ᐅ Ground floor approximately 100 sqm, upper floor adaptable for expansion (planned bathroom, 2 children's bedrooms, 1 storage room)
Created on: 28 Mar 2018 10:32
P
pffreestyler
Hello,
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 879 sqm (9,458 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site occupancy index: 0.3
Floor area ratio: 0.45
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 5 m (16 ft) to the street, 3 m (10 ft) each to the orchard area and neighbors
Edge development /
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Roof type: gable roof
Construction style: solid / masonry
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height 9.0 m (30 ft), eaves height 6.0 m (20 ft)
Other requirements
Homeowners’ requirements: living room facing south, small office (initially used as a nursery), walk-in shower on ground floor, utility room on the driveway side
Style, roof type, building type
Basement, floors: no basement, 1.5 stories
Number of residents, age: 2 – under 30
Office use: family use rather than home office
Number of overnight guests per year: 2-3
Open or closed architecture: closed
Traditional or modern style: rather traditional
Open kitchen, kitchen island: no
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport planned later on the east side
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: no
House design
Designer: general contractor
What do you like most? Why? living room facing south, the number of rooms as desired
What do you dislike? Why? the office window 1 should be moved from south to west (otherwise the wall looks too bare); driveway and access to be on the east, not the west
Price estimate by architect/planner: available after Easter; currently mainly focused on the floor plan
Personal price limit including fixtures: expected around €1,700 per sqm (sq ft conversion not added per instruction)
Preferred heating: gas
If you have to give up, which details/features?
-can give up: bathtub
-cannot give up:
Why is the design as it is now?
The floor plan is based on a very similar layout seen during a house viewing and is our favorite among all viewings and catalog research. We only adapted it slightly to our needs (removed guest WC and enlarged living room, rotated office).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
The floor plan basically fits us, but I would appreciate your opinion to see if any improvements are possible. Note: as mentioned, we want to move the office window to the west so the wall doesn’t look so bare. Driveway on the east, not west. Therefore, the bare wall on the west is where the carport will go up to the utility room door. Alternatively, a window could be added to the living room there and the carport start behind the house. The plot allows this.
My main concern is that we’re not 100% happy with the roof’s east-west orientation; I would prefer a north-south alignment. Do you have ideas on rotating the floor plan 90 degrees while keeping the layout mostly unchanged? Only the kitchen and office could be swapped.
PS: The square meter figures for the hallway may be incorrect; the contractor will finalize after Easter. Correct figures will be approximately: living room 31.79 sqm (342 sq ft), kitchen 15.19 sqm (163 sq ft), utility room 9.87 sqm (106 sq ft), hallway about 19.5 sqm (210 sq ft), office/child room 1 about 8 sqm (86 sq ft), bedroom about 11.8 sqm (127 sq ft), bathroom about 8.5 sqm (91 sq ft)
Plot details: length west: 40 m (131 ft), east: 42 m (138 ft), width: 21.5 m (71 ft)
Best regards
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 879 sqm (9,458 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site occupancy index: 0.3
Floor area ratio: 0.45
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 5 m (16 ft) to the street, 3 m (10 ft) each to the orchard area and neighbors
Edge development /
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Roof type: gable roof
Construction style: solid / masonry
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height 9.0 m (30 ft), eaves height 6.0 m (20 ft)
Other requirements
Homeowners’ requirements: living room facing south, small office (initially used as a nursery), walk-in shower on ground floor, utility room on the driveway side
Style, roof type, building type
Basement, floors: no basement, 1.5 stories
Number of residents, age: 2 – under 30
Office use: family use rather than home office
Number of overnight guests per year: 2-3
Open or closed architecture: closed
Traditional or modern style: rather traditional
Open kitchen, kitchen island: no
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport planned later on the east side
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: no
House design
Designer: general contractor
What do you like most? Why? living room facing south, the number of rooms as desired
What do you dislike? Why? the office window 1 should be moved from south to west (otherwise the wall looks too bare); driveway and access to be on the east, not the west
Price estimate by architect/planner: available after Easter; currently mainly focused on the floor plan
Personal price limit including fixtures: expected around €1,700 per sqm (sq ft conversion not added per instruction)
Preferred heating: gas
If you have to give up, which details/features?
-can give up: bathtub
-cannot give up:
Why is the design as it is now?
The floor plan is based on a very similar layout seen during a house viewing and is our favorite among all viewings and catalog research. We only adapted it slightly to our needs (removed guest WC and enlarged living room, rotated office).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
The floor plan basically fits us, but I would appreciate your opinion to see if any improvements are possible. Note: as mentioned, we want to move the office window to the west so the wall doesn’t look so bare. Driveway on the east, not west. Therefore, the bare wall on the west is where the carport will go up to the utility room door. Alternatively, a window could be added to the living room there and the carport start behind the house. The plot allows this.
My main concern is that we’re not 100% happy with the roof’s east-west orientation; I would prefer a north-south alignment. Do you have ideas on rotating the floor plan 90 degrees while keeping the layout mostly unchanged? Only the kitchen and office could be swapped.
PS: The square meter figures for the hallway may be incorrect; the contractor will finalize after Easter. Correct figures will be approximately: living room 31.79 sqm (342 sq ft), kitchen 15.19 sqm (163 sq ft), utility room 9.87 sqm (106 sq ft), hallway about 19.5 sqm (210 sq ft), office/child room 1 about 8 sqm (86 sq ft), bedroom about 11.8 sqm (127 sq ft), bathroom about 8.5 sqm (91 sq ft)
Plot details: length west: 40 m (131 ft), east: 42 m (138 ft), width: 21.5 m (71 ft)
Best regards
Karsten, you’re simply holding on to an outdated living concept: the formal living room is only used for major holidays or when the pastor visits. Otherwise, it stays unheated, and sometimes protective covers were even placed over the furniture to prevent sun fading. The door remained closed, and life mostly took place in the kitchen. The kitchen was therefore quite large and heated anyway, because cooking happened there frequently. Often, as in your case, there was even a sofa inside, later a radio, and then a TV. You can like and do it that way, but it’s simply an outdated living concept. Today we no longer have cold rooms, and I personally find it a waste of space and furniture to reserve parts of my home only for “special” occasions. Usually, you don’t have enough space to comfortably afford that. I am more familiar with the situation where there is a shortage of square meters.
If you like it that way, that’s fine, but singing the unchallengeable praise of it is a bit too retro. And for a family of three or four people who need to use their square meters efficiently, it’s really not suitable.
By now, I don’t really care if someone sticks to their floor plan, but I want to clarify a few things about kitchen odors and the use of extractor hoods:
Use of extractor hoods:
We didn’t know this either until we were recently informed by a kitchen consultant (Karsten, beware!!!). An extractor hood can only work effectively if NO window, patio door, etc., is open. It’s also ideal to turn on the hood well before cooking, at least 5 minutes in advance. This allows proper air circulation to develop, so the extractor works efficiently.
So it’s not the IKEA model’s fault (they are actually quite good!) but the open window. I must admit: in summer, we also always keep the patio door open. Now I know I don’t even have to turn on the extractor hood then... and we just ventilate old-fashioned: window or door open.
Distribution of kitchen odors and how to prevent them:
Don’t fool yourself into thinking that a closed-off kitchen will prevent cooking smells from spreading to the rest of the home. It won’t. Especially when food is carried through the house from the kitchen to the formal dining area for special occasions, the odor control strategy of a closed kitchen fails.
There are only three really effective ways to keep food odors somewhat under control:
1. A good extractor hood, ideally downdraft ventilation, and using it properly
2. A house with mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) or controlled residential ventilation
3. Something a bit old-fashioned but very effective: thorough airing after meals and clearing away leftovers and dirty dishes
That’s it... Wait, I just thought of a fourth option: eat only cold food and avoid smelly cheeses! But whether that’s really the solution...
I can speak from personal experience because I have lived in all three housing concepts: separate kitchen, open kitchen with dining area and separate living room, and now an open-plan living concept.
First of all: when you cook, the whole apartment will smell like it, no matter how strictly you keep the kitchen door closed or whether you use the extractor hood or not (a roast in the oven for several hours makes extractor hoods nearly useless anyway), only consistent airing afterward helps. I have only experienced controlled residential ventilation (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery) at a friend’s apartment, but it was impressive and definitely helped to “absorb” cooking smells.
My first apartment had a separate kitchen. I wanted this at the time, exactly for that reason: no smells when I cook. The illusion quickly disappeared... I had a small seating area in the kitchen because the available square meters didn’t allow for more. The dining area was in the living room. I lived alone, and I did regularly use the dining area for nice weekend breakfasts or good meals. The kitchen seating was more for quick breakfasts or snacks. It was okay, but again, in terms of odors, the kitchen door and extractor hood did almost nothing—only airing afterward helped.
The next apartment I lived in with my ex-boyfriend had a large kitchen with a big dining area. Smell-wise, it was the same as in my small single apartment: when you cook, you smell it. But I no longer lived alone. Because the living room was separate from the kitchen and my boyfriend often sat on the couch or at the computer there, I was usually alone in the kitchen while cooking, so not much changed from living alone. I can understand the “non-cooker”: we had a nice dining area, but the couch was cozier. He often came in to ask if he could help or just to check in, but basically, we were separated. I found that annoying and less than ideal.
Then we broke up (though not because of the kitchen/living room situation *grin*), and I was looking for a new place. The main priority was that I could bring my two cats, who are allowed outside. That’s how I got my current apartment—with an open living/dining/kitchen area. That’s how it’s done nowadays. And I really like this concept. When guests come, I can still quickly prepare something but I’m not locked away in the kitchen. Now I’m in a relationship again and living with my current boyfriend. We enjoy cooking together, and when only one is handling the cooking, the other sits nearby on the couch so we can talk or watch TV together. That’s how our new house, which we are now planning to build, will be designed. We think it’s great.
As for odors: yes, it smells when we cook, but it always did, even with a closed kitchen. We have high hopes for our planned downdraft extractor. We saw a live demonstration, and it was impressive. I think combined with controlled residential ventilation, it will do much more against cooking fumes than a kitchen door.
I just wanted to explain this because I’ve really lived every possibility. Plus, you’re planning for children. Especially then, I think an open concept is clever: Mom cooks but can still keep an eye on the kids in the living room. How you ultimately decide is, of course, your choice. But you can forget about a closed kitchen preventing cooking smells.
If you like it that way, that’s fine, but singing the unchallengeable praise of it is a bit too retro. And for a family of three or four people who need to use their square meters efficiently, it’s really not suitable.
By now, I don’t really care if someone sticks to their floor plan, but I want to clarify a few things about kitchen odors and the use of extractor hoods:
Use of extractor hoods:
We didn’t know this either until we were recently informed by a kitchen consultant (Karsten, beware!!!). An extractor hood can only work effectively if NO window, patio door, etc., is open. It’s also ideal to turn on the hood well before cooking, at least 5 minutes in advance. This allows proper air circulation to develop, so the extractor works efficiently.
So it’s not the IKEA model’s fault (they are actually quite good!) but the open window. I must admit: in summer, we also always keep the patio door open. Now I know I don’t even have to turn on the extractor hood then... and we just ventilate old-fashioned: window or door open.
Distribution of kitchen odors and how to prevent them:
Don’t fool yourself into thinking that a closed-off kitchen will prevent cooking smells from spreading to the rest of the home. It won’t. Especially when food is carried through the house from the kitchen to the formal dining area for special occasions, the odor control strategy of a closed kitchen fails.
There are only three really effective ways to keep food odors somewhat under control:
1. A good extractor hood, ideally downdraft ventilation, and using it properly
2. A house with mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) or controlled residential ventilation
3. Something a bit old-fashioned but very effective: thorough airing after meals and clearing away leftovers and dirty dishes
That’s it... Wait, I just thought of a fourth option: eat only cold food and avoid smelly cheeses! But whether that’s really the solution...
I can speak from personal experience because I have lived in all three housing concepts: separate kitchen, open kitchen with dining area and separate living room, and now an open-plan living concept.
First of all: when you cook, the whole apartment will smell like it, no matter how strictly you keep the kitchen door closed or whether you use the extractor hood or not (a roast in the oven for several hours makes extractor hoods nearly useless anyway), only consistent airing afterward helps. I have only experienced controlled residential ventilation (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery) at a friend’s apartment, but it was impressive and definitely helped to “absorb” cooking smells.
My first apartment had a separate kitchen. I wanted this at the time, exactly for that reason: no smells when I cook. The illusion quickly disappeared... I had a small seating area in the kitchen because the available square meters didn’t allow for more. The dining area was in the living room. I lived alone, and I did regularly use the dining area for nice weekend breakfasts or good meals. The kitchen seating was more for quick breakfasts or snacks. It was okay, but again, in terms of odors, the kitchen door and extractor hood did almost nothing—only airing afterward helped.
The next apartment I lived in with my ex-boyfriend had a large kitchen with a big dining area. Smell-wise, it was the same as in my small single apartment: when you cook, you smell it. But I no longer lived alone. Because the living room was separate from the kitchen and my boyfriend often sat on the couch or at the computer there, I was usually alone in the kitchen while cooking, so not much changed from living alone. I can understand the “non-cooker”: we had a nice dining area, but the couch was cozier. He often came in to ask if he could help or just to check in, but basically, we were separated. I found that annoying and less than ideal.
Then we broke up (though not because of the kitchen/living room situation *grin*), and I was looking for a new place. The main priority was that I could bring my two cats, who are allowed outside. That’s how I got my current apartment—with an open living/dining/kitchen area. That’s how it’s done nowadays. And I really like this concept. When guests come, I can still quickly prepare something but I’m not locked away in the kitchen. Now I’m in a relationship again and living with my current boyfriend. We enjoy cooking together, and when only one is handling the cooking, the other sits nearby on the couch so we can talk or watch TV together. That’s how our new house, which we are now planning to build, will be designed. We think it’s great.
As for odors: yes, it smells when we cook, but it always did, even with a closed kitchen. We have high hopes for our planned downdraft extractor. We saw a live demonstration, and it was impressive. I think combined with controlled residential ventilation, it will do much more against cooking fumes than a kitchen door.
I just wanted to explain this because I’ve really lived every possibility. Plus, you’re planning for children. Especially then, I think an open concept is clever: Mom cooks but can still keep an eye on the kids in the living room. How you ultimately decide is, of course, your choice. But you can forget about a closed kitchen preventing cooking smells.
C
chand19863 Apr 2018 15:08Climbee schrieb:
there was also a sofa in there, later a radio, and then the TV.And that’s when open-plan living was born, but these “eat-in kitchens” were then enlarged to lounge sizes, while the former “parlor” was discarded into the dustbin of history… Because duplication is too expensive.
Now there are discussions about whether you need a kitchen that can also function as a living room, but still have a separate lounge. Why? Because that’s always how it’s been, the German argument. Like in the north people insist on entering the house 90% of the time through the utility room with kitchen connections.
So here’s a question: Why not be consistent? Enlarge the utility room, add the cloakroom in there, make that the main entrance, and eliminate the now unnecessary “representative entrance.” What you don’t use 90% of the time is basically unnecessary. This frees up square meters for more important things or makes the whole thing more affordable.
Affordable does not mean cheap! (who do I sound like now?)
Climbee schrieb:
Additionally, you’re planning for child(ren). Especially in that case, I think an open-plan layout is quite practical: mom is cooking and can still keep an eye on the kids in the living room. Ultimately, how you decide is, of course, your choice. But if you think a closed kitchen will keep food odors away, you can forget about that.A closed kitchen that’s also far away from the living area is really impractical with small children. From the kitchen, you can’t even see or hear the kids. How are you supposed to cook calmly if you constantly have to go into the living room to check that everything’s okay? Small children need constant supervision, and you can’t exactly keep them confined to the kitchen. Besides, it’s no fun working in the kitchen while the rest of the family is enjoying themselves in the living room.
Best regards,
Sabine
pffreestyler schrieb:
that I am/was afraid that an additional window in the utility room would take up too much space for my needs. I’m not quite following you here: how does relocating the utility room increase the number of windows?https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
You just don’t get it. Intellectually, yes, but not emotionally.
You make distinctions here. T, S, and W are friends; they don’t ring the bell, they come in through the back and call out, “Hello, where are you?” They’re allowed to do that. The door is open during the day anyway.
A stranger has to ring the bell and is then let in.
I can understand the issue with children, kitchen, and living room. My daughter has two small children and closed off the formerly open kitchen because she simply doesn’t like seeing kitchen furniture in the living room. From time to time, especially the little one plays in the hallway when grandma is cooking. A little house isn’t a castle after all. It’s not all that big. Karsten
You make distinctions here. T, S, and W are friends; they don’t ring the bell, they come in through the back and call out, “Hello, where are you?” They’re allowed to do that. The door is open during the day anyway.
A stranger has to ring the bell and is then let in.
I can understand the issue with children, kitchen, and living room. My daughter has two small children and closed off the formerly open kitchen because she simply doesn’t like seeing kitchen furniture in the living room. From time to time, especially the little one plays in the hallway when grandma is cooking. A little house isn’t a castle after all. It’s not all that big. Karsten
When visiting friends, I usually just walk in, either because the front door isn’t locked during the day or I enter through the patio door via the garden. So far, I haven’t needed a second entrance for this.
Of course, strangers ring the doorbell, which is perfectly fine. But I’m not so picky that I need two doors because of that.
I understand the idea, and having a door directly into the utility room does have its advantages, no doubt. However, it also depends on the square meterage (square footage) and whether I can afford it without having to make too many other compromises.
Of course, strangers ring the doorbell, which is perfectly fine. But I’m not so picky that I need two doors because of that.
I understand the idea, and having a door directly into the utility room does have its advantages, no doubt. However, it also depends on the square meterage (square footage) and whether I can afford it without having to make too many other compromises.
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