First Draft Single-Family House 150m² (1,615 ft²) with Basement
Requesting general comments, improvement suggestions, ideas, upstairs bathroom, etc.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size 850m² (20x43m) (22,990 ft² (66x141 ft))
No slope
Site coverage ratio 0.35
Floor area ratio 0.60
Building lines and boundaries 3m (10 ft) west and south, 6m (20 ft) east
Edge development yes except east side
Number of parking spaces 2
Number of stories maximum two full floors
Roof type gable roof 22-48°, shed roof 8-20°
Architectural style no restriction
Orientation not specified, ridge direction only recommended
Maximum heights/limits maximum permitted building height 9.5m (31 ft), knee walls maximum 1.0m (3 ft)
Other requirements at least 2 parking spaces per residential unit
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type simple, no bay windows, two full floors, low-pitched gable roof
Basement and floors basement, ground floor, upper floor
Number of occupants, age 29 and 30 (2 children planned after house completion)
Room requirements on ground and upper floor
Ground floor: living/dining, kitchen, pantry, bathroom;
Upper floor: 2 children's rooms, master bedroom, bathroom
Office: family use or home office? for business, possibly home office 1 day per week in future
Guests per year 4-5
Open or closed layout open living/dining, otherwise rather closed
Conservative or modern construction mixed
Open kitchen, cooking island no
Number of dining seats 6-8
Fireplace yes
Music/stereo wall no
Balcony, roof terrace no
Garage, carport double garage
Vegetable garden, greenhouse no preference
Other wishes / special features / daily routine no preference
House Design
Planner: planner from a construction company who is also an architect
What do you particularly like? entrance situation, room arrangement, layout and dimensions of upper floor (except upper floor bathroom)
What do you not like? too close to neighboring building on south plot, upper floor bathroom, entrance planned as flat roof, door location in living room, other minor details
Cost estimate from architect/planner: not yet available
Personal price limit for house including equipment: not entirely clear yet but around 400,000
Preferred heating system: either gas (without energy efficiency funding) or ground source heat pump via horizontal collector or borehole (energy standard KfW 55)
If you have to give up, which details/extensions
-can be omitted: high-end finishes, walk-in closet, ground source heat pump, turnkey delivery
-cannot be omitted: stove/fireplace, office, two walk-in showers, double garage
Because our plot is relatively long and narrow (20x43m (66x141 ft)), we have already given some thought to the possible arrangement of the house and garage. Here is the thread on that topic.
At first, we focused on the first variant with the garage located above the house to the north. However, with the garage and house together, it would have become very tight toward the south. The architect's first draft surprised us (garage on the east) but we generally liked it very much, so we are now presenting this as the basis here. Many of our wishes have already been met, and the draft is definitely a good starting point. I have to add that currently we do not have any eastern sun exposure and do not consider this a problem. The only drawback is that the house stands relatively centrally and garden space is “wasted,” partly due to the 6m (20 ft) setback on the east. But we will submit a preliminary building inquiry to possibly reduce the distance to 3m (10 ft).
So, here are the plans. North is at the top of the plan.
Requesting general comments, improvement suggestions, ideas, upstairs bathroom, etc.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size 850m² (20x43m) (22,990 ft² (66x141 ft))
No slope
Site coverage ratio 0.35
Floor area ratio 0.60
Building lines and boundaries 3m (10 ft) west and south, 6m (20 ft) east
Edge development yes except east side
Number of parking spaces 2
Number of stories maximum two full floors
Roof type gable roof 22-48°, shed roof 8-20°
Architectural style no restriction
Orientation not specified, ridge direction only recommended
Maximum heights/limits maximum permitted building height 9.5m (31 ft), knee walls maximum 1.0m (3 ft)
Other requirements at least 2 parking spaces per residential unit
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type simple, no bay windows, two full floors, low-pitched gable roof
Basement and floors basement, ground floor, upper floor
Number of occupants, age 29 and 30 (2 children planned after house completion)
Room requirements on ground and upper floor
Ground floor: living/dining, kitchen, pantry, bathroom;
Upper floor: 2 children's rooms, master bedroom, bathroom
Office: family use or home office? for business, possibly home office 1 day per week in future
Guests per year 4-5
Open or closed layout open living/dining, otherwise rather closed
Conservative or modern construction mixed
Open kitchen, cooking island no
Number of dining seats 6-8
Fireplace yes
Music/stereo wall no
Balcony, roof terrace no
Garage, carport double garage
Vegetable garden, greenhouse no preference
Other wishes / special features / daily routine no preference
House Design
Planner: planner from a construction company who is also an architect
What do you particularly like? entrance situation, room arrangement, layout and dimensions of upper floor (except upper floor bathroom)
What do you not like? too close to neighboring building on south plot, upper floor bathroom, entrance planned as flat roof, door location in living room, other minor details
Cost estimate from architect/planner: not yet available
Personal price limit for house including equipment: not entirely clear yet but around 400,000
Preferred heating system: either gas (without energy efficiency funding) or ground source heat pump via horizontal collector or borehole (energy standard KfW 55)
If you have to give up, which details/extensions
-can be omitted: high-end finishes, walk-in closet, ground source heat pump, turnkey delivery
-cannot be omitted: stove/fireplace, office, two walk-in showers, double garage
Because our plot is relatively long and narrow (20x43m (66x141 ft)), we have already given some thought to the possible arrangement of the house and garage. Here is the thread on that topic.
At first, we focused on the first variant with the garage located above the house to the north. However, with the garage and house together, it would have become very tight toward the south. The architect's first draft surprised us (garage on the east) but we generally liked it very much, so we are now presenting this as the basis here. Many of our wishes have already been met, and the draft is definitely a good starting point. I have to add that currently we do not have any eastern sun exposure and do not consider this a problem. The only drawback is that the house stands relatively centrally and garden space is “wasted,” partly due to the 6m (20 ft) setback on the east. But we will submit a preliminary building inquiry to possibly reduce the distance to 3m (10 ft).
So, here are the plans. North is at the top of the plan.
At first glance, I would definitely change the following:
1. Swap the kitchen (including pantry) with the living room. -> This creates a short path from the entrance to the pantry and a short kitchen route to the terrace/trash bins/garage. You have a small inner courtyard there that can be used for tomato plants, herbs, or laundry. At the back, in the northwest, it will be quieter.
2. Swap the children's room next to the bathroom with the parents’ bedroom. -> This way, you and the children are more undisturbed from each other. You have the last turn in the bathroom, so the child won’t be disturbed by water running or activity in the hallway. The walk-in closet serves as a sound buffer for the child.
Adjust everything else accordingly (windows, chimney, I would place the light well for the office towards the northwest).
Nothing is wasted. Separate garden areas enrich the entire garden design. As a layperson, you can’t really tell from the window whether you have 9 or 12 meters (30 or 39 feet) of lawn depth anyway. The kids don’t care either, as long as the ball rolls! 😎
1. Swap the kitchen (including pantry) with the living room. -> This creates a short path from the entrance to the pantry and a short kitchen route to the terrace/trash bins/garage. You have a small inner courtyard there that can be used for tomato plants, herbs, or laundry. At the back, in the northwest, it will be quieter.
2. Swap the children's room next to the bathroom with the parents’ bedroom. -> This way, you and the children are more undisturbed from each other. You have the last turn in the bathroom, so the child won’t be disturbed by water running or activity in the hallway. The walk-in closet serves as a sound buffer for the child.
Adjust everything else accordingly (windows, chimney, I would place the light well for the office towards the northwest).
jaeger schrieb:
The only downside is that the house then stands relatively far in the middle, and garden space is "wasted," partly due to the 6m (20 feet) setback on the east side.
Nothing is wasted. Separate garden areas enrich the entire garden design. As a layperson, you can’t really tell from the window whether you have 9 or 12 meters (30 or 39 feet) of lawn depth anyway. The kids don’t care either, as long as the ball rolls! 😎
P
Peanuts7426 Oct 2016 12:32The bathroom upstairs looks quite small to me...
Peanuts74 schrieb:
The bathroom upstairs looks quite small to me...You're right. At least for four people. A door near the vanity, a space-saving bathtub, and a shower that doesn’t even take up much room. Either you don’t feel the need for more, or you haven’t developed an eye for it yet. I hardly know any homeowners here who would still want such a "simple" shower in the master bathroom 😉
ypg schrieb:
You're right. At least for 4 people.Is it a modern invention that everyone has to be busy in the bathroom at the same time? After all, there is a fully equipped guest bathroom as well. In our family, we used to lock the bathroom door, and we were 5 family members with only one bathroom.
Thank you for your initial feedback! It seems we are not entirely off track with the first draft 🙂
It will be 16cm (6.3 inches). Overall, we don’t want very high rooms. The question is whether that will make the large living/dining area feel a bit cramped. We will discuss it again.
That’s true. However, we already consider the kitchen sufficiently large, and shelves in the pantry are cheaper than tall cabinets in the kitchen. Also, the pantry is not only for food storage but also things like the vacuum cleaner, etc.
1. The stove is supposed to stand between the living and dining areas at the end of the short partition wall. We still need to discuss the final chimney routing through the house with the architect.
2. See above; we will reconsider that.
3. The current door to the living room bothers us, and it will definitely be moved.
4. Already planned; possibly we’ll remove a window from the bedroom since we don’t necessarily need two there.
No issue visually, but otherwise, I’m not a big fan of flat roofs. No matter what you’re promised, the waterproofing won’t be guaranteed after 30 years.
Good idea, but the fireplace is important to us. Also, that it stands between living and dining and not tucked into a corner somewhere. Maybe it could be placed on the exterior wall!?
1. The kitchen would then tend to be bigger and the living room smaller. Also, I find the living room nicer on the south side. Currently, we have to go through the whole apartment to get to the kitchen, but that doesn’t bother us.
2. Good idea; we will look into that.
Yes, the light well doesn’t work for us there either. 😉
I have to say the furnishings were placed by the architect without asking us and don’t match our wishes. The bathroom is also our biggest concern. It feels a bit small, and I don’t see an easy way to make it bigger. Finding a sensible layout would make it less of an issue, but so far, we haven’t come up with anything usable. Also, a small cabinet or shelf still needs to fit in.
We had considered a T-shaped layout before, but it’s not possible in this bathroom. As long as the shower is 1 by 1.20m (3.3 by 4 feet) and has three walls, we are happy. A version without a door would be nice but isn’t a must.
BeHaElJa schrieb:
I like the floor plan and the house itself... but I’m curious about the floor structure on the ground floor. Just don’t want you to end up with a clear ceiling height under 2.5m (8 feet 2 inches).
It will be 16cm (6.3 inches). Overall, we don’t want very high rooms. The question is whether that will make the large living/dining area feel a bit cramped. We will discuss it again.
j.bautsch schrieb:
I would just remove the pantry in favor of a nice kitchen. But you need to know exactly what you want from a kitchen (I’m not a fan of galley kitchens or U-shapes). A pantry inside the thermal envelope isn’t cooler, so it’s not necessarily better for storage than a tall cabinet in the kitchen 😉
That’s true. However, we already consider the kitchen sufficiently large, and shelves in the pantry are cheaper than tall cabinets in the kitchen. Also, the pantry is not only for food storage but also things like the vacuum cleaner, etc.
Bieber0815 schrieb:
1. The fireplace might be a problem later. Can it be moved to the other side of the wall so it’s no longer in the hallway? Pay special attention to the upper floor.
2. The pantry can work as is. As an alternative, I suggest planning the kitchen as one large space and sorting details with the kitchen designer. Practical like now, but without a door and more flexible.
3. I’m considering the entrance; actually, it’s all good. To make sure everyone knows where to go in the hallway, I would plan the door to the living room larger/wider than standard, possibly with glass elements.
4. I would add a window to the dressing room. I think the exterior view would still look okay.
1. The stove is supposed to stand between the living and dining areas at the end of the short partition wall. We still need to discuss the final chimney routing through the house with the architect.
2. See above; we will reconsider that.
3. The current door to the living room bothers us, and it will definitely be moved.
4. Already planned; possibly we’ll remove a window from the bedroom since we don’t necessarily need two there.
RobsonMKK schrieb:
What exactly bothers you about the flat roof entrance?
No issue visually, but otherwise, I’m not a big fan of flat roofs. No matter what you’re promised, the waterproofing won’t be guaranteed after 30 years.
Bieber0815 schrieb:
Without the fireplace, it would be easier. I would place double doors opposite the stairs so that the living-dining area is centrally accessed and the sofa corner is not in the direct traffic flow.
Good idea, but the fireplace is important to us. Also, that it stands between living and dining and not tucked into a corner somewhere. Maybe it could be placed on the exterior wall!?
ypg schrieb:
At first glance, I would definitely change:
1. Swap the kitchen (including pantry) with the living room. -> short route from the entrance to the pantry, short kitchen access to the terrace/garbage bins/garage. You have a small courtyard there that could be used for tomatoes, herbs, or drying laundry. The northwest area at the back is then quieter.
2. Swap the children's room with the bathroom next to the parents’ bedroom. -> You and the children will be less disturbed. You’ll have last access to the bathroom, so the child won’t be disturbed by noise from water or the hallway. The dressing room acts as a sound buffer to the child.
Change everything else accordingly (windows, chimney, light well from the study should be placed toward the northwest).
Nothing is wasted. Separate garden areas enrich the garden design. As a layperson, you won’t be able to tell from the window if your lawn is 9 or 12 meters (10-13 feet / 30-39 feet) deep. The kids won’t care either—as long as there’s a ball to play with! 😎
1. The kitchen would then tend to be bigger and the living room smaller. Also, I find the living room nicer on the south side. Currently, we have to go through the whole apartment to get to the kitchen, but that doesn’t bother us.
2. Good idea; we will look into that.
Yes, the light well doesn’t work for us there either. 😉
ypg schrieb:
You are right. At least for four people. A door by the washbasin, space-saving bathtub, and a shower that doesn’t take up much space.
Either you don’t feel the need or haven’t noticed. I barely meet any homeowners who still want such a “simple” shower in the master bath 😉
I have to say the furnishings were placed by the architect without asking us and don’t match our wishes. The bathroom is also our biggest concern. It feels a bit small, and I don’t see an easy way to make it bigger. Finding a sensible layout would make it less of an issue, but so far, we haven’t come up with anything usable. Also, a small cabinet or shelf still needs to fit in.
We had considered a T-shaped layout before, but it’s not possible in this bathroom. As long as the shower is 1 by 1.20m (3.3 by 4 feet) and has three walls, we are happy. A version without a door would be nice but isn’t a must.
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