ᐅ 200 m² single-family house for 4-5 people without a basement on a narrow lot
Created on: 7 Sep 2019 18:07
H
hausbauer
Hello,
I’m looking forward to your opinions on this design.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size 525 m² (5650 sq ft), 17 m (56 ft) narrow along the street at the south end x 31 m (102 ft) long north-south orientation
Land is completely flat
Site coverage ratio 0.4
Floor area ratio 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundary each 5 m (16 ft) from the street at the south and from the northern border
Edge development
Number of parking spaces 2
Maximum height / limits 8 m (26 ft) total height (attic will be quite low)
Client Requirements
Basement, floors 2 full floors without basement
Number of people, age 2 adults + 2 children (currently small) + possibly a third child
Room requirements on ground and upper floor 2 children’s rooms, 1 office/guest room large enough to be another children’s room, 1 additional small office, guest bathroom with shower, open living-dining area
Office: family use or home office? Only for work after hours and weekends, as well as for taxes etc.
Number of overnight guests per year few
Open or closed architecture
Balcony, roof terrace no
Garage, carport Double garage would be good, but probably won’t fit?
Utility garden, greenhouse no
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why some things should or shouldn’t be included
Bedroom facing north for a clear view; no north-facing garden because it would be too dark in autumn/winter due to shading from surrounding houses; overall, lots of natural light in the living areas is very important to us
Enough usable space and storage inside the house (large utility and service room), since we don’t have a basement and there is no room on the plot for large garden sheds
House Design
Who designed it: self-designed based on a template
What do you like most? Why? Layout of the upper floor (nice children’s rooms with south and southwest orientation, bedroom facing north, large utility room), possibility of a second terrace on the north side by the guest room for shade and view north in midsummer
What do you not like? Why? Entrance area on the ground floor is a bit narrow, otherwise we’re quite inexperienced with what might work well or not in everyday life.
If you had to compromise, on which details or expansions
-You could do without: large hallway areas, if necessary a half-landing staircase (instead of more space-consuming stairs), if needed a pantry next to the kitchen (could be replaced by space under the stairs), a structural requirement might mean adding an extra partition wall in the utility room (which could also be used as a room divider for more storage space)
-You cannot do without: south-facing living-dining area, enough space for bicycles etc. on the property (currently a bit tight)
Questions about the floor plan:
- Is the plot well used?
- Is the entrance area too narrow at 175 cm (69 inches)?
- Are the rooms arranged practically for a family of 4 to 5?
- Do we have enough storage given that we lack a basement and the attic is quite low?
- Is it a big disadvantage in terms of sound transmission that the two children’s rooms share a common wall?
Note: The entire plan will be revised by a professional once we are happy with the overall layout. Then dimensions will be more precise, drawings nicer, and structural calculations reliable. I’m just interested in early feedback on potential weak points and good alternatives.
I’m looking forward to your opinions on this design.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size 525 m² (5650 sq ft), 17 m (56 ft) narrow along the street at the south end x 31 m (102 ft) long north-south orientation
Land is completely flat
Site coverage ratio 0.4
Floor area ratio 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundary each 5 m (16 ft) from the street at the south and from the northern border
Edge development
Number of parking spaces 2
Maximum height / limits 8 m (26 ft) total height (attic will be quite low)
Client Requirements
Basement, floors 2 full floors without basement
Number of people, age 2 adults + 2 children (currently small) + possibly a third child
Room requirements on ground and upper floor 2 children’s rooms, 1 office/guest room large enough to be another children’s room, 1 additional small office, guest bathroom with shower, open living-dining area
Office: family use or home office? Only for work after hours and weekends, as well as for taxes etc.
Number of overnight guests per year few
Open or closed architecture
Balcony, roof terrace no
Garage, carport Double garage would be good, but probably won’t fit?
Utility garden, greenhouse no
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why some things should or shouldn’t be included
Bedroom facing north for a clear view; no north-facing garden because it would be too dark in autumn/winter due to shading from surrounding houses; overall, lots of natural light in the living areas is very important to us
Enough usable space and storage inside the house (large utility and service room), since we don’t have a basement and there is no room on the plot for large garden sheds
House Design
Who designed it: self-designed based on a template
What do you like most? Why? Layout of the upper floor (nice children’s rooms with south and southwest orientation, bedroom facing north, large utility room), possibility of a second terrace on the north side by the guest room for shade and view north in midsummer
What do you not like? Why? Entrance area on the ground floor is a bit narrow, otherwise we’re quite inexperienced with what might work well or not in everyday life.
If you had to compromise, on which details or expansions
-You could do without: large hallway areas, if necessary a half-landing staircase (instead of more space-consuming stairs), if needed a pantry next to the kitchen (could be replaced by space under the stairs), a structural requirement might mean adding an extra partition wall in the utility room (which could also be used as a room divider for more storage space)
-You cannot do without: south-facing living-dining area, enough space for bicycles etc. on the property (currently a bit tight)
Questions about the floor plan:
- Is the plot well used?
- Is the entrance area too narrow at 175 cm (69 inches)?
- Are the rooms arranged practically for a family of 4 to 5?
- Do we have enough storage given that we lack a basement and the attic is quite low?
- Is it a big disadvantage in terms of sound transmission that the two children’s rooms share a common wall?
Note: The entire plan will be revised by a professional once we are happy with the overall layout. Then dimensions will be more precise, drawings nicer, and structural calculations reliable. I’m just interested in early feedback on potential weak points and good alternatives.
I wouldn’t position the bed so that the headboard is against the partition wall, because you only have a maximum of 300 cm (118 inches) for the bed there, and the person sleeping on the right side would have their head right next to the doorway. If you want to rotate it, place the headboard at the top of the plan, and perhaps have two narrow windows on either side of the bed and one window on the left wall. In that case, a room depth of 300 cm (118 inches) is sufficient.
I think that in most cases, these rooms will function more as closets than as dressing rooms. Dressing rooms make sense if the bathroom is ensuite. If you have to go through the hallway first, I would take the clothes into the bathroom and just pick out what I need there.
Regarding closets, it’s important to plan properly. For example, 400 cm (157 inches) with 60 cm (24 inches) depth at the bottom of the plan and 280 cm (110 inches) with only 40 cm (16 inches) depth at the top could be enough. A closet space of 200 cm (79 inches) wide is also possible this way.
If you want 60 cm (24 inches) deep wardrobes—ideally with sliding doors—I would recommend allowing for 66 to just under 70 cm (26 to 28 inches) depth to accommodate the wardrobes properly. In that case, 200 cm (79 inches) quickly becomes very tight.
I think that in most cases, these rooms will function more as closets than as dressing rooms. Dressing rooms make sense if the bathroom is ensuite. If you have to go through the hallway first, I would take the clothes into the bathroom and just pick out what I need there.
Regarding closets, it’s important to plan properly. For example, 400 cm (157 inches) with 60 cm (24 inches) depth at the bottom of the plan and 280 cm (110 inches) with only 40 cm (16 inches) depth at the top could be enough. A closet space of 200 cm (79 inches) wide is also possible this way.
If you want 60 cm (24 inches) deep wardrobes—ideally with sliding doors—I would recommend allowing for 66 to just under 70 cm (26 to 28 inches) depth to accommodate the wardrobes properly. In that case, 200 cm (79 inches) quickly becomes very tight.
H
hausbauer30 Sep 2019 11:59j.bautsch schrieb:
Hey, aren’t you the person from the K forum whose floor plan I remodeled with paint?
Anyway, I think you’ll see this as a confirmation of what I already wrote about the bedroom and the walk-in closet. Yes, I originally only wanted to discuss a small section of the house there, but quickly the big picture was requested. Thanks for the input there!
H
hausbauer30 Sep 2019 12:01kbt09 schrieb:
Regarding closet space, some planning should be done. Possibly, 400 cm (160 inches) wide with a depth of 60 cm (24 inches) along the bottom wall and 280 cm (110 inches) wide with only 40 cm (16 inches) depth along the top wall might be sufficient. That would allow for a closet area about 200 cm (79 inches) wide.
If you want closets with a depth of 60 cm (24 inches), ideally with sliding doors, you should actually plan for a depth of 66 to almost 70 cm (26 to 28 inches) for the wardrobes. In that case, 200 cm (79 inches) width becomes quite tight. Thank you for these specific guidelines; I will take them into account. The currently planned width is 220 cm (87 inches).
I would position the house as far north as possible, so that the terrace exit is also accessible from the dining room and, above all, to ensure sunlight on the terrace. On the north side (which also slightly faces east), I might not get any sun at all if the neighbor on the left sets their house further back. Why don’t you build with a basement from the start if you are planning almost 30 square meters (320 square feet) of storage space above ground?
Best regards,
Sabine
Best regards,
Sabine
H
hausbauer30 Sep 2019 12:46Wow, it seems there are also some supporters of a south-facing garden.
"Why don’t you just build with a basement if you’re planning almost 30 square meters (320 square feet) of storage space above ground?"
We actually wanted to, but the soil and water conditions don’t allow it. That’s why we now have a house that is actually too large for the plot, but without a basement...
"Why don’t you just build with a basement if you’re planning almost 30 square meters (320 square feet) of storage space above ground?"
We actually wanted to, but the soil and water conditions don’t allow it. That’s why we now have a house that is actually too large for the plot, but without a basement...
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