and exceed the building envelope by one meter to the rear, as well as place the carport completely outside the building envelope. The arrangement is not disturbing to any neighbor; we had checked that in advance as well. The special permit cost a little extra, and everyone is satisfied.