ᐅ Floor plan design for an urban villa with basement – any suggestions for improvement?
Created on: 8 Oct 2019 21:00
C
canerol
Hello everyone,
We are currently planning a townhouse for the plot of land we purchased. We would appreciate your feedback, improvements, or suggestions regarding the floor plans.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 448m² (5409 ft²)
Slope: South-facing slope, within the building area approximately 1.6 m (5.25 ft) descending from street level
Building type: Single-family house, townhouse style
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.3
Plot ratio / floor space index: 0.6
Building area, building line, and boundary: Maximum building depth 14 m (46 ft), building length 10.5 m (34 ft)
Number of parking spaces: 1 in front of the garage entrance
Number of floors: 2 full stories
Roof type: Gable roof, 25-45 degrees; hip roof / tent roof 15-25 degrees
Architectural style: Modern
Orientation: South
Maximum height / limitations: No restrictions
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: Townhouse style, hip/tent roof 25 degrees
Basement, floors: 2 full stories plus basement rooms and a separate apartment in the basement
Number and ages of occupants: 4 people, ages: 46, 47, children 20 and 16 years
Space requirements for basement (UG), ground floor (EG), upper floor (OG):
UG:[/B] Separate apartment for one child (20 years), WC & shower, 1 cellar/storage room, utility room
EG: Kitchen/dining/living, workspace
OG: Two children’s rooms (child 16 years), bathroom, master bedroom, storage room (washing machine, dryer)
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: conservative
Open kitchen with island: open kitchen
Number of dining places: 4
Fireplace: yes
Music/Stereo wall: no
Balcony: no
Terrace: yes, on the ground floor; according to the development plan, half the width of the house
Rainwater tank: no
Garage or carport: garage
House Design
Designed by:
- Structural engineer
Cost estimate according to structural engineer: 350,000€ including ancillary construction costs and utility connections
Personal budget limit for house including fittings: 370,000€
Heating system: Geothermal heating
Why does the design look like it does?
Since our children are older, we wanted to prioritize giving them large rooms. Due to the slight slope on the site, a basement with a separate apartment made sense. This is where our older son would have his own space. Our daughter would have her room on the upper floor. We wanted the living room to be large and open.
We have a family member (father-in-law) who runs a civil engineering company, so we expect to get the earthworks and landscaping done at a relatively low cost.
We are currently planning a townhouse for the plot of land we purchased. We would appreciate your feedback, improvements, or suggestions regarding the floor plans.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 448m² (5409 ft²)
Slope: South-facing slope, within the building area approximately 1.6 m (5.25 ft) descending from street level
Building type: Single-family house, townhouse style
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.3
Plot ratio / floor space index: 0.6
Building area, building line, and boundary: Maximum building depth 14 m (46 ft), building length 10.5 m (34 ft)
Number of parking spaces: 1 in front of the garage entrance
Number of floors: 2 full stories
Roof type: Gable roof, 25-45 degrees; hip roof / tent roof 15-25 degrees
Architectural style: Modern
Orientation: South
Maximum height / limitations: No restrictions
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: Townhouse style, hip/tent roof 25 degrees
Basement, floors: 2 full stories plus basement rooms and a separate apartment in the basement
Number and ages of occupants: 4 people, ages: 46, 47, children 20 and 16 years
Space requirements for basement (UG), ground floor (EG), upper floor (OG):
UG:[/B] Separate apartment for one child (20 years), WC & shower, 1 cellar/storage room, utility room
EG: Kitchen/dining/living, workspace
OG: Two children’s rooms (child 16 years), bathroom, master bedroom, storage room (washing machine, dryer)
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: conservative
Open kitchen with island: open kitchen
Number of dining places: 4
Fireplace: yes
Music/Stereo wall: no
Balcony: no
Terrace: yes, on the ground floor; according to the development plan, half the width of the house
Rainwater tank: no
Garage or carport: garage
House Design
Designed by:
- Structural engineer
Cost estimate according to structural engineer: 350,000€ including ancillary construction costs and utility connections
Personal budget limit for house including fittings: 370,000€
Heating system: Geothermal heating
Why does the design look like it does?
Since our children are older, we wanted to prioritize giving them large rooms. Due to the slight slope on the site, a basement with a separate apartment made sense. This is where our older son would have his own space. Our daughter would have her room on the upper floor. We wanted the living room to be large and open.
We have a family member (father-in-law) who runs a civil engineering company, so we expect to get the earthworks and landscaping done at a relatively low cost.
The budget is tight. Many people have already been caught out by estimates.
I would divide the children's room upstairs right away and install a connecting door—sleeping area and living area.
I find the bathroom a bit small.
Have you considered giving both children a shared floor now and allowing yourself more privacy?
I would divide the children's room upstairs right away and install a connecting door—sleeping area and living area.
I find the bathroom a bit small.
Have you considered giving both children a shared floor now and allowing yourself more privacy?
kaho674 schrieb:
Hmm, I’d like to hold off on discussing the floor plan for now and first ask the community: what future are you building this house for?
Building such a large house with two almost-adult children strikes me as a mistake. Of course, it depends on what the kids plan in the coming years. Will they still be living at home for another 10 years? Or will they be moving to university in another city? Is there already a partner they might move in with? It might be cheaper to help them finance a small apartment.
Even if that’s hard to imagine now or it breaks your heart, the kids will probably have moved out in 3-4 years. Then you’ll be stuck with many rooms you don’t need—and worse, a massive loan that no one really wants. Considering the tight budget, having two floors would be a win for everyone. Everything you mentioned is true. However, the children are still living with us for now, and we hope they will stay a little longer. The idea for the future is that one of the children might take over the house, and my wife and I will downsize in terms of the house.
apokolok schrieb:
I see just under 200m² (2,150 sq ft) of living space, 3 bathrooms, a fireplace, and a garage.
With $370k, that definitely won’t be enough.
Reduce the whole project reasonably. I have included the cost estimate; in which areas (trades) do you think the estimate would be insufficient?
Hmm... despite everything, quite a bit of space will become available in the near future.
It’s not clear where you plan to place the terrace. More to the right, where the dining area is? Will the ground be built up there?
Will the living room have floor-to-ceiling windows even if the sofa is placed in front of them?
The kitchen is actually too wide for a two-row layout with a width of 326 cm (128 inches).
Why is there still a bathroom with a shower on the ground floor? The office is quite small for that purpose. Is it intended for a home office? The space for a swivel chair seems too tight.
That’s about 190 sqm (2045 sq ft) of living space, including the basement living area. 33 sqm (355 sq ft) are for the children, who obviously won’t live there forever. Maybe you should consider concepts that become relevant in about five years. And do the children really need 33 sqm (355 sq ft)? Especially if they move out for university and only get shared rooms of around 12 sqm (129 sq ft) or small apartments of 20 to 30 sqm (215 to 323 sq ft) including bathroom and kitchenette?
It’s not clear where you plan to place the terrace. More to the right, where the dining area is? Will the ground be built up there?
Will the living room have floor-to-ceiling windows even if the sofa is placed in front of them?
The kitchen is actually too wide for a two-row layout with a width of 326 cm (128 inches).
Why is there still a bathroom with a shower on the ground floor? The office is quite small for that purpose. Is it intended for a home office? The space for a swivel chair seems too tight.
That’s about 190 sqm (2045 sq ft) of living space, including the basement living area. 33 sqm (355 sq ft) are for the children, who obviously won’t live there forever. Maybe you should consider concepts that become relevant in about five years. And do the children really need 33 sqm (355 sq ft)? Especially if they move out for university and only get shared rooms of around 12 sqm (129 sq ft) or small apartments of 20 to 30 sqm (215 to 323 sq ft) including bathroom and kitchenette?
Similar topics