Floor plan / planning of a single-family house with a granny flat on the upper floor

  • Erstellt am 2020-08-26 21:38:59

11ant

2020-09-16 22:09:07
  • #1

That's not so good. A single-pitched shed roof could then be rejected with the argument of insufficient integration: the roof shape does not have to be repeated in the surroundings, so it would not be rejected; but what it must accept to be influenced by are the heights and the slope(s). I prefer to call a "staggered shed roof" a "broken gable roof" for good reason, because of its quasi-split double ridge. Apart from the truss construction, a classic gable roof is more advantageous in that case. By the way, I still miss how it should continue above the newest ground floor (?)
 

Oimelwutz

2020-09-16 22:55:59
  • #2
Okay thank you. Then we probably won't be able to answer the roof question that easily. I am completely open about the roof and would choose the cheapest option. Because we haven't decided yet on the ceiling height and the roof and couldn't estimate the impact on the budget, we haven't drawn the upper floor yet. Primarily, we are trying to get a functional floor plan on the ground floor and then plan the upper floor. My father is really very frugal and supports all our considerations. He could also live with many sloping ceilings and basically has no demands. Also, depending on the considerations, the space requirements for the upper floor sometimes change (guest room/HT upstairs for example). But to be honest: I assumed the worst and expected that you would bring me back down to earth and that I would discard the current floor plan again. We will sit down tomorrow and work the comments from here into the ground floor and plan the attic as a full floor. With just a few posts from you, many ideas come up. That is really great.
 

Climbee

2020-09-17 10:47:54
  • #3
Oimelwutz, my husband’s aunt has MS and has had it for quite a long time. For her, it progresses very mildly, but by now (she is approaching 80) unfortunately the wheelchair is a fixed part of her life. From experience, I would definitely advocate for an open living area with a kitchen, especially under such circumstances. You don’t change rooms so quickly when walking is difficult.

By the way, it takes a very long time with MS until you can no longer stand; standing usually still works even when walking is already difficult.

That means for the kitchen and bathroom: you probably do not need to include sinks or work surfaces designed for a wheelchair user in your planning yet. Rather, something like a chair where your wife can relieve herself if she works in the kitchen for a longer time.

A guest room upstairs is a great idea at first thought. However, our aunt, as she became increasingly immobile, got a physiotherapist who visited her at home. That was a huge relief for everyone. Additionally, she has had a home trainer and a few other devices for years that she uses very consistently. That is something you should consider. Such a small "therapy room" is really priceless! And you could, for example, use a guest room that is only used sporadically for that. Consistent exercise and training are an important part of therapy for MS. I would not overlook that and just dismiss it with a "there are no therapies planned at home."

You have now drawn in your current furniture and your couch is not very large. I would also plan a bit more space for the future. If your wife becomes increasingly restricted, that may also have an impact on a sofa she can use well, or a suitable seating furniture will then be purchased to support her. So I would leave enough space for such eventualities.

And one tip off the house planning topic: please google Sven Böttcher. A writer/screenwriter who himself is severely affected by MS and has gone his very own way. Some things he says I find outrageous, but many are very thought-provoking, and considering that he had a very severe progression, was almost immobile in a wheelchair and considered untreatable, and now lives almost pain-free at home, has not used a wheelchair for years but rides a bike instead, I would like to recommend you possibly get inspiration from him.
He attributes the outbreak of MS in his case to living in a house that was treated with some wood preservative that is now considered highly problematic. His consequence was to sell the house and build a new one for himself and his family, very strictly according to ecological aspects. Reading him, you can easily understand that. Maybe a point for you to think about when you are building now.
 

Oimelwutz

2020-09-17 12:05:33
  • #4
Thank you for your detailed post.

First of all, I want to say that the disease is not called "the disease of a thousand faces" without reason. The many different forms and courses unfortunately make a blanket comparison to other patients impossible. (don’t get me wrong, unfortunately I’ve become a bit sensitive to such comparisons by now )
Nevertheless, you are right about what you say.
An area on the upper floor that can be used both for guests and for sports equipment or therapy visits sounds very reasonable to me and has also been a topic for us again and again in the past. However, we have not yet included this in our previous considerations. Thanks for the hint and the reminder!
If we implement it this way, a small bathroom should definitely be added, in which at least a toilet and a sink suitable for a wheelchair user are available, I think. In addition, we would also have to consider a stairlift right away.

Regarding kitchen and bathroom:
That is also our consideration. Whether to install an adjustable sink directly in the bathroom or possibly do it later, I don’t yet know. I can’t estimate the costs either. Maybe someday I can send a private message to Anitra and have her show me her sink. Structurally we want to prepare these things accordingly.
The kitchen has meanwhile become open, or do you mean it should be even more open?
Currently I had planned only the left leg of the kitchen unit as a worktop. We would then exactly want to place a chair there. Which should serve as an alternative for a quick snack or for chopping.
The kitchen is “unfortunately” only 2 years old. We would currently expand it slightly, but not completely redesign it to be wheelchair-accessible. As you already say, we hope and assume that she can still work standing for a long time.

And another vote for a bigger living room. Hmm..
 

Climbee

2020-09-17 12:11:57
  • #5
I know, the thousand faces – you’re not even sure if MS is really just ONE disease or rather a bundle. Still, I recommend googling the man. It’s not about blindly imitating him and adopting 100% of what was right for him. But the approach to his considerations, when he back then said goodbye to conventional medicine, which had pumped him full of cortisone, and found his own way, that can provide inspiration. As I said, I don’t agree with everything he says and some things I simply find stupid, but much is thought-provoking. Especially regarding nutrition, dealing with oneself and the illness, gaining a different awareness.

I myself struggle with some autoimmune diseases – MS was also once a possibility. That’s why I came across that guy and got quite a bit to think about and also put into practice.
 

Oimelwutz

2020-09-17 13:14:13
  • #6
Oh sorry, I didn’t respond to that at all. I passed the name directly to my wife and asked her to do some research.
 

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