ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a 145 sqm Single-Family Home – Requesting Feedback
Created on: 18 Feb 2020 22:59
J
jan berlin
Dear House Building Forum,
We are currently planning the floor layout for our single-family home and welcome any advice and tips. We are very grateful for your help and suggestions.
I have attached the site plan as well as the floor plans for the ground floor and upper floor. The positioning of the windows can be disregarded.
Unfortunately, we have no further ideas on how to resolve the issues with the current layout and are really hoping for your support.
Here is the completed questionnaire:
Development Plan / Restrictions:
Plot size: 830sqm (9,000 sqft)
Slope: no
Building coverage ratio: no development plan
Floor area ratio: no development plan
Building envelope, building line, and boundaries: no development plan
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2 full stories permitted according to §34BGB
Roof type: gable roof (for photovoltaics, with 2m (6.6 ft) standing height in the center)
Architectural style
Orientation: street on the east, garden on the west
Maximum heights / limits
Additional requirements
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: 2 full stories with gable roof
Basement, floors: no basement
Number and age of residents: 3 persons (41, 37, 2), plus one additional child desired
Space requirement on ground/upper floor: approx. 145sqm (1,560 sq ft) total
Office: Family use or home office? The office is a retreat and workspace for the man of the house
Guests per year: 2-3
Open or closed architecture: open and bright
Traditional or modern construction: rather naturally modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with island (peninsula also welcome)
Number of dining seats: 4-6 (expandable)
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport for 1 car
Kitchen garden, greenhouse
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why something should or should not be included:
Prefer bathroom on the upper floor above the utility room for laundry chute, kitchen in the east, living area in the west as we are mostly home in the evenings
The right neighbor’s house is directly on the street; on the left side there is only a garden plot. There is a nice open view to the west.
House Design
Designed by:
- Planner from a construction company and ourselves
What do you particularly like and why? Dining and living facing the garden, natural lighting in ground and upper floor hallways, the idea of a window seat in the living/dining area but unsure where exactly?
What do you not like and why? Layout of living/dining (feels too wide), kitchen row with island too small, office could ideally face west (if possible), kitchen with light from the east (if possible)
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: pure house cost 260,000 Euro
Personal price limit for the house including fittings: 260,000 Euro
Preferred heating technology: geothermal heat pump
If you have to forego something, which details or extras
- Can you do without: fireplace
- Cannot do without: open, bright floor plan
Why was the design created as it is now? For example:
The design was proposed by the building planner (not an architect) and adjusted based on our feedback.
What do you consider particularly good or bad about it?
The general arrangement of rooms by cardinal direction is good. Natural lighting on ground and upper floors is good.
We don’t like the width of the living/dining area. It creates a large empty space in the middle since we want to have a view of the garden from the couch.
We prefer a straight or L-shaped staircase. No U-shaped staircase, unless with a landing.
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Are improvements possible and are there maybe completely new ideas for the floor plan?
Thank you very much and best regards,
Jan
We are currently planning the floor layout for our single-family home and welcome any advice and tips. We are very grateful for your help and suggestions.
I have attached the site plan as well as the floor plans for the ground floor and upper floor. The positioning of the windows can be disregarded.
Unfortunately, we have no further ideas on how to resolve the issues with the current layout and are really hoping for your support.
Here is the completed questionnaire:
Development Plan / Restrictions:
Plot size: 830sqm (9,000 sqft)
Slope: no
Building coverage ratio: no development plan
Floor area ratio: no development plan
Building envelope, building line, and boundaries: no development plan
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2 full stories permitted according to §34BGB
Roof type: gable roof (for photovoltaics, with 2m (6.6 ft) standing height in the center)
Architectural style
Orientation: street on the east, garden on the west
Maximum heights / limits
Additional requirements
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: 2 full stories with gable roof
Basement, floors: no basement
Number and age of residents: 3 persons (41, 37, 2), plus one additional child desired
Space requirement on ground/upper floor: approx. 145sqm (1,560 sq ft) total
Office: Family use or home office? The office is a retreat and workspace for the man of the house
Guests per year: 2-3
Open or closed architecture: open and bright
Traditional or modern construction: rather naturally modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with island (peninsula also welcome)
Number of dining seats: 4-6 (expandable)
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport for 1 car
Kitchen garden, greenhouse
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why something should or should not be included:
Prefer bathroom on the upper floor above the utility room for laundry chute, kitchen in the east, living area in the west as we are mostly home in the evenings
The right neighbor’s house is directly on the street; on the left side there is only a garden plot. There is a nice open view to the west.
House Design
Designed by:
- Planner from a construction company and ourselves
What do you particularly like and why? Dining and living facing the garden, natural lighting in ground and upper floor hallways, the idea of a window seat in the living/dining area but unsure where exactly?
What do you not like and why? Layout of living/dining (feels too wide), kitchen row with island too small, office could ideally face west (if possible), kitchen with light from the east (if possible)
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: pure house cost 260,000 Euro
Personal price limit for the house including fittings: 260,000 Euro
Preferred heating technology: geothermal heat pump
If you have to forego something, which details or extras
- Can you do without: fireplace
- Cannot do without: open, bright floor plan
Why was the design created as it is now? For example:
The design was proposed by the building planner (not an architect) and adjusted based on our feedback.
What do you consider particularly good or bad about it?
The general arrangement of rooms by cardinal direction is good. Natural lighting on ground and upper floors is good.
We don’t like the width of the living/dining area. It creates a large empty space in the middle since we want to have a view of the garden from the couch.
We prefer a straight or L-shaped staircase. No U-shaped staircase, unless with a landing.
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Are improvements possible and are there maybe completely new ideas for the floor plan?
Thank you very much and best regards,
Jan
jan Berlin schrieb:
We don’t like the width of the dining-living area. There’s a large empty space in the middle because we want to be able to look out at the garden from the sofa. I’m not quite sure I understand. Do you find it too narrow or too wide now? Is too much space being wasted, or is the sofa just positioned incorrectly? It’s quite rare for someone to complain about having too much room, especially since I’m convinced the current dining area feels too tight and the table will likely move to the center.
jan Berlin schrieb:
We prefer a straight or L-shaped staircase. No U-shaped staircase, unless with a landing. What are the dimensions of the staircase and the corresponding ceiling heights? It looks very tight.
J
jan berlin19 Feb 2020 09:13Thank you very much for the suggestions. I will try to address the different points:
- We would prefer not to have a utility room on the upper floor because of the noise from the washing machine and dryer. We also have a large attic storage area that we would like to use for sports equipment, bags, suitcases, etc.
- More storage space in the wardrobe area is definitely needed. Do you think a 2m (6.5 ft) closet next to the entrance door is not enough? How deep should a wardrobe typically be?
- The dining table is 1.60m (5.25 ft) long. The distance between the kitchen island and the window is 3m (10 ft). Is that too narrow?
- The staircase is 3.50m (11.5 ft) long and planned as an L-shaped staircase. The ceiling height is 2.75m (9 ft) clear height.
- The budget is only for the house itself. Excluding furniture, landscaping, or any additional construction-related costs. I understood the question about the house cost in the questionnaire that way but can adjust it if needed. If that’s possible...
- Yes, I mean the width of the living area. I can try rearranging the dining table in the center. I don’t want a long, straight room combining kitchen, dining, and living space. Since the south side of our house is at the bottom of the plan, it would not be used effectively otherwise. I also like the idea of a corner layout where the kitchen is not directly visible from the sofa, so you don’t immediately see dirty dishes...
Do you perhaps have ideas on how to arrange this differently? Maybe it would also create more storage space on the ground floor.
Thank you very much for all the tips and ideas.
- We would prefer not to have a utility room on the upper floor because of the noise from the washing machine and dryer. We also have a large attic storage area that we would like to use for sports equipment, bags, suitcases, etc.
- More storage space in the wardrobe area is definitely needed. Do you think a 2m (6.5 ft) closet next to the entrance door is not enough? How deep should a wardrobe typically be?
- The dining table is 1.60m (5.25 ft) long. The distance between the kitchen island and the window is 3m (10 ft). Is that too narrow?
- The staircase is 3.50m (11.5 ft) long and planned as an L-shaped staircase. The ceiling height is 2.75m (9 ft) clear height.
- The budget is only for the house itself. Excluding furniture, landscaping, or any additional construction-related costs. I understood the question about the house cost in the questionnaire that way but can adjust it if needed. If that’s possible...
- Yes, I mean the width of the living area. I can try rearranging the dining table in the center. I don’t want a long, straight room combining kitchen, dining, and living space. Since the south side of our house is at the bottom of the plan, it would not be used effectively otherwise. I also like the idea of a corner layout where the kitchen is not directly visible from the sofa, so you don’t immediately see dirty dishes...
Do you perhaps have ideas on how to arrange this differently? Maybe it would also create more storage space on the ground floor.
Thank you very much for all the tips and ideas.
J
jan berlin19 Feb 2020 09:23Unfortunately, I can no longer change the budget in the questionnaire. So, we have a budget of 360,000 euros for the house including additional construction costs, landscaping, kitchen, etc. Plus the plot of land with all associated purchase costs and demolition.
jan Berlin schrieb:
We still have a large attic space that we would like to use for storing sports equipment, bags, suitcases, etc. Is a staircase to the attic planned? If so, please include the attic floor plan!
If not, the space should be disregarded as storage.
jan Berlin schrieb:
- More storage space in the wardrobe is true. You think a 2m (6.6 ft) closet next to the entrance door is not enough? How deep should a wardrobe be? A closet for a family of four should have a depth of 60cm (24 inches) for a wardrobe; for rough construction, 65cm (26 inches) is more common.
jan Berlin schrieb:
- The dining table is 1.60m (5.25 ft) long. The distance between the kitchen island and the window is 3m (10 ft). Is that too narrow? That is quite tight. The recommended clearance is usually more than 3.50m (11.5 ft).
jan Berlin schrieb:
- The staircase is 3.50m (11.5 ft) long and planned as an L-shaped staircase. The ceiling height is 2.75m (9 ft) clear height. Who designed it? Please provide exact measurements. With a room height of 2.75m (9 ft), the floor-to-floor height is approximately 3.05m (10 ft). This would require a staircase landing extending at least 1.70m (5.6 ft) into the room with a steep 19-step rise. That might not even be feasible. Or did you mean 2.75m (9 ft) floor-to-floor height? A 2.75m (9 ft) room height with 145m² (1,560 sq ft) living area seems disproportionately high in my opinion.
J
jan berlin19 Feb 2020 09:55kaho674 schrieb:
Is a staircase planned to access the attic? If so, please include the attic floor plan!
If not, the space should be considered solely for storage.
A closet for a family of four should have a depth of 60cm (24 inches) for a wardrobe; in structural dimensions, it’s usually around 65cm (26 inches).
That is very little. The common standard is usually over 3.50m (11 feet 6 inches).
Who designed it? Please provide exact measurements. With a ceiling height of 2.75m (9 feet), the story height would be about 3.05m (10 feet). The staircase would need a minimum tread run of 1.70m (5 feet 7 inches) into the room, assuming a steep 19-step rise. That wouldn’t be possible. Or did you mean a story height of 2.75m? A room height of 2.75m (9 feet) on a 145m² (1,561 square feet) floor would seem disproportionately tall in my opinion.- There will be a pull-down loft ladder to access the attic.
- Thanks for the tips regarding the dimensions for the dining table and the wardrobe.
- We have a raw ceiling height of 3m (9 feet 10 inches) on the ground floor, which results in a clear ceiling height of about 2.75m (9 feet) in the finished space. The upper floor will have a ceiling height of 2.55m (8 feet 4 inches). The staircase is planned as a quarter-turn and was calculated this way by the general contractor’s designer. Perhaps she did not take the structural height of the ground floor into account. Is there a good website where one can calculate this independently?
Thanks!
M
Matthew0319 Feb 2020 10:07- Toilet flush right next to the sofa --> inconvenient.
- The dance hall between the living and dining areas will cost you a lot of money*, are you such passionate dancers?
- please add the cardinal directions, or is it oriented north?
*Budget is insufficient
- The dance hall between the living and dining areas will cost you a lot of money*, are you such passionate dancers?
- please add the cardinal directions, or is it oriented north?
*Budget is insufficient
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