ᐅ Floor Plan Optimization for a Single-Family Home of Approximately 150 sqm on a Small Plot
Created on: 18 Aug 2020 20:31
Y
Yaso2.0
Hello everyone,
After what felt like forever, we finally received the floor plan (without exact dimensions) today from our preferred general contractor. Although the planner noted our requests during the meeting, some of them don’t seem to have been fully incorporated.
The price offer will be prepared once the floor plan is finalized, especially if the size increases.
I would like to share the floor plan with you and hear your suggestions for improvements!
Development plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 389sqm (4187 sq ft)
Sloping site
Site coverage ratio 0.35
Floor area ratio 0.70
Building envelope, building line, and boundary
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Roof type
Architectural style
Orientation
Maximum heights / limits
Additional requirements
Client requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: City villa
Basement, number of stories: 2 stories, no basement
Number of occupants, ages: 3 persons (44, 38, 9)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor
Kitchen, living room, guest WC, utility room, and if possible, a small office
Office: family use or home office?
Guests for overnight stays vary widely
Open or closed architecture partly/partly
Conservative or modern style: a healthy mix of both
Open kitchen, kitchen island: semi-open kitchen, kitchen island not mandatory
Number of dining seats: 6–8
Fireplace: possibly
Music / stereo wall
Balcony, roof terrace
Garage, carport
Utility garden, greenhouse, garden for pleasant evenings
Additional wishes / special features / daily routines, including reasons why certain elements are wanted or not
We want a larger but semi-open kitchen because I cook and/or bake daily. A pantry would be great but I would also give it up if it means more counter space in the kitchen.
Ideally, I would like a laundry room on the upper floor since all the laundry tasks happen upstairs.
House design
Planner:
- Planner from a construction company
What do you particularly like? Why? Pantry room,
In the upper floor, the bedroom does not directly adjoin the children’s rooms
What do you dislike? Why?
Kitchen accessible only through the living room, hallway seems like wasted space??, kitchen counter size too small,
Cost estimate by architect/planner: still open, to follow after floor plan and house size are finalized
Personal budget limit for the house including fixtures and fittings:
Preferred heating system:
If you had to compromise, on which details / additions
- Could you do without: walk-in closet
- Could you not do without: “larger” kitchen
Why is the design the way it is now?
The general contractor’s planner asked about our preferences and created the floor plan accordingly. Apparently, an office didn’t fit. The requirement was that we ideally don’t want more than 150sqm (1615 sq ft), a kitchen size of at least 13sqm (140 sq ft) would be nice, and if possible, no straight staircase.
What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes?
The hallway seems to take up too much space without much utility, the kitchen feels too small.
The walk-in closet is “enclosed” and should be accessible via the corridor.
We like that the children’s rooms are exactly the same size. The future child planning is currently flexible.
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can we make the kitchen accessible through the hallway and semi-open, without making it too small?
Would a different staircase allow for a better layout?
Or are our wishes not feasible within 150sqm?
Thanks in advance!
After what felt like forever, we finally received the floor plan (without exact dimensions) today from our preferred general contractor. Although the planner noted our requests during the meeting, some of them don’t seem to have been fully incorporated.
The price offer will be prepared once the floor plan is finalized, especially if the size increases.
I would like to share the floor plan with you and hear your suggestions for improvements!
Development plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 389sqm (4187 sq ft)
Sloping site
Site coverage ratio 0.35
Floor area ratio 0.70
Building envelope, building line, and boundary
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Roof type
Architectural style
Orientation
Maximum heights / limits
Additional requirements
Client requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: City villa
Basement, number of stories: 2 stories, no basement
Number of occupants, ages: 3 persons (44, 38, 9)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor
Kitchen, living room, guest WC, utility room, and if possible, a small office
Office: family use or home office?
Guests for overnight stays vary widely
Open or closed architecture partly/partly
Conservative or modern style: a healthy mix of both
Open kitchen, kitchen island: semi-open kitchen, kitchen island not mandatory
Number of dining seats: 6–8
Fireplace: possibly
Music / stereo wall
Balcony, roof terrace
Garage, carport
Utility garden, greenhouse, garden for pleasant evenings
Additional wishes / special features / daily routines, including reasons why certain elements are wanted or not
We want a larger but semi-open kitchen because I cook and/or bake daily. A pantry would be great but I would also give it up if it means more counter space in the kitchen.
Ideally, I would like a laundry room on the upper floor since all the laundry tasks happen upstairs.
House design
Planner:
- Planner from a construction company
What do you particularly like? Why? Pantry room,
In the upper floor, the bedroom does not directly adjoin the children’s rooms
What do you dislike? Why?
Kitchen accessible only through the living room, hallway seems like wasted space??, kitchen counter size too small,
Cost estimate by architect/planner: still open, to follow after floor plan and house size are finalized
Personal budget limit for the house including fixtures and fittings:
Preferred heating system:
If you had to compromise, on which details / additions
- Could you do without: walk-in closet
- Could you not do without: “larger” kitchen
Why is the design the way it is now?
The general contractor’s planner asked about our preferences and created the floor plan accordingly. Apparently, an office didn’t fit. The requirement was that we ideally don’t want more than 150sqm (1615 sq ft), a kitchen size of at least 13sqm (140 sq ft) would be nice, and if possible, no straight staircase.
What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes?
The hallway seems to take up too much space without much utility, the kitchen feels too small.
The walk-in closet is “enclosed” and should be accessible via the corridor.
We like that the children’s rooms are exactly the same size. The future child planning is currently flexible.
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can we make the kitchen accessible through the hallway and semi-open, without making it too small?
Would a different staircase allow for a better layout?
Or are our wishes not feasible within 150sqm?
Thanks in advance!
11ant schrieb:
Or, I would say.Joker.. With sloped ceilings, the living area is calculated proportionally, which is why I asked..
Since I was personally addressed, I quickly skimmed through the thread...
What don’t you like about the straight staircase? Actually, I quite like the suggestion from #177 as a basis. I sketched something quickly based on that...
Ground floor:
1) Staircase rotated (access from dining area) and built-in wardrobe under the stairs as a closet.
(+) Less dirt from the entrance area being carried upstairs (speaking from experience, that’s annoying).
(+) The downstairs toilet can be made a little bigger and include a shower.
2) Living room window adjusted to the shape of the plot (west-facing garden)
(+) From the sofa, you can look into the garden and at the TV.
Upper floor:
(+) I like that the bedroom is away from the street. The window orientation still needs to be considered, depending on the surroundings.
(+) Both children’s rooms face the garden. West-facing also provides nice light.
- I’m not a fan of open spaces; I would leave both out.
Option 1) Instead of open spaces, a nice reading or play corner with a window seat. Move the door to the bedroom into the dressing room; add another door from the dressing room to the bedroom (not sketched).
Option 2) Instead of open spaces, enlarge the children’s rooms.
For myself, I would probably choose option 1 with the reading corner and place a flat, floor-to-ceiling bookshelf along the wall to the bedroom.
What don’t you like about the straight staircase? Actually, I quite like the suggestion from #177 as a basis. I sketched something quickly based on that...
Ground floor:
1) Staircase rotated (access from dining area) and built-in wardrobe under the stairs as a closet.
(+) Less dirt from the entrance area being carried upstairs (speaking from experience, that’s annoying).
(+) The downstairs toilet can be made a little bigger and include a shower.
2) Living room window adjusted to the shape of the plot (west-facing garden)
(+) From the sofa, you can look into the garden and at the TV.
Upper floor:
(+) I like that the bedroom is away from the street. The window orientation still needs to be considered, depending on the surroundings.
(+) Both children’s rooms face the garden. West-facing also provides nice light.
- I’m not a fan of open spaces; I would leave both out.
Option 1) Instead of open spaces, a nice reading or play corner with a window seat. Move the door to the bedroom into the dressing room; add another door from the dressing room to the bedroom (not sketched).
Option 2) Instead of open spaces, enlarge the children’s rooms.
For myself, I would probably choose option 1 with the reading corner and place a flat, floor-to-ceiling bookshelf along the wall to the bedroom.
RomeoZwo schrieb:
Since I was personally addressed, I quickly skimmed through the thread...
What don’t you like about the straight staircase? My husband thinks a staircase with a landing feels more homely. I don’t believe he actually has a problem with a straight staircase itself. Most people we visited with a straight staircase have it located only about 1 meter (3 feet) from the front door, plus it’s enclosed and tiled, which he thinks looks rough and uncomfortable.
But I’m quite sure he’ll change his mind once he sees that a straight staircase makes it much easier to set up a home office (the office is actually his requirement, not mine).
RomeoZwo schrieb:
I quickly sketched something out for that... WOW! Many thanks for your effort.
I really like it as it is, and your arguments make sense.
However, I would like to swap the kitchen/dining area with the living room because we prefer the west-facing terrace! Could you mirror the floor plan and determine the dimensions of the kitchen you drew in?
I’m not a fan of open spaces myself. I really like the idea of a reading nook and window seat, and I wonder if the other open space could somehow be turned into a storage room.
I would like to help you, but I see so many question marks.
For example, the floor plan posted by Allessandro and modified by RomeoZwo doesn’t match the wishes you posted here, does it? Half-closed kitchen, at least 13 m² (140 sq ft), home office removed?
Then there was the question of how the rectangle should be oriented. You say you prefer more west-facing garden space because the neighbors’ cars are parked on the south side anyway. But every rectangle posted here actually reduces your west garden. Or have I misunderstood something? Is the red-marked area your property? How deep is the building window (north-south)? In the original site plan, it looks like the 10-meter (33 ft) deep house is already the maximum allowed?
Personally, I don’t find the Allessandro/RomeoZwo floor plan ideal, because it wastes a lot of space in an already rather small house. The entire central axis on the ground floor is practically unusable. Instead, there is a tiny kitchen of 8.6 m² (93 sq ft) with little room for the table and a very modest living room. Upstairs, I find the bedroom borderline small— I estimate it’s no more than 9 m² (97 sq ft).
However, I do find the exterior view very stylish!
Maybe you can clarify things for me, then I can think about your floor plan.
For example, the floor plan posted by Allessandro and modified by RomeoZwo doesn’t match the wishes you posted here, does it? Half-closed kitchen, at least 13 m² (140 sq ft), home office removed?
Then there was the question of how the rectangle should be oriented. You say you prefer more west-facing garden space because the neighbors’ cars are parked on the south side anyway. But every rectangle posted here actually reduces your west garden. Or have I misunderstood something? Is the red-marked area your property? How deep is the building window (north-south)? In the original site plan, it looks like the 10-meter (33 ft) deep house is already the maximum allowed?
Personally, I don’t find the Allessandro/RomeoZwo floor plan ideal, because it wastes a lot of space in an already rather small house. The entire central axis on the ground floor is practically unusable. Instead, there is a tiny kitchen of 8.6 m² (93 sq ft) with little room for the table and a very modest living room. Upstairs, I find the bedroom borderline small— I estimate it’s no more than 9 m² (97 sq ft).
However, I do find the exterior view very stylish!
Maybe you can clarify things for me, then I can think about your floor plan.
Würfel* schrieb:
I’d like to help you, but I see so many question marks
For example, the floor plan posted by Allessandro and modified by RomeoZwo doesn’t match the wishes you posted here at all, does it? Half-open kitchen, at least 13 sqm (140 sq ft), office removed??
Then there was the question of how to orient the rectangular shape. You say you prefer more west-facing garden space because the neighbors’ cars park on the south side anyway. But every rectangular design posted here actually reduces your west garden area. Or have I misunderstood something? Is the area marked in red your plot? How deep is the building envelope (north-south)? From the original site plan, it looks like a house depth of 10 meters (33 feet) is already the maximum?
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Personally, I don’t find the Allessandro/RomeoZwo floor plan ideal because it wastes a lot of space in an already rather small house. The entire central axis on the ground floor is almost unusable. There’s a tiny kitchen of only 8.6 sqm (93 sq ft), hardly any space for a dining table, and a very compact living room. Upstairs, the bedroom seems borderline small, probably no more than about 9 sqm (97 sq ft).
I do like the exterior look though!
Maybe you can clarify things for me a bit more, then I can reconsider your floor plan. After I posted the floor plan here, we visited the Viebrockhaus model home park. After visiting several show houses, we relaxed some of our requirements.
For example, the half-open kitchen: We looked at open kitchens there and found that, in retrospect, they’re actually really nice. There was one kitchen we really liked, about 10 sqm (108 sq ft). So the minimum size of 13 sqm (140 sq ft) is no longer a must.
The office is a bit flexible—we’ll take it if it fits, but if not, it’s not the end of the world.
To summarize our “wishes” for clarity:
- Kitchen preferably a bit larger (can be open) with direct connection to the dining area, but not a “straight line” room where kitchen, dining, and living are all lined up side-by-side.
- If possible, an office
- Kitchen should be accessible via the hallway and near the entrance; I don’t want to have to walk through the entire living area to get to the kitchen from the front door
- Kitchen near the terrace
- Two children’s bedrooms that do not share a wall with the master bedroom
- Master bedroom accessible through a walk-in closet (my partner and I have a 2.5–3 hour difference in wake-up times)
- Bathroom with built-in walk-in shower
- Terrace on the west side, since the parking spots for the neighbors are on the south side
I actually like the idea of having a small terrace on the south side and a larger one on the west side.
Given the dimensions of the plot, we want the house not to be deeper than 10 meters (33 feet) so that about 4 meters (13 feet) of space remains on the south side. The width shouldn’t exceed 11 meters (36 feet) so that 8 meters (26 feet) remain on the side.
The plan by RomeoZwo and Allessandro measures 9.50 x 10.25 meters (31 x 34 feet), which in my opinion is within those limits.
On the ground floor, I would consider swapping the kitchen and office, then opening up the kitchen more, and switching the living room and dining area. This would make the kitchen a bit larger, the office smaller, dining area directly adjacent to the kitchen, and the living room a bit further away from the kitchen.
I still have concerns about the bedroom upstairs as well.
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