New single-family house + granny flat 180m² on a slope

Hello everyone, after having gathered ideas and suggestions from the forum for some time now, we would like to present our first draft for discussion. We hope to have already considered some of the things we have read here! It is not about exact dimensions, but about room layout, arrangement, and other comments. The goal is to have a draft for which we can then do the window planning and subsequently approach general contractors, so we don’t have to start completely from scratch or have a plan that reflects our requirements and daily routines. We have deliberately not done the window arrangements yet before the room layout is finalized. It is clear that we want a lot of light in the dining area/south because there is a slope to the west that “shades” the house. Our living center is currently the kitchen/dining area, which is why it is appropriately sized, oriented, and centrally located. Regarding the questionnaire:

Development plan/restrictions Plot size: 450 sqm Slope: yes, 4 m decline over 24 m rising from east to west Floor area ratio 0.4 Floor space index - Building window, building line, and boundary: see site plan Edge development: see site plan Number of parking spaces: 2 Number of floors: 1.5 Roof shape: gable roof Style: single-family house including granny flat, timber frame construction Orientation: no restriction Maximum heights/limits: max building height = 7.2 m

Requirements of the builders Basement, floors: granny flat (granny flat) in the basement + entrance and utility room Number of people, age: 4 persons (2 adults, 2 children) plus granny flat Space requirement on ground and upper floors: 160-180 sqm, granny flat >60 sqm Office: also usable as guest room, 3 days/week home office Overnight guests per year: 10 Open or closed architecture: open Conservative or modern construction: modern Open kitchen, cooking island: both Number of seats at dining table: min. 8 Terrace + garden Garage: for 1 car plus extended parking space (bicycles etc.)

House design Who designed the plan: Do-it-Yourself. We want to use the slope to implement a granny flat + garden with separate entrances. Garden for the house is on the ground floor. What is particularly liked? Why? Open kitchen with integrated pantry, large dining area, straight staircase as room divider (with the consequence of increased traffic areas), southeast orientation of kitchen and dining area with large window front (sun at breakfast ) What is disliked? Why? Location of utility room – distance to bathroom too large Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: house without land (including incidental building costs) 600,000 euros Favored heating technology: air heat pump plus photovoltaics, underfloor heating

If you have to do without, which details/extensions -can you do without: extended dining area by the cube, -cannot do without: open kitchen with pantry, utility room on ground or upper floor, granny flat with min. 60 sqm, separate entrances, outdoor access to ground floor/garden

Why has the design become the way it is now? For example Combination of floor plans from contractors, our experiences from rental apartments, and what is important to us. Which wishes were implemented by the architect? A mixture of many examples from various magazines... What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes? Good: covers our requirements, large dining area with southeast orientation, Bad: lots of circulation space, entrance area very dark

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters? Have we included any no-gos or overlooked something that is not well thought out?

Many thanks & best regards

No matter what comes, no matter what is: I wouldn’t want an entrance in the basement next to the [Einliegerwohnung-Terrasse] that leads into such a dark hallway, even if it was given to me for free.

As already mentioned, this dark entrance, where you can see nothing without artificial lighting, is not nice at all. However, the floor plan also needs improvement in other ways. When you go upstairs, you are always standing in front of a bathroom or the toilet, where the door might also be open. Especially on the ground floor, you have the toilet and the utility room right in front of you, and the toilet is practically in an open space. I would completely redesign it.

Best regards
Sabine

A house on a slope can turn out to be something really great. Do yourselves a favor and find a capable architect.

As a layman, you always have many "great" ideas, which unfortunately can often take on catastrophic proportions if you find a willing general contractor who starts building without asking many questions.

Please draw the 2m line in the attic. In the children's bathroom, that could become very interesting.

Please draw the 2m line in the attic. It could be very exciting in the children's bathroom.

Good point. Without a dormer, the children's bathroom won't work :/

As already mentioned, this dark entrance, where you can't see anything without artificial lighting, is not nice at all.

Yes, absolutely. Any idea how to resolve that? The problem is almost always there with hillside locations with an entrance in the basement, right?

….When you go up the stairs, you stand either in front of a bathroom or a toilet, where maybe the door is still open. Especially on the ground floor, you have the toilet and utility room right in front of you, plus the toilet is practically in an open space. I would plan that completely anew.

You're right! A view into the garden would be nicer... Has anyone had a similar situation but solved it? We will consider a complete redesign, ideally together with an architect. We are not yet fixed on our plan. However, it had some advantages for us (separate entrances, access to the garden without going through the house, the straight staircase inside the house, basement room, ...) which we will now weigh against the mentioned concerns.

My parents and parents-in-law have the main entrance upstairs with an outside staircase

Acquaintance has the staircase between garage and hillside. Large windows on the living level and wardrobe upstairs. That works surprisingly well.