ᐅ Floor Plan – Design of a Single-Family Home with Two Full Stories – Urban Villa
Created on: 12 Nov 2020 06:19
E
exto1791
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 550m² (0.14 acres)
Slope: approximately 1 meter (3.3 feet) incline from the street to the back of the property
Floor area ratio: Garage on boundary line, terrace 2.5m (8 feet) from neighbor - otherwise unrestricted, see attached plot plan
Plot coverage ratio: 2 full stories
Building envelope, building line and boundary: very flexible, see attached plot plan
Number of parking spaces: 1 large garage
Number of stories: 2 full stories
Roof type: hipped roof
Architectural style: modern urban villa
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: urban villa with hipped roof
Basement, floors: with basement and 2 full stories
Number of occupants: 2 persons, mid/late 20s, planning for 2 children
Room requirements on ground floor and upper floor: see floor plans
Office: family use or home office? office/home office
Guest bedrooms per year: -
Open or closed layout: -
Conservative or modern construction: 70% conservative - 30% modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen without island
Number of dining seats: 8
Fireplace: none
Music / stereo wall: none
Balcony, roof terrace: none
Garage, carport: double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: ornamental garden
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for choices or exclusions
House Design
Planner:
-General contractor (GC): general contractor of a construction company
-Architect: none
-Do-it-yourself: floor plan partially self-designed according to personal preferences
What do you like most? Currently nothing to criticize
What do you dislike? Front canopy not flush with hallway window upstairs - unfortunately not feasible otherwise
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: fixed price $450,000 (excluding land and additional construction costs)
Personal budget limit for house including fixtures: $450,000 (excluding land and additional construction costs)
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump + controlled mechanical ventilation
If you have to give up something, which details or add-ons
-Can give up: budget reached, no further cutbacks or simplifications needed
-Can’t give up: see above
Why is the design the way it is now? e.g.
Standard design from the planner? Compared roughly 100 floor plans and, in coordination with our current GC, created the dream layout ourselves
Which requests were implemented by the architect? all
A mix of many examples from various magazines: yes 🙂
What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes? very practical and conservatively executed, child-friendly, enough parking/storage space inside, yet modern
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
As I am very active here in the forum and like to help others with topics like floor plans, financing, etc., I would now like to share our project here and hear your opinions. I hope you like it too. Perhaps there is still a serious flaw or something that could be quickly improved, if it appeals to us.
We have invested a lot of time in planning. Since March/April 2020 we have been actively planning—from a prefab home supplier with about 120m² (1,292 sq ft) to a current regional solid builder with 160m² (1,722 sq ft). A lot of effort went into our planning and we hope it pays off during construction and upon completion.
We will sign the contract in the next 2-3 weeks and will release the offer as well as the floor plan and our revised building and service specification to prepare everything for contract signing.
We are building with solid construction through a regional general contractor. Construction start: May 2021.
Plot size: 550m² (0.14 acres)
Slope: approximately 1 meter (3.3 feet) incline from the street to the back of the property
Floor area ratio: Garage on boundary line, terrace 2.5m (8 feet) from neighbor - otherwise unrestricted, see attached plot plan
Plot coverage ratio: 2 full stories
Building envelope, building line and boundary: very flexible, see attached plot plan
Number of parking spaces: 1 large garage
Number of stories: 2 full stories
Roof type: hipped roof
Architectural style: modern urban villa
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: urban villa with hipped roof
Basement, floors: with basement and 2 full stories
Number of occupants: 2 persons, mid/late 20s, planning for 2 children
Room requirements on ground floor and upper floor: see floor plans
Office: family use or home office? office/home office
Guest bedrooms per year: -
Open or closed layout: -
Conservative or modern construction: 70% conservative - 30% modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen without island
Number of dining seats: 8
Fireplace: none
Music / stereo wall: none
Balcony, roof terrace: none
Garage, carport: double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: ornamental garden
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for choices or exclusions
House Design
Planner:
-General contractor (GC): general contractor of a construction company
-Architect: none
-Do-it-yourself: floor plan partially self-designed according to personal preferences
What do you like most? Currently nothing to criticize
What do you dislike? Front canopy not flush with hallway window upstairs - unfortunately not feasible otherwise
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: fixed price $450,000 (excluding land and additional construction costs)
Personal budget limit for house including fixtures: $450,000 (excluding land and additional construction costs)
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump + controlled mechanical ventilation
If you have to give up something, which details or add-ons
-Can give up: budget reached, no further cutbacks or simplifications needed
-Can’t give up: see above
Why is the design the way it is now? e.g.
Standard design from the planner? Compared roughly 100 floor plans and, in coordination with our current GC, created the dream layout ourselves
Which requests were implemented by the architect? all
A mix of many examples from various magazines: yes 🙂
What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes? very practical and conservatively executed, child-friendly, enough parking/storage space inside, yet modern
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
As I am very active here in the forum and like to help others with topics like floor plans, financing, etc., I would now like to share our project here and hear your opinions. I hope you like it too. Perhaps there is still a serious flaw or something that could be quickly improved, if it appeals to us.
We have invested a lot of time in planning. Since March/April 2020 we have been actively planning—from a prefab home supplier with about 120m² (1,292 sq ft) to a current regional solid builder with 160m² (1,722 sq ft). A lot of effort went into our planning and we hope it pays off during construction and upon completion.
We will sign the contract in the next 2-3 weeks and will release the offer as well as the floor plan and our revised building and service specification to prepare everything for contract signing.
We are building with solid construction through a regional general contractor. Construction start: May 2021.
exto1791 schrieb:
Take it easy, others don’t put nearly as much thought into it as we do. She is probably right. But you don’t have to compare yourself to others – and you don’t... you reject every suggestion because you don’t need those things...
exto1791 schrieb:
Sometimes you just have to move on and stand by your decision. That doesn’t mean you have to be stubborn or unwilling to seek advice.
What I understood is:
A house with basement comfort (storage space), as much open space as possible in the kitchen and dining area, giving up the cloakroom and pantry near the main entrance, and forgoing additional comforts because you don’t want that kind of extra stuff.
Do you generally reject comfortable features? I mean, there are people who tend to dismiss everything that is new or things others acquire... if that is the case, I can at least understand that mindset.
Alessandro schrieb:
You keep talking about individuality and how you can manage with the floor plan.
In my opinion, you’re just making everyday life unnecessarily difficult. That has nothing to do with individuality, unless you’re masochists 😉
Your entire hallway will get dirty and muddy. You’ll end up spreading dirt all over the house. If you like cleaning often, then of course this is a dream house!
If I were to build again, I would definitely include a large vestibule with a cloakroom.
You’ve never been in situations others have already experienced here. This input is priceless!
Your thoughts about parking the stroller in the garage, basement, or on the terrace say a lot...
If you put it in the hallway, you’ll have dirty walls because the wheels will scrape along the walls every time you push it from one place to another. You can probably imagine what happens if you have twins 😉
Your kitchen "island" will be full of all sorts of stuff you need daily and just leave there. I suspect it will be the messiest spot in the entire house. Forget about sitting there romantically.
At least have connections installed for a possible future shower. That will cost you less than 100 euros! Wow, seriously, people are making a huge fuss about this...
I put my stroller on the terrace, take the carrycot out, and bring it into my home office—what’s the damn problem? Sure, you can discuss it endlessly, but by now this should be a closed subject in this thread.
If you want, we can just lock the thread to stop the endless debates over the same points.
I have like 100 options to park the stroller somewhere. Nowadays you can fold these things in seconds. I see it with my brother, who folds his stroller with two handles and takes the "inside part" into his flat. Let’s be realistic... There’s also enough space in my hallway to put it. What do people do who have, say, 20 steps because the property is on a slope? They simply go around the house and put it somewhere at the back and carry the carrycot into the house. Seriously, people make a big fuss about everything.
You don’t even know where we put our stuff in the house, in the kitchen or elsewhere. Whether it’s the messiest spot or not? You don’t know us or how we handle certain things in everyday life.
If I have triplets, the house is too small. If I’m in a wheelchair tomorrow, I can just sell the house. Yes, I can’t rule out every eventuality. There is simply no single golden opinion on some things here (yes, you insist on that because you only have that one perspective). I’m open to all viewpoints but reject certain opinions because they are unnecessary or don’t fit OUR situation. That’s something people should just understand at some point 😀
ypg schrieb:
She is probably right about that. But you don’t have to compare yourself to others—you don’t do that anyway... you reject every suggestion because you don’t need those things...
However, that doesn’t mean you have to be stubborn or unwilling to take advice.
What I understand here is: a house with basement-level comfort (storage space), as much open space as possible in the kitchen and dining area, sacrificing a cloakroom and pantry near the main entrance, giving up additional comforts because you don’t want unnecessary extras.
Do you generally reject comfortable features? I mean, there are people who dismiss everything new or anything others get... if that’s the case, I can at least understand that attitude. I’m not unwilling to take advice. I just consider suggestions that work for me. Just because you agree with something doesn’t mean I have to agree too.
If 100 people discuss having a shower on the ground floor, half will install one and half won’t. Don’t you understand there are different opinions on this?
Why would I reject comfortable features? Every suggestion regarding a cloakroom doesn’t work for us because it ruins the layout. Our cloakroom along the living room wall, plus the space next to the staircase railing, is completely sufficient for us. What’s the problem? 😀
There are simply people, especially here in the forum, who always think they know better because they believe they have experience or have built a house before.
Sure, but as I’ve said a hundred times, just because someone would always add a vestibule if they built again, doesn’t mean it’s the smarter choice for everyone.
It might fit their future needs better, but that doesn’t mean it applies to everyone else.
Why can’t people just understand when someone plans their house differently?
I don’t write under every thread that a house without a basement isn’t a house for me. Then you might as well not build a house.
That’s my opinion, but probably not yours?
There are reasons why I don’t want a pantry or a separate cloakroom. End of story 😀
If you want to help me/us, that’s great—that’s already happened—but please don’t keep going on about the same points. It’s just pointless 😀
As I said, this thread could actually be closed because we’ve already made our decision and will take into account the advice that was useful to us.
A
Alessandro17 Nov 2020 09:50Why so aggressive?
If you don’t want to hear any opinions about why your floor plan is problematic in terms of circulation, storage, and everyday use, then why put it up for discussion?
You’ve received almost the same improvement suggestions from nearly everyone here. All these people don’t know each other, live in different situations, and probably have different needs.
If you think you have to look out onto the yard while washing dishes and therefore want to forgo a proper mudroom or coat area, then your view is clearly in the minority.
Everything written here isn’t “nonsense,” as you call it, but simply everyday reality.
Ask your parents in 10 to 20 years if they still enjoy going down to the basement five times a day to get drinks, supplies, or the vacuum cleaner—or doing the laundry there.
For example, my father doesn’t want to go to the basement every time to return an empty bottle. That’s why he collects them in the kitchen until it’s worth making the trip downstairs.
You can imagine how great that looks...
He’s 65 years old, has back issues, and struggles to carry heavy crates to the basement. My mother also finds it too difficult in the long run.
But hey, you’re probably the exception, always without ailments, and enjoy teaching your children to walk unnecessary distances! Fingers crossed! Your children will thank you for it...
If you don’t want to hear any opinions about why your floor plan is problematic in terms of circulation, storage, and everyday use, then why put it up for discussion?
You’ve received almost the same improvement suggestions from nearly everyone here. All these people don’t know each other, live in different situations, and probably have different needs.
If you think you have to look out onto the yard while washing dishes and therefore want to forgo a proper mudroom or coat area, then your view is clearly in the minority.
Everything written here isn’t “nonsense,” as you call it, but simply everyday reality.
Ask your parents in 10 to 20 years if they still enjoy going down to the basement five times a day to get drinks, supplies, or the vacuum cleaner—or doing the laundry there.
For example, my father doesn’t want to go to the basement every time to return an empty bottle. That’s why he collects them in the kitchen until it’s worth making the trip downstairs.
You can imagine how great that looks...
He’s 65 years old, has back issues, and struggles to carry heavy crates to the basement. My mother also finds it too difficult in the long run.
But hey, you’re probably the exception, always without ailments, and enjoy teaching your children to walk unnecessary distances! Fingers crossed! Your children will thank you for it...
Alessandro schrieb:
Why so aggressive?
If you don’t want to hear opinions on why your floor plan is problematic in terms of traffic flow, storage, and everyday use, then why put it up for discussion?
Almost everyone here has given you the same suggestions. All are people who don’t know each other, come from different life situations, and probably have different needs.
If you think you need to look out onto the yard while washing dishes and are therefore willing to give up a proper wardrobe, then you’re clearly in the minority with that opinion.
Everything written here isn’t the “nonsense” you call it, it’s just everyday reality.
Ask your parents in 10-20 years if they still enjoy going down to the basement five times a day to get drinks, supplies, the vacuum cleaner, or to do the laundry... This has nothing to do with aggression.
From your last sentence, I know very clearly that I shouldn’t accept your suggestions because we definitely have 100% different ideas about a single-family house.
Yes, I enjoy going to the basement to organize everything beautifully and neatly and I don’t mind going down there five times a day to get the things mentioned above.
And yes!! I really like doing laundry in the basement. That’s why I’m considering building a basement. If I had to dry my laundry on the ground floor and also keep my heating and workshop there, it wouldn’t feel like a single-family home to me. I prefer having everything neatly organized and clearly separated in the basement level.
And yes, my parents wouldn’t give up their basement for the world, and yes, my mother gladly goes down to the basement 10 times a day because 1) it keeps her active and 2) everything is stored neatly and cleanly down there.
Today's homebuilders are simply different, and yes, that’s exactly why we’re in the minority and why your options just aren’t for me.
The typical “my double garage is a junk room, not a parking space” or “my attic is fully used, so I have plenty of storage space” and “I only dry my laundry outside or in the living room” kind of homebuilders today.
A lot is changing nowadays, you’re right about that.
But just because five people gave me similar suggestions here doesn’t mean that represents the majority. Do you think I showed the floor plan to only five people in this forum? 😀
exto1791 schrieb:
Just because you agree doesn’t mean I have to agree too, right? exto1791 schrieb:
Don’t you understand that there are other opinions on this? Laughing... You mean the shower in the second case.
It’s not my opinion; I explained why it could be a good option.
This applies to other aspects and other forum members as well.
Many here have customized their homes individually but are aware of certain advantages—whether they have them or not.
And these suggestions or remarks are presented to you. Your destructive arguments sound like the “fuss,” as you put it.
Similar topics