ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a 145 sqm Single-Family Home on a Sloped Site
Created on: 22 Apr 2019 21:13
W
Wienerwald
Hello,
we have two plots of land near Vienna. We plan to build on the northern plot, while the southwestern plot will be kept as a garden and will not be built on. The plots are located on a gently sloping hillside. The access road is very quiet and leads to 10 other houses before turning into a forest path.
We are planning a single-family house with approximately 145 m² (1560 sq ft) of living space, with the option to expand later by finishing the half-basement if additional space is needed. It is important for us to have a cost- and energy-efficient construction without bay windows, excessively high ceilings, etc.
Development Plan / Restrictions
The plot is located in Lower Austria near Vienna.
Plot size – 739 m² (7950 sq ft), the southern plot with 643 m² (6920 sq ft) also belongs to us and will be used as a garden (no construction planned)
Slope – yes – approx. 270 cm (9 feet) (see attached detailed plan, the official height plan is currently being prepared)
Site coverage ratio – 25% of the plot area, 10% of the plot area allowed for ancillary buildings
Floor area ratio – none specified
Building envelope, building line, and setback – half the building height, but at least 3 m (10 ft) setback in front, back, and on both sides of the plot; only ancillary buildings (garage, carport, shed, etc.) are permitted within the setback zone. For open development style, a side setback for ancillary buildings must be maintained.
Edge development – Ancillary buildings may have a total ground floor area of up to 100 m² (1075 sq ft) and a height of 3 m (10 ft). Due to the slope, this height may be exceeded on the downhill side.
Number of parking spaces – 2 parking spaces / access driveway – maximum 7 m (23 ft) wide / carport and garage in the front setback with a minimum distance of 1 m (3 ft) from the street / garage and carport depth max. 12 m (39 ft) / street-facing front of carport and garage max. 7 m (23 ft)
Number of floors – maximum 2 floors plus basement
Roof style – no specification
Architectural style – no specification
Orientation – no specification
Maximum heights / limits – 9 m (30 ft) at the highest point, or max. 8 m (26 ft) average per side, measured from existing ground level
Additional requirements – it may be necessary to cede about 55 cm (22 inches) on the street side to the municipality.
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type – preferably rectangular and energy efficient (no bay windows, etc.)
Basement, floors – 2 floors plus a finished basement
Number of occupants, ages – 3 people (ages 41, 39, 1)
Space requirements on ground floor (GF) and upper floor (UF) – GF: entrance, cloakroom, kitchen, living/dining area, office/guest room; UF: 2 children’s bedrooms, bathroom, separate WC, utility room, master bedroom – Note: the garden shed shown in the overview is existing.
Office use – Home office
Guest overnight stays per year – 4 times, each with 2 guests
Open or closed architecture – closed
Conservative or modern style – conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island – no open kitchen
Number of dining seats – at least 8 normally, up to 14 when hosting guests
Fireplace – initially considered, but no agreement yet (3-sided glass and low heating output) – opinions vary
Music / stereo wall – no
Balcony, roof terrace – no
Garage, carport – carport for one car and garage for the second car
Kitchen garden, greenhouse – yes, planned for the future
Other wishes, special features, daily routine, and reasons for preferences
House Design
Designer:
- Do-it-Yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
UF
GF
Basement
What do you dislike? Why?
UF
GF
Price estimate from architect/planner: 400,000 EUR (for the house including garage, carport, terrace, and fence on street side)
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings:
Preferred heating technology: Heat pump (ground collectors)
If you had to give up options or details, which ones would you drop?
What can you not give up?
Why is the design as it is now?
The plot is on a slope, so a walkout basement is practical, placing the main entrance (ground floor) at street level.
Because of the height difference and the narrowness of the plot, the pitched roof with a knee wall height of 2.2 m (7 ft) was planned to widen the building while still complying with the setback requirement (half the building height).
Since no neighboring property borders the west side, providing an unobstructed view, we planned the living room on the west side (the basement is accessible via the garden on the west side, so the living room does not have garden access). The kitchen/dining area is placed to the south, with a level garden exit. From the kitchen, there is a view of the south garden, enabling supervision of the children and direct access to the outdoor dining area.
The garage entrance is halfway between basement and ground floor level and connects to the house via a door.
The office serves as a retreat area.
The finished basement area can be converted in the future into a fitness room, guest room, office, or an additional children’s room; alternatively, the third room on the upper floor can be used as a children’s room and the master bedroom moved to the basement... Since the backwater level of the sewage pipe is at street level and the sewer does not run below the basement level, no wastewater pipes are planned in the basement to avoid the need for sewage pumps.
On the upper floor, we placed emphasis on three equally sized rooms of at least 16 m² (172 sq ft) so they can be interchanged and used as children’s rooms, office, or guest rooms. As we currently have a separate toilet from the bathroom and find this very practical, we implemented this in the house as well. The utility room is mainly for laundry washing and storage of cleaning supplies (ironing will be done in the living room) and has the advantage of hiding laundry piles behind a door. Neither the toilet nor the utility room adjoins a bedroom (reducing noise disturbance), and no water pipes are planned in the wall to the children’s room.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? n/a
What do you consider particularly good or bad about the design?
The slope was well integrated into the design by using the walkout basement. Despite the narrow plot, we achieved a comfortable building width.
After balancing our requirements and wishes, the most important elements could be realized.
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
We kindly ask for your views on our floor plan. Please include constructive suggestions for improvement.
we have two plots of land near Vienna. We plan to build on the northern plot, while the southwestern plot will be kept as a garden and will not be built on. The plots are located on a gently sloping hillside. The access road is very quiet and leads to 10 other houses before turning into a forest path.
We are planning a single-family house with approximately 145 m² (1560 sq ft) of living space, with the option to expand later by finishing the half-basement if additional space is needed. It is important for us to have a cost- and energy-efficient construction without bay windows, excessively high ceilings, etc.
Development Plan / Restrictions
The plot is located in Lower Austria near Vienna.
Plot size – 739 m² (7950 sq ft), the southern plot with 643 m² (6920 sq ft) also belongs to us and will be used as a garden (no construction planned)
Slope – yes – approx. 270 cm (9 feet) (see attached detailed plan, the official height plan is currently being prepared)
Site coverage ratio – 25% of the plot area, 10% of the plot area allowed for ancillary buildings
Floor area ratio – none specified
Building envelope, building line, and setback – half the building height, but at least 3 m (10 ft) setback in front, back, and on both sides of the plot; only ancillary buildings (garage, carport, shed, etc.) are permitted within the setback zone. For open development style, a side setback for ancillary buildings must be maintained.
Edge development – Ancillary buildings may have a total ground floor area of up to 100 m² (1075 sq ft) and a height of 3 m (10 ft). Due to the slope, this height may be exceeded on the downhill side.
Number of parking spaces – 2 parking spaces / access driveway – maximum 7 m (23 ft) wide / carport and garage in the front setback with a minimum distance of 1 m (3 ft) from the street / garage and carport depth max. 12 m (39 ft) / street-facing front of carport and garage max. 7 m (23 ft)
Number of floors – maximum 2 floors plus basement
Roof style – no specification
Architectural style – no specification
Orientation – no specification
Maximum heights / limits – 9 m (30 ft) at the highest point, or max. 8 m (26 ft) average per side, measured from existing ground level
Additional requirements – it may be necessary to cede about 55 cm (22 inches) on the street side to the municipality.
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type – preferably rectangular and energy efficient (no bay windows, etc.)
Basement, floors – 2 floors plus a finished basement
Number of occupants, ages – 3 people (ages 41, 39, 1)
Space requirements on ground floor (GF) and upper floor (UF) – GF: entrance, cloakroom, kitchen, living/dining area, office/guest room; UF: 2 children’s bedrooms, bathroom, separate WC, utility room, master bedroom – Note: the garden shed shown in the overview is existing.
Office use – Home office
Guest overnight stays per year – 4 times, each with 2 guests
Open or closed architecture – closed
Conservative or modern style – conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island – no open kitchen
Number of dining seats – at least 8 normally, up to 14 when hosting guests
Fireplace – initially considered, but no agreement yet (3-sided glass and low heating output) – opinions vary
Music / stereo wall – no
Balcony, roof terrace – no
Garage, carport – carport for one car and garage for the second car
Kitchen garden, greenhouse – yes, planned for the future
Other wishes, special features, daily routine, and reasons for preferences
House Design
Designer:
- Do-it-Yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
UF
- Separate bathroom and WC
- Separate utility room for washing/drying laundry (since the basement can only drain with a pump and laundry is washed where it is generated)
- WC and utility room not adjacent to bedrooms, reducing noise disturbance
- All rooms approximately equal size (minimum 16 m² / 172 sq ft), rooms can be swapped if needed
- Children’s rooms facing south
- Master bedroom facing east to be woken up by the morning sun
GF
- No open kitchen, but view of dining table when door is open
- Living and dining room not separated
- Living room with view over the west garden
- Dining room facing south with direct access to the garden (right next to kitchen)
Basement
- Expandable, sheltered location to the garden
- Exit to west terrace
What do you dislike? Why?
UF
- Access to utility room through the bathroom
GF
- Office window faces the carport
Price estimate from architect/planner: 400,000 EUR (for the house including garage, carport, terrace, and fence on street side)
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings:
Preferred heating technology: Heat pump (ground collectors)
If you had to give up options or details, which ones would you drop?
- Garage, fireplace
What can you not give up?
- Separate kitchen
- Separate bathroom and WC on the upper floor
- Utility room on the upper floor
- Office/guest room
Why is the design as it is now?
The plot is on a slope, so a walkout basement is practical, placing the main entrance (ground floor) at street level.
Because of the height difference and the narrowness of the plot, the pitched roof with a knee wall height of 2.2 m (7 ft) was planned to widen the building while still complying with the setback requirement (half the building height).
Since no neighboring property borders the west side, providing an unobstructed view, we planned the living room on the west side (the basement is accessible via the garden on the west side, so the living room does not have garden access). The kitchen/dining area is placed to the south, with a level garden exit. From the kitchen, there is a view of the south garden, enabling supervision of the children and direct access to the outdoor dining area.
The garage entrance is halfway between basement and ground floor level and connects to the house via a door.
The office serves as a retreat area.
The finished basement area can be converted in the future into a fitness room, guest room, office, or an additional children’s room; alternatively, the third room on the upper floor can be used as a children’s room and the master bedroom moved to the basement... Since the backwater level of the sewage pipe is at street level and the sewer does not run below the basement level, no wastewater pipes are planned in the basement to avoid the need for sewage pumps.
On the upper floor, we placed emphasis on three equally sized rooms of at least 16 m² (172 sq ft) so they can be interchanged and used as children’s rooms, office, or guest rooms. As we currently have a separate toilet from the bathroom and find this very practical, we implemented this in the house as well. The utility room is mainly for laundry washing and storage of cleaning supplies (ironing will be done in the living room) and has the advantage of hiding laundry piles behind a door. Neither the toilet nor the utility room adjoins a bedroom (reducing noise disturbance), and no water pipes are planned in the wall to the children’s room.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? n/a
What do you consider particularly good or bad about the design?
The slope was well integrated into the design by using the walkout basement. Despite the narrow plot, we achieved a comfortable building width.
After balancing our requirements and wishes, the most important elements could be realized.
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
We kindly ask for your views on our floor plan. Please include constructive suggestions for improvement.
Nordlys schrieb:
Objection: Door widths: a wider door with slight offset in the lower office is no problem. It’s also doable upstairs. Bedroom: who says the bed has to be placed like that? The room itself is big enough for a bedroom.Karsten, I’m not saying wider doors are impossible. I’m saying the small doors shown in the plans make the house look bigger than it actually is.
Nordlys schrieb:
Then a couch is just placed somewhere, and it looks professional.That’s exactly what I’m criticizing: a standard 4-seater sofa doesn’t fit there, even if the design software suggests that piece of furniture.
Nordlys schrieb:
There’s enough wall space to install coat hooks.Coat hooks for 4 people—the hallway will become the messiest room, even though it’s the first you enter.
And honestly, Karsten:
Nordlys schrieb:
Bedroom: who says the bed must be positioned like that? The room itself is sufficient for a bedroom.Nordlys schrieb:
Kitchen wider. Table and 2 chairs fit in.Nordlys schrieb:
And what’s a sofa doing in the office? There should be a filing cabinet and maybe a second chair.I didn’t realize you’ve become an interior designer now. I find this more patronizing than a clear outline of negatives first.
Overall, the design is scalable, or rather, a starting point.
For example, I find the kitchen very nice – linear and spacious.
As @perth positioned the access, I would create a garden entrance directly opposite a kitchen door. This can be designed attractively and elegantly, provided the bathroom drains are placed on the exterior wall and moved away from the living room.
For example, I find the kitchen very nice – linear and spacious.
As @perth positioned the access, I would create a garden entrance directly opposite a kitchen door. This can be designed attractively and elegantly, provided the bathroom drains are placed on the exterior wall and moved away from the living room.
W
Wienerwald23 Apr 2019 22:18Good evening,
thank you very much for your feedback. It’s really great how quickly you get such helpful responses here regarding the planning. I’m already busy making changes. As soon as I have implemented them all, I will upload the revised plans again.
@Nordlys: Exterior view – you’re right, we need to revise that once more.
Hmm… the sauna is actually a utility room – so not really a luxury after all.
The hand basins in the toilets are exactly as intended – small basins just for washing hands.
We need to reconsider the furnishing in the guest room and office. It’s not ideal at the moment. Regarding the kitchen – I’m not a fan of a table there, especially since the dining table is right next to it… a wardrobe is more important here, or rather that we don’t reduce the office space any further. I already find it quite narrow, especially considering we want to accommodate a “double bed” for guests here.
As for the TV, we have currently planned it as a fold-down version on the wall. We don’t even have a TV at the moment and don’t want it to be too dominant. The garden view is more important to us.
@tomtom79: Good idea with the two window sizes. I will try to apply that.
@haydee: We will refurnish the bedroom and office.
@ypg: Thanks for the tip about door widths. I have now adjusted all of them. I am currently checking if all rooms will still “function” as intended.
In the living room, I traced our current sofa to get the proportions right. You’re absolutely right that it should be done to scale. I really wasn’t aware that the four-seater sofa turned out so “small.”
We will discuss drainage with the builder during our appointment. We had planned to locate this in the corner of the stairwell. Let’s see what the builder suggests.
@kaho674: Views – yes, we need to review those again.
We have already discussed the idea of a laundry chute and utility room in the basement. I don’t like the idea of carrying laundry through the whole house (especially since it has to be carried back up after washing). Also, we would have to plan a lifting device for wastewater just for the washing machine. We don’t find that appealing either. Alternatively, we looked at placing the washing machine in the bathroom. That’s what we have now, and I find it annoying that laundry is hung up in our bedroom and that dirty laundry piles up in front of the washing machine (and thus in the middle of the bathroom) during sorting. Hence the idea of a utility room. I’m also not yet sure about the bathroom setup (especially with the bathtub). I’m trying out some variants here and hope to find a better solution.
I’m not keen on having a shower in the guest toilet – that’s also for all guests who do not stay overnight. I want to keep it tidy, and having to clean the shower all the time just so overnight guests have their own shower doesn’t seem necessary to me.
@perth: Thanks for your comment about the kitchen. Do you think a door with a 1m (3 ft 3 in) wide opening will work? That would leave 68.5cm (27 inches) between the wall and the door. Or should I make the door smaller?
I also heard from an architect who examined our project that you should usually face a door when entering. I don’t like that strangers can look directly into the living room. Also, it is impractical because this reduces the wall space in the living room significantly. With the stairwell window and the passage to the dining room, there is enough light. I planned to hang a nice picture at the end of the hallway to create a “destination.”
thank you very much for your feedback. It’s really great how quickly you get such helpful responses here regarding the planning. I’m already busy making changes. As soon as I have implemented them all, I will upload the revised plans again.
@Nordlys: Exterior view – you’re right, we need to revise that once more.
Hmm… the sauna is actually a utility room – so not really a luxury after all.
The hand basins in the toilets are exactly as intended – small basins just for washing hands.
We need to reconsider the furnishing in the guest room and office. It’s not ideal at the moment. Regarding the kitchen – I’m not a fan of a table there, especially since the dining table is right next to it… a wardrobe is more important here, or rather that we don’t reduce the office space any further. I already find it quite narrow, especially considering we want to accommodate a “double bed” for guests here.
As for the TV, we have currently planned it as a fold-down version on the wall. We don’t even have a TV at the moment and don’t want it to be too dominant. The garden view is more important to us.
@tomtom79: Good idea with the two window sizes. I will try to apply that.
@haydee: We will refurnish the bedroom and office.
@ypg: Thanks for the tip about door widths. I have now adjusted all of them. I am currently checking if all rooms will still “function” as intended.
In the living room, I traced our current sofa to get the proportions right. You’re absolutely right that it should be done to scale. I really wasn’t aware that the four-seater sofa turned out so “small.”
We will discuss drainage with the builder during our appointment. We had planned to locate this in the corner of the stairwell. Let’s see what the builder suggests.
@kaho674: Views – yes, we need to review those again.
We have already discussed the idea of a laundry chute and utility room in the basement. I don’t like the idea of carrying laundry through the whole house (especially since it has to be carried back up after washing). Also, we would have to plan a lifting device for wastewater just for the washing machine. We don’t find that appealing either. Alternatively, we looked at placing the washing machine in the bathroom. That’s what we have now, and I find it annoying that laundry is hung up in our bedroom and that dirty laundry piles up in front of the washing machine (and thus in the middle of the bathroom) during sorting. Hence the idea of a utility room. I’m also not yet sure about the bathroom setup (especially with the bathtub). I’m trying out some variants here and hope to find a better solution.
I’m not keen on having a shower in the guest toilet – that’s also for all guests who do not stay overnight. I want to keep it tidy, and having to clean the shower all the time just so overnight guests have their own shower doesn’t seem necessary to me.
@perth: Thanks for your comment about the kitchen. Do you think a door with a 1m (3 ft 3 in) wide opening will work? That would leave 68.5cm (27 inches) between the wall and the door. Or should I make the door smaller?
I also heard from an architect who examined our project that you should usually face a door when entering. I don’t like that strangers can look directly into the living room. Also, it is impractical because this reduces the wall space in the living room significantly. With the stairwell window and the passage to the dining room, there is enough light. I planned to hang a nice picture at the end of the hallway to create a “destination.”
Wienerwald schrieb:
The small handwash basins in the toilets are intended exactly for that purpose – as small basins just for washing hands.A toilet is approximately 35 cm (14 inches) wide. With a 20 cm (8 inches) basin, it’s difficult to properly wash your hands. I say this from experience.
It should also be mentioned that there is usually a 15 cm (6 inches) pre-wall installation everywhere. You might be able to conceal supply lines within an interior wall, but a stairwell wall is usually load-bearing. That won’t work there. In your drawing, the toilet and the mini basin almost touch without a pre-wall. That won’t work. There are also minimum clearance distances that must be observed. You want to be able to use the toilet without feeling cramped.
Wienerwald schrieb:
We will discuss the drainage setup with the builder during our appointment. We had planned to place it in the corner of the stairwell. Let’s see what the builder suggests. The drains should be routed the shortest way possible to the outside or downwards. The general contractor won’t care; they will just run pipes through interior spaces, which might leave you with a shaft in a living room corner, or even two! That should be avoided. Therefore, you should do more than just “adjust the dimensions.”
I know houses where you walk directly into a wall. I find that unwelcoming.
The kitchen door doesn’t have to be 1m (3.3 ft) wide.
Here is an example of how the living area can be designed differently. A wide living room door, with a large window centered above it, allowing space to hang a TV.
At the bottom of the plan, there is a terrace window wall with a terrace door that opens outward or a sliding door.
The kitchen door doesn’t have to be 1m (3.3 ft) wide.
Here is an example of how the living area can be designed differently. A wide living room door, with a large window centered above it, allowing space to hang a TV.
At the bottom of the plan, there is a terrace window wall with a terrace door that opens outward or a sliding door.
here the kitchen and toilet are arranged differently.
The toilet door should open outwards. A transom window could be installed above the wardrobe for the toilet.
All kitchen windows start at countertop height and have the same width, so no “basement windows.” The countertop extends into the window sill.
The toilet door should open outwards. A transom window could be installed above the wardrobe for the toilet.
All kitchen windows start at countertop height and have the same width, so no “basement windows.” The countertop extends into the window sill.
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