New House Design Review please :)

Just to throw up a quick 3D overview, the Glass conservatory roof does not look as ascetically pleasing just yet , but then none of the finishes have being put on yet.

rampantbunny: I'll come back to your previous directions soon, I have all the internal layout created, I just need to add a few symbols (and fix the damn stairs ) to make it more realistic looking and get a sense of space of proportion
Like most people looking at the picture below won't realize that the south facing Glass sliding door is 4Metres wide!!!
The West side directly faces the Road and looks in on the Open plan that's why I want that window a little higher and wider then normal, Like one of those gunports they stick in contemporary buildings.
I'm aware of the interference problem, with the window over the garage, it's over the stairwell




Going to a Self Build course on Saturday -snip-

so I expect to be better able to talk building turkey when I come back......Hopefully ;p

Hi, can you drop in a curved stairwell without too much hassle? I know hollowcore and solid slab all come in rectangular sections, so the sister just has a straight stairs going up into a rectangular cutout in her seconds floor, that's supported with steel.

But I was thinking , maybe with the poured floors in ICF, you could make a Circular section like this? or is this definitely going to need a Curved piece of steel under the lip? (shipyard from England - I don't think they make curved RSJ's in Ireland)

Thanks

bemak: It's like you've known me all my life "You're jumping into the detail side of things way too early"..DOn't know how many times I've heard that.

I'm not against Architects, I'd love to have one onboard but it's really down to cost (more expensive then ever to build now)..and My sister would have a lot more funds than me..For an architect to take anything to planning the RAI people recommend 45% fee, which is about 14K from most of the architects I was talking to.
Another difference between us, is my sister is waay more concerned what people would think about her house looks
Myself and the wife are much more concerned with the living space and honestly don't give much of a rats what people think of the exterior.

My sister broke 90K before breaking ground (was a bit excessive, changed architect 3 times, poured 12K right there down the drain on the first two attempts, completely her fault, very fussy) :eek: won't be happening to me I can tell you.

THanks for your advise though, I appriciate it, you reminded me of a youtube Video I was watching about designing with bubbles months ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmHoGicPQQQ

THe site Survey was done on the entire site (Myself and my sisters plot at the time) DO you think that would cut the mustard? or do you still think I would need to get one?
Holes were dug on my side and I have all the levels...basically flat.

I am enjoying the project as I do more research, and wallowing around in the ignorance of never having gone through a Self-build is just delightful, sure what could go wrong?

I hadn't touched CAD in 12 years, so it was a bit of fun knocking the designs up...

and my secret weapon is that I know everyone VERY WELL on this road (all architect designed houses) and I have talked to them all, about the pro's and cons of their houes, from second floor exposure to not enough of the house surface area facing south.
Sure look at the tall, skinny, elongated red roofed house at the north end of the road, sticking it's skinny arse at the south sun!! That was another (designed 25 years ago) now high flying architect from Dublin City, and don't get me started with the tight spaces in that house, I know it's impossible to make a perfect design.....but most people on the lane talk about light, so we're going to open the south side with glass.

But We've been in a few houes with open plans and really really love, them....so when you say to me that I haven't though it through at the basic level, I'm really scratching my head, as to what I missed...because I strecthed the living space as long as I could along the sun path, someone mentioned taking it up to the planning permission line max, which is a good idea, but at 200M2, it's already big enough.

With regards to the stairs, It wasn't until I was standing in the hall, that I released, the landing had to be curved to lovely northern light in the hall area...originally it was a square landing.

Forgive the Lisscannor stone facade on the model below, I still haven't worked out how to make the material properly :rolleyes:

Ah yeah, I've been real busy (xmas busiest time of year) lately...(Haven't had a chance to update these plans)..I plan on moving that door alright, the misses is giving out about losing room in the futility though....

THe Garage will never have a Car in it, except for repair...It's more of a hobby shop for myself..

But good point, about the shopping shopping, we'll have to drag it a little further then normal..but it's a sacrifice I can take, as we've played musical chairs with the rooms for long enough ;p

BryanF: I had to re-read my previous post again, 'lack of tack' is another thing I get regularly accused of :DI'm guessing you're an architect, and I apologise to you and other architects out there because, it wasn't fair what i said, I was ranting. again, you shouldn't be offended, I've only being researching the house building since just before the Self-Build expo in Citywest, so whatever I say on architecture carries little weight. and I know I'm at a disadvantage, and architect of course will see a hundred things that I won't.

Everyone has particulars needs from a house, and we have talked about them between us. we've lived in a lot of apartment and now a 2 story house so we have experience of what works. My skills as a Mechanical Eng in a past life, and an avid DIY guy,(and of course, finding out all the hidden costs in building a one off) push me in the direction of attempting to design with my wife the house. I'll be happy as long as it's airtight(good builder) ..the kinda people who stress over the smallest mistakes, like an identical flooring board placed next to another one, are perfectionists :Dbut yeah, I'd probably rip the floor up and relay it too ;p
THe passion the architect had building my sisters house was impressive, it took the design really personally, and looked after it with a serious level of detail, the builder had a library of drawings when he was finished. He even was back a few times (after having signed off) cleaning up some minor details (at his own cost), just because he liked the project so much.

Thanks for your points, the plan is once we get the stairs fixed, to put in storage under the nearside set, and leave the second set open, the door has been removed from that wall now.

One house on the lane, has a 5M !! sliding door facing directly south, great for light. My sisters kitchen door is just 4950mm (Wall to 3M ceiling) according to the planning docs ;p Both Aluminium framed at that size. and her Sitting room has two massive 4M almost floor to ceiling Windows also.

I'm using Chief architect x7 (which is extremely user friendly) at the moment, but 'upgrading' today to x8 because it's really improved the cabinet functions so the Kitchen will not be too far away.

That 'CIRCULAR YOKE' is my design flair LOL
We plan to have built in sitting going around the inside, kinda like a booth.

I agree completely with you, the outside design is as basic as it gets, that's actually the main reason I threw it up on boards. But again, we're fairly low on the airs and graces, so I would just be overjoyed to get into the house as it actually is without a Mortgage that will give me a heart attack :mad:

We never planned on putting an Island into the Kitchen? (I didn't think we'd have the room, and not really a big fan of the few I've seen)

Thanks for the 2.7M ceiling, we had the measuring tape out as a coincidence last night, 2.5M downstairs in this old place and 2.4 upstairs, checked the neighbouring house to our site, and it has 2.7M downstairs with a 0.3M false ceiling, and 2.4M upstairs, so we stuck those heights, and the false ceiling in the plan now.

Going to be interesting getting a COST plan on this before planning, could be a right kick in the arse LOL

mrsWhippy: Thanks, we are very familiar with the site, and it's relatively tight, small garden, and due to council conditions, we gotta build behind a house line, and a Biocycle has a 7M Radius from it's edge, so our garden area is already predefined (we're boxed in literally..ba bom ;p). It's really just the house that's up for playing with.

I've looked at a lot of houses, and (architects please cover your eyes for this part) ....as far as I'm concerned, they are just boxes, so I get what the guy was doing in the previous youtube vid...in terms of laying out the living space.....but an awful lot of houses I look at, are basically square with a few little pretty details, like Dutch windows, windows stepped directly out, basically just the skin of the box broken up which does make it look prettier, but always adds cost.


Again, maybe aesthetics are lost on the engineer in me

I'll try to post up some design developments soon.

Rough Kitchen design..We are going with tiles, just haven't picked them out yet...but this is the overall layout we're thinking about.

I was right about the x8...It's a piece of piss to throw this together.

The Oven in the Corner may be an issue? Do you really need access on both sides?
I've at least tried to respect the holy triangle of Fridge,Hob, Sink....
It's 2.7M to the Sink from the edge of the fridge
and it's 2.9M from the back Counter to the edge of the forward counter where the Hob is....
So a nice square of space, but too small to put an island in of course.

Lighting is terrible in this!! I haven't sorted it out yet... THere is a light source(even though you can't see it) in the middle of the room, around the height of a persons head, hence the shadows on the rear cabinets flowing up at the top.
Plan to add plenty of lights..under cabinet..etc..and inside the top glass door cabinets.

I like the breakfast bar Idea, ok, a Round piece at the end...might do away with the cabinets underneath as, purpose built one's will add up.....I'll just stick a pole under for Support.
I'll have to check with the misses if, that's enough cabinets already...Hopefully the Futility room, will Cover anything else.

It's 1.5M at the moment from the edge of the doorframe to the counter, I'll try to at least hold that distance or improve it.
The L you were talking about, was that coming back into the kitchen space(wrapping the counter around on itself), or did you mean breaking the counter and pulling the L shape down into the dining room space? I don't really want ot extend the kitchen too far south of that line.

Got ya, yeah, the only reason it was going in, was because the misses wanted the Hob at an angle..
just checked, she likes the closed in effect, so I guess breakfast bar it is

Just thinking, those NEFF ovens where the doors come down and slide under the oven might help with the Corner location of the Oven...

Hide and Slide door lower down on this page
http://ao.com/product/b44m43n3gb-neff-slidehide-electric-single-oven-stainless-steel-28942-45.aspx

mrsWhippy:
Thanks for the redesign The plan was to use one of those, Circular tables, that you can split, and it has rails under, so when you want to expand it, you open it up, and drop in a rectangular piece in the middle, so it goes from a 6 seater to a 10 seater.
I do like your idea to expand out, and it would indeed let a LOT more light in, which is the name of the game. but the second story would have to supported somehow, That could mean a Lot of steal, trying to hold my tongue here, but the Engineer in my sisters, place, put in 6, 2M * 2M * 2M block foundations, and 8 steel legs about 16" thick, and those legs support a frame around the upper box, so the upper box is self supported, those foundation, had another lean mix foundations, because foundations need foundations :rolleyes:, ..CRAP.....stopping rant ok, nothing was Over-Engineered, its' all good, no issues here It's a lovely box on another box, I think I that's where I was getting my design style from LOL

Water John: Yes, that booth approach was bothering me :rolleyes: Good way to trap the kids in and keep them at the table..

Ok, I gotta prepare to go, will be back in about 2 weeks.