ᐅ Floor Plan Optimization / Ground Floor Layout for a Semi-Detached House

Created on: 3 Oct 2019 16:53
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duke1085
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duke1085
3 Oct 2019 16:53
Hello dear forum,

First of all: I am new here, so please forgive me if any information is missing; I can gladly provide it upon request. We are about to purchase a newly built semi-detached house (construction starting next year) and would appreciate your tips and comments. I have tried to follow the guide, but I think in my case it would go beyond the scope, as I am only interested in a detailed optimization of the ground floor rather than a complete redesign of the floor plan.

In my opinion, the relevant information is as follows:

Client Requirements
Style, roof design, building type – Modern, pitched roof, semi-detached house
Basement, floors – No basement / 2 floors
Number of occupants, age – 2 x 35 years + eventually 1–2 children
Open or closed architecture – open
Conservative or modern construction – modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island – An eat-in kitchen with a U-shaped kitchen or kitchen island
Number of dining seats – 4–6
Fireplace – no
Music/stereo wall – Yes, at least 2 m (6 feet 6 inches) wide
Balcony, roof terrace – Balcony may still be planned
Garage, carport – Yes
Utility garden, greenhouse – Garden as per floor plan

House Design
Designed by:
- Planner from a building company
What do you dislike? Why? Living room too small, layout difficult due to current furniture

What is the key/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
The house will be built on a relatively small plot (210 m² (2260 sq.ft)). Therefore, the external dimensions are quite limited. Our main priority was a relatively large living/dining/kitchen area. However, this area is only about 41 m² (441 sq.ft) total here. We are quite satisfied with the layout of the other floors, so I have largely left those aside as mentioned above.

The following furniture should fit here:
A U-shaped kitchen or kitchen island (we currently have an island kitchen with the following dimensions:
Back kitchen wall 3 m (10 feet) wide / peninsula 2.10 m x 1.17 m (6 feet 10 inches x 3 feet 10 inches)
A dining table 2 m x 1 m (6 feet 6 inches x 3 feet 3 inches)
An L-shaped sofa 3 m x 1.90 m (10 feet x 6 feet 3 inches) on the longest side
A lowboard for TV / audio system about 2 m (6 feet 6 inches) wide

The following changes were considered:
Remove the partition wall between kitchen and living area
Replace 2 doors to kitchen and living room with one large glass door centered (1.60 m (5 feet 3 inches) wide)
Replace two 2 m (6 feet 6 inches) terrace doors with one large 5 m (16 feet 5 inches) sliding glass door
Increase clear ceiling height on the ground floor from 2.61 m to 2.70 m (8 feet 7 inches to 8 feet 10 inches)
Move washer/dryer to a storage room on the first floor

What do you think about the idea of integrating the staircase into the living room?
How would you integrate the kitchen into the space?
What options do you see to make the room appear larger, at least visually?

I’m aware that the possibilities are probably quite limited here but still look forward to your suggestions.

Best regards!

Floor plan of a house with kitchen, dining room, living room, terrace, and garage
kaho6743 Oct 2019 17:06
I hope for your sake that the 5m² (54 sq ft) utility room doesn’t have to accommodate all the building services in addition to the washer and dryer. Otherwise, I’m not even going to start talking about the other floors. :P
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duke1085
3 Oct 2019 17:13
We plan to relocate the washing machine and dryer to the storage room on the first floor. According to the developer, all the technical equipment is actually supposed to go there.
Attached are the other two floors as well.

Dachgeschoss Grundriss (Haus 2a): Schlafzimmer, Flur, Abstellraum, Bad, Dusche, Treppenbereich.


Grundriss 1. Obergeschoss von Haus 2a: zwei Kinderzimmer, Bad, Flur, Treppe.


Grundriss Erdgeschoss Haus 2a: Küche, Wohnen, Flur, WC, Treppe, Terrasse und Garage (Maße).


Architekturzeichnung: Gartenansicht und Hausschnitt des Hauses 2a mit Dach und Garage.


Front- und Seitenansicht eines zweigeschossigen Hauses 2a mit Satteldach, Fensterfronten und Garage.
kaho6743 Oct 2019 17:44
Let me just ask a few things:
The ground floor is really a bit tight and has an awkward layout that’s difficult to furnish. In this almost square floor plan, I also find the staircase somehow unfortunate. It also makes the rooms upstairs awkwardly shaped.
Would it be possible to move the utility room to the upper floor and use the ground floor only for the open living area, WC, and wardrobe?
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duke1085
3 Oct 2019 18:42
I also don't find the layout optimal or easy to furnish. Having the technical room in the attic is a good idea in principle. I would need to check if that would be feasible. Would you recommend a different staircase design?
kaho6743 Oct 2019 19:38
duke1085 schrieb:

Would you recommend a different staircase design?
Yes, probably something like this (staircase without landing! – software glitch):


Floor plan of a residential house: living room, dining area with round table, staircase and doors.


Floor plan: two large rooms on the ground floor, laundry room top left, stairwell in the middle, bathroom top right.


Floor plan of a house with utility room, bedroom (BD) and guest rooms, hallways and furniture.


Gray multi-story house with pitched roof, many windows and skylights on green lawn


There is no garage due to limited space and otherwise lack of light. Only a carport.