ᐅ Single-family house approximately 155 sqm – located at the edge of open fields – any experiences or ideas?
Created on: 22 Jun 2018 13:52
B
balbi21
Hello everyone,
I have been following this great forum for a while and would now like to share my current planning status – since many eyes can surely see more than just four.
We have been planning to build a house on a plot at the edge of a field (unfortunately facing rather east) – ideal for 2 people, but definitely suitable for 5 since my children from a previous marriage still visit regularly. Therefore, some rooms are planned as children’s rooms initially but should be usable later for other purposes (sauna, guest room, etc.).
At the moment, the land situation is still tricky and may take a few more weeks – so everything regarding the design is still open, meaning it is all still in the "pre-planning" stage...
We ourselves are two working adults who enjoy cooking, walking, and wellness – and need little “waste space.” However, there is an “inner conflict,” as one prefers open, spacious rooms while the other prefers a cozy atmosphere. After several attempts with an age-appropriate bungalow with a basement, and an urban villa with a hipped roof, we have currently settled on a “classic” detached house with a gable roof, but with a high knee wall (1.70m (5 ft 7 in)) as a compromise between coziness = sloped ceilings and open space = full ceiling height *g*.
More about us gladly in the discussion. I have now started with the questionnaire:
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: approx. 700 sqm (7,535 sq ft)
Slope: No
Site coverage ratio: 0.30
Floor area ratio: 0.45
Building plot, building line, and boundary: Building plot on the street side, field edge location, area towards the field to remain open for nature conservation/hedgerow. Building area approx. 500 sqm (5,382 sq ft) of the 700 sqm (7,535 sq ft) plot.
Edge construction: No special conditions
Number of parking spaces: 2 required
Number of floors: 2 full stories permitted
Roof shape: All types permitted
Style: Everything except log cabin houses permitted
Orientation: East-southeast
Maximum height/restrictions: Max height 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
Other requirements: Minimum 3 m (10 ft) distance from street to garage/building
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: Modern, clear, open: gable or hipped roof (possibly 2 shed roofs?), urban villa or classic detached house architecture
Basement, floors: Rather no basement, instead 2 floors + usable attic
Number of people, ages: 2 (around 40 years old) (+ 3 occasional visitors/kids aged 9, 12, 14)
Space Requirements on Ground and Upper Floors
Ground floor: Open living, dining, and kitchen area (generous kitchen + pantry?), office, utility/technical room, guest WC
Upper floor: Children's room 1 (later guest room), children’s room 2 (later sauna/gym), master bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom
Office: Home office
Guests per year: 3 children (9, 12, 14), occasional guests
Open or closed architecture: Preferably airy and open
Conservative or modern construction: Rather modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Both options welcome
Number of dining seats: At least 6
Fireplace: Yes, preferably visible from living, dining, and kitchen areas
Music/sound system wall: No
Balcony, roof terrace: Not necessary, possibly a roof terrace on the garage?
Garage, carport: For 2 cars, possibly workbench, tools, bicycles
Utility garden, greenhouse: No
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine and reasons:
- Different work schedules require that one person can get up early, get dressed, and get ready while the other can continue sleeping
- The 3 children will eventually visit less regularly or no longer all at the same time -> rooms need to be usable long term and flexibly
House Design
Designed by: Basic design by a prefab house company, further modified by myself in SweetHome3D.
What do you like particularly? Why?
- Connecting garage to the main house (dry access with groceries)
- “Parents’ wing” (one door closed, no one getting into our closets or bedroom)
- Room usage concept (no rooms that become unnecessary later)
- Pantry behind kitchen (can house grain mill, non-decorative appliances, etc., in the back room)
- Office next to living room: During tax time, you’re not separated from your cooking partner and remain within calling distance without a walkie-talkie
What do you dislike? Why?
Pantry has no connection to the garage – open kitchen might be too small? (Bay window already enlarges the living space somewhat)
Price estimate according to architect/planner: about 400k
Personal price limit for house including fixtures: Would be nice to stay under 700k total costs including 150k for the plot...
Preferred heating system: fresh-air heat pump
What could you do without in detail/additions? Too many floor-to-ceiling windows.
What you cannot do without: open living/dining/kitchen area
Why did the design evolve this way?
Generation 5.5 house, Weberhaus as a base, changed in 3 discussions and personal work – after having first considered a bungalow with basement (first attempt) and then an urban villa (second attempt).
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Even if the house looks like a “standard model,” the details (I believe) are what make it somewhat special – it would be great to get tips and ideas on what we might have overlooked or forgotten in the planning and what we should consider, since it is so early in the design phase and we still have everything in hand...
I would appreciate creative suggestions, ideas, questions, etc. and look forward to the following discussion.
Best regards,
Björn
I have been following this great forum for a while and would now like to share my current planning status – since many eyes can surely see more than just four.
We have been planning to build a house on a plot at the edge of a field (unfortunately facing rather east) – ideal for 2 people, but definitely suitable for 5 since my children from a previous marriage still visit regularly. Therefore, some rooms are planned as children’s rooms initially but should be usable later for other purposes (sauna, guest room, etc.).
At the moment, the land situation is still tricky and may take a few more weeks – so everything regarding the design is still open, meaning it is all still in the "pre-planning" stage...
We ourselves are two working adults who enjoy cooking, walking, and wellness – and need little “waste space.” However, there is an “inner conflict,” as one prefers open, spacious rooms while the other prefers a cozy atmosphere. After several attempts with an age-appropriate bungalow with a basement, and an urban villa with a hipped roof, we have currently settled on a “classic” detached house with a gable roof, but with a high knee wall (1.70m (5 ft 7 in)) as a compromise between coziness = sloped ceilings and open space = full ceiling height *g*.
More about us gladly in the discussion. I have now started with the questionnaire:
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: approx. 700 sqm (7,535 sq ft)
Slope: No
Site coverage ratio: 0.30
Floor area ratio: 0.45
Building plot, building line, and boundary: Building plot on the street side, field edge location, area towards the field to remain open for nature conservation/hedgerow. Building area approx. 500 sqm (5,382 sq ft) of the 700 sqm (7,535 sq ft) plot.
Edge construction: No special conditions
Number of parking spaces: 2 required
Number of floors: 2 full stories permitted
Roof shape: All types permitted
Style: Everything except log cabin houses permitted
Orientation: East-southeast
Maximum height/restrictions: Max height 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
Other requirements: Minimum 3 m (10 ft) distance from street to garage/building
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: Modern, clear, open: gable or hipped roof (possibly 2 shed roofs?), urban villa or classic detached house architecture
Basement, floors: Rather no basement, instead 2 floors + usable attic
Number of people, ages: 2 (around 40 years old) (+ 3 occasional visitors/kids aged 9, 12, 14)
Space Requirements on Ground and Upper Floors
Ground floor: Open living, dining, and kitchen area (generous kitchen + pantry?), office, utility/technical room, guest WC
Upper floor: Children's room 1 (later guest room), children’s room 2 (later sauna/gym), master bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom
Office: Home office
Guests per year: 3 children (9, 12, 14), occasional guests
Open or closed architecture: Preferably airy and open
Conservative or modern construction: Rather modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Both options welcome
Number of dining seats: At least 6
Fireplace: Yes, preferably visible from living, dining, and kitchen areas
Music/sound system wall: No
Balcony, roof terrace: Not necessary, possibly a roof terrace on the garage?
Garage, carport: For 2 cars, possibly workbench, tools, bicycles
Utility garden, greenhouse: No
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine and reasons:
- Different work schedules require that one person can get up early, get dressed, and get ready while the other can continue sleeping
- The 3 children will eventually visit less regularly or no longer all at the same time -> rooms need to be usable long term and flexibly
House Design
Designed by: Basic design by a prefab house company, further modified by myself in SweetHome3D.
What do you like particularly? Why?
- Connecting garage to the main house (dry access with groceries)
- “Parents’ wing” (one door closed, no one getting into our closets or bedroom)
- Room usage concept (no rooms that become unnecessary later)
- Pantry behind kitchen (can house grain mill, non-decorative appliances, etc., in the back room)
- Office next to living room: During tax time, you’re not separated from your cooking partner and remain within calling distance without a walkie-talkie
What do you dislike? Why?
Pantry has no connection to the garage – open kitchen might be too small? (Bay window already enlarges the living space somewhat)
Price estimate according to architect/planner: about 400k
Personal price limit for house including fixtures: Would be nice to stay under 700k total costs including 150k for the plot...
Preferred heating system: fresh-air heat pump
What could you do without in detail/additions? Too many floor-to-ceiling windows.
What you cannot do without: open living/dining/kitchen area
Why did the design evolve this way?
Generation 5.5 house, Weberhaus as a base, changed in 3 discussions and personal work – after having first considered a bungalow with basement (first attempt) and then an urban villa (second attempt).
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Even if the house looks like a “standard model,” the details (I believe) are what make it somewhat special – it would be great to get tips and ideas on what we might have overlooked or forgotten in the planning and what we should consider, since it is so early in the design phase and we still have everything in hand...
I would appreciate creative suggestions, ideas, questions, etc. and look forward to the following discussion.
Best regards,
Björn
I have taken another close look and find that most of the doors are poorly planned. While the general layout of the rooms might work, much of the house remains underutilized.
The door from the garage to the cold storage (TK) – what is its purpose? It is just 2 meters (6.5 feet) away from the front door and takes up valuable space in the small room, for example, space for a washing machine.
The arrangement of the three utility rooms could be improved: if the cold storage were in the center, a better door position would create space in the hallway for a dresser or coat rack. Speaking of which: where should that go? What is the intended use for the storage space under the stairs? Overall, storage space is scarce.
The pantry door awkwardly separates the kitchen workspace.
The dining area seems too narrow.
Upstairs, three doors ruin the space available in the walk-in closet. We only have 4.5 square meters (48 square feet), but twice as much usable space.
Edit regarding the kitchen: It is 5 meters (16.4 feet) wide, subtracting 90 centimeters (35 inches) for the island and 90 centimeters (35 inches) plus 60 centimeters (24 inches) for counters, leaves about 2.60 meters (8.5 feet) width for the dining table – which is too narrow!
The door from the garage to the cold storage (TK) – what is its purpose? It is just 2 meters (6.5 feet) away from the front door and takes up valuable space in the small room, for example, space for a washing machine.
The arrangement of the three utility rooms could be improved: if the cold storage were in the center, a better door position would create space in the hallway for a dresser or coat rack. Speaking of which: where should that go? What is the intended use for the storage space under the stairs? Overall, storage space is scarce.
The pantry door awkwardly separates the kitchen workspace.
The dining area seems too narrow.
Upstairs, three doors ruin the space available in the walk-in closet. We only have 4.5 square meters (48 square feet), but twice as much usable space.
Edit regarding the kitchen: It is 5 meters (16.4 feet) wide, subtracting 90 centimeters (35 inches) for the island and 90 centimeters (35 inches) plus 60 centimeters (24 inches) for counters, leaves about 2.60 meters (8.5 feet) width for the dining table – which is too narrow!
H
hampshire24 Jun 2018 08:26Hello Björn,
Imagine the daily and typical “routes” inside the house. Which paths should be as short and comfortable as possible?
Is the “office” used daily for work, or is it more of a computer/gaming room? It occupies a very “prominent” position in terms of natural light. I would place a gaming room facing north and instead have more light in the kitchen.
How do you manage to pass the cars with your bikes without scratching them? One alternative might be a separate bicycle garage. That way, the utility/technical room could be slightly enlarged and moved. This would give you more flexibility for the ground floor bathroom, pantry, and kitchen.
Enjoy the planning process,
Max.
Imagine the daily and typical “routes” inside the house. Which paths should be as short and comfortable as possible?
Is the “office” used daily for work, or is it more of a computer/gaming room? It occupies a very “prominent” position in terms of natural light. I would place a gaming room facing north and instead have more light in the kitchen.
How do you manage to pass the cars with your bikes without scratching them? One alternative might be a separate bicycle garage. That way, the utility/technical room could be slightly enlarged and moved. This would give you more flexibility for the ground floor bathroom, pantry, and kitchen.
Enjoy the planning process,
Max.
The hallway downstairs (no window), the staircase, and the hallway upstairs are dark. When you enter the dressing room, it is also dark because it definitely lacks windows. The dining area is about 2.50m (8 feet 2 inches) wide, which is simply too narrow; no one can pass through to reach the patio door or the kitchen. The 90cm (35 inches) clearance between the island and the kitchen counter is also very tight; 1m (39 inches) would be better.
Best regards,
Sabine
Best regards,
Sabine
Hello everyone,
That’s exactly what I meant: Initially, the two larger rooms upstairs will definitely be “children’s bedrooms”… but it doesn’t seem sensible to me to have no plan for what the rooms should be used for when regular visits become less frequent and not everyone is there at the same time anymore… so the floor plan includes a “review” to see if the rooms are suitable for “future” use.
We thought it would be practical to have a door leading into the garage—especially if it is sized so that you can store supplies, a chest freezer, wine, or other items—and you don’t always have to open the 5m (16 ft) garage door when you just want to grab something…
We considered using that space for storing items like vacuum cleaners, mops, or miscellaneous clutter—rather than leaving the area under the stairs open where you wouldn’t want to place anything “undecorative.”
That’s basically true—we tried it that way before—but it would contradict the idea of having a garage door, so we switched back. We still need to find a place for the coat rack (a hook strip for jackets, etc.). At the moment, I envision a shoe cabinet in the utility room, where a ductless heat pump (e.g. an air-to-water system) will be installed above the washer and dryer. However, with a water tank and a battery storage unit, it could get pretty cramped in there.
Do you have any better ideas? Our usual “morning routine” currently is that I get up about two hours before my wife, get ready and dressed, then leave for work while she continues to sleep undisturbed. Having a walk-in closet attached to the bedroom but without access to the hallway or bathroom would mean crossing the bedroom repeatedly, which would be disruptive. I’d prefer to be able to leave the bedroom quietly after the alarm goes off and close the door softly so I don’t hear what’s happening outside.
The study is meant to be more like an “extension” of the living room, containing files and a desk, and can be separated by a sliding door but will usually be open. When someone is in the study, it’s mostly for working—looking at photos, writing documents, etc. We don’t play there; games are mostly board games played at the dining table.
There will be skylights (1m x 1.4m (3 ft 3 in x 4 ft 7 in))—one above the stairwell and one in the walk-in closet—to provide more headroom under the sloped ceiling and plenty of light, since the window is positioned at the highest part of the roof, not low by the ceiling drop. I just couldn’t add those in SweetHome3D.
The dining area seems to be generally considered too small—you might think, even though the floor plan looks very square and rectangular, that in reality you don’t place everything perfectly aligned and that there should be enough room in the open living/dining/kitchen space for a table and chairs? Or from your experience, how much space should one actually plan for the dining area?
Thanks in advance for any observations you notice at first glance.
Best regards and have a great start to the week,
Björn
11ant schrieb:
Hmm, the sleeping guests are mentioned; planning room uses for children aged between 9 and 14 years is quite foresighted when considering future use…
That’s exactly what I meant: Initially, the two larger rooms upstairs will definitely be “children’s bedrooms”… but it doesn’t seem sensible to me to have no plan for what the rooms should be used for when regular visits become less frequent and not everyone is there at the same time anymore… so the floor plan includes a “review” to see if the rooms are suitable for “future” use.
ypg schrieb:
Door from garage to utility room: what is the purpose of that?
We thought it would be practical to have a door leading into the garage—especially if it is sized so that you can store supplies, a chest freezer, wine, or other items—and you don’t always have to open the 5m (16 ft) garage door when you just want to grab something…
ypg schrieb:
What is the storage room under the stairs for?
We considered using that space for storing items like vacuum cleaners, mops, or miscellaneous clutter—rather than leaving the area under the stairs open where you wouldn’t want to place anything “undecorative.”
ypg schrieb:
The layout of the three utility rooms could be improved: if the utility room were in the middle, a better door position would free up hallway space for a chest of drawers or a coat rack. By the way, where is the coat area supposed to go?
That’s basically true—we tried it that way before—but it would contradict the idea of having a garage door, so we switched back. We still need to find a place for the coat rack (a hook strip for jackets, etc.). At the moment, I envision a shoe cabinet in the utility room, where a ductless heat pump (e.g. an air-to-water system) will be installed above the washer and dryer. However, with a water tank and a battery storage unit, it could get pretty cramped in there.
ypg schrieb:
Upstairs, three doors cut into the walk-in closet’s usable space
Do you have any better ideas? Our usual “morning routine” currently is that I get up about two hours before my wife, get ready and dressed, then leave for work while she continues to sleep undisturbed. Having a walk-in closet attached to the bedroom but without access to the hallway or bathroom would mean crossing the bedroom repeatedly, which would be disruptive. I’d prefer to be able to leave the bedroom quietly after the alarm goes off and close the door softly so I don’t hear what’s happening outside.
hampshire schrieb:
Is the “study” used every day for work, or is it more of a computer room mainly for gaming?
The study is meant to be more like an “extension” of the living room, containing files and a desk, and can be separated by a sliding door but will usually be open. When someone is in the study, it’s mostly for working—looking at photos, writing documents, etc. We don’t play there; games are mostly board games played at the dining table.
Curly schrieb:
The hallway downstairs (no windows), the stairwell and upstairs hallway are dark. The walk-in closet is also dark on entering, windows are definitely missing there.
There will be skylights (1m x 1.4m (3 ft 3 in x 4 ft 7 in))—one above the stairwell and one in the walk-in closet—to provide more headroom under the sloped ceiling and plenty of light, since the window is positioned at the highest part of the roof, not low by the ceiling drop. I just couldn’t add those in SweetHome3D.
The dining area seems to be generally considered too small—you might think, even though the floor plan looks very square and rectangular, that in reality you don’t place everything perfectly aligned and that there should be enough room in the open living/dining/kitchen space for a table and chairs? Or from your experience, how much space should one actually plan for the dining area?
Thanks in advance for any observations you notice at first glance.
Best regards and have a great start to the week,
Björn
I think the dining room should be at least 3.50m (11.5 feet) wide, especially since it leads outside through the patio doors. You also can’t move the dining table closer to the fireplace, as it would get too warm there. I would place the dining table parallel to the kitchen island; putting it at an angle doesn’t work very well and doesn’t create more space. Your living room, including the kitchen, is also quite small at about 42sqm (450 square feet), in my opinion.
Best regards
Sabine
Best regards
Sabine
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