Have you ever heard of something like this... mixed construction methods?

Hello everyone
I have been a silent reader for some time now and I think this forum is simply great! For people like us, who have no idea about construction, this is worth its weight in gold!

I have a quick question:
We want to start building next year in February. It is supposed to be a single-family house. Three floors are planned, the ground floor will be the garages and basement, the 1st and 2nd floors will be the living spaces. (There are 3 garages and a basement room side by side and the rest of the house will go on top. I actually wanted to upload the view, but somehow it doesn’t work, sorry.)
The architect planned for the garages to be built stone by stone and the 1st and 2nd floors in timber frame construction.
Now the structural engineer said it is not allowed to be built that way! The plan is now that the garages and the 1st floor will be built stone by stone and the 2nd floor in timber frame construction.
I am really a bit confused now. Do you know about this? Is that common? Are there any advantages that I don’t see?
Our architect has to answer questions on Wednesday, but before that, I wanted to ask you for advice.
Note: It is being built in the 2nd row, so we have to build upwards and couldn’t go so much sideways.

Many thanks and best regards
Andreja

Hello first of all,

I have already heard of this type of construction and can also imagine it.

I had seen it before as well – however, it is not comparable to your situation. When we were still looking for an existing property, we once looked at a house from the 1950s. It was built of stone in the basement and first floor and of wood on the second floor. This was how all the houses on the street had originally been built. This house was not an option for us at the time – but this type of construction was only one of many reasons (overall condition, price, etc.)

It is only conditionally comparable now, since with the construction method suggested to you, the current regulations regarding thermal insulation, etc. must be complied with. BUT – even in the past, a mix of materials was already used.

btw. If someone has a prefabricated house (timber frame house) built on top of a basement, in my opinion they also have such a mix of materials (speaking as a "non-prefab house owner").

Hello,

yes, we also looked at this construction method with a provider (company Keilhofer - Zwiesel). There, this principle is offered under the name "hybrid construction" - ground floor stone and upper floor timber construction.

However, 's statement (concrete basement and timber frame house) is also correct - since you have a similar mix of materials there.

What I do not understand, however, is what problem the structural engineer has with this mix. Our house manufacturer now already builds up to 5-storey apartment buildings in timber frame construction - so with proper execution, it is unlikely to be a stability problem...

Best regards,

Dirk

Hello Dirk,

What exactly the structural engineer has a problem with this mix I don't understand.

Soil conditions ... earthquake zone ... it's quite possible that the structural engineer advises against the planned construction method.

Rhenish greetings

Hello Dirk,

I had understood that the structural engineer generally rejects this mix. ops:

Why should he? This is how construction is done every day

I am currently experiencing the opposite - planned is a solidly built two-story semi-detached house with a set-back floor and flat roof in M’gladbach. According to the structural engineer, due to earthquake proofing, we have to design the ceiling above the upper floor as a wooden beam ceiling.

Rhenish greetings

Uii... many thanks for the quick answers
you are right, it would basically have been a mix, but I was confused that one floor now has to be solid. The structural engineer says otherwise it will be "too light" ... I have to have everything explained to me on Wednesday, somehow it just seems strange to me... it was really new to me that it is done like that.
I will report on Wednesday what exactly the architect says... he only spoke briefly on the phone with my husband today.
Many kind regards
Andreja