ᐅ Floor Plan for a 200 sqm Urban Villa – Are Our Requirements Feasible?
Created on: 13 Jul 2020 14:14
E
ECE-2021
Hello everyone,
I’m a bit overwhelmed with our floor plan and keep running into the same problems...
The main issue is probably how to integrate a straight staircase from the ground floor to the upper floor, and how we would have to modify or extend the hallway to fit such a staircase without "breaking up" the other rooms.
Development plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1005 m² (0.25 acres)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: according to neighboring developments
Floor area ratio: according to neighboring developments
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: according to neighboring developments
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: double / large garage planned
Number of stories: 2
Roof type: hipped roof
Style: urban villa
Orientation: street facing northeast, plot extends sideways toward west-northwest, garden planned all around southwest / west-northwest
Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: urban villa with hipped roof
Basement, floors: basement + ground floor + upper floor
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults + young child (3)
Office: home office?
Closed architecture
Closed kitchen, kitchen island
Fireplace
Balcony
Garage
House design
Who designed the plan:
- Option 1: planner from a construction company (not yet an architect)
- Option 2: do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
Overall, the floor plan is good and was implemented largely according to our ideas.
What do you dislike? Why?
We would prefer a straight staircase. According to a staircase calculator tool, it would require a length of 3.70 m (12 ft).
From research, this might be rather uncomfortable and therefore unrealistic.
We would be willing to extend the hallway for the straight staircase if necessary.
Symmetry, especially in the front view of the house, is very important to us, so we want to keep the type of front door as is.
The awkward corner in the upper hallway is not very appealing (bedroom / office).
Furthermore, the hallway window was initially placed in the child’s bedroom, but that will be changed so there is natural light in the upper floor hallway.
I’m also wondering if the chimney flue on the upper floor can still be routed freely, possibly offset within the ceiling/floor. Or does it have to go straight up from the ground floor fireplace? Because then it would end up right in the middle of the upper floor hallway.
If you have to give up something, which details or fittings could you do without?
- Could you compromise on: I’m open to suggestions for now
- Cannot compromise on: ideally the straight staircase
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
See differences between our design and the construction company’s plan
- straight staircase instead of quarter-turn
- kitchen recessed
- window in the hallway instead of in the child’s room
- ideally no hallway obstruction on the upper floor
I’m a bit overwhelmed with our floor plan and keep running into the same problems...
The main issue is probably how to integrate a straight staircase from the ground floor to the upper floor, and how we would have to modify or extend the hallway to fit such a staircase without "breaking up" the other rooms.
Development plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1005 m² (0.25 acres)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: according to neighboring developments
Floor area ratio: according to neighboring developments
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: according to neighboring developments
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: double / large garage planned
Number of stories: 2
Roof type: hipped roof
Style: urban villa
Orientation: street facing northeast, plot extends sideways toward west-northwest, garden planned all around southwest / west-northwest
Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: urban villa with hipped roof
Basement, floors: basement + ground floor + upper floor
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults + young child (3)
Office: home office?
Closed architecture
Closed kitchen, kitchen island
Fireplace
Balcony
Garage
House design
Who designed the plan:
- Option 1: planner from a construction company (not yet an architect)
- Option 2: do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
Overall, the floor plan is good and was implemented largely according to our ideas.
What do you dislike? Why?
We would prefer a straight staircase. According to a staircase calculator tool, it would require a length of 3.70 m (12 ft).
From research, this might be rather uncomfortable and therefore unrealistic.
We would be willing to extend the hallway for the straight staircase if necessary.
Symmetry, especially in the front view of the house, is very important to us, so we want to keep the type of front door as is.
The awkward corner in the upper hallway is not very appealing (bedroom / office).
Furthermore, the hallway window was initially placed in the child’s bedroom, but that will be changed so there is natural light in the upper floor hallway.
I’m also wondering if the chimney flue on the upper floor can still be routed freely, possibly offset within the ceiling/floor. Or does it have to go straight up from the ground floor fireplace? Because then it would end up right in the middle of the upper floor hallway.
If you have to give up something, which details or fittings could you do without?
- Could you compromise on: I’m open to suggestions for now
- Cannot compromise on: ideally the straight staircase
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
See differences between our design and the construction company’s plan
- straight staircase instead of quarter-turn
- kitchen recessed
- window in the hallway instead of in the child’s room
- ideally no hallway obstruction on the upper floor
P
pagoni202014 Jul 2020 10:46From what I read in your post, this mostly comes down to craftsmanship, although of course there are always better options. About 30 years ago, I installed an IKEA kitchen myself in a newly built house and sold it after two years for a few marks due to quality reasons. Later, a friend designed and installed a new BAX kitchen with Gaggenau appliances, etc. (unfortunately, BAX has completely changed its company philosophy today). This kitchen is still in use by the current homeowner and will probably last another 10-20 years; it doesn’t break and has a timeless yet stylish design by an interior architect. The cost back then was about 40,000 gross plus an elegant lighting concept, etc.
However, IKEA’s quality has now adjusted to today’s standards, and the hinges and other fittings mostly come from the same manufacturers as other brands.
If, as @Climbee describes, you need or want to implement individual or customized features, you should of course choose the kitchen manufacturer accordingly, since more affordable providers naturally have some limitations.
My point was only about the somewhat general statement here that IKEA might not be of sufficient quality. I have had enough comparisons, and NOW I have an IKEA kitchen that I really like in glossy white. In my opinion, you should bring a bit of creativity to the design and customize certain parts individually, moving away from pure IKEA solutions.
However, IKEA’s quality has now adjusted to today’s standards, and the hinges and other fittings mostly come from the same manufacturers as other brands.
If, as @Climbee describes, you need or want to implement individual or customized features, you should of course choose the kitchen manufacturer accordingly, since more affordable providers naturally have some limitations.
My point was only about the somewhat general statement here that IKEA might not be of sufficient quality. I have had enough comparisons, and NOW I have an IKEA kitchen that I really like in glossy white. In my opinion, you should bring a bit of creativity to the design and customize certain parts individually, moving away from pure IKEA solutions.
I’m afraid that with this layout, there will eventually be hooks in the entrance area where shoes will simply be taken off. And every day, you will find yourself grumbling as you move your daughter’s things into the separate room.
I don’t think that’s very "user-friendly."
Also, in your floor plan: are people supposed to walk through the entire hallway with dirty shoes on to get to the wardrobe room, spreading dirt along the way, only to finally take off their shoes there? No, probably not, right?
So, shoes will most likely be taken off right inside the door as soon as someone comes in. The tidy homeowner will then dutifully carry them to the wardrobe room at the far end of the hallway. For the husband, I’m not so sure. And I guarantee you the daughter’s shoes will end up thrown into the nearest corner (or left right in the middle of the hallway), with the jacket tossed on top.
I don’t think that’s very "user-friendly."
Also, in your floor plan: are people supposed to walk through the entire hallway with dirty shoes on to get to the wardrobe room, spreading dirt along the way, only to finally take off their shoes there? No, probably not, right?
So, shoes will most likely be taken off right inside the door as soon as someone comes in. The tidy homeowner will then dutifully carry them to the wardrobe room at the far end of the hallway. For the husband, I’m not so sure. And I guarantee you the daughter’s shoes will end up thrown into the nearest corner (or left right in the middle of the hallway), with the jacket tossed on top.
The hallway is really getting to me. I keep moving things around on an empty floor plan. I’m not making much progress...
Regardless of the type of staircase, as long as there is enough space and it looks decent, any style is fine. But the 4m (13 feet) living room does limit the placement options, especially since the terrace and the three floor-to-ceiling windows/sliding doors have to be on the right side due to the plot orientation.
Floor-to-ceiling windows in the kitchen obviously restrict furniture placement quite a bit, especially if I want to follow the advice to position the kitchen towards the terrace side. What must be included in the kitchen is an island and a pantry, which should ideally be hidden behind the kitchen units so that a cabinet will act as the “entrance.”
I’m still considering a seating area because, despite having a large dining table, we actually prefer to use it at the moment. The dining area is right by the island, so really very close. A separate dining area like the seating corner wouldn’t really increase the walking distance compared to the large dining table.
Regardless of the type of staircase, as long as there is enough space and it looks decent, any style is fine. But the 4m (13 feet) living room does limit the placement options, especially since the terrace and the three floor-to-ceiling windows/sliding doors have to be on the right side due to the plot orientation.
Floor-to-ceiling windows in the kitchen obviously restrict furniture placement quite a bit, especially if I want to follow the advice to position the kitchen towards the terrace side. What must be included in the kitchen is an island and a pantry, which should ideally be hidden behind the kitchen units so that a cabinet will act as the “entrance.”
I’m still considering a seating area because, despite having a large dining table, we actually prefer to use it at the moment. The dining area is right by the island, so really very close. A separate dining area like the seating corner wouldn’t really increase the walking distance compared to the large dining table.
Climbee schrieb:
I swear on my life, my daughter’s shoes will be thrown into the next corner (or left right in the middle of the hallway) with the jacket on top. Funny, but you’re probably right.
This was mentioned before, and I can understand it.
Those were probably more like wishful dreams on our part.
But that’s exactly why this forum is great.
Because somehow we just didn’t think that practically enough.
The feedback helps to improve.
P
pagoni202014 Jul 2020 10:53ECE-2021 schrieb:
Yes, of course.
You also have to expect that TVs will keep getting bigger.
Current setup: 3m (10 feet) L-shaped sofa with large seating area and a 55-inch TV. The TV doesn’t have to be bigger; it should simply always match the viewing distance. Bigger TV, greater seating distance.
Climbee schrieb:
I’m not so sure about that when it comes to my husband. Now, now, what’s this I’m reading? … It’s hardly surprising when he comes home from hunting carrying a wild boar on his back. Just because the lady of the house has to put down her nail polish and get up from the sofa to properly store the hunter’s boots?
ECE-2021 schrieb:
The hallway is really getting to me. Today’s problems… hallways.
pagoni2020 schrieb:
However, the quality at Ikea has now adapted to current standards, and the hinges, etc., usually come from the same manufacturers as other companies.
I don’t have anything against an Ikea kitchen in general. Apart from minor details, I am very satisfied with ours.
Still, I’m not very keen on moving such a kitchen, as it consists of a huge number of individual parts. The base cabinets (carcass) at Ikea are not made as single units like with other manufacturers, so they tend to suffer a bit more during a move.
As I said, ours is also in glossy white...
Only the handles were a poor choice.
They annoy me; I constantly catch on everything with them.
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