ᐅ Feedback on Single-Family Home Floor Plan – 200 m² Urban Villa with Hipped Roof
Created on: 28 Dec 2018 15:03
S
Seb0907
Hello everyone,
I am currently deep in the planning phase for our single-family home, a townhouse villa type, with construction scheduled to start next spring/summer. To avoid any blind spots in the planning process—if not already the case—I would really appreciate your opinions on the current status and any suggestions you might have. I have attached the floor plan along with a visualization and want to thank you in advance for your feedback!
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
- Plot size: 660 m² (7,104 sq ft)
- Slope: No
- Floor area ratio (FAR) / Site occupancy index: 0.35 / 0.7
- Building envelope, building line, and boundary: See plan
- Edge development: Allowed (border garage)
- Number of parking spaces: Minimum 2
- Number of floors: Maximum 2
- Roof pitch: 0 – 45°
- Architectural style: No specifications
- Orientation: No specifications
- Maximum height / limits: 7 m (23 ft)
- Other requirements: None
Homeowners’ Requirements
- Style, roof shape, building type: Townhouse villa with hipped roof (18°)
- Basement, number of floors: No basement, two full floors
- Number of occupants, age: 2 (33/30)
- Required living space on ground floor and upper floor: About 100 m² (1,076 sq ft)
- Office use: Family use and partial home office, hence the size
- Overnight guests per year: 1 - 4
- Open or closed layout: Open
- Conservative or modern style: Modern
- Open kitchen, kitchen island: Open kitchen with cooking or half kitchen island
- Number of dining seats: 2 - 6
- Fireplace: Yes
- Music/stereo wall: No
- Balcony, roof terrace: No
- Garage, carport: Double garage
- Utility garden, greenhouse: No
House Design
- Planning by: Own design
- What do you particularly like? Why? See below
- What do you not like? Why? See below
- Cost estimate according to architect/designer: €415,000 excluding land
- Preferred heating system: Heat pump with ventilation system
If you have to compromise, on which details/expansions
- You can compromise on: Various room sizes/arrangements
- You cannot compromise on: Almost everything listed under “what I like”
Why does the design look like it does now?
Personal taste (townhouse villa, open design), plot requirements (orientation and positioning), and external advice (planning for closets, etc.).
What I like:
The most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters
I am primarily looking for your assessment/feedback on the floor plan and welcome constructive points, suggestions, or ideas I might have missed due to “planning bias,” including your thoughts on what I don’t like.
I am currently deep in the planning phase for our single-family home, a townhouse villa type, with construction scheduled to start next spring/summer. To avoid any blind spots in the planning process—if not already the case—I would really appreciate your opinions on the current status and any suggestions you might have. I have attached the floor plan along with a visualization and want to thank you in advance for your feedback!
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
- Plot size: 660 m² (7,104 sq ft)
- Slope: No
- Floor area ratio (FAR) / Site occupancy index: 0.35 / 0.7
- Building envelope, building line, and boundary: See plan
- Edge development: Allowed (border garage)
- Number of parking spaces: Minimum 2
- Number of floors: Maximum 2
- Roof pitch: 0 – 45°
- Architectural style: No specifications
- Orientation: No specifications
- Maximum height / limits: 7 m (23 ft)
- Other requirements: None
Homeowners’ Requirements
- Style, roof shape, building type: Townhouse villa with hipped roof (18°)
- Basement, number of floors: No basement, two full floors
- Number of occupants, age: 2 (33/30)
- Required living space on ground floor and upper floor: About 100 m² (1,076 sq ft)
- Office use: Family use and partial home office, hence the size
- Overnight guests per year: 1 - 4
- Open or closed layout: Open
- Conservative or modern style: Modern
- Open kitchen, kitchen island: Open kitchen with cooking or half kitchen island
- Number of dining seats: 2 - 6
- Fireplace: Yes
- Music/stereo wall: No
- Balcony, roof terrace: No
- Garage, carport: Double garage
- Utility garden, greenhouse: No
House Design
- Planning by: Own design
- What do you particularly like? Why? See below
- What do you not like? Why? See below
- Cost estimate according to architect/designer: €415,000 excluding land
- Preferred heating system: Heat pump with ventilation system
If you have to compromise, on which details/expansions
- You can compromise on: Various room sizes/arrangements
- You cannot compromise on: Almost everything listed under “what I like”
Why does the design look like it does now?
Personal taste (townhouse villa, open design), plot requirements (orientation and positioning), and external advice (planning for closets, etc.).
What I like:
- General placement of all rooms on the plot: Bedroom away from the street on the east side (sunrise); living area set back from the street; office with a large window facing west (sunset side)
- Clear, uninterrupted view from the entrance area all the way to the garden
- Exterior design of the house
- Garage roof covering with space for trash bins near the street
- Integration of the kitchen unit and tall kitchen cabinets in the floor plan
- Extra room on the ground floor for guests, utility, and due to its size, potential as a full bedroom on the ground floor later
- Garage access from inside via the entrance area (“dirty zone” vs. “clean zone”)
- Central placement of the fireplace
- Pre-planned integration of household cupboards/closets into niches on both floors (space under the stairs should also be accessible)
- Laundry chute access from both the dressing room and bathroom
- Bright, open, spacious corridor on the upper floor with a window
- Central staircase location
- Offset dining table relative to the kitchen island due to walkway width near the fireplace; it’s “okay” but requires walking around. Having the table directly opposite would be nicer.
- The bathroom is generally fine, but I am not happy with the door position and the corner, even though the corner probably won't be very visible as the door won’t fully open 90°, and the walkway is wide enough. However, I don’t see where I could take space from without negatively affecting the position of the stairs or chimney and thus compromising the generally good room and circulation sizes in the entrance, living room, dressing room, or bedroom.
- “Tunnel” effect in the doorway area of children’s room 1
The most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters
I am primarily looking for your assessment/feedback on the floor plan and welcome constructive points, suggestions, or ideas I might have missed due to “planning bias,” including your thoughts on what I don’t like.
ypg schrieb:
Changing the ground floor also involves altering the staircase. Why do you consider it necessary for the staircase to be relocated?
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Ok, first of all, thank you very much for the input so far!
Today I carefully reviewed all the critical points from start to finish, made some adjustments, and even physically marked out the entrance area to get a sense of the size. I also reconsidered the main focus of the house and why the layout of the entrance and living area looks as it does.
It is true that a major focus of the house is the large living area, where we (and guests—who we actually rarely lock in the garage) spend most of our time. The entrance area is intentionally positioned here to allow a clear view all the way through to the back; I think this also creates a somewhat "representative" impression. Based on your feedback, I’m trying to make the most of the available space here, perhaps moving the door further outwards, and then I will be satisfied. The entrance area is not a ballroom, but honestly, when marking it out at 1.80 by 2.60 meters (5.9 by 8.5 feet), I didn’t find it particularly "small." Besides, the guest’s view does not stop at the entrance to the living area; if anything, only a glass door is planned as a separation between the two areas to allow the view to continue.
I am truly grateful for how critically you have addressed this and also the garage access. Regarding the garage access, it is something I would really miss; this idea was included in the very first plans and is important to me.
Ultimately, as ypg has already said, it is a matter of personal taste. But of course, it’s still something that concerns me. That’s why, just for better understanding, I would like to ask in reverse: what size entrance area would better meet your expectations for this house?
PS: I have calculated and attached the current room sizes.
Today I carefully reviewed all the critical points from start to finish, made some adjustments, and even physically marked out the entrance area to get a sense of the size. I also reconsidered the main focus of the house and why the layout of the entrance and living area looks as it does.
It is true that a major focus of the house is the large living area, where we (and guests—who we actually rarely lock in the garage) spend most of our time. The entrance area is intentionally positioned here to allow a clear view all the way through to the back; I think this also creates a somewhat "representative" impression. Based on your feedback, I’m trying to make the most of the available space here, perhaps moving the door further outwards, and then I will be satisfied. The entrance area is not a ballroom, but honestly, when marking it out at 1.80 by 2.60 meters (5.9 by 8.5 feet), I didn’t find it particularly "small." Besides, the guest’s view does not stop at the entrance to the living area; if anything, only a glass door is planned as a separation between the two areas to allow the view to continue.
I am truly grateful for how critically you have addressed this and also the garage access. Regarding the garage access, it is something I would really miss; this idea was included in the very first plans and is important to me.
Ultimately, as ypg has already said, it is a matter of personal taste. But of course, it’s still something that concerns me. That’s why, just for better understanding, I would like to ask in reverse: what size entrance area would better meet your expectations for this house?
PS: I have calculated and attached the current room sizes.
Seb0907 schrieb:
what size of entrance area would better match your expectations for this house? I believe the appropriate size for the entrance depends on the people who will use it: for example, I am a "fast passer-through," but there are also people who (without the slightest guilt!) cause massive congestion by stopping repeatedly in every revolving door. The mix of these user types needs to be taken into account when determining the capacity of a passage.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Some things I just can’t understand. For example, having a direct view from the entrance all the way into the garden is rather uncomfortable for anyone sitting at the table in the living room. Every delivery person can immediately see what’s being cooked. Who would want that?
The hallway or entrance area is basically the reception for you, your family, and everyone else. In a 200 m² (2,150 sq ft) villa, I would expect an appropriate foyer where I can enter calmly without bumping into a wall because someone else is right behind me. As you can see, the front door just opens and right away there’s a wall. You can still escape into the narrow, dark mouse tunnel to the garage – but that’s where family and guests end up stacked like in a labyrinth. My “representative impression” would be completely different there.
I haven’t seen any discussion yet about whether you really want the stairs inside the living area. There are several posts from experienced parents here, and it seems about 80% would never build something like that again when having children.
Finally, why don’t you just let a professional handle this? You definitely need an architect anyway and have to pay for one, so why shouldn’t they do some real work for their fee?
The hallway or entrance area is basically the reception for you, your family, and everyone else. In a 200 m² (2,150 sq ft) villa, I would expect an appropriate foyer where I can enter calmly without bumping into a wall because someone else is right behind me. As you can see, the front door just opens and right away there’s a wall. You can still escape into the narrow, dark mouse tunnel to the garage – but that’s where family and guests end up stacked like in a labyrinth. My “representative impression” would be completely different there.
I haven’t seen any discussion yet about whether you really want the stairs inside the living area. There are several posts from experienced parents here, and it seems about 80% would never build something like that again when having children.
Finally, why don’t you just let a professional handle this? You definitely need an architect anyway and have to pay for one, so why shouldn’t they do some real work for their fee?
S
Schlenk-Bär31 Dec 2018 10:41kaho674 schrieb:
You need an architect anyway, and you definitely have to pay for it. So why shouldn’t they do something for their money? I was wondering how the fee for an architect is determined. Is it always based on the value of the house, similar to how a lawyer’s fee depends on the amount in dispute? Or is it based on the time spent, or is it negotiated individually? The architect we contacted estimated about 10% of the house’s value. Unfortunately, he did not explain this in more detail.
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