Hello everyone,
We have a plot of land (see site plan) and have started planning our dream house without an architect. Before we move forward in more detail, it would be great to receive opinions, ideas, and perspectives.
On the floor plan, you can see an electrical transformer to the east. It is quite tall and does not provide a pleasant view. Therefore, the utility room is planned here, separated from the house with access to the "breakfast terrace."
We are planning with the future in mind. This means we want all the essential living spaces on one level. Upstairs is for the children and grandchildren when they visit, as well as hobby rooms, an office, etc. The area above the living room is open. Downstairs, it is important for us to have separate areas. The kitchen/dining and living rooms should not be an open, connected space. We often have guests while others want to watch a movie in peace.
We welcome any extraordinary ideas. The house should be unique. But we also appreciate advice on realistic feasibility.
The house will be built as a timber frame house.
The building plan allows for few restrictions. The building envelope is shown on the drawing.
Thank you and best regards,
Andreas
We have a plot of land (see site plan) and have started planning our dream house without an architect. Before we move forward in more detail, it would be great to receive opinions, ideas, and perspectives.
On the floor plan, you can see an electrical transformer to the east. It is quite tall and does not provide a pleasant view. Therefore, the utility room is planned here, separated from the house with access to the "breakfast terrace."
We are planning with the future in mind. This means we want all the essential living spaces on one level. Upstairs is for the children and grandchildren when they visit, as well as hobby rooms, an office, etc. The area above the living room is open. Downstairs, it is important for us to have separate areas. The kitchen/dining and living rooms should not be an open, connected space. We often have guests while others want to watch a movie in peace.
We welcome any extraordinary ideas. The house should be unique. But we also appreciate advice on realistic feasibility.
The house will be built as a timber frame house.
The building plan allows for few restrictions. The building envelope is shown on the drawing.
Thank you and best regards,
Andreas
N
neo-sciliar22 Jul 2020 12:18Ben-man schrieb:
I haven’t read all 26 pages, so just a quick question:
Am I correct in understanding that you want to squeeze your kids into 12sqm (130 sq ft) rooms, while there are 17sqm (183 sq ft) of unused space right next to them?
If “yes”: My suggestion would be to remove that free space, widen the hallway a bit (you currently only have a 1m (3.3 ft) wide passage?), and increase each child’s room by about 5sqm (54 sq ft). Try placing a wardrobe, a bed, and a desk into a 12sqm (130 sq ft) room and you’ll see how little space is left. If it’s not possible due to budget or site restrictions, then of course, that’s just how it is. But if you can, you should give your kids some extra room. After all, you have 18sqm (194 sq ft) just for sleeping, and the kids only 12sqm (130 sq ft) for “living.”
If “no”: Ignore what I just said, except I would still widen the hallway.
The bedroom with the corridor/closet next to the door seems awkward to me. Have you considered using an L-shaped staircase? That might allow you to plan the bedroom as a rectangle and make better use of that entire floor side (maybe for a storage room or similar).Hi,
The open space above the dining room is intentional. It also allows for installing a stove downstairs and lets the heat escape.
The kids are only “overnight guests” now. They’re about to move out soon, or may already be gone when the house is completed. But of course, they (or future grandchildren) will always have a private retreat.
The original idea was to have everything we need on one level, with only occasional-use rooms upstairs (for extended TV watching, visiting children, and a small office corner). In old age, that area can be separated off, and if necessary, a child could move upstairs. Yes, a Schwörer house would be an alternative (except that some redesigns would be needed due to the orientation). But so much living space would barely be affordable for us.
There was a suggestion to increase the western-facing windows. Keep in mind that the west side is the only boundary where a neighboring house already exists (with a 3m (10 ft) setback, and a garage right on the property line). So, no great view there. The terrace facing the street isn’t 100% ideal, but it’s a dead-end street without through traffic.
Best regards, Andreas
neo-sciliar schrieb:
The children are now just "sleepover guests." They are about to move out, possibly already gone by the time the house is built. But of course, they (or future grandchildren) will always have a private retreat. Well, then it’s not such a big deal. I would still adjust the hallway and the bedroom.
P
pagoni202022 Jul 2020 13:52neo-sciliar schrieb:
The original idea was to have everything on one level for us and only "occasional rooms" upstairs (for watching TV extensively, children visiting, and a small office area). In old age, this could be separated, and if necessary, a child could move in upstairs. ...and why didn’t you continue with this seemingly sensible plan? There are plenty of bungalow floor plans available, and surely one would suit you.
I would take the amount and clarity of the criticism objectively and try to see if and where I might need to adjust my own perception.
It is worth considering whether it really makes sense to have two children's bedrooms if the children no longer live there. Would a larger room be more practical? Do both children come at the same time, or are they only there on weekends? In that case, two rooms might still make sense. Otherwise, I would plan for a larger room with a double bed. Both could then stay overnight with a partner and later with children as well (the room would be large enough to accommodate a crib).
So, if they are already moving out, I wouldn’t plan for two small separate rooms.
So, if they are already moving out, I wouldn’t plan for two small separate rooms.
N
neo-sciliar22 Jul 2020 15:26Ben-man schrieb:
I haven’t read all 26 pages, so just a quick question:
Am I correct in understanding that you want to squeeze your children into 12 m² (130 sq ft) rooms, while leaving 17 m² (183 sq ft) of unused space next to them?
If yes: My suggestion would be to remove that open space, make the hallway a bit wider (it looks like you currently have only a 1 m (3 ft) wide passage?), and enlarge the children’s rooms by about 5 m² (54 sq ft) each. Try placing a wardrobe, a bed, and a desk in a 12 m² (130 sq ft) room and you’ll be surprised how little free space remains. If it’s not possible due to budget or local restrictions, then that’s just how it has to be, but if it’s feasible, the kids should definitely have some extra room to move around. After all, you have 18 m² (194 sq ft) just for sleeping, while the kids only get 12 m² (130 sq ft) for “living.”
If no: Please disregard what I just said, except that I’d still recommend widening the hallway.
The bedroom layout with the hallway/closet right next to the door feels awkward to me. Have you considered using an “L”-shaped staircase? That way you could possibly design the bedroom as a rectangle and gain more space along that entire side of the floor (maybe for a storage room or something similar). Thanks for the tip about the hallway width.
pagoni2020 schrieb:
… and why didn’t you follow up on this seemingly sensible advice? There are plenty of floor plans for bungalows out there, surely one will work for you.
I would objectively consider the number and clarity of the criticism and try to see if I might need to adjust my own perception. That’s exactly my problem… I can’t find a suitable bungalow floor plan that I can expand enough to also have a small upper floor, and have it still be affordable…
Well, I’d say that with a few adjustments, the last draft is basically not wrong to start with. You’re just wasting a lot of space with the cut-off corner and the 17 sqm (183 sq ft) of unused area. If the kids really only come to stay overnight, the question is whether a guest room would be enough. Alternatively, you could consider using the attic for that purpose.
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