ᐅ Floor Plan: Semi-Detached House 8x12 m – Feedback and Creative Ideas Welcome :)
Created on: 28 Apr 2020 13:37
J
Jucruzlo
Hello everyone,
I’ve also been experimenting a bit with floor plans for our plot.
Background: At the moment, we are in contact with a general contractor (GC) and a prefab home builder. It will probably end up being a combination of an independent architect and a GC (thanks for the tip @ant11). However, it is very difficult to find an architect right now – but of course, I couldn’t just sit still and had to try a little myself. I worked with the app MagicPlan. Although we have already received a floor plan from the prefab builder, it really didn’t suit us at all. So, here we go – thank you in advance to everyone who takes a look :-*
I’m also happy to take any tips on how to find an architect who doesn’t only work on projects over 1 million (dollars/pounds). :-P
A quick note on orientation: The balcony on the upper floor and the living room face southwest. It has to be that way. The rear side borders directly onto open fields.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 410m2 (4,410 sq ft)
Slope: no
Building window: 5m (16 ft) from the street, 12m (39 ft) house length, 8.1m (27 ft) width for the house, and 3m (10 ft) width for the garage. Plot dimensions 11.1m (36 ft) × 37m (121 ft)
Number of parking spaces: -
Number of floors: Max. 2 full floors, no knee walls allowed
Roof type: pitched roof with a 25–45 degree slope
Architectural style: any
Orientation: southwest
Maximum height / limits: ridge height 9m (30 ft), wall height max. 4.70m (15 ft)
Owners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: nice :-P
Basement, floors: no basement, almost 2 full floors (slight slopes from 1.80m (5 ft 11 in) due to prescribed wall height)
Number of people, age: 3 people, including a toddler (2 years old) – another child planned
Space requirement ground floor, upper floor: 140–160m2 (1,500–1,720 sq ft)
Office: guest room on ground floor used as office
Guests per year: currently rarely – in older age, space for parents/in-laws desired
Open or closed layout: open floor plan
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony for drying laundry
Garage, carport: garage – carport would also be acceptable if advantages prevail
House design
Designed by: me (trained architect through various apps :-P – just kidding)
What do you like most? Why?
What don’t you like? Why?
Why did the design turn out as it is now?
We wanted an open floor plan because we have a lot of visitors, and I always find it a shame to disappear into the kitchen while everything is happening in the living area. It was also important for us to have a separate parents’ area for complete privacy and a balcony for drying laundry in summer. A guest shower on the ground floor was needed, and it is important to me to do laundry on the upper floor (where the laundry is generated).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Note:
The windows are just placed approximately. I also don’t know how to view the exterior – of course, we will position the windows accordingly.
I’ve also been experimenting a bit with floor plans for our plot.
Background: At the moment, we are in contact with a general contractor (GC) and a prefab home builder. It will probably end up being a combination of an independent architect and a GC (thanks for the tip @ant11). However, it is very difficult to find an architect right now – but of course, I couldn’t just sit still and had to try a little myself. I worked with the app MagicPlan. Although we have already received a floor plan from the prefab builder, it really didn’t suit us at all. So, here we go – thank you in advance to everyone who takes a look :-*
I’m also happy to take any tips on how to find an architect who doesn’t only work on projects over 1 million (dollars/pounds). :-P
A quick note on orientation: The balcony on the upper floor and the living room face southwest. It has to be that way. The rear side borders directly onto open fields.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 410m2 (4,410 sq ft)
Slope: no
Building window: 5m (16 ft) from the street, 12m (39 ft) house length, 8.1m (27 ft) width for the house, and 3m (10 ft) width for the garage. Plot dimensions 11.1m (36 ft) × 37m (121 ft)
Number of parking spaces: -
Number of floors: Max. 2 full floors, no knee walls allowed
Roof type: pitched roof with a 25–45 degree slope
Architectural style: any
Orientation: southwest
Maximum height / limits: ridge height 9m (30 ft), wall height max. 4.70m (15 ft)
Owners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: nice :-P
Basement, floors: no basement, almost 2 full floors (slight slopes from 1.80m (5 ft 11 in) due to prescribed wall height)
Number of people, age: 3 people, including a toddler (2 years old) – another child planned
Space requirement ground floor, upper floor: 140–160m2 (1,500–1,720 sq ft)
Office: guest room on ground floor used as office
Guests per year: currently rarely – in older age, space for parents/in-laws desired
Open or closed layout: open floor plan
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony for drying laundry
Garage, carport: garage – carport would also be acceptable if advantages prevail
House design
Designed by: me (trained architect through various apps :-P – just kidding)
What do you like most? Why?
- Garage access through utility room
- Few hallway areas but still with a wardrobe
- Open living concept and straight staircase (platform stairs couldn’t be depicted)
- Separate bathroom for kids
- Spacious walk-in closet
- Laundry room on upper floor
- Access through bedroom/bath to walk-in closet
What don’t you like? Why?
- No pantry on the ground floor
- Kids’ rooms on the north side
- Having to enter the parents’ walk-in closet first – would prefer two wall closets like houses in America
- Upper floor hallway very narrow and access to kids’ room 1 hardly feasible – on the other hand, I don’t like wasted space and enlarging the hallway would reduce kids’ room sizes. Any solutions?
- I find the garage quite practical but it takes away window area – will the ground floor be too dark, and should we rather go with a carport?
Why did the design turn out as it is now?
We wanted an open floor plan because we have a lot of visitors, and I always find it a shame to disappear into the kitchen while everything is happening in the living area. It was also important for us to have a separate parents’ area for complete privacy and a balcony for drying laundry in summer. A guest shower on the ground floor was needed, and it is important to me to do laundry on the upper floor (where the laundry is generated).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
- General opinion on the floor plan
- See “what I don’t like” – suggestions for improvements welcome
Note:
The windows are just placed approximately. I also don’t know how to view the exterior – of course, we will position the windows accordingly.
Alessandro schrieb:
You do realize that if you plan "hidden" doors in the kitchen run leading to the utility room and pantry, you won’t be able to use the entire kitchen run on that wall?
So it’s unnecessary and just adds cost! Yes, those two doors were definitely too large an opening. I’ve already changed that, but thanks for the advice.
At most, we will plan only one entrance from the kitchen run. If even that.
Possibly the pantry will end up in a corner cabinet or under the stairs, and the technical room (assuming it’s only for utilities) will only be accessible from the outside.
A
Alessandro14 May 2020 08:52ok
Your guest toilet won’t work like this either!
With a 20 cm (8 inch) toilet carrier installed, you won’t be able to sit down properly because the washbasin is in the way.
It’s already questionable whether someone over 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) can sit on it without hitting their knee against the washbasin.
Your guest toilet won’t work like this either!
With a 20 cm (8 inch) toilet carrier installed, you won’t be able to sit down properly because the washbasin is in the way.
It’s already questionable whether someone over 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) can sit on it without hitting their knee against the washbasin.
Alessandro schrieb:
Okay
Your guest bathroom won’t work like this either!
With the toilet mounted 20cm (8 inches) from the wall, you won’t be able to sit comfortably because the washbasin is in the way.
It’s already questionable whether someone taller than 1.80m (5 ft 11 in) can sit there without their knee hitting the washbasin. Could I keep the layout? The exact placement of fixtures doesn’t really matter to me right now. Should the bathroom planner revise the design, or do you think it simply won’t work at all?
A
Alessandro14 May 2020 09:01In my opinion, this won’t work. The bathroom is used several times a day, and you don’t want to deal with snake-like movements just to get to the toilet.
I would get rid of the extremely small and, in my view, unnecessary pantry and instead design the kitchen layout as you have sketched it. This offers more storage space than the pantry and is more practical. The space saved from the pantry could be allocated to the guest bathroom.
By the way, I am also quite sure that the kids’ bathroom is too tight and won’t work. Don’t forget to add 20cm (8 inches) for the toilet, plaster, and tiles.
What about a window in the kids’ bathroom? Where would that go?
I would get rid of the extremely small and, in my view, unnecessary pantry and instead design the kitchen layout as you have sketched it. This offers more storage space than the pantry and is more practical. The space saved from the pantry could be allocated to the guest bathroom.
By the way, I am also quite sure that the kids’ bathroom is too tight and won’t work. Don’t forget to add 20cm (8 inches) for the toilet, plaster, and tiles.
What about a window in the kids’ bathroom? Where would that go?
Alessandro schrieb:
In my opinion, that won’t work. The bathroom is used several times every day, and you don’t want to have to deal with winding movements to get to the toilet.
I would remove the very small and, in my view, unnecessary pantry, and instead design the kitchen layout as you have drawn it. It offers more storage space than the pantry and is more practical.
I would allocate the space freed up from the pantry to the guest bathroom.
By the way, I’m also quite sure that the children’s bathroom is too tight and won’t function properly.
Keep in mind that you need to add 20cm (8 inches) for the toilet, plaster, and tiles.
What about a window in the children’s bathroom? Where would it go? Ah, you still saw the old floor plan.
Take a look at post 101, it’s currently up to date. I would appreciate your feedback there.
Alessandro schrieb:
In my opinion, this won’t work. The toilet is used several times a day, and no one wants to deal with snake-like movements just to use it.
I would remove the extremely small and, in my view, unnecessary pantry and instead plan the kitchen unit as you have drawn it. It offers more storage space than the pantry and is more practical.
I would allocate the space gained from the pantry to the guest bathroom.
By the way, I’m quite sure the children’s bathroom is also too tight and won’t function well.
Keep in mind that 20cm (8 inches) will be needed for the toilet plus plaster and tiles.
What about the window in the children’s bathroom? Where should it go? Regarding plaster: it has actually already been accounted for—I have subtracted a bit from the rough construction dimensions everywhere.
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