ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a Single-Family Home of Approximately 150 m²

Created on: 12 Feb 2018 18:09
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chrisw81
Hello,

After a long search, we signed the notarized contract for the land purchase at the end of December. We are now actively planning the floor plan. Unfortunately, the plot is somewhat awkwardly shaped (not rectangular), which creates some limitations for the layout from our perspective. We already have a first draft, but there are several areas we don’t like and are unsure how to improve. Maybe you have some ideas; we would appreciate your input.

Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 601 m² (6465 sq ft)
Building envelope, building line, boundary: Building line with the house on the west side
Peripheral setbacks: 7 m (23 ft) from the street (north), otherwise the usual 3 m (10 ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2 desired
Number of floors: 1 full story allowed
Roof style: Gable roof
Design style: open construction method
Orientation: South
Maximum heights / limits: Ridge height max. 8.5 m (28 ft)
Additional requirements: Max. 100 m² (1076 sq ft) of built-up area

Client Requirements
Style, roof form, building type: Solid construction house, rectangular, no bay windows, no projections, etc., gable roof
Basement, floors: no basement; 1.5 stories
Number and age of residents: 2 people, age between 30 and 40, possibly children later
Space needs on ground floor and upper floor: Ground floor – living/dining room, kitchen, guest toilet, utility room, office
Office: family use or home office?: family use
Guest stays per year: 20 days
Open or closed architecture: open living area, closed hallway
Conservative or modern style: conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen, island without cooktop
Number of dining seats: 2-4
Fireplace: yes, chimney planned
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes, special features, daily routine, and reasons for preferences:
- A wardrobe area on the ground floor is important where coats can be stored relatively out of sight.
- On the upper floor, it would be nice to have an open gallery with a desk or similar (not a must and not necessarily next to the stairs).
- A walk-in closet would be nice but not essential.
- A storage room on the upper floor is very important since we do not have a basement.

House Design
Who created the design:
- Basic design by the construction company (FIBAV Stadthaus Vision Studio)
- DIY modifications based on online floor plans (especially Viebrockhaus Maxime 330)
What do you particularly like? Why?:
- Layout of the living/dining area and the narrowing kitchen reduces the hallway effect a bit
- Many windows in the living/dining area
- Wide hallway on the ground floor
What do you dislike? Why?:
- Few options to place furniture (dresser, wardrobe) in the ground floor hallway due to many doors
- Very large hallway upstairs, considered wasted space
- Bedroom is quite small; should be the largest room upstairs (preferably 16 m² (172 sq ft), children’s rooms rather 14 m² (151 sq ft))
- Stair placement limited by chimney location
- Door placement upstairs limited by chimney
- A staircase rotated 90 degrees (entrance next to front door) would appeal more
- Difficult to align windows upstairs and downstairs on the gable end vertically
- Floor-to-ceiling windows upstairs; wider windows with a sill height around 100 cm (40 inches) would be preferred
Price estimate by architect/planner: 200,000 €
Personal price limit for the house including equipment: 210,000 €
Preferred heating technology: gas heating

What details or expansions could you give up?
- Can do without: gallery next to stairs upstairs. Living area could also be narrower (e.g., 4.20 m (14 ft) instead of 4.47 m (15 ft))
- Cannot do without: storage room upstairs, shower in guest toilet, extra natural light in the ground floor hallway (e.g., side panel on front door or window)

Why was the design made this way? For example, standard plan from planner?
- Since the house has very little space on the south side, the house should be very narrow in order not to waste more space to the south. It should be wider so that living, dining, and kitchen areas face south as much as possible.
Were corresponding wishes from the architect implemented? No architect meeting has taken place yet.

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
How can the ground floor hallway be better designed to fit a wardrobe? Can the stairs be positioned better or replaced? Should the hallway be enlarged and living space reduced? How can the upstairs hallway be better utilized? Can the bedroom be enlarged? Is it possible to swap the bedroom with another room, e.g., move it to the southeast to allow a walk-in closet?

Thank you very much in advance for your criticism and suggestions!

Lageplan eines Baugrundstücks mit Parzellen, Straßenverlauf und Gebäudestrukturen.


Grundriss: Kochen/Essen/Wohnen, HWR, WC, Diele, Gast, Treppenhaus, Schornstein.


Grundriss Obergeschoss: Zimmer 1, Zimmer 2, Schlafen, Bad, Flur/Galerie, Abstell, Schornstein.
kaho6748 Mar 2018 08:44
j.bautsch schrieb:
... maybe a second entrance to the utility room could be added? Maybe near or connected to the garage or parking space?

Yes, I had also considered including a direct exit to the laundry drying area and a laundry chute.


Floor plan of an apartment with hallway, bathroom, two bedrooms, kitchen, and living room.

Floor plan of a house with utility room, shower, hallway, guest room, and central open space.
kaho6748 Mar 2018 09:42
chrisw81 schrieb:
Originally, we planned to use 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) calcium silicate block walls for sound insulation, but the architect advised against it due to cracking issues and recommended a double-layer drywall with 60 mm (2.4 inches) insulation instead. He will send us the sound insulation values. I think the results will be similar, since no plastering is needed. Why do you ask?

Are they replacing the masonry calcium silicate block with drywall because of cracking? Is there any truth to that? Or is it more about saving money?
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chrisw81
8 Mar 2018 10:28
kaho674 schrieb:
The SH 142 XXL from Scanhaus Marlow Marlow could also fit well on the plot:
I would probably have chosen a floor plan like this as well if the plot had a better shape. I don’t find the living room located in the northwest ideal, since there is a tall house to the west that blocks the light and is not necessarily always a pleasant view. Therefore, having the living room in the southwest is better, as it offers more of a southern view.
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chrisw81
8 Mar 2018 10:32
kaho674 schrieb:
Another version without the kitchen narrowing, which in my opinion offers more spaciousness and room. Access to the technical room through the kitchen has the advantage that it can also be used as storage at the same time. Laundry chute in the bathroom is conceivable.
Children’s rooms increased to 15m² (161 ft²) without significant losses in other rooms.
Chimney almost optimally placed in front of the roof ridge.

I wouldn’t recess the fireplace, so it breaks up the wall. Personally, I like fireplaces that still have a small bench in front, which sticks out slightly. That would be a perfect spot for the cat to lie.

Interesting idea! There are definitely many more possibilities.
I actually wanted to avoid access to the technical room through the kitchen.

The fireplace itself is not recessed, only the chimney. The fireplace is positioned 50cm (20 inches) in front of the chimney (since it is two-sided), and the aforementioned bench could also be placed there.
kaho6748 Mar 2018 10:32
chrisw81 schrieb:
I would probably have chosen a floor plan like that as well if the plot had a better shape.

Are the 11.65m (38.2 feet) already measured from both building lines?
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chrisw81
8 Mar 2018 10:37
kaho674 schrieb:
Because of cracking, is a dry wall being built instead of a masonry wall made of sand-lime bricks? Is there any truth to that? Or is it more about saving money?

No, there is enough money. I did not choose the supplier because of the low price, but because the seller was knowledgeable and used good materials, windows, etc. If it had been more expensive with an even better seller, that would have been no problem. But we didn’t find anyone. And everyone else only builds with bricks, so why should I spend more? Therefore, I place more value on interior features like the fireplace, shutters, and so on.

Regarding the cracks… yes, that’s the only reason for the drywall. The sand-lime brick wall isn’t that much more expensive. I also don’t want to be constantly filling and repainting.