Gudeen.
2021-05-01 15:13:40
- #1
Hello,
We have been planning for a long time an extension/conversion of my parents' single-family house into a two-family house, with a single-story residential unit for my parents and a residential unit on the ground and upper floors for my family with 2 children. Because there are various restrictions regarding the development plan and distance rules, the floor plan is unfortunately not as simple as we would do with free planning. But there are practically no available building plots here, so a new building is out of the question. We have now created a draft together with an architect, which does not comply with all details of the development plan, but has already been discussed with the building authority in terms of approval feasibility. Since it was quite complicated to create a suitable design and much had to be changed since our first ideas, I wanted to put the result here for discussion.
The entire roof will be renewed and the ridge shifted so that the building becomes higher and offers more space. The part that was built in the garden should actually get a shed roof, but after consultation with the building authority, the gable roof must at least be indicated. At the same time, the house is to be renovated to KFW-85 standard and the gas heating replaced by a geothermal heat pump. The existing building is a timber frame construction with solid masonry exterior walls (built in ’89). In the center there is currently a 2x2m spiral staircase that will then be closed off. The extension is to be built as a timber frame structure, if the current wood prices don’t ruin our plans. We are not yet sure about the heating type on the upper floor. The new rooms should get underfloor heating, but I’m unsure whether the statics of the existing rooms on the upper floor would allow that (the draft has not yet been reviewed by a structural engineer). Alternatively, we could imagine heating the wall running across the entire upper floor with wall surface heating.
To get enough daylight into the kitchen in the extension, we plan to keep the air space above the kitchen open and install a roof window. The bathroom on the upper floor and possibly the bedroom should also receive a double casement window. I think the statics of the parents’ bedroom above the kitchen will still be a problem (since there are hardly any load-bearing walls below), although the architect has not mentioned this so far. How could this possibly be solved best without closing the mentioned air space in the kitchen?
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: approx. 750m²
Slope: No
Site coverage index: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building window, building line and boundary: 5m to the street (excluding carport), 3m to neighboring properties
Max. wall height at boundary construction: 3m
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1.5
Roof type: gable roof
Orientation: NE-SW
Further requirements: On the NW side is the driveway to the rear plot. There are already building encumbrances by the neighbor, so that the driveway can only be partially used as a distance area.
Client requirements
Style, roof shape, building type:
No basement, ground and upper floor, attic not converted to living space
Number of persons, age: 1st residential unit: 2 persons >60 years, 2nd residential unit: 2 adults (35 years) and 2 children (6/8 years)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
Ground floor: 1 complete age-appropriate residential unit with guest room. Living room, kitchen and garden access/terrace for the 2nd residential unit
Upper floor: 2 children's rooms, bedroom, bathroom and utility room
Office: a workplace in a quiet room (semi-separated part of the bedroom) that is only partially used as home office.
Guests per year: rare, therefore not very important for planning, but the guest room in the single-story unit must be present.
Further wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons why this or that should or should not be:
Highlight of the existing building is the large conservatory, making the house bright and open. This should be maintained and the new rooms should also have large windows towards the garden.
Value is also placed on the open wooden beam ceiling, which makes the rooms appear a bit taller.
The garden should not be strictly separated (no fence) but should still offer some privacy.
House design
Who created the design: architect, but also contains some changes from us.
What do you particularly like? Why? Optimal use of space within the framework of distance rules, without building over too much of the garden, large windows/sliding doors.
What do you not like? Why? Some rooms are very small (e.g. technical room), which cannot be changed due to the existing building. The living room in the new residential unit could feel small/uncomfortable.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 450,000
Preferred heating technology: geothermal heat pump
If you have to do without, which details/extensions
- can you do without: double casement windows in the bedroom
- can you not do without: sufficient daylight in the kitchens, large windows in living rooms, open wooden beam ceiling on the ground floor
Why did the design turn out as it is now? e.g.
Our and the planner’s attempt to implement all wishes without violating distance rules and requirements from the development plan.
The two residential units should be clearly separated, but the character of the house should be preserved and not look like a box appended to it.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
What have we overlooked? We had to make many compromises in planning and would therefore like to know if we are saving too much somewhere and would regret it later, or if we could possibly get more out of the available space.
We have been planning for a long time an extension/conversion of my parents' single-family house into a two-family house, with a single-story residential unit for my parents and a residential unit on the ground and upper floors for my family with 2 children. Because there are various restrictions regarding the development plan and distance rules, the floor plan is unfortunately not as simple as we would do with free planning. But there are practically no available building plots here, so a new building is out of the question. We have now created a draft together with an architect, which does not comply with all details of the development plan, but has already been discussed with the building authority in terms of approval feasibility. Since it was quite complicated to create a suitable design and much had to be changed since our first ideas, I wanted to put the result here for discussion.
The entire roof will be renewed and the ridge shifted so that the building becomes higher and offers more space. The part that was built in the garden should actually get a shed roof, but after consultation with the building authority, the gable roof must at least be indicated. At the same time, the house is to be renovated to KFW-85 standard and the gas heating replaced by a geothermal heat pump. The existing building is a timber frame construction with solid masonry exterior walls (built in ’89). In the center there is currently a 2x2m spiral staircase that will then be closed off. The extension is to be built as a timber frame structure, if the current wood prices don’t ruin our plans. We are not yet sure about the heating type on the upper floor. The new rooms should get underfloor heating, but I’m unsure whether the statics of the existing rooms on the upper floor would allow that (the draft has not yet been reviewed by a structural engineer). Alternatively, we could imagine heating the wall running across the entire upper floor with wall surface heating.
To get enough daylight into the kitchen in the extension, we plan to keep the air space above the kitchen open and install a roof window. The bathroom on the upper floor and possibly the bedroom should also receive a double casement window. I think the statics of the parents’ bedroom above the kitchen will still be a problem (since there are hardly any load-bearing walls below), although the architect has not mentioned this so far. How could this possibly be solved best without closing the mentioned air space in the kitchen?
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: approx. 750m²
Slope: No
Site coverage index: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building window, building line and boundary: 5m to the street (excluding carport), 3m to neighboring properties
Max. wall height at boundary construction: 3m
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1.5
Roof type: gable roof
Orientation: NE-SW
Further requirements: On the NW side is the driveway to the rear plot. There are already building encumbrances by the neighbor, so that the driveway can only be partially used as a distance area.
Client requirements
Style, roof shape, building type:
No basement, ground and upper floor, attic not converted to living space
Number of persons, age: 1st residential unit: 2 persons >60 years, 2nd residential unit: 2 adults (35 years) and 2 children (6/8 years)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
Ground floor: 1 complete age-appropriate residential unit with guest room. Living room, kitchen and garden access/terrace for the 2nd residential unit
Upper floor: 2 children's rooms, bedroom, bathroom and utility room
Office: a workplace in a quiet room (semi-separated part of the bedroom) that is only partially used as home office.
Guests per year: rare, therefore not very important for planning, but the guest room in the single-story unit must be present.
Further wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons why this or that should or should not be:
Highlight of the existing building is the large conservatory, making the house bright and open. This should be maintained and the new rooms should also have large windows towards the garden.
Value is also placed on the open wooden beam ceiling, which makes the rooms appear a bit taller.
The garden should not be strictly separated (no fence) but should still offer some privacy.
House design
Who created the design: architect, but also contains some changes from us.
What do you particularly like? Why? Optimal use of space within the framework of distance rules, without building over too much of the garden, large windows/sliding doors.
What do you not like? Why? Some rooms are very small (e.g. technical room), which cannot be changed due to the existing building. The living room in the new residential unit could feel small/uncomfortable.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 450,000
Preferred heating technology: geothermal heat pump
If you have to do without, which details/extensions
- can you do without: double casement windows in the bedroom
- can you not do without: sufficient daylight in the kitchens, large windows in living rooms, open wooden beam ceiling on the ground floor
Why did the design turn out as it is now? e.g.
Our and the planner’s attempt to implement all wishes without violating distance rules and requirements from the development plan.
The two residential units should be clearly separated, but the character of the house should be preserved and not look like a box appended to it.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
What have we overlooked? We had to make many compromises in planning and would therefore like to know if we are saving too much somewhere and would regret it later, or if we could possibly get more out of the available space.