Hello everyone,
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 635 sqm (6,839 sq ft)
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.4
Site occupancy index: 0.3
Number of parking spaces: 2
Roof style: 35° to 45° pitch, hipped roof or gable roof
Distance to front property boundary (street side): max. 3 m (house must remain in current position)
Homeowner Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Bungalow, hipped roof, 35° pitch
Basement, floors: no basement, 1 story, possible attic conversion later
Number of occupants, age: 2 persons (40 years old), probably no children, room can be separated if needed
Space requirements: We need one bedroom, bathroom, utility room, living area including kitchen, and a hobby room (gaming and crafting room). Walk-in closet and guest toilet were removed, even though they would be nice, other features took higher priority.
Overnight guests per year: infrequent, can be accommodated as is
Construction style: open and modern, including open kitchen
Fireplace: no
House Design
Designer:
- Designer from a construction company implemented our drawings
What do you like most? Why?
- Large living area, spacious bedroom
What do you dislike? Why?
- Honestly, we like everything
Personal budget for house including fittings: 260,000
Preferred heating system: air heat pump
Why is the design as it is now?
We initially sketched our design on paper, which the designer then realized. Further considerations and discussions with the designer shaped the final result.
Our main goal was a large living space with an open kitchen and a reading nook. Currently (in our present apartment) we have another room with my books (around 1,000) and desk, but I rarely spend time there, as I do everything in the living room. For this reason, we first reduced the number of rooms to enlarge the living area and bedroom (we omitted the walk-in closet to create even more space). The reading nook (located on the west side of the living area) is arranged so it can be separated as a room from the rest of the living room if needed.
We made sure the bedroom faces east to get morning light. We opted out of a guest toilet and instead planned a small storage room for odds and ends (dog supplies like food, leashes, vacuum cleaner, etc.) and made the utility room somewhat larger than the usual 8 sqm (86 sq ft).
Currently, we are still unsure about the following:
- Bathroom layout: I’d like to set back the shower slightly (see current floor plan) to make the bathroom feel more open/bigger. Somehow it still doesn’t feel quite ideal.
- Window arrangement: Does this make sense to you? Will we get enough light in the living area? The floor-to-ceiling windows to the terrace are on the east side, so only the morning sun comes in there. Are the south-facing windows sufficient?
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Is there anything we have overlooked or forgotten? From your perspective, is anything highly unfavorable? Any improvements for the windows? How can the bathroom layout be optimized?
By the way, some time ago I created a thread about a 1.5-storey floor plan on the same plot. At that time, we ultimately decided to build a bungalow – which we are now doing. Hence, this new thread…
Best regards and thanks in advance.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 635 sqm (6,839 sq ft)
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.4
Site occupancy index: 0.3
Number of parking spaces: 2
Roof style: 35° to 45° pitch, hipped roof or gable roof
Distance to front property boundary (street side): max. 3 m (house must remain in current position)
Homeowner Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Bungalow, hipped roof, 35° pitch
Basement, floors: no basement, 1 story, possible attic conversion later
Number of occupants, age: 2 persons (40 years old), probably no children, room can be separated if needed
Space requirements: We need one bedroom, bathroom, utility room, living area including kitchen, and a hobby room (gaming and crafting room). Walk-in closet and guest toilet were removed, even though they would be nice, other features took higher priority.
Overnight guests per year: infrequent, can be accommodated as is
Construction style: open and modern, including open kitchen
Fireplace: no
House Design
Designer:
- Designer from a construction company implemented our drawings
What do you like most? Why?
- Large living area, spacious bedroom
What do you dislike? Why?
- Honestly, we like everything
Personal budget for house including fittings: 260,000
Preferred heating system: air heat pump
Why is the design as it is now?
We initially sketched our design on paper, which the designer then realized. Further considerations and discussions with the designer shaped the final result.
Our main goal was a large living space with an open kitchen and a reading nook. Currently (in our present apartment) we have another room with my books (around 1,000) and desk, but I rarely spend time there, as I do everything in the living room. For this reason, we first reduced the number of rooms to enlarge the living area and bedroom (we omitted the walk-in closet to create even more space). The reading nook (located on the west side of the living area) is arranged so it can be separated as a room from the rest of the living room if needed.
We made sure the bedroom faces east to get morning light. We opted out of a guest toilet and instead planned a small storage room for odds and ends (dog supplies like food, leashes, vacuum cleaner, etc.) and made the utility room somewhat larger than the usual 8 sqm (86 sq ft).
Currently, we are still unsure about the following:
- Bathroom layout: I’d like to set back the shower slightly (see current floor plan) to make the bathroom feel more open/bigger. Somehow it still doesn’t feel quite ideal.
- Window arrangement: Does this make sense to you? Will we get enough light in the living area? The floor-to-ceiling windows to the terrace are on the east side, so only the morning sun comes in there. Are the south-facing windows sufficient?
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Is there anything we have overlooked or forgotten? From your perspective, is anything highly unfavorable? Any improvements for the windows? How can the bathroom layout be optimized?
By the way, some time ago I created a thread about a 1.5-storey floor plan on the same plot. At that time, we ultimately decided to build a bungalow – which we are now doing. Hence, this new thread…
Best regards and thanks in advance.
ypg schrieb:
So, without a guest toilet... if needed, a second bathroom can also be installed.
The recessed terrace is intended to add some structure, which the open-plan living area lacks. Additionally, it provides a place for a TV. @Reluctance ?
R
Reluctance28 Jun 2019 10:58Hello, sorry, I was traveling and didn’t want to just reply briefly via phone. But now I’m back at my computer:
Thank you so, so much for your efforts. I actually quite like it. Especially the hallway access… even though it comes with some compromises (the utility room is smaller – and I definitely don’t want to start putting my drying racks back in the bedroom during winter again; it has to be possible in the utility room , the bedroom is slightly smaller). However, more importantly, my boyfriend does not like it this way He would find it nice if, while building his model tanks in his separated “man cave,” he could chat with me while I’m sitting in the living room. So, we will only adopt some aspects of your suggestion:
We’re now uncertain about the guest toilet – if we can still find a place for it without ruining our entire loft-style floor plan, we will add it...
One more question about this: Your suggestion comes to 18 windows (our plan currently includes only 11, so these extra windows will mean additional costs for us because of this stupid regulation). Also, the regulations state:
I don’t actually dislike the tall vertical format. I could really imagine something like this:
However, I don’t want to drive up costs unnecessarily just because of a few extra windows if there might be another way...
ypg schrieb:
So, without a guest toilet... if needed, the second toilet can also be added. The recessed terrace is intended to add some structure that the open-plan living area lacks. Also, to create a place for a TV.
Thank you so, so much for your efforts. I actually quite like it. Especially the hallway access… even though it comes with some compromises (the utility room is smaller – and I definitely don’t want to start putting my drying racks back in the bedroom during winter again; it has to be possible in the utility room , the bedroom is slightly smaller). However, more importantly, my boyfriend does not like it this way He would find it nice if, while building his model tanks in his separated “man cave,” he could chat with me while I’m sitting in the living room. So, we will only adopt some aspects of your suggestion:
- I will try to adapt the bathroom design to our floor plan. I really like the idea.
- We will straighten out the bedroom
- We will make the wardrobe in the hallway wider
- We might also move the storage room upwards, so that it can be accessed from the kitchen. But I’m not 100% sure about this yet
We’re now uncertain about the guest toilet – if we can still find a place for it without ruining our entire loft-style floor plan, we will add it...
11ant schrieb:
Related to the floor plan in the opening post, I would implement it as follows: Utility room 76/126; two hobby rooms each 76/126 with a 24cm (10 inch) post in between; open living area (normal sill height) three windows each 76/126; kitchen and bedroom (toward the corner of the house) similar triples; bedroom (between the triples) a double; bathroom again a triple. Matching floor-to-ceiling elements in the living area 176/213, so the same width as the doubles. The building official will think Mr. Schinkel personally whispered this to you in a dream.
Each opening can be a single sash window, sized without unnecessary divisions, since the terrace doors are not facing the street. With triples, the middle views are clear without posts, all rules are met, and ugliness is avoided.
One more question about this: Your suggestion comes to 18 windows (our plan currently includes only 11, so these extra windows will mean additional costs for us because of this stupid regulation). Also, the regulations state:
- Windows and doors must be in a vertical format. Windows in knee walls and basement levels may also be horizontal or square.
- Street-facing window openings larger than 1 sqm (10.8 sq ft) must be divided. When installing single-sash windows, posts and transoms must be designed as glass-dividing elements.
I don’t actually dislike the tall vertical format. I could really imagine something like this:
However, I don’t want to drive up costs unnecessarily just because of a few extra windows if there might be another way...
My proposal treats the single-leaf window of the utility room as the basic module and adjusts its size to 76/126 cm (30/50 inches) to remain just under the 1-square-meter limit. Therefore, the windows in my proposal do not require any further subdivision. I would not consider the 24 cm (9.5 inches) wide masonry sections between pairs or triplets of windows as a reason to count them as two or three separate windows. In my view, it remains eleven windows. I do not see the splitting making them significantly more expensive.
That would then require subdivision—but how? Specifically, this is only explicitly defined for single-leaf windows (which I find somewhat questionable, since the apparent intention of the regulation is probably to avoid horizontally oriented windows, but the height division by the transom makes any format appear somewhat more horizontal than it actually is).
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
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Reluctance schrieb:
Then I could also install a double-leaf window measuring 1.50 meters (59 inches) wide and 1.60 meters (63 inches) high, right?
That would then require subdivision—but how? Specifically, this is only explicitly defined for single-leaf windows (which I find somewhat questionable, since the apparent intention of the regulation is probably to avoid horizontally oriented windows, but the height division by the transom makes any format appear somewhat more horizontal than it actually is).
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Reluctance schrieb:
that I can chat with in a separate men's corner while I’m sitting in the living room. And what if you’re in the bathtub or busy in the bedroom?
He should get used to coming to you when he needs something. Or if a conversation is happening, it should be exclusive. Just because a man turns into a child again while tinkering doesn’t mean the house has to be built accordingly.
Reluctance schrieb:
Is there a specific reason to place it rather on the east side? That’s because even a loft should be structured. And if the kitchen is wider (than your holiday kitchen), there’s no room left for the sofa and TV. And yes, there should be a large window on the south side, which benefits the rest of the space as well. The reading lounge should have space for books (possibly under a window).
Reluctance schrieb:
Won’t the TV get sunlight all day from the south side? No idea, when the sun is out we’re all outside anyway.
Reluctance schrieb:
And in the evening from behind, from the west?
No idea, in nice weather we do other things in the evening or close the roller shutter. Reluctance schrieb:
We’re now unsure about the guest toilet – if we can still find a spot that doesn’t ruin our entire loft-style floor plan, we’ll include it… R
Reluctance28 Jun 2019 17:1211ant schrieb:
My suggestion takes the single-leaf window of the utility room as a basic module and adjusts its size 76/126 accordingly to stay under the 1 sqm (10.8 sq ft) limit. Well, the question is whether this only applies to windows larger than 1 sqm (10.8 sq ft): “When installing single-leaf windows, mullions and transoms must be designed as glass-dividing elements.” To me, that seems generally valid for single-leaf windows regardless of size...
11ant schrieb:
From my perspective, those remain eleven windows. I don’t see them becoming significantly more expensive just because of how they are divided. Then I’m curious if my general contractor sees it the same way. After all, this triple window ends up having three roller shutters, right?
11ant schrieb:
That would have to be divided then – but how? – Isn’t the division already created by the two sashes in this case?
Reluctance schrieb:
Well, the question is whether this only applies to windows larger than 1 sqm (10.8 sq ft): “For the installation of single-leaf windows, mullions and transoms must be designed as glass-dividing elements.” They must be divided starting at 1 sqm (10.8 sq ft), so according to my suggestion, none at all. Single-leaf windows larger than 1 sqm (10.8 sq ft) would need to be "divided" by the described fake multi-part design. For multi-leaf windows, I would consider the division inherent due to the actual multiple leafs; this only affects the patio doors on the rear side, not the street-facing side. But it seems this regulation lacks both precision and clarity. The colleague from the legal office must have already been quite tired when they proofread it.
Reluctance schrieb:
Well then, I’m curious if my general contractor sees it the same way. In the end, this triple window setup still has three roller shutters, right? First, I don’t see any roller shutters there...
Reluctance schrieb:
Window shutters are only allowed to be made from wood. Their attachment on guide rails is also permitted. ...and secondly, I would accept a continuous shutter box, meaning two or three shutters (“blinds”) on a single continuous axle.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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