Welcome to my second floor plan thread.
The feedback in the first thread was really valuable, but we ultimately did not agree on the design or the construction company. So now this is the second approach. For clarity, I’ve started a new thread.
Regarding the situation:
On the plan, which is oriented north:
red: the plot of land, access via the pink driveway, the house is currently planned at the blue location. Existing building in yellow serves as garage and cellar replacement, with garden surrounding the plot.
On the western boundary of the plot is the neighbor’s existing building, consisting of tall agricultural storage halls.
Two full floors allowed.
"Closed building line" is mandatory, meaning the house must adjoin at least one side of the property, and the other side should be at least enclosed by a wall/gate or similar.
The plot is narrowest at the very northern end, exactly 12m (39 feet) wide. A drive-through option would be nice (also because of the existing garage), so the house width should not exceed 9m (30 feet).
Plot size: 630m² (6785 ft²)
Slope: none, only very gently sloping
No cellar, additional garage already existing, see yellow marking on the plan.
Two stories, currently two adults aged 34 and 35. Planning for 1-2 children.
Desired rooms:
Ground floor:
Living room / dining / kitchen with fireplace
Pantry / storage room
Guest WC + shower
Entrance / cloakroom
Utility/technical room
Upper floor:
Master bedroom
Dressing/utility room with washing machine
1 children’s bedroom
Bathroom
Office for home office use (if there is really a second child, the room will be converted to a children’s bedroom)
Guests: very rare visits, a sofa bed in the office is sufficient.
Style: classic-modern, gable roof
Definitely an open kitchen, an island would be nice, seating for 6 with room to accommodate more.
“Normal” living room wall with TV, nothing special.
Size: 140–170m² (1500–1830 ft²)
Current house design:
From an architect of a prefab house provider.
We are quite satisfied with it. The exact layout of the bathroom perhaps could be improved?
Upper floor layout not yet perfect? Swap master bedroom and children’s room? Fireplace “through” the children’s room?
The current design has about 148m² (1593 ft²) of living space.
Budget: $400,000 for the house, turnkey.
Technology: heat pump. Mechanical ventilation and KNX smart home system still under discussion (this would probably affect the budget…).
If you had to skip something, which details or extras could you live without?
- Must-have: open living area with terrace.
Otherwise flexible.
Open questions:
General comments are welcome. Opinions on the room layout? What weaknesses does the plan have?
Thank you very much for all contributions!
The feedback in the first thread was really valuable, but we ultimately did not agree on the design or the construction company. So now this is the second approach. For clarity, I’ve started a new thread.
Regarding the situation:
On the plan, which is oriented north:
red: the plot of land, access via the pink driveway, the house is currently planned at the blue location. Existing building in yellow serves as garage and cellar replacement, with garden surrounding the plot.
On the western boundary of the plot is the neighbor’s existing building, consisting of tall agricultural storage halls.
Two full floors allowed.
"Closed building line" is mandatory, meaning the house must adjoin at least one side of the property, and the other side should be at least enclosed by a wall/gate or similar.
The plot is narrowest at the very northern end, exactly 12m (39 feet) wide. A drive-through option would be nice (also because of the existing garage), so the house width should not exceed 9m (30 feet).
Plot size: 630m² (6785 ft²)
Slope: none, only very gently sloping
No cellar, additional garage already existing, see yellow marking on the plan.
Two stories, currently two adults aged 34 and 35. Planning for 1-2 children.
Desired rooms:
Ground floor:
Living room / dining / kitchen with fireplace
Pantry / storage room
Guest WC + shower
Entrance / cloakroom
Utility/technical room
Upper floor:
Master bedroom
Dressing/utility room with washing machine
1 children’s bedroom
Bathroom
Office for home office use (if there is really a second child, the room will be converted to a children’s bedroom)
Guests: very rare visits, a sofa bed in the office is sufficient.
Style: classic-modern, gable roof
Definitely an open kitchen, an island would be nice, seating for 6 with room to accommodate more.
“Normal” living room wall with TV, nothing special.
Size: 140–170m² (1500–1830 ft²)
Current house design:
From an architect of a prefab house provider.
We are quite satisfied with it. The exact layout of the bathroom perhaps could be improved?
Upper floor layout not yet perfect? Swap master bedroom and children’s room? Fireplace “through” the children’s room?
The current design has about 148m² (1593 ft²) of living space.
Budget: $400,000 for the house, turnkey.
Technology: heat pump. Mechanical ventilation and KNX smart home system still under discussion (this would probably affect the budget…).
If you had to skip something, which details or extras could you live without?
- Must-have: open living area with terrace.
Otherwise flexible.
Open questions:
General comments are welcome. Opinions on the room layout? What weaknesses does the plan have?
Thank you very much for all contributions!
moe01325 schrieb:
Thanks for the tips.
As I said, we had planned a separate utility room. However, it didn’t make sense for us to include it in the current floor plan. We currently live in an old Vienna apartment, with the washing machine in the kitchen and drying laundry in the 12m² (129 sq ft) bedroom. So having the walk-in closet was an acceptable compromise for us.
...!No, that’s not a compromise, because you can’t compare an old building with new construction under energy-saving regulations, nor drying laundry on a rack versus using a dryer. When using a dryer, things get intense—the water is rapidly pulled out of the fabric, which affects the indoor air quality. It’s like taking a ten-minute hot shower in the guest room just because the guest bathroom has enough space.
Your walk-in closet will become humid. And that’s before even considering the noise and lint from the machines. An alternative: do it like Americans often do and create a niche for the two appliances, for example, in a hallway with doors and proper ventilation in front of them.
I don’t see any mechanical ventilation system in your plan; with your compromise, you’ll likely have mold within a year, and the clothes will smell unpleasant. Having a dryer in a living space is also a no-go.
Otherwise, the house design is very original. It’s a pity that the south side is blocked for you. Have you tried to include the west side into the living area? For example, by moving the staircase on the ground floor more towards the center and positioning the roof terrace and bedrooms facing west?
Or/and placing a living room/gallery upstairs with the children’s bedroom on the ground floor next to the kitchen and dining area?
Yes, I think I would arrange the ground floor with an open-plan kitchen/living area, a freezer, and a shower toilet, while upstairs would have a central living room for everyone, then the utility room, guest/office, and parents’ area.
The staircase on the ground floor would be centered, with the pantry underneath, the child’s room to the west, and the upper floor shifted so that the terrace faces west. The staircase position would stay the same, but you’d enter the living room on the right side of the plan, with access to the roof terrace from there. The rest will fall into place [emoji6]
ypg schrieb:
Have you ever considered including the west side in the living area, for example by moving the staircase on the ground floor more towards the center and positioning the roof terrace and bedrooms to the west?
Or/and having a living room space upstairs as a gallery, with the children’s room on the ground floor next to the kitchen and dining area?
Yes, I think I would have an open-plan kitchen-living area (with a pantry), and a shower and toilet on the ground floor, while upstairs I would place a central living area for everyone, then the utility room, guest room/office, and the master bedroom area.
On the ground floor, the staircase would be in the middle with the pantry underneath, a child’s room on the west side, and upstairs shifted so the terrace faces west.
The staircase position would stay the same, but you would enter the living room on the right side from there, and the roof terrace would be accessible from that room. The rest would follow naturally [emoji6] Huh? 😉
T
toxicmolotof12 Dec 2017 21:08Exactly, these two additional areas are simply "extra." And yes, having an extension is naturally a small advantage. Again... we have a similar design issue here. You just have to be aware that this means additional exterior surface. This affects both ongoing costs and construction costs.
Regarding the washing machine/dryer and your last comparison: please do not compare them like that. You are currently comparing a cotton tote bag from an organic market with an ice cream carrier bag from a discount store.
Regarding the washing machine/dryer and your last comparison: please do not compare them like that. You are currently comparing a cotton tote bag from an organic market with an ice cream carrier bag from a discount store.
ypg schrieb:
Just for you
🙂 Wow, thanks. That’s quite bold. Having the dining area downstairs and the living room upstairs seems pretty revolutionary to me. It would greatly enhance the roof terrace. But then you’d need a bar in the living room to mix your cocktails there. Very classy. 🙂
Our neighbors with two children have a similar setup but without a downstairs toilet: the children’s rooms are on the ground floor along with a large open-plan kitchen and living area featuring a panoramic window overlooking the garden. Upstairs there is a cozy living room connected to the parents’ wing. This works well even with very young children, but it’s even better as they get older [emoji6] Here I simply see more benefit from the sun in the afternoon!
Glad we’re chatting: the original poster remains silent
Glad we’re chatting: the original poster remains silent
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