ᐅ Preliminary floor plan/layout for a large northwest-facing plot
Created on: 22 Nov 2019 00:25
L
ltenzer
Hello everyone,
Fortunately, about a year ago my previous floor plan received constructive and clear criticism that helped prevent long-term issues and encouraged a fresh start. After some delays, here is my draft for the room layout. Windows are not yet marked, and so far there is almost no furniture. Since we have an appointment with the architect on Tuesday, adding windows now would take too long to receive and incorporate any further suggestions beforehand. Please excuse this. In any case, a large window front is planned in the southwest area above the dining space’s open volume.
Checklist:
Development plan / restrictions
Size of the plot including backyard / former farmland (greenhouses already demolished) total 2800 sqm (about 0.7 acres)
Slope: The 32 m (105 feet) wide lot slopes down about 1.60 m (5.3 feet) from left to right in the front. The terrain also slopes slightly towards the back; within the 15 m (49 feet) deep building envelope, the ground falls by approximately 60–80 cm (2–2.6 feet).
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.4
Gross floor area ratio (GFAR): 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundaries: shown in the processed development plan excerpt; building outlines are marked in red. The entire orange area including the white-marked path at the right edge of the lot belongs to us. Below this path is a public sewer line that cannot be built over. We must keep a distance of 2 meters (6.6 feet) between residential buildings and this path, or 1 meter (3.3 feet) if placing a garage there. The development plan for backyard buildings has been approved at our request (planned for possible future use, e.g., a children’s or senior bungalow).
Adjacent buildings: On the left (southwest) is a bungalow which, due to its higher position, can cast long shadows in winter. Behind this bungalow, on our property line, there is a garage and, behind that, a neighbor’s shed, which unfortunately also causes shading when the sun is low. On the right (northeast), there is a one-and-a-half-story building with a garage on the boundary next to our path.
Number of stories: 2 full stories
Roof shape: flexible, preferably mono-pitched roof (a visible roof over the upper floor is planned)
Architectural style: flexible
Garden orientation: northwest
Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: preferably classic, “cozy traditional,” possibly somewhat playful and combined with modern elements
Number and age of occupants: 4 people aged 42 + 43 + 2.5 + 0.5 years (third child/foster child unlikely but not impossible)
Office: for private documents, books, etc.
Overnight guests per year: currently a maximum of 10 nights
Open or closed architecture: preferably open
Conservative or modern construction: both have pros and cons; a mix is welcome
Open kitchen, kitchen island: preferably open with the option to close later if desired; island preferred if space allows but not mandatory
Number of dining seats: 4 for everyday use, up to 12–18 with guests
Fireplace: not necessary
Music/stereo wall: not necessary; a compact system with two small speakers can be accommodated somewhere
Balcony, roof terrace: not necessary for cost reasons
Garage, carport: at least one double garage
Additional wishes or special considerations / daily routine, including explanations why some options are accepted or rejected: see below
House design
Origin of the plan:
- DIY preliminary draft with roomsketcher
- Cost estimate according to architect/planner: unknown so far
Personal budget limit for house, including fixtures: 550,000–600,000 EUR (~550–600 K EUR) including ancillary costs
Preferred heating technology: ground source heat pump, deep drilling (or does anyone have positive experience with wood chips? I could get that very cheaply.)
Why a self-drawn floor plan instead of a complete architect’s design? Our architect is technically very skilled and also a good professional partner. However, due to high workload, plan modifications usually take quite a while. To start optimally in spring, I prefer to do some preliminary work myself in the hope it will help.
We have placed the house “diagonally” within the building envelope so that it fits flush with the diagonally shaped right edge of the building area, as stated above in the checklist. The house walls run parallel to the right neighbor. The reason is that, while we want to enjoy the southwest sun coming from the left neighbor side, we also want to slightly turn away from visibility from the street and opposite neighbors. Another reason is to build as far away as possible from our higher left neighbor who casts long shadows in winter, so more sunlight can reach our windows. For brightness reasons, I also planned the garage detached from the house on the left southwest edge; it should be built as low as possible and in winter not cause significantly more shadowing than the neighboring buildings already do.
The terrace, visible from the street through the gap between garage and house, will be screened with a hedge.
My design was partly inspired by the floor plan of a used property we visited. There, as a striking feature upon entering, you looked at a tall plant growing through a 1x1 m (3.3x3.3 feet) ceiling opening next to the left end of the stairs reaching to the upper floor. The idea is to plan the ceiling opening large enough to allow the retrofitting of a vertical lift in the future. The gallery/open volume was positioned in that house similarly to ours, which we liked. The entrance vestibule (windfang) is primarily intended to avoid drafts, since our terrace door is often open. I initially placed the cloakroom behind the vestibule, open to the living area, so that the vestibule door would not interfere with a possible lift solution and its required maneuvering space.
On the ground floor, a wall is drawn next to the staircase (above it on the plan) which I assume might be a necessary load-bearing wall due to the large open living-dining “hall.” This wall continues through the basement and upper floor and also serves as practical room separation there.
In the upstairs plan, I placed the walk-in closet between the bedroom and bathroom, intentionally separating it again from the bedroom by a door. The reason is our current experience where our bedroom is only separated from the bathroom by a thin wall, and even with the door closed, there is still too much noise from the bathroom. I still consider this solution slightly imperfect but would not want to reduce the open volume too much. The very large bed planned for the bedroom should be a 2.7 m (8.9 feet) wide family bed. Space next to it is somewhat tight. If I place it on the opposite exterior wall, it would conflict with the wish for windows on the sunny side, wouldn’t it?
The open volume is a long-standing wish we don’t want to give up, even if it requires, for example, soundproof doors for the children’s rooms.
Since this is only a semi-finished draft of the room layout, I would greatly appreciate any critiques and ideas so I can incorporate them into the architect’s planning from the beginning. We would also like to save a few square meters if possible and sensible.
Thank you in advance for all suggestions!
Fortunately, about a year ago my previous floor plan received constructive and clear criticism that helped prevent long-term issues and encouraged a fresh start. After some delays, here is my draft for the room layout. Windows are not yet marked, and so far there is almost no furniture. Since we have an appointment with the architect on Tuesday, adding windows now would take too long to receive and incorporate any further suggestions beforehand. Please excuse this. In any case, a large window front is planned in the southwest area above the dining space’s open volume.
Checklist:
Development plan / restrictions
Size of the plot including backyard / former farmland (greenhouses already demolished) total 2800 sqm (about 0.7 acres)
Slope: The 32 m (105 feet) wide lot slopes down about 1.60 m (5.3 feet) from left to right in the front. The terrain also slopes slightly towards the back; within the 15 m (49 feet) deep building envelope, the ground falls by approximately 60–80 cm (2–2.6 feet).
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.4
Gross floor area ratio (GFAR): 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundaries: shown in the processed development plan excerpt; building outlines are marked in red. The entire orange area including the white-marked path at the right edge of the lot belongs to us. Below this path is a public sewer line that cannot be built over. We must keep a distance of 2 meters (6.6 feet) between residential buildings and this path, or 1 meter (3.3 feet) if placing a garage there. The development plan for backyard buildings has been approved at our request (planned for possible future use, e.g., a children’s or senior bungalow).
Adjacent buildings: On the left (southwest) is a bungalow which, due to its higher position, can cast long shadows in winter. Behind this bungalow, on our property line, there is a garage and, behind that, a neighbor’s shed, which unfortunately also causes shading when the sun is low. On the right (northeast), there is a one-and-a-half-story building with a garage on the boundary next to our path.
Number of stories: 2 full stories
Roof shape: flexible, preferably mono-pitched roof (a visible roof over the upper floor is planned)
Architectural style: flexible
Garden orientation: northwest
Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: preferably classic, “cozy traditional,” possibly somewhat playful and combined with modern elements
Number and age of occupants: 4 people aged 42 + 43 + 2.5 + 0.5 years (third child/foster child unlikely but not impossible)
Office: for private documents, books, etc.
Overnight guests per year: currently a maximum of 10 nights
Open or closed architecture: preferably open
Conservative or modern construction: both have pros and cons; a mix is welcome
Open kitchen, kitchen island: preferably open with the option to close later if desired; island preferred if space allows but not mandatory
Number of dining seats: 4 for everyday use, up to 12–18 with guests
Fireplace: not necessary
Music/stereo wall: not necessary; a compact system with two small speakers can be accommodated somewhere
Balcony, roof terrace: not necessary for cost reasons
Garage, carport: at least one double garage
Additional wishes or special considerations / daily routine, including explanations why some options are accepted or rejected: see below
House design
Origin of the plan:
- DIY preliminary draft with roomsketcher
- Cost estimate according to architect/planner: unknown so far
Personal budget limit for house, including fixtures: 550,000–600,000 EUR (~550–600 K EUR) including ancillary costs
Preferred heating technology: ground source heat pump, deep drilling (or does anyone have positive experience with wood chips? I could get that very cheaply.)
Why a self-drawn floor plan instead of a complete architect’s design? Our architect is technically very skilled and also a good professional partner. However, due to high workload, plan modifications usually take quite a while. To start optimally in spring, I prefer to do some preliminary work myself in the hope it will help.
We have placed the house “diagonally” within the building envelope so that it fits flush with the diagonally shaped right edge of the building area, as stated above in the checklist. The house walls run parallel to the right neighbor. The reason is that, while we want to enjoy the southwest sun coming from the left neighbor side, we also want to slightly turn away from visibility from the street and opposite neighbors. Another reason is to build as far away as possible from our higher left neighbor who casts long shadows in winter, so more sunlight can reach our windows. For brightness reasons, I also planned the garage detached from the house on the left southwest edge; it should be built as low as possible and in winter not cause significantly more shadowing than the neighboring buildings already do.
The terrace, visible from the street through the gap between garage and house, will be screened with a hedge.
My design was partly inspired by the floor plan of a used property we visited. There, as a striking feature upon entering, you looked at a tall plant growing through a 1x1 m (3.3x3.3 feet) ceiling opening next to the left end of the stairs reaching to the upper floor. The idea is to plan the ceiling opening large enough to allow the retrofitting of a vertical lift in the future. The gallery/open volume was positioned in that house similarly to ours, which we liked. The entrance vestibule (windfang) is primarily intended to avoid drafts, since our terrace door is often open. I initially placed the cloakroom behind the vestibule, open to the living area, so that the vestibule door would not interfere with a possible lift solution and its required maneuvering space.
On the ground floor, a wall is drawn next to the staircase (above it on the plan) which I assume might be a necessary load-bearing wall due to the large open living-dining “hall.” This wall continues through the basement and upper floor and also serves as practical room separation there.
In the upstairs plan, I placed the walk-in closet between the bedroom and bathroom, intentionally separating it again from the bedroom by a door. The reason is our current experience where our bedroom is only separated from the bathroom by a thin wall, and even with the door closed, there is still too much noise from the bathroom. I still consider this solution slightly imperfect but would not want to reduce the open volume too much. The very large bed planned for the bedroom should be a 2.7 m (8.9 feet) wide family bed. Space next to it is somewhat tight. If I place it on the opposite exterior wall, it would conflict with the wish for windows on the sunny side, wouldn’t it?
The open volume is a long-standing wish we don’t want to give up, even if it requires, for example, soundproof doors for the children’s rooms.
Since this is only a semi-finished draft of the room layout, I would greatly appreciate any critiques and ideas so I can incorporate them into the architect’s planning from the beginning. We would also like to save a few square meters if possible and sensible.
Thank you in advance for all suggestions!
ltenzer schrieb:
Their location also depends on which rooms you actually need and which of those you would like to have facing the garden and the sunny side,That kind of foresight is what a professional has. Stairs require structural engineering... once built, stairs cannot be changed. The stairs have to fit. And they have to work. Everything else in the planning is secondary.
ltenzer schrieb:
Faulty thought?Definitely. You are a layperson. I am a layperson. But over at least 30 years I have picked up a bit of knowledge on the side. If you want to act as your own architect, that’s your choice... it’s okay to experiment. However, you should also recognize your limits.
So, our architect was here on Tuesday and thought the room layout was quite good; I hope he was honest about that. He is now working on a detailed plan and will shift a few walls slightly. I will get back to you once we have something new. Meanwhile, a double thank you to all of you for the helpful suggestions.
ltenzer schrieb:
So our architect was here on Tuesday and thought the room layout was quite good; I hope he was being honest. No, he’s just glad he doesn’t have to think for himself. You gave him the plan yourself—that was a mistake. Now you’ll never get a design from him, only a copy of your amateur attempts.
kaho674 schrieb:
No, he’s just glad he doesn’t have to think for himself. You gave him the plan—that was a mistake. Now you’ll never get a design from him, only a copy of your amateur attempts. Don’t think negatively in that way... I had the same problem; my architect was simply too clueless. So I handed him your suggestion (for the upper floor) and said: exactly like this, no changes...
Today, I’m really happy about that, and the architect is a thing of the past, even if it wasn’t supposed to work out that way. But I found a different solution.
kaho674 schrieb:
No, he’s just glad he doesn’t have to think for himself. You gave him the plan—that was a mistake. Now you’ll never get an original design from him, only copies of your amateur attempts. Okay, in my plan I incorporated some suggestions from your design in post #5, especially the position and type of staircase, which he can and will make even more balanced compared to my last draft. The kitchen will still be changed (adding a seating area, possibly a pantry), and the cleaning supply room will be removed.
But another question to everyone: What should I do about the trash bins? In our current rental semi-detached house, we have four bins that stand in our narrow prefabricated garage instead of a car. It’s easy to get through the living room to them, and when it rains, we only have to cross about 2 meters (6.5 feet) of uncovered terrace.
If I space the house and garage far apart as shown in the site plan from post #1 (link to image), I find the route to take out the trash a bit far as long as the bins are inside or behind the garage. We often take out small amounts of trash during the day, not just diapers, but almost everything, to avoid clutter or unpleasant odors. (I also occasionally go out to the terrace with my e-cigarette, so I bring some trash with me then).
Ideally, I’d like a solution where the bins are not only enclosed—there are plenty of these to buy—but where you can also stand dry and not have to look out onto the bins from the terrace.
The location would ideally be close to the kitchen, so from the street side, at the front left of the house or beside it.
Maybe build a small freestanding shed out of the same brick as our house? We plan to plant a hedge between the house and garage anyway as a privacy screen toward the street, which could then be interrupted by this shed.
Or attach a roof to the house with a side privacy screen? We’re still a bit uncertain about canopies and roofs in general. I’m also considering later adding a covered walkway between the house and garage (possibly with a transparent plastic roof to be covered with ivy). A small fixed canopy on the house itself would also be nice so I can “vape dry” even in bad weather. For a proper terrace roof for hot days, we prefer a retractable but weatherproof awning. We don’t want to lose too much light with a fixed roof, and glass roofs would require frequent maintenance to avoid looking dirty.
ltenzer schrieb:
Okay, in my plan I have already incorporated some suggestions from your draft in post #5, I’m just an amateur too – so that doesn’t make it any easier.
ltenzer schrieb:
But a different question for everyone: What should I do with the garbage bins? I wouldn’t place them directly next to the house. Even if you’re perfectly neat and clean, I think they still tend to smell a bit – especially in summer. They should ideally be placed in a shaded area. We put ours behind the garage in a wooden enclosure. The distance from our house to the bin is about 12m (40 feet). We manage that. How far would it be for you?
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