ᐅ Single-family home, approximately 160 m², Bauhaus style; first design draft based on our requirements
Created on: 23 Aug 2019 22:03
N
Notstrom
Hello everyone,
we've been looking forward to this for a long time, and now we can finally share our first draft floor plan/design for discussion. We’re very curious to hear your feedback.
Those of you who have seen my thread before (https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/efh-Bauhausstil-Wohnfläche-180m-mit-Doppelgarage.31853/) know what to expect, and here comes the gem.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 530m² (about 5,700 sq ft)
Slope: No
Site coverage ratio (Grundflächenzahl): see screenshot
Floor area ratio (Geschossflächenzahl): see screenshot
Building envelope, building line, and boundaries: see screenshot
Edge development: see screenshot
Number of parking spaces: double garage
Number of floors: 2
Roof style: flat roof
Architectural style: Bauhaus
Orientation
Maximum height/limitations
Other requirements
The green highlighted area represents our plot => Parcel 8479
Homeowner Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Bauhaus style, flat roof
Basement, floors: Basement yes, ground floor, upper floor
Number of residents, ages: 3 people, potentially 4: 33, 30, 2 years old
Space requirements on ground and upper floors: Initially planned 180 m² (about 1,940 sq ft) on two stories, now reduced to 160 m² (about 1,720 sq ft) after feedback, with the ground floor slightly larger than the upper floor, around 75–85 m² (810–915 sq ft)
Office: Family use or home office? Yes, in the basement (guest room <-> office)
Overnight guests per year: Hard to say, probably about 10 times per year with 2–5 guests each time
Open or closed architecture: Rather open
Conservative or modern construction: Rather modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: Island
Number of dining spaces: 1
Fireplace: Yes
Music/sound system wall: Our soundbar is sufficient
Balcony, roof terrace: Maybe, undecided (Architect’s comment: How often do you really go out for a beer on the balcony/roof terrace instead of the nice terrace on the ground floor?)
Garage, carport: Double garage, possibly single garage with carport
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: Small but nice (a few tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis…)
House Design
Planning by: Architect
What do you particularly like? Why? We like the architecture with the two offset rectangles, though we wonder if the extra cost (no price estimate yet) justifies this. We believe it is structurally more challenging than a simple "cube."
What don’t you like? Why? The size of the bedroom/walk-in closet/children’s room. It feels like the bedroom is missing 2–5 m² (about 20–55 sq ft), as is the second children’s room.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: The initial draft was around 550,000 EUR
Personal price limit for the house, including fixtures: 620,000 EUR
Preferred heating technology: Indifferent, but tendency toward heat pump.
If you had to give up something, which details/finishes
- You can give up: the current shape (nice but a cube would also do)
- You cannot give up: space
Why is the design the way it is now? For example:
Standard design from the planner? This is the second design resulting from last week’s discussion with us, and we find it very successful.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? Absolutely, plus the idea he had to move the kitchen during development. The guest room has now moved to the basement, allowing more space on the ground floor (beforehand, it felt quite cramped and “squeezed”).
What makes it especially good or bad in your opinion? The architecture
...and now I’ll leave you alone with our house
Upper floor plan:
Basement:
we've been looking forward to this for a long time, and now we can finally share our first draft floor plan/design for discussion. We’re very curious to hear your feedback.
Those of you who have seen my thread before (https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/efh-Bauhausstil-Wohnfläche-180m-mit-Doppelgarage.31853/) know what to expect, and here comes the gem.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 530m² (about 5,700 sq ft)
Slope: No
Site coverage ratio (Grundflächenzahl): see screenshot
Floor area ratio (Geschossflächenzahl): see screenshot
Building envelope, building line, and boundaries: see screenshot
Edge development: see screenshot
Number of parking spaces: double garage
Number of floors: 2
Roof style: flat roof
Architectural style: Bauhaus
Orientation
Maximum height/limitations
Other requirements
The green highlighted area represents our plot => Parcel 8479
Homeowner Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Bauhaus style, flat roof
Basement, floors: Basement yes, ground floor, upper floor
Number of residents, ages: 3 people, potentially 4: 33, 30, 2 years old
Space requirements on ground and upper floors: Initially planned 180 m² (about 1,940 sq ft) on two stories, now reduced to 160 m² (about 1,720 sq ft) after feedback, with the ground floor slightly larger than the upper floor, around 75–85 m² (810–915 sq ft)
Office: Family use or home office? Yes, in the basement (guest room <-> office)
Overnight guests per year: Hard to say, probably about 10 times per year with 2–5 guests each time
Open or closed architecture: Rather open
Conservative or modern construction: Rather modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: Island
Number of dining spaces: 1
Fireplace: Yes
Music/sound system wall: Our soundbar is sufficient
Balcony, roof terrace: Maybe, undecided (Architect’s comment: How often do you really go out for a beer on the balcony/roof terrace instead of the nice terrace on the ground floor?)
Garage, carport: Double garage, possibly single garage with carport
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: Small but nice (a few tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis…)
House Design
Planning by: Architect
What do you particularly like? Why? We like the architecture with the two offset rectangles, though we wonder if the extra cost (no price estimate yet) justifies this. We believe it is structurally more challenging than a simple "cube."
What don’t you like? Why? The size of the bedroom/walk-in closet/children’s room. It feels like the bedroom is missing 2–5 m² (about 20–55 sq ft), as is the second children’s room.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: The initial draft was around 550,000 EUR
Personal price limit for the house, including fixtures: 620,000 EUR
Preferred heating technology: Indifferent, but tendency toward heat pump.
If you had to give up something, which details/finishes
- You can give up: the current shape (nice but a cube would also do)
- You cannot give up: space
Why is the design the way it is now? For example:
Standard design from the planner? This is the second design resulting from last week’s discussion with us, and we find it very successful.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? Absolutely, plus the idea he had to move the kitchen during development. The guest room has now moved to the basement, allowing more space on the ground floor (beforehand, it felt quite cramped and “squeezed”).
What makes it especially good or bad in your opinion? The architecture
...and now I’ll leave you alone with our house
Upper floor plan:
Basement:
Notstrom schrieb:
I mean, I find your comments readable and sometimes even amusing, but we can’t really benefit from your experience here. You just need to understand my comments properly: if you expected a clear three-step plan showing how small adjustments can smooth everything out, you will inevitably be disappointed. However, you can definitely benefit if you grasp the message clearly: in plain terms, it says that the designer should be shown the door, and here’s why—because they apparently plan without any sense of spatial effect. The result is a house you can move through without injury, but unfortunately without any spark or appeal. There may be enough of a “quick fix for a Bauhaus-style cube,” but unfortunately no spirit. But if you’re already considering…
Notstrom schrieb:
- Simulation of a hip roof on the given house …pouring ketchup and mayo on top anyway, then it won’t really matter anymore.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
You just need to understand my points properly: if you were expecting a three-step plan on how to smooth everything out with minor adjustments, you will inevitably be disappointed. However, you can definitely benefit if you clearly grasp the message: in German, it basically says you should send the architect packing, and here’s why: because apparently, they design without any sense of spatial impact. The result is a house you can walk through without bumps, but unfortunately, it lacks any spark. "Quick fix for a Bauhaus-style cube" may cover enough, but unfortunately, not the flair. But if you’re already considering...
...pouring ketchup and mayo on it, there’s not much more that can be screwed up. The expectation isn’t to be handed a battle plan on a silver platter either, but without the experience you clearly seem to have, I’m struggling to fully grasp your suggestions.
The hint to replace the architect seems too drastic a measure to me personally, especially given that this firm only has one other architect. I’m happy with ketchup and mayo until it qualifies for a Michelin star.
Notstrom schrieb:
However, I find it difficult [...] to fully outline your points. In that case, I’m probably failing to express myself clearly, so I’ll try again: when you walk through the door frame into the bedroom shown here, your feeling will be: "this is not what I ordered," or at least "an experienced professional should have warned me that, at best, this will look merely ‘functional’." You should be able to expect an architect to design a residential house properly. Designing just to get the building permit / planning permission does not require an architect; the common current practice of a draftsman and a plan approver is enough. This house will not be attractive! – and I do not mean this in terms of differing tastes, but the user of the architecture will get a feeling of narrow-mindedness, and this will apply no less to the bathroom than to the bedroom.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
@Notstrom ... The idea of possibly having a landing staircase ... should be realized first before all your other changes can really take effect. The new design definitely adds a lot of charm to the living room. The dining and kitchen areas are also better laid out in my opinion.
What speaks against Katja’s sketches from Post 37 ... there is already space for a landing staircase, and the design is very similar to the last one. An island kitchen is possible. The guest bathroom is much better planned. And, so far it’s just a quick draft that can still be refined. Most likely, the front door will have to be moved back to the right side as per the plan, because a backfill is probably necessary, which means steps in front of the entrance.
By the way, a door in front of the hallway won’t automatically keep dirt or marks out. The two doors in the planned vestibule are inconvenient since both open inward. One person leaves the house, someone else wants something from a room, and suddenly it’s unclear where to stand inside this vestibule.
In the last design ... are you really considering just a strip window in the kitchen area, so that it feels like a basement space? Cutting out the south and east light there? The kitchen definitely needs a proper patio door that is positioned so you don’t constantly have to walk around the dining table.
Moving the fireplace toward the dining area so that the living room gains an entrance will make the passage to the dining space narrow, at least with such a large fireplace. You might want to consider closing off the room instead.
A bedroom width of 338 cm (11 feet) seems too narrow for the bed space, especially for a house of this size. Also, having two bathroom entrances is always somewhat inconvenient, especially when your children’s friends start staying overnight. And that happens quickly once they are around 5 or 6 years old.
What speaks against Katja’s sketches from Post 37 ... there is already space for a landing staircase, and the design is very similar to the last one. An island kitchen is possible. The guest bathroom is much better planned. And, so far it’s just a quick draft that can still be refined. Most likely, the front door will have to be moved back to the right side as per the plan, because a backfill is probably necessary, which means steps in front of the entrance.
By the way, a door in front of the hallway won’t automatically keep dirt or marks out. The two doors in the planned vestibule are inconvenient since both open inward. One person leaves the house, someone else wants something from a room, and suddenly it’s unclear where to stand inside this vestibule.
In the last design ... are you really considering just a strip window in the kitchen area, so that it feels like a basement space? Cutting out the south and east light there? The kitchen definitely needs a proper patio door that is positioned so you don’t constantly have to walk around the dining table.
Moving the fireplace toward the dining area so that the living room gains an entrance will make the passage to the dining space narrow, at least with such a large fireplace. You might want to consider closing off the room instead.
A bedroom width of 338 cm (11 feet) seems too narrow for the bed space, especially for a house of this size. Also, having two bathroom entrances is always somewhat inconvenient, especially when your children’s friends start staying overnight. And that happens quickly once they are around 5 or 6 years old.
Notstrom schrieb:
Good point, so I will either make the bathroom bigger or renovate it. The 80cm (31.5 inches) between the bathtub and the sink actually bothers me—I just measured the distance in our current bathroom, which is 90cm (35.5 inches), and I don’t find that space problematic. Please share the dimensions of the shower plus wall and the bathtub, then I can send you a photo showing how much room is left for movement with the wall system, or how it could look without a T-shaped setup.
Notstrom schrieb:
What do you mean by that? Why is it unusable in terms of size and door opening? We want a vestibule mainly because:
- To take off shoes, keep dirt “outside,” maintain privacy (from the postman, etc.) I understand why you want a vestibule—we have one too—but just because of the door arrangement and size, the flow is difficult. In my layout, people naturally step down because it’s open. In your case, that doesn’t work. People stand inside the vestibule (with the door open, it blocks the step-down area). When you open the front door, it blocks everything on the step-down area behind it. So, if there are three or four people in the vestibule, nobody can put down jackets or shoes, and the door can’t be closed because everyone is in the way and there’s no room to move aside.
Notstrom schrieb:
Do you have examples? Just my opinion. The wall in front of the staircase on the ground floor serves no purpose. I could understand it at the staircase going up, but the one going down? What’s it for? To me, it makes the room feel smaller. OK, I’m a fan of open floor plans. Niche built-in closet on the right next to the stairs on the ground floor? Is the fridge going there? A 3.38m (11 feet) long wardrobe wall? That’s at least 30cm (12 inches) too long and makes the passage tight! Two 150cm (59 inches) wide open Pax wardrobes don’t need 338cm (11 feet). Not everyone likes Ikea, but nobody really wants to spend €3,000 (not converted as per instructions) on a custom closet either!
Regarding the mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, you will definitely miss the 25cm (10 inches) in this floor plan.
Think about whether you want to swap the guest toilet with the cloakroom. Then you could use the cloakroom as a pantry.
M
Matthew034 Sep 2019 10:19I thought about the vestibule first as well, and @Zaba12 has just explained it perfectly. You can see it right away. It might still work when you are alone (although the doors that open against each other are already inconvenient), but as soon as more than one person comes home at the same time, you’ll regret having built it that way.
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