Hello everyone,
We are currently waiting for the architect’s drafts and the related cost estimates.
In the meantime—to help pass the time—we would like to hear more opinions on our floor plans 🙂
We are still undecided whether to make use of the 2 ½ stories or to build only 2 full stories with an attic instead—the ground floor area would be correspondingly larger in the latter case. We are not planning a basement due to high groundwater pressure and flood risk.
The sketches are not to scale, but they give a rough idea of the layout 😉
Here are the attachments for the 2 ½-story option.
We welcome all suggestions and ideas. For example, we have not yet decided where to place the fireplace.
Good luck
milkie
We are currently waiting for the architect’s drafts and the related cost estimates.
In the meantime—to help pass the time—we would like to hear more opinions on our floor plans 🙂
We are still undecided whether to make use of the 2 ½ stories or to build only 2 full stories with an attic instead—the ground floor area would be correspondingly larger in the latter case. We are not planning a basement due to high groundwater pressure and flood risk.
The sketches are not to scale, but they give a rough idea of the layout 😉
Here are the attachments for the 2 ½-story option.
We welcome all suggestions and ideas. For example, we have not yet decided where to place the fireplace.
Good luck
milkie
Basically, I prefer a two-story layout. Upstairs for the kids’ area, downstairs for living and sleeping (parents). However, your floor plan is a bit complicated. Maybe consider designing it to allow for a future separate apartment. But that’s not a must 🙂
Your first option has too much hallway space. Even with a generous 10–12 m² (108–129 sq ft) plus a good staircase (not right at the entrance), it can work well. Your staircase takes up too much unused space. How about a 3/4 turn staircase? That might give you more options for the upper floor.
Also, I would plan for storage on the upper floor. Whether the washer and dryer are there is a matter of taste, but with three kids, it’s probably more practical. So, switch the storage function with the office/guest room. Consider having the parents’ bedrooms at the top and the children’s floor in the middle.
A long, narrow pantry has to be walked through. A square footprint for the pantry would be better. Shelves on the door side, left, right, and opposite—then you don’t have to go inside to reach everything. Bathrooms should always be stacked (as already mentioned).
And always keep in mind: a sealed roof terrace costs money. Whether it will actually be used if you have a garden is something to consider (cost versus usefulness).
Good luck
Your first option has too much hallway space. Even with a generous 10–12 m² (108–129 sq ft) plus a good staircase (not right at the entrance), it can work well. Your staircase takes up too much unused space. How about a 3/4 turn staircase? That might give you more options for the upper floor.
Also, I would plan for storage on the upper floor. Whether the washer and dryer are there is a matter of taste, but with three kids, it’s probably more practical. So, switch the storage function with the office/guest room. Consider having the parents’ bedrooms at the top and the children’s floor in the middle.
A long, narrow pantry has to be walked through. A square footprint for the pantry would be better. Shelves on the door side, left, right, and opposite—then you don’t have to go inside to reach everything. Bathrooms should always be stacked (as already mentioned).
And always keep in mind: a sealed roof terrace costs money. Whether it will actually be used if you have a garden is something to consider (cost versus usefulness).
Good luck
Ok, option 2 doesn’t really work in terms of layout. 😉
The main idea was to separate the private area from the public space.
The hallway is quite large, so we need to consider where we can save space. We definitely want a quarter-turn staircase, so maybe we should place it closer to the entrance after all... but I’ve already tried moving things around a bit and it still ends up with a fairly large rear corridor if all rooms (toilet, utility room, and storage room) are to be accessible. I’ll keep working on it until I have something that works. 🙂
The storage room and office can and probably will be swapped (in the 2 1/2-storey version).
Oh, and about the roof terrace: Our architect said there isn’t much of a cost difference between a sealed flat roof and a sealed roof terrace, so we planned for the roof terrace. We probably won’t use it much, so we’re still open on that.
The kitchen, dining, and living areas should definitely face south, with the extension for the living room acting as a privacy screen from the driveway—since there is an open area on the east side.
It’s not easy, but that’s why there are architects who know what they’re doing.
The main idea was to separate the private area from the public space.
The hallway is quite large, so we need to consider where we can save space. We definitely want a quarter-turn staircase, so maybe we should place it closer to the entrance after all... but I’ve already tried moving things around a bit and it still ends up with a fairly large rear corridor if all rooms (toilet, utility room, and storage room) are to be accessible. I’ll keep working on it until I have something that works. 🙂
The storage room and office can and probably will be swapped (in the 2 1/2-storey version).
Oh, and about the roof terrace: Our architect said there isn’t much of a cost difference between a sealed flat roof and a sealed roof terrace, so we planned for the roof terrace. We probably won’t use it much, so we’re still open on that.
The kitchen, dining, and living areas should definitely face south, with the extension for the living room acting as a privacy screen from the driveway—since there is an open area on the east side.
It’s not easy, but that’s why there are architects who know what they’re doing.
I
Ingo Kommen24 Mar 2013 19:02Once again, an opinion that gives me goosebumps.
The fact that you don’t hear drainage noise in current apartments is no reason to run the bathroom waste pipes through the living room or dining room in a new build. The plans look great during the design phase, and in the excitement of building a house, people tend to overlook such supposedly minor issues.
At the latest, when the contracting company, due to ignorance or human error on site, installs a defect and drainage noises become audible, the planner/architect will be held liable. Then a culprit is sought—never the mistake in oneself.
I have experienced this many times, and I actively avoid clients like that both as a planner and as a construction company.
I think the first pictures are okay, but the bathroom has to be relocated. PERIOD!
This rarely prevents builders from suing the architect who designed the planning permission / building permit later on if
The fact that you don’t hear drainage noise in current apartments is no reason to run the bathroom waste pipes through the living room or dining room in a new build. The plans look great during the design phase, and in the excitement of building a house, people tend to overlook such supposedly minor issues.
At the latest, when the contracting company, due to ignorance or human error on site, installs a defect and drainage noises become audible, the planner/architect will be held liable. Then a culprit is sought—never the mistake in oneself.
I have experienced this many times, and I actively avoid clients like that both as a planner and as a construction company.
I think the first pictures are okay, but the bathroom has to be relocated. PERIOD!
This rarely prevents builders from suing the architect who designed the planning permission / building permit later on if
B
backbone2324 Mar 2013 20:01I don’t think the walk-in closet (first floor plan) is really practical. Try placing a 200x60 cm (79x24 inch) wardrobe in there. Then there won’t be any space left inside, and the window won’t be able to open anymore. Okay, it might be sufficient for a few simple open shelves.
I find the second floor plan far too confusing and cramped.
I find the second floor plan far too confusing and cramped.
N
nordanney24 Mar 2013 20:13Ingo Kommen schrieb:
Once again, an opinion that gives me goosebumps.
The fact that no noise from waste pipes is heard in current apartments is no reason to run the bathroom stacks through the living room or dining room in a new build. The plans look great in the design phase, and in the excitement of building a house, people overlook supposedly minor issues like these.
It’s only when the contractor, due to ignorance or human error on site, installs something wrong and the noise from the drainage pipes becomes audible that the planner or architect is held liable. Then people look for someone to blame – but never find the mistake in themselves.
I have seen this many times, and it’s exactly clients like these that I avoid as a planner and builder.
I think the initial pictures are fine, but the bathroom needs to be somewhere else. PERIOD!
rarely stops clients from suing the architect who designed the planning permission later.The bathroom needs to be where it fits! In our future house, we have two bathrooms on the upper floor and no option but to run the drainage lines through the living room. When done properly (as in our old house), this is not a problem (if not, the contractor simply has to fix it during proper final inspection – having a thorough handover is always an advantage). Therefore, unfortunately, this is a nonsensical and unrealistic response!
Sorry for the blunt wording!
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