ᐅ Semi-detached house, 144 sqm – Request for suggestions for improvement

Created on: 29 Mar 2020 11:16
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AlbertKamika
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AlbertKamika
29 Mar 2020 11:16
I have completed the guide and would greatly appreciate any suggestions or comments regarding our design.

Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 400sqm (4306 sqft)
Slope: gentle slope, declining from left to right by 0.4m (16 inches) when facing the house from the front, and declining from the front to the back of the plot by 0.7m (28 inches)
Site coverage ratio: I don’t know this, but the external walls cannot be changed anymore; the focus is now only on the interior layout. Some external walls are fixed by the development plan, others by our budget.
Floor area ratio: see site coverage ratio
Building zone, building line and boundary: 6m (20 feet) distance from the front boundary of the plot; for the semi-detached house: 0m from the right boundary and 4.5m (15 feet) from the left boundary
New development area
Number of parking spaces: 1 to 2
Number of floors: 1 full floor (ground floor), 1 floor with sloping roof (knee wall also fixed by the development plan and cannot be changed), 1 attic floor (converted into living space), 1 basement (utility cellar)
Roof type: gable roof, 40 percent pitch fixed by the development plan
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: terrace/garden faces northwest
Maximum heights/limits: external walls, roof, and overall building height are fixed by the development plan
Additional requirements

Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: semi-detached house, modern and open; the kitchen with an island and the dining area should be the focal point. We need 3 bedrooms and 1 office. The staircase should be enclosed.
Basement: yes, a utility cellar is required.
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults, 2 children
Room requirements on ground and upper floors:
Ground floor: large open living-dining-kitchen area, 1 bathroom with shower, hallway space sufficient for coats and shoes without feeling cramped.
Upper floor: 3 bedrooms, attic: office
Office: home office? Yes
Overnight guests per year: few
Open or closed architecture: partly open/partly closed, see style
Traditional or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, island: yes, island
Number of dining seats: 4 for us plus 2 for guests = 6
Fireplace: no
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/particulars/daily routine, including reasons why certain things are wanted or not: We wanted a walk-in closet so that changing clothes can be done without waking the partner, as we get up at different times.

House Design
Planner:
- Planner from a construction company: yes

What do you particularly like? Why?
The open living-dining area with the kitchen island (the island is not shown in the plans but I think its location is clear). We wanted a large glass-metal door in the hallway-to-living-room passage to avoid the hallway being too dark.

What do you dislike? Why?
I think many details are still unfinished.

Price estimate according to architect/planner: 310,000
Personal budget limit for house including equipment: 310,000
Preferred heating technology: heat pump and underfloor heating

If you have to give up something, which details or expansions
- Can you give up: I think we already kept it quite simple; there is nothing we can give up.
- Cannot give up: kitchen island, attic office, showers on both ground and upper floors, walk-in closet

Why is the design the way it is now? E.g.
Standard design from planner? No, the ground floor design is partly ours and partly from the planner. We mainly wanted the kitchen island and a cozy TV area that is not the main focus but rather a “niche”, while the kitchen should be central. This was only possible with a narrow staircase due to the fixed external walls. The upper floor was then designed by the planner around the staircase.

What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes?
The living room was realized according to our wishes. However, I now find the master bedroom somewhat small, which is due to our desire for a walk-in closet.

What is the most important/basic question regarding the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?

The external walls cannot be changed. It is a semi-detached house, 7 meters (23 feet) wide and 11.60 meters (38 feet) long. Our wishes were implemented, but I still find the design somewhat unfinished. What can be improved?

Additionally, 3 specific questions:
Ground floor: can the washbasin and toilet be swapped? Is that feasible? Could the hallway be made narrower to enlarge the living area, or would it become too narrow?

Upper floor: can the shower and toilet be swapped? Is that feasible?

THANK YOU!!!

Note: All planning rights belong to the architectural company.

Basement floor plan: several cellar rooms, hallway, utility room, central staircase.


Upper floor plan: bedrooms, child 1, child 2, walk-in closet, hallway, bathroom.


Attic floor plan with sofa, bed, table and stairwell.


Ground floor plan: garage left side, living, dining, kitchen, hallway, shower, cloakroom, terrace.


Modern house façade with dark roof, white walls and large windows on the ground floor.


Modern white house front with dark roof, two large windows and dark entrance door.


View of a modern single-family house with gable roof, white walls and large windows.
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haydee
29 Mar 2020 12:48
What is included in the 310k?

Please draw the desired or existing furniture on the floor plan. On the ground floor, space might be a bit tight.

On the upper floor, the shower seems quite narrow.

I think the floor plan is not bad.
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hanse987
29 Mar 2020 13:11
I am a fan of garages, but in this case, I would opt for a carport with a small tool shed. That way, you won’t completely block off the long side of the ground floor.
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AlbertKamika
29 Mar 2020 13:15
haydee schrieb:

What is included in the 310k package?

Only the house itself, so no exterior landscaping or garage. Everything inside the house is included (heating, plumbing, electrical, stairs, etc.), except for the floor coverings.

Please draw the desired or existing furniture on the floor plan. It might be a bit tight on the ground floor.

The furniture is mostly correct. Only the kitchen island is missing.

The shower on the upper floor looks quite narrow.

Yes, I think so too. Is the recess big enough for a toilet?

I don’t think the floor plan is bad.
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haydee
29 Mar 2020 13:17
Are the sofas correct as shown?
Does the table for 6 and the kitchen island fit?

How wide is the shower?
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AlbertKamika
29 Mar 2020 13:18
hanse987 schrieb:

I’m a fan of garages, but here I would only build a carport with a small tool shed. That way, you won’t block the long side of the ground floor completely.
We need the garage. But we are allowed to move it about 1.50 m (5 feet) forward so that it aligns with the front façade of the house.