ᐅ City Villa with Home Office – Request for Feedback and Smart Optimization Ideas
Created on: 6 Jun 2020 19:31
A
AlexF76
Hello dear future homeowners and fellow builders!
We are currently in the planning phase of our house. The plot is purchased, now we just need to bring it to life/build on it.
We have received the first draft from the architect and already had a constructive discussion afterwards. I have now incorporated some of my ideas into the draft and adjusted it. It would be great if you could share your opinions on the house and the floor plan in general, and where you think clever improvements could be made or the size reduced. Currently, the whole thing is about 260 m² (2800 sq ft), and we would ideally like to end up under 250 m² (2700 sq ft). If that is not possible or only with too many compromises, that would be okay, but we would still like to optimize the floor plan.
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 1200 sqm (13,000 sq ft)
Slope: None, flat terrain, living in the North.
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building envelope, building line and boundary: See site plan
Setback from border: 3 m (10 ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Ceiling height: 2.70 - 2.80 m (8.9 - 9.2 ft)
Roof style: See site plan
Architectural style: Urban villa with traditional clinker brick
Orientation: Main entrance facing west
Maximum height limits: Ridge height (FH) 8.50 m (28 ft), Eaves height (TH) 6.50 m (21 ft)
Homeowners’ Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: Urban villa with traditional clinker brick
Basement, number of floors: No basement, 2 floors
Number of occupants and ages: 3 (43, 35, 2) hopefully one more child in the future and possibly an elderly parent later on
Space needed at ground floor and upper floor: 200-250 m² (2150-2700 sq ft)
Office use: Family use or home office? Home office, 8-12 hours daily
Guest overnight stays per year: On average 2-4 guests about 5 times a year, later most likely 1 parent living permanently
Open or closed layout: Open
Traditional or modern construction: More country style
Open kitchen, cooking island: Open kitchen with cooking island (cooking island not a must)
Number of seats for dining: 3-4 at the kitchen island, 10-12 at the dining table
Fireplace: Yes, please
Music/stereo wall: No
Balcony, roof terrace: Definitely
Garage, carport: Yes, garage for 2 cars and for winter birthday parties
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: Maybe later
Reasons for yes or no to certain features:
Balcony at the front so I can step out from the office occasionally and we can enjoy the setting sun in the west in the evenings.
The kitchen should definitely be bright with a view of the street, as my wife wanted, which is why it is unfortunately a bit far from the garage and utility room.
Guest room and guest WC should be barrier-free and large enough so that parents or we could live there later.
House Design
Origin of planning:
Rough drafts by me, first draft by the architect, current version is the first draft with my changes.
What do you particularly like and why?
Utility room (laundry) upstairs
Walk-in closet area
Minimal hallway despite many rooms
Bright
Possibility to separate living areas later
It’s not a run-of-the-mill design
What do you not like and why?
First of all, the large size! About 260 m² (2800 sq ft)! It would be great to reduce this below 250 m² (2700 sq ft) with a smarter layout. Otherwise:
Ground floor:
The kitchen could be a bit smaller without significantly affecting the exterior shape. Currently, there is no window directly offering a view to the terrace, maybe there is an idea for that.
I’m also unsure about the utility/technical room. Some say a technical room of 3-4 m² (32-43 sq ft) is enough, others recommend 6-8 m² (65-85 sq ft). What do you think? The utility room here would be without dryer and washing machine as these are upstairs. Maybe you have a good idea how to properly separate the technical room and utility room. Ideally, the utility room should still have natural light and direct access to the garage for groceries to be dropped off there (freezer) or drinks to be fetched during parties in the garage, allowing direct access to the utility room. The size of the technical room is still undecided. We plan either geothermal heat or air-to-water heat pumps and intend to install a photovoltaic system if the roof design makes sense. Because of the considerable size (initially it was 280 m² / 3000 sq ft), I have tried to reduce the size in some areas including the utility room. Now the question is whether the combined utility and technical room might become too narrow or cramped.
Regarding the fireplace, which is currently placed in the corner of the living room, we are still unsure if it fits there. Is the space sufficient and does it make sense to have it there? Our main concern is not heating the whole room with the fireplace, but rather the atmosphere it creates.
Also, the kitchen is quite far from the utility room and garage, but my wife wants it bright, which we understand and can live with.
No pantry adjacent to the kitchen, which is unfortunate. If anyone has ideas for that, please share.
Upper floor:
We generally like the upper floor, but it would be great if the utility room had enough space not only for the washing machine and dryer but also for ironing and hanging clothes that can’t go into the dryer. Is 6 m² (65 sq ft) sufficient? How should the washing machine, dryer, and furniture best be arranged?
Again, where can we save floor space upstairs? Especially the office is quite large and could be smaller, and the children’s rooms at 14-16 m² (150-170 sq ft) are actually sufficient.
Likewise, the walk-in closet should be less narrow, and the corner space might not be necessary. If you have ideas for that, please share. I tried to avoid the long narrow shape shown in (Obergeschoss-14-Alternative.jpg), but I am not very happy with the current result (Obergeschoss-16.jpg). This also compromises the bedroom size (will it become too tight?) and the children’s rooms. Which of the two proposals do you prefer? Or do you have a better idea?
The bathroom could also be reduced by 1-2 m² (11-22 sq ft) as long as it doesn’t feel cramped. All this depends on whether it’s feasible and makes sense, as well as coordinated with the ground floor.
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
2000 Euro (approx. $2150) per m² (sq ft price depends on region)
Personal budget for the house including fittings:
550,000 Euro (approx. $600,000) excluding land. We would prefer to stay under 500k. We do not want to end up with a "jam house" (meaning a house where the mortgage is so high you can’t even afford jam on your bread).
Preferred heating technology:
We have not decided yet between geothermal or air-to-water heat pump. No gas heating! If you have tips for this house, please let us know!
If you had to give up something, which features or finishes could you live without?
Smart home
If you had to give up something, which features or finishes are absolutely essential?
Open living/dining area
Welcoming entrance from the street
Garden and sunlight
Front balcony above the office
Guest room and guest WC with shower for future living of a parent
Sauna
Distance to TV should be at least 4.5 m (15 ft). Currently it’s 5 m (16.5 ft).
Why is the design like it is now?
Our wishes and ideas were implemented by the architect with additional creativity and experience. Unfortunately, there was initially too much hallway space and too little room for the technical room and guest room, and the walk-in closet had no natural light.
What do you think are its strongest and weakest points?
The total area is quite large; some rooms are bigger than we need, and in others, it would be great to have 1-3 m² (11-32 sq ft) more. But many factors depend on other conditions, like identical external footprints on ground and upper floors, access to other rooms, etc. Unfortunately, rooms are usually not fully independent.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
General opinion about the floor plan and exterior – constructive critical feedback welcome
Ideas for optimizing room layout/placement and possible space savings
Are there any corridors or places that are too narrow or tight?
Creative and clever ideas to use space efficiently and make it cozy
Windows – better with slightly rounded or straight tops and with concrete surrounds or without? What do you like or dislike about the facade?
Roof – better with or without a mansard/hip extension?
PS:
The site plan is from the first draft; the middle and right parts have since been moved forward because we wanted more than 10 m (33 ft) of garden at the back.
The m² figures are approximate and may vary slightly.
On the front view, a window next to the garage is actually meant to be a side door.
Window placement on the floor plans is not always exact; I still need to adjust it.
If you have further questions, please ask, I will try to answer them.
Thank you very much for your help and feedback! We really appreciate it! I will upload updates and adjustments as we progress. We are very excited to see the final result!
Have a great weekend!
AlexF76
We are currently in the planning phase of our house. The plot is purchased, now we just need to bring it to life/build on it.
We have received the first draft from the architect and already had a constructive discussion afterwards. I have now incorporated some of my ideas into the draft and adjusted it. It would be great if you could share your opinions on the house and the floor plan in general, and where you think clever improvements could be made or the size reduced. Currently, the whole thing is about 260 m² (2800 sq ft), and we would ideally like to end up under 250 m² (2700 sq ft). If that is not possible or only with too many compromises, that would be okay, but we would still like to optimize the floor plan.
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 1200 sqm (13,000 sq ft)
Slope: None, flat terrain, living in the North.
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building envelope, building line and boundary: See site plan
Setback from border: 3 m (10 ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Ceiling height: 2.70 - 2.80 m (8.9 - 9.2 ft)
Roof style: See site plan
Architectural style: Urban villa with traditional clinker brick
Orientation: Main entrance facing west
Maximum height limits: Ridge height (FH) 8.50 m (28 ft), Eaves height (TH) 6.50 m (21 ft)
Homeowners’ Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: Urban villa with traditional clinker brick
Basement, number of floors: No basement, 2 floors
Number of occupants and ages: 3 (43, 35, 2) hopefully one more child in the future and possibly an elderly parent later on
Space needed at ground floor and upper floor: 200-250 m² (2150-2700 sq ft)
Office use: Family use or home office? Home office, 8-12 hours daily
Guest overnight stays per year: On average 2-4 guests about 5 times a year, later most likely 1 parent living permanently
Open or closed layout: Open
Traditional or modern construction: More country style
Open kitchen, cooking island: Open kitchen with cooking island (cooking island not a must)
Number of seats for dining: 3-4 at the kitchen island, 10-12 at the dining table
Fireplace: Yes, please
Music/stereo wall: No
Balcony, roof terrace: Definitely
Garage, carport: Yes, garage for 2 cars and for winter birthday parties
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: Maybe later
Reasons for yes or no to certain features:
Balcony at the front so I can step out from the office occasionally and we can enjoy the setting sun in the west in the evenings.
The kitchen should definitely be bright with a view of the street, as my wife wanted, which is why it is unfortunately a bit far from the garage and utility room.
Guest room and guest WC should be barrier-free and large enough so that parents or we could live there later.
House Design
Origin of planning:
Rough drafts by me, first draft by the architect, current version is the first draft with my changes.
What do you particularly like and why?
Utility room (laundry) upstairs
Walk-in closet area
Minimal hallway despite many rooms
Bright
Possibility to separate living areas later
It’s not a run-of-the-mill design
What do you not like and why?
First of all, the large size! About 260 m² (2800 sq ft)! It would be great to reduce this below 250 m² (2700 sq ft) with a smarter layout. Otherwise:
Ground floor:
The kitchen could be a bit smaller without significantly affecting the exterior shape. Currently, there is no window directly offering a view to the terrace, maybe there is an idea for that.
I’m also unsure about the utility/technical room. Some say a technical room of 3-4 m² (32-43 sq ft) is enough, others recommend 6-8 m² (65-85 sq ft). What do you think? The utility room here would be without dryer and washing machine as these are upstairs. Maybe you have a good idea how to properly separate the technical room and utility room. Ideally, the utility room should still have natural light and direct access to the garage for groceries to be dropped off there (freezer) or drinks to be fetched during parties in the garage, allowing direct access to the utility room. The size of the technical room is still undecided. We plan either geothermal heat or air-to-water heat pumps and intend to install a photovoltaic system if the roof design makes sense. Because of the considerable size (initially it was 280 m² / 3000 sq ft), I have tried to reduce the size in some areas including the utility room. Now the question is whether the combined utility and technical room might become too narrow or cramped.
Regarding the fireplace, which is currently placed in the corner of the living room, we are still unsure if it fits there. Is the space sufficient and does it make sense to have it there? Our main concern is not heating the whole room with the fireplace, but rather the atmosphere it creates.
Also, the kitchen is quite far from the utility room and garage, but my wife wants it bright, which we understand and can live with.
No pantry adjacent to the kitchen, which is unfortunate. If anyone has ideas for that, please share.
Upper floor:
We generally like the upper floor, but it would be great if the utility room had enough space not only for the washing machine and dryer but also for ironing and hanging clothes that can’t go into the dryer. Is 6 m² (65 sq ft) sufficient? How should the washing machine, dryer, and furniture best be arranged?
Again, where can we save floor space upstairs? Especially the office is quite large and could be smaller, and the children’s rooms at 14-16 m² (150-170 sq ft) are actually sufficient.
Likewise, the walk-in closet should be less narrow, and the corner space might not be necessary. If you have ideas for that, please share. I tried to avoid the long narrow shape shown in (Obergeschoss-14-Alternative.jpg), but I am not very happy with the current result (Obergeschoss-16.jpg). This also compromises the bedroom size (will it become too tight?) and the children’s rooms. Which of the two proposals do you prefer? Or do you have a better idea?
The bathroom could also be reduced by 1-2 m² (11-22 sq ft) as long as it doesn’t feel cramped. All this depends on whether it’s feasible and makes sense, as well as coordinated with the ground floor.
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
2000 Euro (approx. $2150) per m² (sq ft price depends on region)
Personal budget for the house including fittings:
550,000 Euro (approx. $600,000) excluding land. We would prefer to stay under 500k. We do not want to end up with a "jam house" (meaning a house where the mortgage is so high you can’t even afford jam on your bread).
Preferred heating technology:
We have not decided yet between geothermal or air-to-water heat pump. No gas heating! If you have tips for this house, please let us know!
If you had to give up something, which features or finishes could you live without?
Smart home
If you had to give up something, which features or finishes are absolutely essential?
Open living/dining area
Welcoming entrance from the street
Garden and sunlight
Front balcony above the office
Guest room and guest WC with shower for future living of a parent
Sauna
Distance to TV should be at least 4.5 m (15 ft). Currently it’s 5 m (16.5 ft).
Why is the design like it is now?
Our wishes and ideas were implemented by the architect with additional creativity and experience. Unfortunately, there was initially too much hallway space and too little room for the technical room and guest room, and the walk-in closet had no natural light.
What do you think are its strongest and weakest points?
The total area is quite large; some rooms are bigger than we need, and in others, it would be great to have 1-3 m² (11-32 sq ft) more. But many factors depend on other conditions, like identical external footprints on ground and upper floors, access to other rooms, etc. Unfortunately, rooms are usually not fully independent.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
General opinion about the floor plan and exterior – constructive critical feedback welcome
Ideas for optimizing room layout/placement and possible space savings
Are there any corridors or places that are too narrow or tight?
Creative and clever ideas to use space efficiently and make it cozy
Windows – better with slightly rounded or straight tops and with concrete surrounds or without? What do you like or dislike about the facade?
Roof – better with or without a mansard/hip extension?
PS:
The site plan is from the first draft; the middle and right parts have since been moved forward because we wanted more than 10 m (33 ft) of garden at the back.
The m² figures are approximate and may vary slightly.
On the front view, a window next to the garage is actually meant to be a side door.
Window placement on the floor plans is not always exact; I still need to adjust it.
If you have further questions, please ask, I will try to answer them.
Thank you very much for your help and feedback! We really appreciate it! I will upload updates and adjustments as we progress. We are very excited to see the final result!
Have a great weekend!
AlexF76
AlexF76 schrieb:
I only mentioned what the room was intended for, as it was presented by the architect, and it used to be much larger. And yes, if I’m investing so much money in a house, I don’t want to just follow a standard template; I want to create my own little sanctuary. Some people think and act very pragmatically and only need a roof over their heads, while others want a dedicated toilet room for snorers. It’s not enough to just assign 1–2 sqm (11–22 sq ft) to each room when the space eaters are these additional rooms that you actually don’t really need. Just try to imagine what a toilet is doing in a garage, while food and alcohol are stored in the kitchen. Maybe I just can’t picture it anymore since garage parties were only a thing before I graduated from school. We celebrate our parties in the living room.
Anyway: you have over 25 sqm (over 270 sq ft) of hallway space downstairs, but the utility room is far from the kitchen. If the parent’s bedroom is fixed, move the garage toilet into the shortened hallway, bring the utility room more centrally, and shorten hallway and kitchen. You will get a different floor plan out of it.
I would start by leaving out the elongated walk-in closet and shifting the right side of the house towards the left. The same goes for downstairs. There should still be enough space left for the rest.
So you want to stick to this design and optimize or downsize it?
I would have the architect take another look, with clear instructions. Maximum 230 sqm (2,475 sq ft). Fewer protrusions and balconies. A 15 sqm (160 sq ft) office is enough... etc.
To me, there are too many awkward corners here (an excessively large master bedroom and office, one child's room cut up and too small for the overall house size, the balcony by the sauna area is nice but especially expensive if built with a roof, a huge balcony at the study). That’s what you’re paying the architect for.
But I also don’t see why such a house necessarily has to have smart home technology. Everyone should set their own priorities (and I say this even though we installed smart home systems ourselves) and decide what to spend their money on. For some, space and an impressive exterior are important. For others, smart home features, controlled ventilation systems, and other technical gadgets.
However, I admit that I consider architects who can’t design within a budget as incompetent.
I would have the architect take another look, with clear instructions. Maximum 230 sqm (2,475 sq ft). Fewer protrusions and balconies. A 15 sqm (160 sq ft) office is enough... etc.
To me, there are too many awkward corners here (an excessively large master bedroom and office, one child's room cut up and too small for the overall house size, the balcony by the sauna area is nice but especially expensive if built with a roof, a huge balcony at the study). That’s what you’re paying the architect for.
But I also don’t see why such a house necessarily has to have smart home technology. Everyone should set their own priorities (and I say this even though we installed smart home systems ourselves) and decide what to spend their money on. For some, space and an impressive exterior are important. For others, smart home features, controlled ventilation systems, and other technical gadgets.
However, I admit that I consider architects who can’t design within a budget as incompetent.
AlexF76 schrieb:
@DaSch17 I agree with you, it shouldn’t look great on the outside and be cheap on the inside. But it’s not going to be a Mercedes Benz either, just solid within a normal range.We also talked to an architect about four years ago before we ultimately decided on a condominium. They gave us a similar pie-in-the-sky estimate, saying “We can do this for X EUR per square meter (sq ft)...”
You should keep in mind that architects’ cost estimates often vary significantly in the end. I think a 20% difference is not uncommon. For you, that would mean an additional 110,000 EUR. Can you afford that or are you willing to?
No one here in the forum wants to discourage or criticize your planning. But as Yvonne already said, you should really start again from scratch and consider what is truly important to you and how much you are willing to spend at most.
It becomes painful if, in the end, it turns out your expectations for 2,000 EUR per square meter (sq ft) are unrealistic and you actually have to invest more like 2,800 EUR per square meter (sq ft).
I don’t know where people always get the 2,000 EUR per square meter (sq ft) figure as a rough guideline. That’s really outdated and no longer accurate at all. I would say that a standard build currently doesn’t come cheaper than 2,100–2,200 EUR per square meter (sq ft). And even that would be far from the standard you want.
Even if your father-in-law builds the shell structure for free or at cost price, keep in mind that the shell only accounts for around 30% of the total costs.
DaSch17 schrieb:
I don’t know where everyone keeps getting the figure of 2,000 €/sqm as a rough estimate. That is really outdated and absolutely no longer current. The 2,000 €/sqm refers on average to a standard basic house from a general contractor (or another building company) built according to energy-saving regulations, plastered, and without floor coverings. And without a garage. Lower Saxony (NDS) is even cheaper, while North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and/or Bavaria are more expensive.
Additional costs come from bay windows and more complex roofs, as well as, of course, technical installations, balconies, and extra energy-efficient features. Not to mention window style and expensive facing bricks. The price of garage doors and the necessary technology alone can cover the cost of a simple prefab garage elsewhere. And it’s not the case that people only want a simple garage, just as little as they only want an 8 sqm (86 sq ft) home office room. No, they simply know they cannot afford more. And then they end up with their plastered 170 sqm (1,830 sq ft) standard villa with a few small extras in the fittings and a double carport with a garden shed, totaling over €400,000.
So unfortunately, I don’t see a balance here between wishes, reality, and budgeting.
I don’t mean this as criticism (Architect?), but that’s just how it is: the budget doesn’t match the expectations.
I roughly estimated the kitchen and looked for potential savings:
I count six 60 cm (24 inch) tall cabinets; 3 to 4 would suffice. The work surface could be reduced by one-third and still leave enough area to satisfy. The distance from the sink to the island is too large anyway... so: there is room to reduce if one allows it.
Enlarging or reducing rooms usually doesn’t work by pushing out or pulling in exterior walls. You should stay within limited boundaries here. That is basically how an architect works, even when it comes to individuality.
Himmel Smart Home doesn’t mean that every room is filled with sensors and gadgets. Is everything here just seen in black and white?
How many houses don’t have mechanical ventilation with heat recovery?
I just wanted to say: a multimillion-dollar villa on the outside but Flair on the inside. If that’s what someone wants, that’s fine.
A half-landing staircase or a straight staircase, located outside of the dirty zone, which can also be found in many smaller houses, is possible with fewer square meters (square feet).
Even positioning the staircase differently would be better. Who wants to walk through muddy puddles on socks?
Every change in direction or recess causes costs due to thermal insulation and/or thermal bridges. In your case, it also leads to additional costs in the roof structure.
Why does the bike section of the garage only have a flat roof and that small recess?
Make the kitchen smaller and more ergonomic. @ypg has made some suggestions. If there are square meters (square feet) left over, maybe create a small storage room here for cleaning cloths, a freezer, and water crates.
Then the utility room could possibly be slightly reduced and would only serve as a storage area for tools. This way, the extension could be avoided.
How many houses don’t have mechanical ventilation with heat recovery?
I just wanted to say: a multimillion-dollar villa on the outside but Flair on the inside. If that’s what someone wants, that’s fine.
A half-landing staircase or a straight staircase, located outside of the dirty zone, which can also be found in many smaller houses, is possible with fewer square meters (square feet).
Even positioning the staircase differently would be better. Who wants to walk through muddy puddles on socks?
Every change in direction or recess causes costs due to thermal insulation and/or thermal bridges. In your case, it also leads to additional costs in the roof structure.
Why does the bike section of the garage only have a flat roof and that small recess?
Make the kitchen smaller and more ergonomic. @ypg has made some suggestions. If there are square meters (square feet) left over, maybe create a small storage room here for cleaning cloths, a freezer, and water crates.
Then the utility room could possibly be slightly reduced and would only serve as a storage area for tools. This way, the extension could be avoided.
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