setback floor, attic floor, gable roof, flat roof

A flat roof is more expensive to construct and maintain than a pitched roof.

Or put bluntly: A flat roof is only cheap if it’s not supposed to be watertight

and the stepping also costs more on the resulting living space than if you had simply continued the walls all the way up.

Stepping means that exterior walls stand on top where there are no exterior walls below. Loads where nothing is underneath require beams for support. Furthermore, stepping means that the floor slab below has an interior and an exterior part that must be thermally insulated from each other (which again is not possible without some structural complications).

Stepped floors are therefore always more expensive, and private homeowners building for their own use indulge in this only once and would regularly use it more sparingly or not at all the next time they build a house.

Therefore, it is no surprise that stepped floors are mostly found only where every fraction of floor area utilization counts.

The penthouse is expensive. A lot of thick exterior wall with plaster, more attic covering (tinsmith), additional stairs and the associated impact on the floor plans of the floors below. In return, the chance for a roof terrace if that is on the wish list. You also have to consider what the penthouse can actually be used for. It is exposed to wind and sun the most, and the walking distance from the living area on the ground floor to the penthouse is far. We once thought about it and considered using it as an office and storage room, but when I sit upstairs and the family is two floors below... running around, shouting across the house, small children and many stairs as well as the distancing from the others strongly argued against it. You pretty much withdraw from the activity in the house, that is our assumption. We are also building a flat roof and both in my perception and that of the architect it is not more expensive. The price per sqm of roof is certainly lower than if you actually built a gable roof and then a bay window with a small flat roof. The comparison is a bit flawed. The durability is said to be worse, that is the prejudice, but that is also based on past qualities. Anyone who still builds a flat roof from wood today is simply to blame.

We also build flat roofs and both in my perception and that of the architect, it is not more expensive. [...] Anyone who still builds a flat roof out of wood today has only themselves to blame.

In comparison of flat roof versus pitched roof, neither is generally good or bad or cheaper or more expensive. There are many factors. Incidentally, the leaktightness, for which many early flat roofs have a bad reputation, is no less common in concrete roofs than in wooden roofs.

One also has to consider what the mezzanine can actually be used for.

Where it is supposed to avoid a legal full storey, a part of the terrace is often built without permission, because otherwise too much space would accumulate.

3. Would you prefer a gable roof attic or a recessed floor with free choice?

It's not really possible to answer that in general. It depends on the roof pitch, house style, and knee wall height. Any change means a different look.

Personally, I have already had a two-story house, but with a flat gable roof. I quite like it, also cubic architecture, but I wouldn't want to live in it, nor stand next to a six-meter-high wall in the garden. For living atmosphere, also in the garden, I prefer a gable roof.

I want to explain the background: We are currently looking at a house in Bauhaus style. Great location. Everything basically fits. Except: The architect actually only builds Bauhaus style, meaning flat roof. Personally, I would even prefer the pitched roof, but might possibly go with Bauhaus style because otherwise everything fits. Or rather almost everything, because there is point two: We currently find some rooms planned too small... there are a few rooms between 9 and 13 m². That could be relieved with an additional recessed floor. And I’m totally into roof terraces anyway. Well, you can’t have everything, I would also like a stove and a conservatory. But somewhere the budget has limits, especially if you don’t want to move completely to the countryside.

I am now trying to collect some ideas whether maybe we should persuade the architect to go for a pitched roof, even though he has no experience with it, or better take what he offers before it’s gone. And secondly, whether an additional recessed floor would still be possible. If in the end none of that fits, we will have to keep looking anyway.

I want to explain the background:

However, not really understandable.

Great location. Basically everything fits. Except: The architect usually only builds Bauhaus style, [...] there is also point two: We currently find some rooms planned to be too small... there are a few rooms between 9 and 13 m². This could be relieved with an additional mansard floor. [...] or better take what he offers before it’s gone.

Sounds like this is about a specific house offer, and the architect is also the developer?
Rooms between 9 and 13 sqm are fixed, but you consider adding a mansard floor on top negotiable?