ᐅ Single-family house floor plan, approximately 150 sqm, with east-facing garden
Created on: 9 Jan 2020 21:17
O
OWLer
Hello everyone,
after reading many threads here about how well-intentioned floor plans are expertly dissected, I’m now stepping out from the shadows. We plan to build this year and have already purchased the plot. We are currently in discussions with two providers. Provider 1 never really impressed us with their designs and plans very large houses without offering much living space. I’m bringing Provider 2 into the discussion here because, apart from the points mentioned below, we still like their design.
We hope the collective forum expertise will point out some pitfalls and maybe even help solve our hallway dilemma.
Sorry for the rough sketches of the measurements.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 610 sqm (648 with purchased noise barrier)
Slope: approx. 70cm (28 inches) over 19m (62 feet), sloping from north to south
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3m (10 feet) from the street, 3m (10 feet) to neighbors north/south, building envelope 10m (33 feet) east-west
Edge development
Number of parking spaces
Number of stories: 2
Roof type: gable roof ≤45°
Architectural style
Orientation: ridge running north-south
Maximum heights / limits: max. ridge height 10.5m (34 feet), eaves max. 6.0m (20 feet)
Other requirements: On the east side, a noise barrier is built along half of the plot, with forest behind it. Due to the noise barrier, the garden is practically not visible from outside.
Clients’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: rather classic
Basement, number of floors: basement, 1.5 floors
Number of residents, age: currently 2 (ages 33 and 27 – planning 2 children)
Space requirements on ground floor: shower WC, open living space (kitchen, dining, living), study; upper floor: 2 kids’ rooms, bathroom, master bedroom (walk-in closet)
Office: home office (teaching profession)
Overnight guests per year: approx. 15
Open or closed architecture: rather open
Conservative or modern construction: conservative and brick-faced
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: preferably yes, budget permitting
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport / budget permitting
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons for why or why not something is desired
House Design
Designer: planner from a construction company
What do you particularly like? Why?
We really like the upper floor. Room sizes fit well. We can’t really assess the master bedroom on the south side yet. The kids’ rooms seem the right size and have a good layout in my opinion.
A guest room was not a requirement – apparently there was space on the upper floor. We are not unhappy about that.
The living-dining area really appeals to me. Kitchen opening to the terrace. My wife likes the pantry options with access to the garden, basement, and carport.
What don’t you like? Why?
What we don’t like is the narrow corridors. I imagine 1.2m (4 feet) and 1m (3 feet) very cramped. Between the carport and along the stairs, this wouldn’t bother me so much, but the entrance definitely should be wider.
The master bedroom on the south side does not convince me much.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: >440k€
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: approx. 440k€
Preferred heating system: gas heating required by the plot purchase contract.
If you had to give up something, which details / features could you do without:
I could do without the pantry and use that space for the WC instead. My wife, however, sees this differently.
Which features can you not give up:
The study on the ground floor is a must due to my teaching profession. The idea is to be able to drop things off in the study after returning from school, close the door, and have some downtime without needing to go upstairs or downstairs.
The basement is also essential. Many friends and acquaintances who have built in recent years do so mostly without basements. It takes iron discipline to keep utility rooms “tidy.” We manage that in our rental now but want to move away from that. We don’t want to become hoarders but want more space to spread out. Also, I want to be able to store all my tools in the basement and comfortably repair my bicycles.
Why was the design made the way it is?
Standard design from the planner?
Which wishes were implemented by the architect?
Large windows on the ground floor facing the garden, as it is not directly visible.
A bay window on the street side is mandatory for the look. The planned flat-roof bay will definitely be changed to a pitched roof. The plaster on the bay will be replaced by brick cladding. We find the bay window to the garden quite nice. Not a must-have, but it was part of the planning basis we provided and, in my opinion, positively impacts the kids’ rooms.
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes?
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
How do you evaluate the usability of the pantry—does it work as well as we imagine it? What other ways, besides widening the house, do you see to widen the corridors? Does the indicated wardrobe area fit?
In principle, I would like to build it this way if only the narrow corridors weren’t an issue. Making the house 25-50cm (10-20 inches) wider is not technically feasible and probably financially difficult.
after reading many threads here about how well-intentioned floor plans are expertly dissected, I’m now stepping out from the shadows. We plan to build this year and have already purchased the plot. We are currently in discussions with two providers. Provider 1 never really impressed us with their designs and plans very large houses without offering much living space. I’m bringing Provider 2 into the discussion here because, apart from the points mentioned below, we still like their design.
We hope the collective forum expertise will point out some pitfalls and maybe even help solve our hallway dilemma.
Sorry for the rough sketches of the measurements.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 610 sqm (648 with purchased noise barrier)
Slope: approx. 70cm (28 inches) over 19m (62 feet), sloping from north to south
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3m (10 feet) from the street, 3m (10 feet) to neighbors north/south, building envelope 10m (33 feet) east-west
Edge development
Number of parking spaces
Number of stories: 2
Roof type: gable roof ≤45°
Architectural style
Orientation: ridge running north-south
Maximum heights / limits: max. ridge height 10.5m (34 feet), eaves max. 6.0m (20 feet)
Other requirements: On the east side, a noise barrier is built along half of the plot, with forest behind it. Due to the noise barrier, the garden is practically not visible from outside.
Clients’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: rather classic
Basement, number of floors: basement, 1.5 floors
Number of residents, age: currently 2 (ages 33 and 27 – planning 2 children)
Space requirements on ground floor: shower WC, open living space (kitchen, dining, living), study; upper floor: 2 kids’ rooms, bathroom, master bedroom (walk-in closet)
Office: home office (teaching profession)
Overnight guests per year: approx. 15
Open or closed architecture: rather open
Conservative or modern construction: conservative and brick-faced
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: preferably yes, budget permitting
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport / budget permitting
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons for why or why not something is desired
House Design
Designer: planner from a construction company
What do you particularly like? Why?
We really like the upper floor. Room sizes fit well. We can’t really assess the master bedroom on the south side yet. The kids’ rooms seem the right size and have a good layout in my opinion.
A guest room was not a requirement – apparently there was space on the upper floor. We are not unhappy about that.
The living-dining area really appeals to me. Kitchen opening to the terrace. My wife likes the pantry options with access to the garden, basement, and carport.
What don’t you like? Why?
What we don’t like is the narrow corridors. I imagine 1.2m (4 feet) and 1m (3 feet) very cramped. Between the carport and along the stairs, this wouldn’t bother me so much, but the entrance definitely should be wider.
The master bedroom on the south side does not convince me much.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: >440k€
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: approx. 440k€
Preferred heating system: gas heating required by the plot purchase contract.
If you had to give up something, which details / features could you do without:
I could do without the pantry and use that space for the WC instead. My wife, however, sees this differently.
Which features can you not give up:
The study on the ground floor is a must due to my teaching profession. The idea is to be able to drop things off in the study after returning from school, close the door, and have some downtime without needing to go upstairs or downstairs.
The basement is also essential. Many friends and acquaintances who have built in recent years do so mostly without basements. It takes iron discipline to keep utility rooms “tidy.” We manage that in our rental now but want to move away from that. We don’t want to become hoarders but want more space to spread out. Also, I want to be able to store all my tools in the basement and comfortably repair my bicycles.
Why was the design made the way it is?
Standard design from the planner?
Which wishes were implemented by the architect?
Large windows on the ground floor facing the garden, as it is not directly visible.
A bay window on the street side is mandatory for the look. The planned flat-roof bay will definitely be changed to a pitched roof. The plaster on the bay will be replaced by brick cladding. We find the bay window to the garden quite nice. Not a must-have, but it was part of the planning basis we provided and, in my opinion, positively impacts the kids’ rooms.
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes?
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
How do you evaluate the usability of the pantry—does it work as well as we imagine it? What other ways, besides widening the house, do you see to widen the corridors? Does the indicated wardrobe area fit?
In principle, I would like to build it this way if only the narrow corridors weren’t an issue. Making the house 25-50cm (10-20 inches) wider is not technically feasible and probably financially difficult.
kbt09 schrieb:
Upper floor ... I realize that the windows are mainly placed for the exterior appearance.I had already pointed out that the architect seems to focus too much on design. Unfortunately, beauty is paradoxical: if you try to force it, it escapes. If you try to lure it, you must not block the blending of what is intentional and what has naturally developed. But in this “everyone is the architect of their own misfortune” scenario, architect and client pull together as a perfect team. Just as there are collateral issues here regarding the doors and window shutters, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are careless mistakes during detailed planning resulting in drywall blemishes (for example, when enclosing the exhaust system, and so on). OWLer schrieb:
Nope, no chance! The brickwork is absolutely set!They say when two people argue, the third one is happy. I think this can be reversed: when two agree on the wrong priorities, the result goes downhill. And there is also the saying that a cook in love will over-salt the soup. Here, the love of aesthetics has made people forget that brickwork needs to be used like a seasoning, applied in the right amount.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Matthew03 schrieb:
I would swap the WC and the cloakroom; every meter less with dirty shoes inside the house is a gained meter However, there is a bay window perfectly integrated there. If you swap the rooms, you will lose usable space.
M
Matthew0324 Jan 2020 11:50That may be true. However, in the guest bathroom, I wouldn’t need much floor space, so the wardrobe further forward would be worth it to me... but the builder has to decide that for themselves.
So, yesterday it didn’t work out after all. Now it’s finally the weekend, we’ve had two nights to think about the design, and now we’re going to review it again.
Regarding point 3:
I believe the current plan is still to build the basement outside of the thermal envelope. General contractor 1 wanted it as a shell basement with a light well. These are drafts from general contractor 2—to whom we only have rough cost estimates (within the budget). Before I start insulating the basement, I first need the offer from general contractor 2 to know what it will actually cost. That’s why the door to the basement is included in the current plans as an insulated (?) door.
However, I would only want to build it like this in case of absolute necessity. The goal has to be to insulate the basement as well.
At this point, I have a question about the basement and heating demand. Yesterday I briefly visited a colleague’s construction site—he has properly insulated his basement. He plans to install only panel heaters (radiators) along the walls in the “living areas” of the basement. His planning showed that the ground floor’s underfloor heating, combined with the insulation, should heat the basement enough so that, if at all, only panel heaters will be needed. In other words, no underfloor heating in the basement. He now only has the pipes for heating installed in the walls.
Is this realistic? How warm or cold does an unheated but insulated basement get in practice, especially here in the OWLer lowlands? The last severe winter with -20°C (-4°F) was over 10 years ago for me.
Regarding point 4:
That’s a valid point. Hm. Both my parents’ house and my wife’s parents’ house had the master bedrooms on the south side. I never heard any complaints from that side. However, both houses were built in the late 90s. Of course, an optimal solution would be different—I agree with you on that. I will bring it up again.
That’s true. I see it as a passive control mechanism—especially when it later involves sodas containing alcohol.
We are just about to start the kitchen planning. We are currently coordinating an appointment. Then we will see how to align our kitchen ideas with the floor plan.
We’ve looked at swapping the kitchen and living room. It definitely has advantages. However, with the current layout, our living room is completely private. The neighbor to the south has positioned their carport/garage so that their view from the upper floor only reaches into our kitchen/dining area. They cannot see into the living room because of the angle. We also won’t be visible from the street. We want to keep that advantage. If we swapped the rooms, this would no longer be possible.
Regarding the windows:
Yes, the windows were primarily placed for the exterior view, and we really like that. The window width is dictated by the walk-in closet and runs from top to bottom.
Room doors:
We already discussed this with the architect during the floor plan review. I think he just drag-and-dropped the doors to centered positions without further thought. We already moved them back and forth with him during the discussion.
Children’s rooms:
Today, I’ll cut out some Pax (wardrobe) templates from millimeter paper and try it out. Thanks for the tip!
Overall, I’m surprised the floor plan isn’t being heavily criticized here. I’ve read very different discussions in other threads. So it seems we’re on the right track.
kaho674 schrieb:
3. Why do you insist on separating the basement with a door? Because you’re used to it from grandma’s house? That’s sentimental nonsense. Your basement won’t be damp, musty, and cold, so it needs to be hidden away—that’s not how houses are built anymore. If you actually plan to use the basement properly—which you certainly do—then it’s nice if the stairs leading down don’t open into a dark and intimidating corridor.
4. For me, the bedroom being on the south side instead of the children’s rooms remains problematic. Given all the other options, that would be a dealbreaker for me.
Regarding point 3:
I believe the current plan is still to build the basement outside of the thermal envelope. General contractor 1 wanted it as a shell basement with a light well. These are drafts from general contractor 2—to whom we only have rough cost estimates (within the budget). Before I start insulating the basement, I first need the offer from general contractor 2 to know what it will actually cost. That’s why the door to the basement is included in the current plans as an insulated (?) door.
However, I would only want to build it like this in case of absolute necessity. The goal has to be to insulate the basement as well.
At this point, I have a question about the basement and heating demand. Yesterday I briefly visited a colleague’s construction site—he has properly insulated his basement. He plans to install only panel heaters (radiators) along the walls in the “living areas” of the basement. His planning showed that the ground floor’s underfloor heating, combined with the insulation, should heat the basement enough so that, if at all, only panel heaters will be needed. In other words, no underfloor heating in the basement. He now only has the pipes for heating installed in the walls.
Is this realistic? How warm or cold does an unheated but insulated basement get in practice, especially here in the OWLer lowlands? The last severe winter with -20°C (-4°F) was over 10 years ago for me.
Regarding point 4:
That’s a valid point. Hm. Both my parents’ house and my wife’s parents’ house had the master bedrooms on the south side. I never heard any complaints from that side. However, both houses were built in the late 90s. Of course, an optimal solution would be different—I agree with you on that. I will bring it up again.
kaho674 schrieb:
I almost forgot this one: Kitchen access only through the living room. Meaning with children—everyone runs past the chill area for every soda, including their friends. It’s not a drama but can get annoying.
That’s true. I see it as a passive control mechanism—especially when it later involves sodas containing alcohol.
kbt09 schrieb:
And here’s my main criticism… For the layout shaped like an L, I would swap the living and kitchen areas and try to open up the west side more.
I would also prefer the cloakroom closer to the entrance... again with windows/closets, which won’t really work here.
Upstairs... I notice that the windows are mainly positioned for the exterior view. In both children’s rooms there isn’t really a proper spot for wardrobes—or the wardrobe always ends up in the window’s incoming light.
Also, the room doors are always nice and centered on the wall (see the dressing room), which makes it tight behind the door with a standard wardrobe.
We are just about to start the kitchen planning. We are currently coordinating an appointment. Then we will see how to align our kitchen ideas with the floor plan.
We’ve looked at swapping the kitchen and living room. It definitely has advantages. However, with the current layout, our living room is completely private. The neighbor to the south has positioned their carport/garage so that their view from the upper floor only reaches into our kitchen/dining area. They cannot see into the living room because of the angle. We also won’t be visible from the street. We want to keep that advantage. If we swapped the rooms, this would no longer be possible.
Regarding the windows:
Yes, the windows were primarily placed for the exterior view, and we really like that. The window width is dictated by the walk-in closet and runs from top to bottom.
Room doors:
We already discussed this with the architect during the floor plan review. I think he just drag-and-dropped the doors to centered positions without further thought. We already moved them back and forth with him during the discussion.
Children’s rooms:
Today, I’ll cut out some Pax (wardrobe) templates from millimeter paper and try it out. Thanks for the tip!
Overall, I’m surprised the floor plan isn’t being heavily criticized here. I’ve read very different discussions in other threads. So it seems we’re on the right track.
kbt09 schrieb:
If that makes you happy .. then I would say, I definitely would NOT build like that .OK, understood. That’s what happens when you stick your neck out too far....Similar topics