Split-Level Plan

Hi all,

I've been browsing this for a while now and have just started our building process. Land has been purchased in Blakeview Grove, SA, at the top of the hill. A custom plan has been designed by myself and built by Dechellis Homes. The block is sloped and we have just been told that we need to split the house and that the split has been costed with the garage being lower with 5 steps up to the house. Has anyone had any experiences with this sort of layout as it isn't an ordinary split.

Will

Nothing un ordinary about having the garage lower than the house. What's your concern with this?
End of the day a split is a split, be it 300mm or 3m the principals are the same it's just the amount of blocks concrete and steel that change. And cost of cause.

As mgilla has said, there's nothing unusual about house on a hill requiring a split level situation to take advantage of the slope.

The only issue I could see if there was a person mobility issues, where steps create a big issue for a person that's going to be living in the house.

If you don't have the step down, the costs might rise quite a lot more than they have with a split level.

Sounds similar to what I am having. My garage is lower than my house by 6 courses and we have steps leading up to the front door and a split in the middle of the house. I wanted to have high ceilings in the rear of the house and have a drive through front garage.

I have thought about the mobility issue somewhat as you can enter the lower split via the shoppers entrance in the garage. In reality if mobility becomes a major issue then I would have to look at how to solve when needed.

Real experience with it, I wish. Still waiting for the house to be built.

Aussie Mark, is your shoppers entrance on the sane level as the garage? I think mine will be on the higher level so am unsure how the steps will fit in. How does your dive through garage work too? Our alfresco will also be on the higher level to my understanding.

wrcaston, my shoppers entrance is from the garage to the scullery and is on the same level. I have my front entry entry hall with stairs to upper floor running along side the common wall of the garage and the opening that leads to the guest bedroom with ensuite and the laundry. The entry is double void with lots of light.

from there you go down 7c to the storeroom under the stairs that will be a cloak room and opposite is the powder room. From there you lead into the open plan living/ family, dining, kitchen and out onto the alfresco that is all the same level. There is also a home theater there too which breaks up the openess a little. The ceilings for the lower area are at 38c and the upper area are 31c. All upstairs are 32c.

It was very important to me to be able to have rear access as I have a 3 car garage and work shop in the very rear of my yard that will also have a large glass sliding door to provide extra room for functions etc. Because of the lie of the block it went down about a meter from front to back. To achieve what I wanted the front garage is 6,250mm wide with a clear 3,100mm down the side of the house and the rear garage door is 2,500mm which should be wide enough. So that Garage is at -8c and the lowest part of the house is at -7c. I played with many iterations to make it work and basically I needed no doors along the side of the house so I had to work out how to get the laundry on the opposite side otherwise steps would have been needed which would impede driveway access.

Just hope it all works out.

I see. Thanks for that.

I'll wait and see how the drawings turn out, they should be back next week. The way it was explained to me is that only the garage will be on the lower level. The pantry access and rear access to the alfresco will all be on the upper level and the house will be entirely on the same level as that. I think 5 steps are involved with my split but now I'm thinking there may well be a further step or two within the house to create a middle level.

I'll see

Here is the plan guys:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3rl4wt8hj5dl6dh/Plan.JPG

looks good but how will the rear access work.... pretty narrow at the back of the patio. Need to see the different elevations with respect to the floor levels.

Interesting design. I love split level homes, especially if they split in the middle of the house and feature steps in the living areas. Checking out yours, it looks like your block slopes on the side of the house. Is that right? Does it drop to the left where your garage is, if your standing on the street looking front on? And I'm interested to know why you have a bathroom in the garage and the garage flows out to the alfresco, is this for entertaining/parties? Very interesting indeed WRC! Lovely house, congratulations!

BTW. Which way is north in relation to your front façade?

Your plan is very similar to ours, Minus the bathroom in garage and bed 2. Our house is built and the good news is that we love the layout we also don't have a split level.

TomCat, you're right. The garage is lowest part and slopes upward and away from garage, this is why a split is necessary but im not sure where as yet, maybe into the pantry. I believe north is the garage side so the front is facing west, towards the sea. The bathroom is indeed for entertaining as is the rear access but also for motorbikes. We intend to have a pool also so we thought an outdoor bathroom would be ideal.