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
J
jan berlin
19 Feb 2020 13:46
kaho674 schrieb:

3m (10 feet) in the shell stage. Well, the staircase is going to be interesting. Then there’s the floor buildup on top—I'm guessing underfloor heating? Where will you end up with the finished floor-to-ceiling height? 3.10m (10 feet 2 inches)?
Until you can specify that exactly, it’s practically impossible to make any suggestions.

I always find the terminology tricky. So, shell height of 3m (10 feet), then minus underfloor heating and floor covering, you end up with about 2.70m (8 feet 10 inches) clear height.
kaho67419 Feb 2020 13:57
jan Berlin schrieb:

I always find the terminology a bit tricky. So, a shell construction height of 3m (10 ft), then after deducting underfloor heating and floor coverings, you end up with about 2.70m (8 ft 10 in) clear height.

Ok, so if we take the 3m (10 ft) as the floor-to-floor height, then the staircase won’t fit as shown.
J
jan berlin
19 Feb 2020 14:13
kaho674 schrieb:

Ok, so if we take the 3m (10 feet) as the floor height – then the staircase as drawn won’t work.

I’m currently getting familiar with the stair calculator. Thanks for providing the rise and tread measurements that actually make sense. The calculators usually allow for a much wider range.
Z
Zaba12
19 Feb 2020 15:32
jan Berlin schrieb:

Thank you for the list. We are building in Brandenburg. Prices there are still more around 1,800 euros/sqm (approximately $200/sq ft).
We don’t want a garage, just a carport.
But you’re right. Maybe we should add a bit more buffer.

I also doubt the 1,800 euros, even for Brandenburg; that price is at least 4 years old.
Have you already done a rough estimate?
C
chrisw81
19 Feb 2020 15:51
Zaba12 schrieb:

I doubt the 1800€ even if it’s BB, that price is at least 4 years old.
Have you already planned the upgrades mentally?

We built in 2019 for 1600€/m² (square meter) in Berlin, including a lot of extras (excluding additional construction costs, painting, and floor coverings), but with very good upgrades. Therefore, I think 1800€ is very realistic.

There were even a few providers who offered lower prices. Of course, many were more expensive, but in the end, it doesn’t really make a difference...
Z
Zaba12
19 Feb 2020 18:57
chrisw81 schrieb:

We built in 2019 for 1600€/m² (around $170 per ft²) in Berlin, including many extras (excluding additional construction costs, painting, and flooring), but with a very high level of specification. Therefore, I think 1800€/m² (around $190 per ft²) is very realistic.

There were even a few providers who were cheaper. Of course, many were more expensive, but in the end, it all comes to the same result...
Really? What exactly do you mean by many extras and high specification?
Do you have a post here where I can see your finishes or construction details?