Hello House Building Forum
I am new here, and we are currently planning our house with an architect. There are currently 4 of us, but we plan to have a 5th. Therefore, the house will include 3 children's bedrooms.
Here is the questionnaire:
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1250 sqm (13455 sq ft) on 25m x 50m (82 ft x 164 ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: not sure at the moment
Edge development: allowed but I want to avoid it
Number of parking spaces: double carport + 2 cars in front
Roof style: gable roof
Architectural style: classic single-family home
Orientation: see drawing
Owners’ Requirements
Open floor plan on the ground floor, 4 bedrooms on the upper floor, attic with enough space for storage and a hobby area
House Design
Who created the design:
- Architect
What do you like most? Why?
Ground floor: open kitchen and living room. Office accessible from the living room. Direct access to the terrace.
Upper floor: accommodate 3 children’s bedrooms, bedroom with walk-in closet area. The large dormer. The stairs to the attic, where the hobby room will be located.
What do you dislike? Why?
Basically only the staircase to the upper floor. I am a bit bothered by having to walk “around the corner” when coming up. I am looking for ideas to improve this. Or is this concern unfounded?
Cost estimate according to architect/planner:
Not determined yet.
Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings:
350,000 Euro
Preferred heating system:
Gas boiler, solar thermal, and underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, which details or extensions can you do without:
We have already eliminated everything we could possibly do without.
Why is the design the way it is? For example:
We went to the architect with our preferred design. He used our floor plan as a basis and created a floor plan that we like even better. Only the staircase layout is not yet 100% satisfactory for me.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
As mentioned, the staircase to the upper floor is my biggest concern. I hope to get some ideas on how to improve it and maybe some feedback on the rest.
South is “up” on the drawings
If more information is needed, I am happy to provide it.
Best regards
I am new here, and we are currently planning our house with an architect. There are currently 4 of us, but we plan to have a 5th. Therefore, the house will include 3 children's bedrooms.
Here is the questionnaire:
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1250 sqm (13455 sq ft) on 25m x 50m (82 ft x 164 ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: not sure at the moment
Edge development: allowed but I want to avoid it
Number of parking spaces: double carport + 2 cars in front
Roof style: gable roof
Architectural style: classic single-family home
Orientation: see drawing
Owners’ Requirements
Open floor plan on the ground floor, 4 bedrooms on the upper floor, attic with enough space for storage and a hobby area
House Design
Who created the design:
- Architect
What do you like most? Why?
Ground floor: open kitchen and living room. Office accessible from the living room. Direct access to the terrace.
Upper floor: accommodate 3 children’s bedrooms, bedroom with walk-in closet area. The large dormer. The stairs to the attic, where the hobby room will be located.
What do you dislike? Why?
Basically only the staircase to the upper floor. I am a bit bothered by having to walk “around the corner” when coming up. I am looking for ideas to improve this. Or is this concern unfounded?
Cost estimate according to architect/planner:
Not determined yet.
Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings:
350,000 Euro
Preferred heating system:
Gas boiler, solar thermal, and underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, which details or extensions can you do without:
We have already eliminated everything we could possibly do without.
Why is the design the way it is? For example:
We went to the architect with our preferred design. He used our floor plan as a basis and created a floor plan that we like even better. Only the staircase layout is not yet 100% satisfactory for me.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
As mentioned, the staircase to the upper floor is my biggest concern. I hope to get some ideas on how to improve it and maybe some feedback on the rest.
South is “up” on the drawings
If more information is needed, I am happy to provide it.
Best regards
kbt09 schrieb:
@Sparfuchs_:P ... I just have to say something ... this thread is fun because you can tell that ideas and suggestions are developing inside you, and you are slowly approaching your optimum.Yes, I also think it’s great when the OP participates so actively. That’s rare here. Keep it up!Sparfuchs_ schrieb:
The only disadvantage of a centrally located staircase: I end up losing quite a bit of space upstairs that I use as a “hallway.” I need to clarify something here. A hallway is not wasted space! Hallways are always criticized and kept small – but they don’t deserve that.In this case, the question is also whether and where to add walls upstairs at all. If it were my house, I would only partition off the area right behind the staircase as a smaller room. I would leave the rest completely open – so you could even set up a really large model train layout... :P
S
Sparfuchs7725 Jul 2019 10:16kbt09 schrieb:
@Sparfuchs_:P ... I just have to say something ... this is a thread that’s really enjoyable because you can see ideas and suggestions developing within you, and you’re slowly reaching your optimum. I’m really enjoying it too, and we’re learning a lot from it. I’m truly grateful for all your effort.
Well, we’re still a bit away from our shared optimum, but I think we’re on the right path. Even if we decide on the open living room, we have considered everything carefully, weighed all options, and know exactly what we’re getting into. I prefer that over building something without having thought it through properly.
PS: Seating or meeting spots for the kids can also be created with a garden gazebo or barbecue area. That’s how we did it at my place growing up. Add electric heaters and it’s cozy even in winter.
kaho674 schrieb:
Yeah, I also think it’s great when the original poster is this active. We rarely see that here. Keep it up! I’m doing my best
kaho674 schrieb:
I want to clarify something here. A hallway is not wasted space! Hallways always get dismissed and minimized — but they don’t deserve that. But you have to be able to afford a hallway
I’ve roughly sketched the position of the plot in relation to the neighbors
Our plot is the one at the bottom center. The neighbor to the east has a carport at the property line and then their house next to it — so quite far away. The neighbor to the west built their house 3 meters (10 feet) from the boundary. We want to shift our house more toward the east and place our carport between the neighbor to the west and us. The plot has a perfect southern orientation.
Sparfuchs_ schrieb:
The plot has a perfect south-facing orientation.Congratulations on this gem!S
Sparfuchs7725 Jul 2019 11:13ypg schrieb:
If you’re working on Katja’s version, I would suggest making the hallway in front of the stairs on the ground floor rectangular, meaning you’d give up about one square meter in the utility room. This is better both visually and for stair access.Do you mean like this?