On a plot where ground space is limited, building on two storeys makes it possible to fit more living area without increasing the building's footprint. But not every NÖMA model is designed this way: the number of storeys is a feature specific to each model, not a universal option.
Understanding the topic
Within the NÖMA collection, five models are built on two storeys: Level (48 m²), Axis (65 m², 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms), Block (73 m², 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms), Form (78 m², 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms) and Court (160 m², 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms). Each pairs a technical floor with upstairs features of its own: a panoramic terrace for Level and Court, an optimised ceiling height for Form and Axis, a sealed flat roof for Block.
The number of storeys does not depend solely on a model's surface area. Scope, at 99 m², remains a single-storey model, while Level, at only 48 m², is built on two storeys. It is each model's own architecture, not living area alone, that determines this feature.
Deep exploration
By spreading living area across two storeys rather than one, the building's actual ground footprint is reduced compared with an equivalent-sized single-storey model. This can make it easier to fit a home onto a narrow plot, a sloped one, or one that is already partly built on. Actual feasibility, however, depends on local planning rules, which vary from one municipality to another: maximum building height, setbacks from plot boundaries, maximum ground coverage. These rules must be checked with the local planning authority or a professional before any project, and cannot be assumed to be the same from one plot to the next.
Living across two storeys also changes how the home is used day to day. On the models concerned, bedrooms and bathrooms are typically placed upstairs, while the ground floor holds the shared living spaces. This vertical layout involves an internal staircase and different everyday routes than a single-storey home, which may suit different households more or less well depending on their needs over time.
The choice between a single-storey and a two-storey model therefore depends on several combined factors: the available plot size, its topography, the applicable planning rules, and the actual intended use of the home, whether as a primary residence, an extension, or a standalone office.
Practical guidance
To compare every NÖMA model, their surface areas and their features, the Home collection page brings together all eight available models. The full method for choosing between models, beyond the number of storeys alone, is covered in our guide to the turnkey modular home.
A two-storey modular home project is always built from the real plot and its own constraints, never from a generic model. For that reason, speaking with the NÖMA team before settling on a model remains the most reliable way to check what is actually possible on a given plot.
Architectural perspective
Two storeys are neither an automatic gain nor a constraint: they are an architectural answer to a specific plot and a specific use. The right model is the one that matches the real plot, not the one with the most square metres on paper.
