Stepped into the slope

Hello,

I have a sloped plot of land that I want to build on. We are currently looking for an architect or a draftsman. An architect suggested building in steps into the slope to have as little earth pressure as possible, which would be correspondingly cheaper (less reinforcement effort). However, a draftsman said that the reinforcement costs would be enormous for the stepped construction method. So, what is actually correct?
I have two roughly drawn pictures here that are supposed to represent the variants. The edge of the slope to be reinforced is marked in red, but it is certainly not to scale!
The slope of the hill is about 35-40°. The soil consists of sand, no rock.

Thank you very much for your answers.

My opinion: beautiful architect-designed houses are characterized by adapting to the terrain. Unfortunately, you don’t see that much anymore today - usually it’s the bourgeois standard taste anyway: gable roof or Tuscan villa, regardless of whether the plot fits or not. Then it just gets pressed into the slope together with the cellar, the house :(

What would be more expensive now, I don’t know. But what do your lines in the drawings tell you? My layman’s opinion tells me that the resulting sides, i.e. the "triangles" in your drawings, also need to be sealed, and they are less surface area in the first drawing. Or am I completely wrong with my thoughts?

What do you want? Did you buy the plot without thinking about the consequences? Do you want the usual standard or are you open to something individual?

How load-bearing is the sand or what you think is just sand up to a few meters deep?

What I mean to say: a soil expert should perform at least 2 soundings in the construction area. The results are helpful for the upcoming decision and later the structural engineer will need them anyway, regardless of the choice made. Consult your architect on exactly what should be determined by the soil expert.

How load-bearing is the sand or the material that you think is just sand down to several meters deep?

What I mean to say: a soil expert should perform at least 2 soundings within the building area. The results are helpful for the upcoming decision and later the structural engineer will need them anyway regardless of the choice made. Have your architect advise you on exactly what should be determined by the soil expert.

Thank you very much, that is at least a useful hint. A soil report on the property has not yet been created since we are still at the beginning of the planning phase. Actually, I wanted to have the soil report prepared by the executing construction company, but if it has to be done earlier, then it has to be that way.

Unfortunately, the answer does not help me much because I am just as much a layperson as you are. Even though I think about it, I cannot give myself a definitive answer. What I want and what I can afford are always two different things, and there will probably have to be a compromise! :) Oh yes, we did not buy the property, we are getting it as a gift!

An architect suggested building stepped into the slope to have as little earth pressure as possible, which would be correspondingly cheaper (less fastening effort). However, a draftsman said that the fastening costs would be enormous for the stepped construction method.

I think that together with an experienced planner (there is no other way when building on a slope) you should first commission a geotechnical report, which provides foundation recommendations for the different variants. With that, you can then estimate the foundation costs and decide on a variant.

WD

Hello,

I have a sloping plot that I want to build on. We are currently looking for an architect or a draftsman. An architect suggested building stepped into the slope to have as little soil pressure as possible, which would be correspondingly cheaper (less reinforcement effort). However, a draftsman said that the reinforcement costs would be enormous for the stepped construction method. So what is actually correct?
I have two roughly drawn pictures here that are supposed to illustrate the variants. The edge of the slope to be reinforced is marked in red, but it certainly isn’t to scale!
The slope angle is about 35-40°. The soil consists of sand, no rock.

Both are right, although you probably misunderstood the statement of the draftsman.

In my opinion, the architect assumes that the natural terrain should be incorporated into the architecture as much as possible; the draftsman sees the costs when foundations have to be laid on different levels. In your drawing example, for the stepped variant, the upper part of the house must be filled up and the lower part excavated; both plateaus must then be compacted. In the classic variant, to put it briefly, it is "only" excavated; but it offers more possibilities to gain living space.

Which form you choose primarily depends on your available capital or the amount of financing. In any case – especially since you are getting the plot from your family and therefore don’t initially have to say “pretty please” to anyone – you should commission a soil survey. It is true that many providers have already included this in their services and will probably commission their own survey after signing the contract. However, THIS is of little use to you at the current time because you, or the planner you trust, should know the soil conditions before enthusiastically starting to draw.

Rhineland regards