ᐅ Which of these floor plans can we build upon further?

Created on: 5 Dec 2018 11:21
S
StanSch
Hello everyone,

after spending quite some time in another forum, I hope to start fresh here (also for those who might be active in both forums).

We found a plot with a house from a builder. We really like the location (in the far west of the beautiful Ruhr area).

The plot with the standard floor plan (10x9 m, approx. 150 m² (1615 sq ft)) and a 9 m (30 ft) garage fits our budget. We don’t want it any bigger.

There was an appointment back then with the builder and architect where we discussed our wishes and special furniture pieces to be taken along.

We also talked about the 9 m (30 ft) garage. The plan places it on the west side of the house for a straight driveway. However, we realized it might be better on the east side. This way, an additional source of light could be placed on the west side in the kitchen or living room area. On the other hand, due to the neighboring house to the west, this would likely be a passive light source. Would a window on the east side be as effective as on the west side? On the west side, the house is 6 m (20 ft) away, and its garage is 3 m (10 ft) away. On the east side, the window would be approximately at the terrace level of house number 11.

Since the driveway to the garage on the east side seemed quite narrow, we simulated it with our Fabia station wagon (4.25 m (14 ft) long) along a house edge and the plot boundary marked with chalk. The driveway and exit worked, even if the neighbor would build a fence right on the boundary. But we aren’t yet 100% convinced about this option.

Originally, we planned to build smaller than the offered standard floor plan (10x9 m), wanting 10x8 m (approx. 86 sq m / 920 sq ft). The architect drew something for this, but we didn’t like it at all.

Then we went for 10x8.5 m (approx. 91 sq m / 980 sq ft), with the architect basing it on the standard floor plan but with 15 steps instead of 14. The straight or quarter-turn staircase caused repeated problems during several redrawings. Mostly, the dining area was too tight and/or the hallway or entrance area too large.

At one point, we briefly sketched another floor plan ourselves (the quarter-turn staircase rotated by 90°) and had it redrawn, but we rejected it again due to what felt like too small a TV area (4.15 m (13.6 ft) depth). I should mention that in our previous homes, we always had a distance of 4.5–6 m (15 to 20 ft) for a 42-inch TV and found that comfortable.

We were nearly desperate and looked at show homes. We got some great ideas there (e.g., built-in wardrobe in the entrance hall, children’s rooms around 14–15 m² (150–160 sq ft) are sufficient) and saw living rooms with TV areas around 3.5–3.75 m (11.5–12 ft) deep and tried them out. We didn’t find them too small, especially considering the manufacturer recommendations for optimal TV viewing distance.

Hoping that a larger floor plan would solve all problems, we decided to go for 10x9 m (150 sq m/1615 sq ft) size and saw the Signus floor plan (with 14 steps) from Kern-Haus and had it redrawn accordingly (with 15 steps). In retrospect, the basic structure is similar to the builder’s standard floor plan, except the staircase and TV area were handled differently. The dining area remains tight, and there is an extra barely usable space between the entrance and dining area.

At some point, the architect drew the standard floor plan with a corner staircase. We asked him to redraw it with dimensions but we are still waiting for this version today. Instead, we recently received the Signus floor plan with a slightly modified quarter-turn staircase (one step from the straight section was moved to the landing).

Here are the key data first:

Development plan/restrictions
  • Our plot and house will be number 10.
  • Plot size: 370–380 m² (16 m (52.5 ft) wide, approx. 23.8 m (78 ft) deep), no slope.
  • Building envelope: 10 m (33 ft) wide and 13.5 m (44 ft) deep, with a 3 m (10 ft) setback from neighbors and the private road (which will be extended to the boundary of number 11).
  • Orientation: south to southeast.
  • Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.4
  • Total floor area ratio: 0.8
  • 2 full stories
  • 6° flat roof design
  • Bauhaus style
  • Parking: Within the development area, private demand for garages, carports, and parking spaces must be met within the plot itself due to limited access areas. Garages, carports, and parking spaces should not be distributed randomly on the plots. They are only allowed inside the building zones and designated parking areas to avoid a disorganized impression and to prevent the use of rear zones and setback areas next to the existing buildings for garages, carports, or parking spaces.

Homeowners’ requirements
  • Detached
  • No basement
  • 2 full stories
  • 2 adults (35, 40), 2 children (6)
  • Kitchen, living/dining room, WC, bathroom, utility room, master bedroom, 2 children’s rooms, 1 office (exclusively for home office), additional storage room
    • In the kitchen, it would be nice to have a view of the garden from the main workspace or sink.
    • In the living room, it would be nice to see the garden from the sofa.
    • The area between living room and entrance/hall/staircase should be closed off with a door if possible.
    • In the master bedroom, the door should be visible from the bed, and there should be no window behind or above the bed.
    • Children’s rooms approx. 15 m² (160 sq ft) each, both facing south (better view, more light) with appropriate windows.
    • The office should be at least 8 m² (86 sq ft). This room does not necessarily need access from the hallway, it could be an adjacent room. The desk should be placed sideways to the window. Also, it should be arranged so that the desk is not directly visible from the street (reason: I find it uncomfortable to sit with my back to “the public”). The room should be designed to also hold a 1.5 m (5 ft) wide wardrobe (storage) and one or more 1 m (3.3 ft) wide highboards (ideally three).
    • A window in the upstairs hallway would be nice.
  • No overnight guests planned so far
  • Rather closed architecture
  • Prefer modern design
  • Prefer a closed kitchen, but a semi-open kitchen is also possible
  • 5-6 dining seats
  • No fireplace
  • TV wall with 5.1 sound system
  • 2 parking spaces (1x 9 m (30 ft) garage), garage on the east side?
  • Utility garden
  • No direct access from garage to utility room

If you had to give up on details/features
  • We can and want to do without a shower in the guest WC.
  • The 9 m (30 ft) garage on the east side is probably best in terms of light, but placement on the west side is also possible. A 6 m (20 ft) garage with an annex (for garden furniture, lawn mower, bicycles, etc.) elsewhere is also conceivable. However, since it makes sense to have an additional parking space in front of the garage, a 6 m garage combined with a 5.0–6 m parking space would practically end at the back of the house, so we wouldn’t really gain anything.

Builder’s floor plan (images ending with 295772-295772-5.png)
House design – why did the design turn out as it is?

  • The builder’s architect based the floor plan on the Signus by Kern-Haus.
  • We like the basic structure so far.
  • The front entrance with the door and the windows above feels much more inviting than the standard floor plan.
  • Is the front door drawn too large?
  • The door to the living room is not ideal. Depending on kitchen layout, it would be in the way when open.
  • Would a window sill height of 1.01 m (3.3 ft) be sufficient for the kitchen window? The left window in the dining area facing the terrace could perhaps be made floor-to-ceiling. It might not look perfectly symmetrical from the outside, but it would look the same from the inside in the dining area.
  • Due to the quarter-turn staircase with one step on the exit, the entrance hall area was reduced at the expense of the TV area. Is the TV area still large enough?
  • The entrance hall is quite large because of the quarter-turn staircase with the step on the exit. How could this space, especially under the stairs, be better used? Maybe with a built-in closet or storage room (with its own access)? We also once thought about rotating the staircase 180° and using the area under the stairs at the entrance as a wardrobe (built-in closet). But then what about the door to the living room? And how would it look when entering the house and seeing a cupboard right away? On the other hand, it might make sense to swap the front door with the window element.
  • The utility room has a 73.5 cm (29 in) door. Is that sufficient or would an 85 cm (33.5 in) door be better?
  • For the WC, we might prefer the door to open inward and swap the toilet and washbasin.
  • The two bed niches in the children’s rooms don’t look optimal at first glance. On one hand, only a wider bed fits here, and the other child would have to place a bigger bed elsewhere later (unless sleeping partially under the window). On the other hand, from this niche, you can’t see who enters the room. Maybe this deep niche is better for the entrance and perhaps a wardrobe with a headboard? Or the partition wall could be shifted a bit left (centered between the two windows), so that beds fit properly in both niches and bigger beds would protrude a little.
  • The storage room could perhaps be a bit narrower in favor of the bathroom. Maybe it would look better with an 85 cm (33.5 in) door here as well?
  • The heating system will likely be underfloor heating with a gas condensing boiler and solar storage for hot water support.

Own Floor Plan 1 [U](images ending with 295772-6-295772-7.png)
House design – why did the design turn out as it is?[/U]
  • DIY… since we can’t let go of the basic structure from the builder and Signus, I also drew a bit. Access to the utility room was moved to the kitchen and a 1.25 m (4 ft) wide built-in closet wardrobe was planned in the hallway.
  • Maybe the stairs should be moved a bit further left to get a larger living/dining area. This would allow making the WC narrower and possibly longer.
  • The square dining/living room looks like it might not be used optimally later. The distance between TV and sofa is quite large at 5.87 m (19 ft).
  • The upstairs hallway might be a bit too wide (due to the storage room). The wall between the storage room and the left children’s room could be moved left a bit. This would mean the door to the children’s room is not aligned with the stair railing but set a bit behind the wall at the stair’s end. Or could this be solved by adding a railing to the last step facing the left children’s room (similar to the builder’s floor plan)? On the other hand, such a wide hallway offers space for 30–40 cm (12–16 in) slim sideboards.
  • The layout of WC and bathroom might be done differently.
  • Windows and doors are not fixed yet and could be better positioned.
  • We like the entrance area better with the two outer windows above.

Own Floor Plan 2 [U](images ending with 295772-8-295772-9.png)
House design – why did the design turn out as it is?[/U]
  • DIY… We reviewed all floor plans again and came across the one with the staircase rotated 90°. I extended this plan to 9 m (30 ft) depth and shifted the stairs.
  • I find this layout very flexible since the central axis can be moved depending on needs. The same applies vertically for the utility room and office.
  • I like that with the stair positioning upstairs you come out behind the central axis, allowing large straight rooms to the south as well as to the other side.
  • I thought about using another staircase but couldn’t find a good location, and it would mean no window in the upper hallway.
  • The kitchen could also be open, or alternatively as our preferred closed kitchen. The dimensions shouldn’t feel too narrow.
  • The entrance area might be a bit large, especially in front of the WC. But it could fit a slim sideboard, mirror, or day coat rack.
  • The children’s rooms might be a bit too large. The central axis including stairs could be moved about 20 cm (8 in) toward the garden, but that would narrow the dining/living and cooking area.
  • The master bedroom might be a bit narrow if the bed is placed on the right and a sideboard with TV on the opposite wall.
  • Whether the stair overhang is enough to access the bathroom from there still needs to be checked in detail.
  • The layout of WC and bathroom might be done differently.
  • Windows and doors are not fixed yet and could be better positioned.
  • We like the entrance area better with the two outer windows above. Whether to place two slim windows beside the front door or one larger window and then likely none on the top line needs further review.

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
A few more characters than 130.
  • Is one of the floor plans good enough to build upon?
  • Where would you position the garage?
  • How would you position the TV area? The TV wall (creating about 1.8–2 m (6–7 ft) longer wall surface) on the south side with a view from the sofa into the garden? Or the TV wall inside the house?
  • Both children’s rooms facing south (view of greenery) or rather west side (view of neighbor’s house)?

So, that was a lot of text.

I hope I haven’t forgotten anything and wish us a pleasant discussion.

P.S.
We also got the suggestion to build the house narrower (7–8 m (23–26 ft) wide) and deeper instead of 10 m (33 ft) wide. This way, the garage could be on the west side and an additional light source could be positioned on the west side in the kitchen or living room area. Somehow, we have not found a fitting floor plan idea yet that makes us rethink this. Also, the idea of having a very long green strip on the east side complicates it in our minds.

Site plan:


Ground floor plan: Living/Dining, Kitchen, Guest/Office, Hall, Utility room, WC, Terrace, Garage.


Upper floor plan: Master bedroom, Child 1 and Child 2 bedrooms, Bathroom, Hall, Storage room, Staircase.


North view of a modern white building with garage on the right and a family walking by.


East view of a modern white building with gray annex on the left and a tree in front.


Modern white two-story facade with many windows, door on the left, person on the right (south view).


West view of a modern building: white main building, gray annex, tree on the left, two people.


Floor plan of a house: Kitchen, Dining/Living, Garage, Utility room, Hall, WC, Office.


Apartment floor plan: four rooms (14.85 m2; 14.86 m2; 17.28 m2; 11.32 m2), hallway 10.42 m2, bathroom.


Floor plan of a house: Terrace, Garage, Kitchen, Dining/Living, Hall, Utility room, Office, WC, Parking space.


Floor plan of a house: Two children’s rooms, master bedroom, hallway, storage room, kitchen/bathroom.
11ant22 Dec 2018 18:44
ypg schrieb:
@Mottenhausen I’m not really convinced by the point system with the criteria from #218.

I don’t think you should be either. To be honest, I’m quite unsure whether he meant that suggestion to the OP as a show of empathy or as a satire.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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Slava_S
22 Dec 2018 19:03
ypg schrieb:
Creates a mental block and is unable to untangle it themselves, even though it is so simple.

Well, I have to defend the original poster here. It’s always easier to bring structure to something from the outside. We are not involved in the coordination with the partner, price/performance considerations, etc.
I never said it was simple.
11ant schrieb:
whether it was meant as empathy or sarcasm

I rather think it was a reference to the professional background; every programmer should have come into contact with these business management aspects at some point.
Y
ypg
22 Dec 2018 19:51
Slava_S schrieb:
I have to defend the original poster here. It’s always easier to bring structure from the outside. We don’t have the coordination with the partner, price/performance considerations, etc. I never said it was simple.

The difficult part is recognizing that some paths are dead ends because they are too narrow, too small, insufficient, too open, too closed, and so on. This is also pointed out by the users here. The original poster then realizes it themselves.

To put it metaphorically: you should continue down this path to make progress. If the original poster then resets to the starting point to follow the same path again or to take a completely different one, that is the wrong approach here.

This may work for many, even most people, but not when various constraints (which we know by heart by now) and the path have been traveled so often that you know the last crossroads is sufficient to move forward. You have to take the steps yourself—that is and remains my principle.

We have reached the point of “same old story every day"... it’s a time that somehow gets stolen from you.

37 of these 39 pages are unnecessary.
S
StanSch
22 Dec 2018 21:56
haydee schrieb:
You don’t have to build with closed spaces because of heating. You can’t compare houses built to the Energy Saving Ordinance with older houses. Your stairwell, when unheated, will never get as cold as it used to.

Is that really the case?
I’m also thinking about my wife, who is sensitive to noise.
She said today that if the floor plan requires an open connection from the entrance hall to the living room, then that just has to be part of the overall concept.
But I also know she can hear every neighbor coughing.
kaho674 schrieb:
Do we already know this one? Is it yours or from the building company?
Zaba12 schrieb:
What is the architect’s latest version and what do you like or dislike about it?

Unfortunately, we only received this new floor plan. The mirrored version from the first post is still coming. The architect also wanted to try swapping the kitchen and TV area in that one.

This one has 16 steps! OK, so there might be an option to reduce a step at the start or end.
The ground floor has two different versions. In the first, the WC is quite small and I somehow can’t find space for a wardrobe (built-in closet). In the second version, the wardrobe seems a bit narrow. Upstairs, the storage room might be too narrow.

Floor plan of a house with garage, kitchen, living/dining room, hallway, study, and utility room.


Floor plan of a house: kitchen, living/dining, study, hallway, utility room, WC, stairs.


Floor plan of a house with hallway, bedroom, two children's rooms, bathroom, storage room, and stairwell.

Slava_S schrieb:
You’re trying to squeeze everything into the south, and that’s where these comments come from.

Where do we say we want everything facing south?
I say that having a kitchen near the entrance (north) also has certain advantages. Probably the kitchen is best placed on the south side. That way, the path to the dining area and terrace is shorter. Plus, you can look out over the garden.
I don’t really care where my study is located. And even if some associate working from home with being on the terrace, that’s not interesting to me. I appreciate having my 24-inch monitor (in the house probably two monitors like in the office), keyboard, mouse, and desk. I’m glad my employer allows us to work from home and that my supervisor trusts me to work extensively from home.
Yes, the study also serves as an indirect (organized) storage room. I need two sideboards for personal file folders, that’s it. Our closet easily fits 12 large Ikea Samla 65-liter boxes. We don’t even have that many boxes in the basement for all our decoration etc.
So we occasionally consider whether we even need a separate storage room. Looking at our basement, we only really need space for suitcases, a fan, and the Christmas tree. In theory, all that could fit into a room under the stairs.
Slava_S schrieb:
Single-family house without a basement, around 130-140 sqm (square meters) on the appropriate plot. A shed in the garden for miscellaneous items and either a garage or a carport—whichever fits the floor plan better. On the ground floor, you want a cozy living area that can be “closed off” or hidden. The kitchen should be separable from the living room. Dining where there’s space, but enough for around six people. An office of at least 8 sqm, no matter where. The WC should not have a shower. The utility room must be included, of course.
ypg schrieb:
Light is a must, space is needed, the kitchen should be a certain length, countertop space for x, y, and z, minimum 2 x 3 meters of cabinet space, TV lounge area and dining space for 6. Two kids’ rooms, office, bathroom, etc... those all have priority 10, end of story.

Almost a good summary.

Single-family house without a basement, about 140-150 m² (1500-1600 sq ft). In the garden or along the edge, a shed/annex, a carport is sufficient.
On the ground floor, there should be a living area (distance to TV less than 5 meters (16 feet)). The kitchen (at least 4.2 linear meters (14 feet) — that’s what we have now including a 110 cm (43 inch) base cabinet for pantry — plus oven and fridge) can be open or closed; a view of the garden and/or dining area would be desirable. The dining spot should fit around six people. A study with approx. 8 m² (85 sq ft), location doesn’t matter. The WC should have no shower. The utility room must be included, and laundry should be able to be dried there. The entrance hall should have space for a wardrobe (built-in closet).
If the floor plan permits, the living area should be separated from the entrance hall by stairs.
It would be nice if somewhere in the living area, hallway, or entrance a 110 cm (43 inch) and/or 230 cm (90 inch) cabinet can be placed. The smaller cabinet must fit somewhere; the larger one could be omitted.
Upstairs, the children's rooms should face south and be the same size (about 14-15 m² (150-160 sq ft)). The master bedroom should not be located above the utility room. A storage room (shelving about 1.5-2 x 0.6 meters (5-6.5 x 2 feet)) or alternatively a built-in closet in the hallway would be desirable. Daylight should reach the hallway (maybe a gallery or a frosted glass door in the storage room would suffice?). The bathroom must have space for a shower, bathtub, one sink, WC, and one or two tall cabinets.
Slava_S schrieb:
Now the main point. We want to use our garden with a terrace and a large lawn, where there should be a roughly 8 x 8 meter (26 x 26 feet) lawn strip so we can set up a portable pool in the summer. In general, the terrace/garden should be easily accessible and, if the floor plan allows, visible from the house.

In the garden, there should be a terrace for six people; the rest should be lawn. The lawn will have a double swing and, in summer, a pool about 4-4.5 meters (13-15 feet) in diameter. The garden should be visible from the house.
Zaba12 schrieb:
If that doesn’t help, additional charges will be applied.

That’s a good question.
We have signed no contract with the building company or architect, and there was never any talk about such costs.
ypg schrieb:
You have to filter and weigh things... exactly... set priorities.
ypg schrieb:
If the original poster then resets to the start position to go through the same process again or take a totally different path, this is the wrong approach.

Yes, and we have been saying for weeks that the building footprint should be 10 x 9 meters (33 x 30 feet), but they’re trying to guide us down a different path.
Slava_S schrieb:
I need to defend the original poster here. From the outside, it’s always easier to bring structure into it.

True enough. Sometimes it’s better to get a second opinion.
H
haydee
22 Dec 2018 23:22
Have you ever heard of a Blower Door Test? It’s an airtightness test. New buildings with mechanical ventilation systems must achieve a maximum value of 1.5, while older buildings often have values between 3 and 6 or worse. In those cases, drafts are only noticeable when a door or window is open.

If your wife is very sensitive to noise, I would separate the hallway and focus on installing high-quality impact sound insulation. A door won’t help if it sounds like a herd of elephants is walking upstairs.

I would choose option 2 if you’re comfortable with the living and dining area. Personally, I would miss the closet space.

Regarding the upper floor:
The bathroom is missing a second sink, and the storage room is really quite narrow.
There is no room for a cabinet in the bathroom.
The hallway is large compared to the other rooms.

Not sure if Kaho has any ideas. Maybe the office should be moved upstairs after all?
Y
ypg
22 Dec 2018 23:49
StanSch schrieb:
....In the garden there should be a terrace for 6 people, the rest should be lawn area. On the lawn, there will be a double swing and in summer a pool with a diameter of 4-4.5 meters (13-15 feet). The garden should be visible from the house....

Why do you keep repeating that? You should have realized by now that we know what you want. *Clap*
We’re not stupid, and what you wish for is what almost everyone wants. These are basic principles that don’t need to be repeated over and over or copied. It becomes tiring to read, and users start leaving.
StanSch schrieb:
Yes, and we've been saying for weeks that the building footprint should be 10x9 meters (33x30 feet), but someone is trying to push us in a different direction.

You’re confusing something here. Your 9 x 10 meters (30x33 feet) is your choice. Period. However, it’s not the smartest decision.
And if I remember the first 10 pages correctly, it was only about explanations why you don’t want anything other than these 9 x 10 meters (30x33 feet), or the content of the previous discussion in the green.
You didn’t say “stop, we want these 9 x 10” in the forum; I just attributed it to you here.
But whatever. Now it’s just endless chatter; nothing concrete is coming from you.

I mean: I see options in the design, but why are you missing the wardrobe? Are you not discussing and defining your requirements?
If a wardrobe is required, I will forward the criticism to the architect.
Sender, receiver. Preferably with precise wording in German. Same with the storage room. Why is it so narrow again?

I think you don’t want to commit to the plot and house, and that’s why you’re not making progress. Also, I would have fixed and signed all costs in the contract by now.
Wall shifts in the 9 x 10-meter (30x33 feet) footprint don’t cause any price jumps.
Everything you want is fixed anyway. The price with the builder is already set with a profit margin, and it doesn’t matter whether the bathroom is 9 or 10 square meters (97 or 108 square feet). The price for your house has been fixed for 3 months — believe me.