ᐅ Floor plan for a 160 m² bungalow

Dear everyone,

I would appreciate it if you could share your thoughts on our floor plan. We aim to finalize the floor plan (at least the key aspects, such as the exterior walls) within the next 2-3 weeks. The dotted line indicates the 70cm (28 inches) roof overhang.

Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1350m² (14,521 ft²)
Site coverage ratio: 0.25
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Building zone of 15m (49 feet) with a 5m (16 feet) setback from the street
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of storeys: 2
Roof type: Gable roof
House orientation: SE (sketches are oriented to north)
Maximum height / limits: Eaves height 4.5m (15 feet)

Homeowner Requirements
Storeys: 1
Number of occupants: 2 adults (28-30 years) + 2-3 children (planned)
Space requirement: 160m² (1,722 ft²) living area
Office: for family use
Annual number of overnight guests: 15-25
Open kitchen, possibly with an island
Number of dining seats: 5-8
Fireplace: yes
Double garage with gable roof
Possible utility garden / greenhouse
Other wishes / special features / daily routine: We both work full-time

House Design
Planner: Architect candidate
What we especially like: Room orientation considering the plot and our personal wishes, with dressing room / utility room / bathrooms facing NW and living areas facing SW/SE; space for large family gatherings in living room/kitchen; the living/dining area as the social hub but still allowing for retreat.
What we don’t like: The openness between living room and hallway, or alternatively the tightness if a wall/door is installed there.
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: 240,000€ (excluding garage)
Preferred heating system: Geothermal heat pump with deep drilling, cozy fireplace

If you had to give up something, which details / additions would you forgo?
- Could give up: KfW 55 standard, temporary waiver of fireplace, very wide roof overhang
- Cannot give up: KfW 70 standard, living area

Hello,

I noticed the following:
Where do the overnight guests sleep? In the office?
I don’t see a cloakroom, or is that the area in front of the children’s bathroom?
Dark, narrow hallway for the children.
Narrow entrance to the living room.
Playing in the main traffic area?

The architecture student still has a lot to learn.
- Cabinets in front of doors
- Kitchen cabinets less than 60cm (24 inches) deep?
- Where are the showers planned?
- Doors are only partially drawn in or deliberately omitted (especially in problematic areas)
- Living room layout is missing
- What is the separation in the living room between the wall and the chimney? Is that the fireplace or furniture?
- No space for bedside tables next to the bed
- Elevations are missing
- Where is the terrace and its access going to be located?

I won’t repeat what hbf12 already mentioned here.

Personally, I don’t like the floor plan. There are far more practical solutions for 160m² (1720 sq ft).

Almost all doors are in small sizes – why?

Thanks in advance for the helpful comments.

hbf12 schrieb:
Hello,

Here’s what I noticed:
Where do the overnight guests sleep? In the office?
I don’t see a coat area or is that the one in front of the children’s bathroom?
Dark, narrow children’s hallway.
Narrow living room entrance.
Playing area in the main traffic path?

Yes, they sleep in the office. The placement of the wardrobes there is just an example. A pull-out sofa will go in.
The coat area is indeed a point of discussion. Part of it could probably be accommodated in the entrance hall. Additionally, children’s jackets could also hang in the children’s hallway. Still, the coat storage space seems tight.
We had at some point considered daylight spotlights (to bring daylight into the interior). Could that be an option for the children’s hallway?
The access from the entrance hall to the living room should feel more spacious thanks to the tunnel fireplace located there. We prefer not to create additional hallway space because it’s usually not very useful.
The “playing” area is not a designated playroom. In connection with the wide opening to the living area, the hallway is meant to serve an additional function (e.g., for playing). Whether this main thoroughfare can realistically be used that way is a good question.

Musketier schrieb:
The architectural trainee still has a lot to learn.
- Wardrobes blocking doors
- Kitchen cabinets less than 60cm (24 inches) deep?
- Where are the showers planned?
- Doors are only partially drawn or deliberately omitted (especially in problematic areas)
- Living room layout missing
- What is the division in the living room between the wall and the chimney? Is that the fireplace or furniture?
- No space for bedside tables next to the bed
- Elevations missing
- Where will the terrace and its access be located?

I won’t repeat hbf12’s points here.

Personally, I don’t like the floor plan. There are much more practical solutions for 160m² (1722 sq ft) by far.

I don’t really see wardrobes in front of doors as problematic. It really depends on the design and effect. It creates passageways that save space. But would you want to walk through a “kind of” wardrobe? I can imagine that.
We can easily adjust the kitchen section facing the hallway to 60cm (24 inches) depth. We have a kitchen studio appointment next week, but an expensive makeshift solution doesn’t make sense.
The shower in the main bathroom is behind the glass wall. In the children’s bathroom, it’s somewhere on the children’s room side. Both bathroom layouts can certainly be adjusted.
The only missing door seems to be the living room door, unless I’m mistaken? The swing of the doors for the master bathroom and bedroom seems rather unproblematic to me.
We are currently working on the living room layout, but you can imagine a seating area around the fireplace. TV/projection surface probably above the fireplace window or in the corner.
The division is the fireplace, currently planned as a tunnel fireplace. We have our first appointment with the fireplace builder next week.
Bedside tables are overrated. Just kidding. One side can fit a bedside table, the other side is a bit narrow. We won’t need a cabinet but at least a 20–30cm (8–12 inch) wide surface to place items. We’ll have to revisit that.
Elevations will come. At this point, it might be important to mention that the architectural trainee is not contracted or paid professionally, but is a family member who is still learning and dedicates a lot of personal time to accommodate all our wishes. Elevations, 3D models, scale models made of cardboard/foam, etc. were and will be created as needed.
The terrace is not finalized yet but will likely extend mainly in front of the living room. Access will be via a sliding door near the dining area (currently about 3m (10 feet), possibly 4m (13 feet) in the future, with 2m (6.5 feet) being the sliding door and 2m (6.5 feet) a fixed panel).

Would you happen to have a link to such a more practical solution? Or could you briefly describe what you mean by more practical? Or conversely, what exactly you find impractical about our floor plan now that I’ve offered solutions for many points?

Sebastian79 schrieb:
Almost all doors are non-standard size—why?

There’s actually no particular reason. We will probably revise that in the next version. There seems to be enough space for standard doors everywhere.

It would be helpful to start with some measurements to better estimate the room sizes.

I also find doorways all only 76 cm (30 inches) quite narrow. It becomes uncomfortable when you have to use crutches, for example, due to a broken leg or similar.

It definitely makes sense to plan areas with cupboards to have a depth of 65 cm (26 inches). This way, cupboards will fit properly.

A fireplace directly opposite the main living area entrance door, less than a meter away (about 3 feet), in my opinion, creates a feeling of confinement rather than spaciousness.

I also notice a lack of a coat storage area. Since there won’t be a basement and you plan to have children, it’s important to think about things like strollers, car seats, etc. Additionally, I believe the distance between the parents’ and children’s bedrooms is not ideal during the first years with children.

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I sketched a bungalow for another project that could basically work well. It just lacks a guest or study room. Perhaps something could be added to or near the living area.

It was originally oriented differently, but for illustration regarding your plot, I mirrored and slightly rotated it. With an integrated garage, also suitable for bicycles, it offers a living area of 188 sqm (2,023 sq ft).

To help with clarity, here are the original files... The roof shouldn’t be taken too seriously, I just can’t do that well.