Terrace design, size and shape

Hello dear house building forum,

our construction phase is slowly coming to an end and the next step on the agenda is the expansion of the terrace. Due to a lack of experience with what works well and what doesn’t, we wanted to rely on the collective intelligence of this forum to gather some suggestions for the terrace planning. Our primary concerns are the shape and size of the terrace. Furthermore, it would be interesting to know how raised beds or [Hochbeete] could possibly be placed to enhance the terrace and make it cozier.

The key data about the house and a current floor plan are already available in another thread here in the forum:



On the terrace, there should be a table with 6 seats, a grill, and a parasol. A lounger would also be nice ;) Additionally, it is planned to cover part of the terrace in the future. Although this is still some time away, maybe this circumstance can or should already be taken into account during the planning stage?

I have attached a first sketch of a possible terrace shape here. Initially, we planned the terrace width to correspond to the house width (9m).

The terrace will probably be slightly higher than the surrounding terrain and will then be accessed via one step. The exit from the house should then be level with the ground.
Enclosed is also a photo of the house from the west side, where the terrace is planned. This provides a better impression of the conditions on site. The small path visible at the bottom edge of the photo also represents the property boundary.



Feel free to take a look and let your creativity run wild. If any information is missing, please let me know. Otherwise, we look forward to any and all tips or suggestions regarding the terrace design in terms of shape and size.

Many thanks in advance and best regards!

Then please take the site plan/sketch of the property again and draw the house with the windows/doors and rooms on it. Don’t forget the orientation. And please dimension not only the 9 meters, but also the property, as well as neighboring buildings, street, driveway, and carport.

Then please take the site plan/sketch of the property again and draw the house there with the windows/doors and rooms. Don’t forget the orientation. And please don’t only dimension the 9 meters, but also the property, as well as neighboring buildings, street, driveway, and carport.

Hello , many thanks for the feedback and the response. Yes, that was perhaps a little info. You’re absolutely right. I have created two views again. One shows both the location and orientation as well as the distances to the neighboring properties. In the next view, I have combined the previously shown rough draft of the terrace with the ground plan of the ground floor. I hope this makes the conditions on site a bit clearer. If anything is still missing, please feel free to let me know. Best regards!

I would first think about sun protection. On the west side, you have full sun starting from early afternoon. A parasol won’t be enough there.

In summer, it quickly becomes uncomfortably hot. Here, the wind is also becoming more of an issue. I took down my awning because it was always retracted by the wind sensor. So the wind load at least here in my region is increasing.

I am now building a roof with sliding walls and air conditioning. I wouldn’t include the bend. 4 m depth is sufficient; in width, I would go for 6 to 7 m. I am also currently enlarging my terrace. It was 5.50 m x 3.00 m. Unfortunately, that is too small. I am now going to 7 x 3.50 m.

In short: For example, I would place the raised bed (vegetables) against the neighbor's garage wall. The wall provides protection. Possibly clad it and make it look nice. And I would create the first terrace with access to the main terrace from the kitchen. At least a seating area should be created there, which is then enclosed with a hedge to the property boundary. Plan the grill rather on the right side of the house (floor plan photo).