Hello,
we have been living in our own single-family house for a long time and now want to build a new one. I did not expect it to be so difficult to design a suitable floor plan. Every change affects another requirement. We are now at an impasse and can’t think of any further improvements. I hope your fresh perspectives and honest feedback will help us here.
Thank you in advance for all comments.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size 1,220 sqm (13,130 sq ft)
Slope no
Floor area ratio (FAR) – not specified
Building coverage ratio – not specified
Building envelope, building line and boundary – none
Edge development – detached double garage 7 m (23 ft) (optional triple garage)
Number of parking spaces – 3
Number of storeys – 2
Roof type – hipped roof 25°, 80 cm (31.5 inches) overhang
Architectural style – classic
Orientation – entrance = northeast
Maximum heights/limits – none
Additional requirements – none
Owners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: city villa, subtly modern, low hipped roof, KfW55 standard
Basement, number of storeys – 2 storeys, no basement
Number of occupants, ages: 4 persons – 2x 40 years, 1x 11 years, 1x 7 years
Space requirements on ground floor (GF) and upper floor (UF) – see design
Office: family use or home office? – yes, 2 days per week
Guest sleepers per year – 5–6 times per year
Open or closed architecture – GF open, UF closed
Traditional or modern construction – somewhere in between
Open kitchen, kitchen island – yes/yes
Number of dining seats – 6–8
Fireplace – no
Music/speaker wall – no
Balcony, roof terrace – no, but covered terrace on ground floor
Garage, carport – detached garage
Utility garden, greenhouse – no
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons for specific choices
Open living-dining area, lots of light, no narrow spaces, harmonious proportions and symmetry, cozy
Smooth roof tiles
House design
- Do-it-yourself planning
What do you particularly like? Why?
- Upper floor layout, stairwell
What do you not like? Why?
- Children’s rooms vary in size
- Office could be larger
- Orientation not quite optimal
- Ground floor lacks a bit of flair
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: €480,000 without garage
Personal budget for house including fixtures: €500,000
Preferred heating system: ground-source heat pump
If you had to do without anything, which details or expansions?
- Could do without: basically nothing, most things are already optimized (open space, fireplace, and other extras)
- Cannot do without:
Why is the design as it is now? e.g.
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
How can the ground floor be better designed, and are there any major design errors?
In the aerial photo, it is the lower house on the right.
The shaded area roughly represents the paved surface.
Driveway passes two L-shaped bungalows in grey.
we have been living in our own single-family house for a long time and now want to build a new one. I did not expect it to be so difficult to design a suitable floor plan. Every change affects another requirement. We are now at an impasse and can’t think of any further improvements. I hope your fresh perspectives and honest feedback will help us here.
Thank you in advance for all comments.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size 1,220 sqm (13,130 sq ft)
Slope no
Floor area ratio (FAR) – not specified
Building coverage ratio – not specified
Building envelope, building line and boundary – none
Edge development – detached double garage 7 m (23 ft) (optional triple garage)
Number of parking spaces – 3
Number of storeys – 2
Roof type – hipped roof 25°, 80 cm (31.5 inches) overhang
Architectural style – classic
Orientation – entrance = northeast
Maximum heights/limits – none
Additional requirements – none
Owners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: city villa, subtly modern, low hipped roof, KfW55 standard
Basement, number of storeys – 2 storeys, no basement
Number of occupants, ages: 4 persons – 2x 40 years, 1x 11 years, 1x 7 years
Space requirements on ground floor (GF) and upper floor (UF) – see design
Office: family use or home office? – yes, 2 days per week
Guest sleepers per year – 5–6 times per year
Open or closed architecture – GF open, UF closed
Traditional or modern construction – somewhere in between
Open kitchen, kitchen island – yes/yes
Number of dining seats – 6–8
Fireplace – no
Music/speaker wall – no
Balcony, roof terrace – no, but covered terrace on ground floor
Garage, carport – detached garage
Utility garden, greenhouse – no
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons for specific choices
Open living-dining area, lots of light, no narrow spaces, harmonious proportions and symmetry, cozy
Smooth roof tiles
House design
- Do-it-yourself planning
What do you particularly like? Why?
- Upper floor layout, stairwell
What do you not like? Why?
- Children’s rooms vary in size
- Office could be larger
- Orientation not quite optimal
- Ground floor lacks a bit of flair
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: €480,000 without garage
Personal budget for house including fixtures: €500,000
Preferred heating system: ground-source heat pump
If you had to do without anything, which details or expansions?
- Could do without: basically nothing, most things are already optimized (open space, fireplace, and other extras)
- Cannot do without:
Why is the design as it is now? e.g.
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
How can the ground floor be better designed, and are there any major design errors?
In the aerial photo, it is the lower house on the right.
The shaded area roughly represents the paved surface.
Driveway passes two L-shaped bungalows in grey.
There’s always room for more.
Everything fits in the cabinets—swimwear next to ski suits. No need to put things away.
A larger sofa.
More space between the furniture, simply everything more spacious. Certainly not necessary; the 2m² (22 sq ft) guest bathroom serves its purpose just as well as the 6m² (65 sq ft) one with the third shower. Space often means comfort.
Everything fits in the cabinets—swimwear next to ski suits. No need to put things away.
A larger sofa.
More space between the furniture, simply everything more spacious. Certainly not necessary; the 2m² (22 sq ft) guest bathroom serves its purpose just as well as the 6m² (65 sq ft) one with the third shower. Space often means comfort.
P
Peter Silie4 Sep 2020 11:12haydee schrieb:
There is always room for more.
Everything is stored in cabinets—swimwear next to ski suits. No need to put things away elsewhere.
Larger sofa.
More space between the furniture, simply everything more spacious. Certainly not necessary, the 2m² (22 sq ft) guest bathroom serves its purpose just as well as the 6m² (65 sq ft) one with the third shower. Space is often about comfort. That then feels like a ballroom, and you especially have to keep everything clean. But everyone has their own preference.
N
nordanney4 Sep 2020 11:20Peter Silie schrieb:
you have to keep all of that clean too.I see it quite differently. I used to live in a 300 m² (3,229 sq ft) space as well. There weren’t really more pieces of furniture, but overall it felt more spacious and airy. So, it’s not about maintaining more furnishings. The floor area is indeed larger. But you hardly notice the difference when vacuuming (you hardly need to mop wood flooring with water at all). So it’s only a few extra minutes of effort. With a robot vacuum, it’s even more relaxing.
A
Alessandro4 Sep 2020 11:34Marco180 schrieb:
... I hadn’t considered such a room divider before, great idea, thanksIt just gets tight with the fireplace in the corner.
I can understand you: beyond a certain size, I wonder about it too. However, this mainly applies when rooms are duplicated or a guest room is planned, even though there are only guests staying overnight twice a year.
When furnishing the room, certainly not. You don’t just place furniture against the walls; you create different zones. A reading chair can easily take up 8sqm (86 sq ft), and you don’t even notice it.
… And vacuuming/mopping around the reading chair is actually easier than when it only occupies 2sqm (22 sq ft) and you have to move it aside to clean behind it.
Whether that space is usually needed is another matter. The golden mean or “to each their own” is fine, as long as nobody spoils the well-earned 120sqm (1,292 sq ft) of others.
Peter Silie schrieb:
then it feels like a dance hall
When furnishing the room, certainly not. You don’t just place furniture against the walls; you create different zones. A reading chair can easily take up 8sqm (86 sq ft), and you don’t even notice it.
Peter Silie schrieb:
and you especially have to keep all of that clean
… And vacuuming/mopping around the reading chair is actually easier than when it only occupies 2sqm (22 sq ft) and you have to move it aside to clean behind it.
Whether that space is usually needed is another matter. The golden mean or “to each their own” is fine, as long as nobody spoils the well-earned 120sqm (1,292 sq ft) of others.
Similar topics