Dormer Bungalow or 1.5 storey?

[Trippy21]

Hi all

The plot we are buying Is one of seven and the site has OPP for 7 self build dormer bungalows and 7 two storey housing association houses. 
The design guide for the OPP states a dormer bungalow for the self builds and there are no height restrictions, we would like to build a 1.5 storey house rather than the dormer bungalow, the architectural tech wants to stick to a dormer bungalow. Does anyone have any experience on a councils opinion on the difference between a dormer bungalow and a 1.5 storey house?

thanks

[PeterW]

The only difference is a 1.5 normally has the windows set onto the walls with just the roof section in the roof plane and a good 8-900mm of wall above traditional soffit level. A dormer bungalow would normally have the full dormer set into the roof plane. 

[ProDave]

Up here 1.5 storey IS a dormer bungalow.

 

Are you thinking of what we call a 1 3/4 storey, where the walls extend up to at least window sill level upstairs meaning you get full standing room

[Olly P]

As far as I'm aware a dormer bungalow can be classed as a 1.5 storey. We have a similar case with outline planning passed for a single or 1.5 storey bungalow with no ridge height restrictions. We have submitted reserved matters plans for a large  traditional dormer bungalow but with modern elements.  

[Patrick]

I am building a dormer bungalow a.k.a. 1.5storey detached, still can't work out the difference. I would probably agree to @PeterW

definition. I had to do it due to conservation area restrictions and a fear of not getting planning with a "too extreme" design/height.

Retrospectively I would try much harder to get rid of the dormers.  They are a pain in the ass to construct and never look quite 100%right imho. Roof is much cheaper/straight forward to get watertight with straight lines/minimum openings. I'm just fed up going through planning and changing plans so I'm sticking to my design that is approved.

[ProDave]

If you don't like "dormers" you could see if your planners will accept my idea of "gable ends"  a style I first saw on the west coast and had no problem getting through planning up here.

 

 

[joe90]

Personally I like dormers but they are a bugger to insulate well and look good, @ProDave,s idea of gable Windows is a good one and one our planners accepted (but we  appealed our previous plan and won to get full 2 story cottage which we really wanted).

[Thedreamer]

Hi @Trippy21

 

We put in full planning for a house with dormers and were then able to achieve a Non Material Variation to change to velux windows. Our build is in national scenic area and houses are never the full two storey here.

 

There is a bit of work in dormers, they are almost like a mini house in your roof. We put double ones in our loft conversion and the space you gain is quite limited for the amount of work involved. 

 

We liked our top hung veluxs as you can stand out of them. 

 

Here is a couple of photos one of the external and internal of the house.

 

 

 

[Trippy21]

3 hours ago, ProDave said:

Up here 1.5 storey IS a dormer bungalow.

 

Are you thinking of what we call a 1 3/4 storey, where the walls extend up to at least window sill level upstairs meaning you get full standing room

based on this I’m thinking of a 1 3/4 house then so we get the full height inside. Thanks for the clarification.

[Trippy21]

41 minutes ago, ProDave said:

If you don't like "dormers" you could see if your planners will accept my idea of "gable ends"  a style I first saw on the west coast and had no problem getting through planning up here.

 

 

Nice idea I’ll speak to the Arch Tech about this, thanks

[Olly P]

We have gone  with 38 degree roof and a ridge height that will allow useable space upstairs to the wall plates set at 1.3 metre above the 1st floor level. Designed right, a 1.5 storey is nearly as spacious as a full 2 storey. 

[ProDave]

Ours is a 45 degree roof, almost the standard build up here.  I have to say there is a lot to recommend about a 45 degree roof, not least the ease of marking out stuff to cut.

[Stewpot]

One of the conditions of the outline permission on the plot I am buying is that it should be a 1½ storey house. I've just phoned the council to see if they had a definition of this. As it turns out, they had talked about this recently in a meeting, and the planning officer I spoke to sent me a copy of a sketch that they had informally discussed. He was keen to stress that this was not definitive, but it gives an indication of their thinking.

 

It surprised me - 1½ storeys does not refer to the height of the property at all, but rather the relative widths of the two storeys. Look carefully, and you'll see that a 1½ storey house has a second storey that is half the width of the ground floor; in a 1¾ storey house, the second storey is three quarters the width.

 

Go figure.

 

 

1.5 storey.pdf

[bassanclan]

Maybe a 2.7m celing height with dormers might be a way of getting more celing height