ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a Single-Family Home without a Basement / 4-Person Household
Created on: 21 Dec 2020 20:23
M
Mr.Graves138
Hello dear forum,
what do the experts say about the following floor plan (especially regarding the questions described below)? Does anything stand out to you as something that should definitely be avoided?
Thank you in advance
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 447m² (5400 sq ft)
Slope: no, but the plot slopes down about 80cm (31 inches) from the street and needs to be filled
Site coverage ratio 0.4
Floor area ratio 0.4
Building envelope, building line, building boundary
Border development: see attachment
Number of parking spaces: single garage + 2 outdoor parking spaces
Number of floors: 1.5 (only 1 full floor = ground floor)
Roof type: gable roof
Orientation: north/south
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height 5.30m (17 ft 5 in); wall height 5.60m (18 ft 5 in); full height 10.80m (35 ft 5 in); storey height 7.70m (25 ft 3 in)
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: solid house, gable roof approx. 37° pitch, knee wall approx. 95cm (37 inches)
Basement, floors: no basement, 1.5 floors
Number of occupants, ages: 4 (parents 32 and 29, children 5 and 1)
Room requirements ground floor / upper floor: ground floor 90m² (970 sq ft), upper floor 80m² (860 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office? both
Guests per year: 6
Open or closed architecture: closed? see floor plan
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: open, with seating (bar)
Number of dining seats: 6-8
Fireplace: no
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no balcony, terrace on ground floor
Garage, carport: single garage, possibly carport for 2 spaces
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features: photovoltaic system, half-turned narrow-wing staircase with landing, alternatively solid stair
House Design
Planning by: general contractor and DIY
What do you especially like? Large living/dining area, open kitchen, many storage rooms, large walk-in shower
What do you not like? Why? A lot of space is lost through the hallway/corridor. Perhaps the rooms could be arranged more space-efficiently?
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 400,000 without ancillary construction costs
Personal price limit for the house, incl. equipment: 430,000 without ancillary construction costs
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump with cooling function and underfloor heating
If you had to compromise, on which details / extra features
-can you do without: walk-in closet in the master bedroom, glass sliding door in living/dining room, possibly smaller utility room, cooling function of the air-to-water heat pump
-can’t do without: large living/dining room with open kitchen, spacious shower, storage rooms and attic storage
Why was the design developed like this?
The general contractor planned the house at 10.5m x 8.50m (34 ft 5 in x 28 ft) with basement (waterproof concrete). Because of the groundwater level, the house would be about 80cm (31 inches) higher than the street, knee wall 1.20m (47 inches), attic height only 1.20m (47 inches). A staircase to the house entrance would be necessary. Due to the small rooms and expensive basement, I designed a floor plan without a basement myself. I increased the living room width from 3.85m to 4.50m (from 12 ft 7 in to 14 ft 9 in).
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can I make the room layout and arrangement more efficient? How and where can I save space? The hallway on the ground floor takes up a lot of square meters, even though it is only 1.25m (49 inches) wide. One reason is the large staircase, but also the long corridor consumes space and feels somewhat narrow. Is it possible to cleverly reduce the living space from currently about 170m² (1,830 sq ft) to 160m² (1,720 sq ft) or less? Different staircase? Move the entrance door? Is there an effective alternative to the cooling function of the underfloor heating? The goal is to save costs through optimization.
I appreciate every opinion, suggestion, and sketch!
what do the experts say about the following floor plan (especially regarding the questions described below)? Does anything stand out to you as something that should definitely be avoided?
Thank you in advance
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 447m² (5400 sq ft)
Slope: no, but the plot slopes down about 80cm (31 inches) from the street and needs to be filled
Site coverage ratio 0.4
Floor area ratio 0.4
Building envelope, building line, building boundary
Border development: see attachment
Number of parking spaces: single garage + 2 outdoor parking spaces
Number of floors: 1.5 (only 1 full floor = ground floor)
Roof type: gable roof
Orientation: north/south
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height 5.30m (17 ft 5 in); wall height 5.60m (18 ft 5 in); full height 10.80m (35 ft 5 in); storey height 7.70m (25 ft 3 in)
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: solid house, gable roof approx. 37° pitch, knee wall approx. 95cm (37 inches)
Basement, floors: no basement, 1.5 floors
Number of occupants, ages: 4 (parents 32 and 29, children 5 and 1)
Room requirements ground floor / upper floor: ground floor 90m² (970 sq ft), upper floor 80m² (860 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office? both
Guests per year: 6
Open or closed architecture: closed? see floor plan
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: open, with seating (bar)
Number of dining seats: 6-8
Fireplace: no
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no balcony, terrace on ground floor
Garage, carport: single garage, possibly carport for 2 spaces
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features: photovoltaic system, half-turned narrow-wing staircase with landing, alternatively solid stair
House Design
Planning by: general contractor and DIY
What do you especially like? Large living/dining area, open kitchen, many storage rooms, large walk-in shower
What do you not like? Why? A lot of space is lost through the hallway/corridor. Perhaps the rooms could be arranged more space-efficiently?
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 400,000 without ancillary construction costs
Personal price limit for the house, incl. equipment: 430,000 without ancillary construction costs
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump with cooling function and underfloor heating
If you had to compromise, on which details / extra features
-can you do without: walk-in closet in the master bedroom, glass sliding door in living/dining room, possibly smaller utility room, cooling function of the air-to-water heat pump
-can’t do without: large living/dining room with open kitchen, spacious shower, storage rooms and attic storage
Why was the design developed like this?
The general contractor planned the house at 10.5m x 8.50m (34 ft 5 in x 28 ft) with basement (waterproof concrete). Because of the groundwater level, the house would be about 80cm (31 inches) higher than the street, knee wall 1.20m (47 inches), attic height only 1.20m (47 inches). A staircase to the house entrance would be necessary. Due to the small rooms and expensive basement, I designed a floor plan without a basement myself. I increased the living room width from 3.85m to 4.50m (from 12 ft 7 in to 14 ft 9 in).
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can I make the room layout and arrangement more efficient? How and where can I save space? The hallway on the ground floor takes up a lot of square meters, even though it is only 1.25m (49 inches) wide. One reason is the large staircase, but also the long corridor consumes space and feels somewhat narrow. Is it possible to cleverly reduce the living space from currently about 170m² (1,830 sq ft) to 160m² (1,720 sq ft) or less? Different staircase? Move the entrance door? Is there an effective alternative to the cooling function of the underfloor heating? The goal is to save costs through optimization.
I appreciate every opinion, suggestion, and sketch!
Mr.Graves138 schrieb:
What do you think about the builder’s new floor plans? We have replied...
Is there a reason why you are not responding?
M
Mr.Graves13825 Jan 2021 00:45ypg schrieb:
This might be because no one here is satisfied with just "adequate." Could you please quote that or point to the post?
But isn’t this included in the price?! @ypg In post #2 and #15 it was mentioned that the open-plan living space is rather tight.
The design of the green double carport and terrace is included in the architect's fee, but the photovoltaic system and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery are currently not. I have tentatively budgeted 15,000 EUR (about 15,000 USD) each for the photovoltaic system and the mechanical ventilation.
ypg schrieb:
We responded...
Is there a reason why you haven’t replied? @ypg Due to a bereavement, I was offline and distracted. I truly want to sincerely thank you and give you great praise for the effort and thought you put into thoroughly working out the floor plan in post #30, making suggestions, and trying to get the best results.
Regarding the ground floor: I would like a built-in closet along the full length under the solid staircase. I will consider whether I need an additional built-in closet by reducing the size of the pantry. The staircase shape is a good compromise for me to avoid a hallway that is too large and to make useful use of the space under the stairs. Ideally, I would have preferred a half-turn staircase with a landing. I’m open to suggestions about a different staircase.
My girlfriend is not yet convinced about having a shower in the guest bathroom, due to its rare use being a “dust collector,” but I’m still trying. The architect suggested swapping the pantry with the guest bathroom to have all plumbing on one side of the house. The downside would be the "long" way to the pantry unless the kitchen is moved to the east side. Actually, we currently use high chairs in our apartment for cocktail evenings when friends visit and for home office. In the future, the kids might also use them for quick meals. There will be a glass sliding door in the open-plan living area, ideally opposite the lift-and-slide door. I’ll take the tip about the 100mm (4 inches) window on the ground floor into account. The general contractor recommended a ribbon window on the south side in the living room, but it might also become a standard bridging window.
Regarding the upper floor: Your drawing is certainly more polished and thoughtful. I might swap the WC with the washing machine to avoid having onlookers when showering. My girlfriend would like a corner bathtub, but realistically we only bathe once a year. The child bathes weekly, so a regular bathtub would suffice. I’m still a bit uneasy about the wardrobes in the bedroom. I’m missing the familiar wardrobe with over 3m (10 feet) length and 2.1m (7 feet) height. After a short internet search, I found walk-in wardrobes for sloped ceilings. I like the idea and will discuss it with my girlfriend. Mirroring the house is a great idea, but unfortunately, our plot size and budget are too small. 😉
evelinoz schrieb:
Kitchen and pantry look good. How wide is the open-plan living area? @evelinoz The kitchen measures 2.50 x 4.50 m (8 x 15 feet) and the living room with dining area is 7.47 x 4.50 m (24.5 x 15 feet).
Pinkiponk schrieb:
Don’t you want to add a few more windows on the upper floor? I’m a big fan of windows and live by the motto “More windows, less furniture.” ;-) @Pinkiponk But every roof window also means more heat loss. Maybe one will go in the bathroom, as @ypg drew in post #30.
Simon-189 schrieb:
Hello,
I would try mirroring the upper floor. Currently, the two kids’ rooms are on the east side. Personally, I would place them more to the west so they get more sun at noon and in the afternoon. The guest WC on the ground floor adjacent to the living room also bothers me. I wouldn’t want to hear noises from there in the living room. @Simon-189 The bathroom above the utility room made the most sense for us. We didn’t want our bedroom facing the in-laws’ property to the east, but it’s definitely worth considering. Then I might have to mirror the entire house.
Regarding noise from the guest WC to the open-plan living area, I haven’t given that much thought yet. I was told Ytong (aerated concrete) is quite sound-transmitting. If I swap the guest WC with the pantry, the noise would be in the kitchen... which is worse? 😀 Alternative? Should I build the interior walls better with sand-lime brick?
Mr.Graves138 schrieb:
Due to a ... I was offline My sincere condolences! I’m sorry to hear that.
Mr.Graves138 schrieb:
I am open to suggestions regarding a different staircase. A different staircase means a different floor plan. As you’ve seen, the house dimensions are incorrect for a double spiral staircase. I would leave it as it is.
Mr.Graves138 schrieb:
I might swap the WC with the washing machine to avoid having an audience while showering. I don’t understand. What does the shower have to do with the washing machine? Personally, I wouldn’t change anything, except give your wife the round bathtub — they aren’t expensive, and she gets what she wants. For that, I would place the bathtub where the toilet currently is, opposite the washbasins. Definitely, I would not place the toilet opposite the door.
Mr.Graves138 schrieb:
Unfortunately, the plot and our budget are too small. 😉 Mirroring the plan doesn’t change anything except flipping it, which can improve the orientation. What do you think?
For reference: Bedroom: The bed is 205 cm (81 inches) wide, the wardrobe offers the same interior space as a standard wardrobe, but its back has no wall. Instead, it follows the roof slope, creating additional storage space. It’s easy to build yourself with sliding doors, and you can use an Ikea-based storage system concept. Ivar is also suitable.
The windows are planned to be 2 meters (79 inches) high.
M
Mr.Graves13825 Jan 2021 15:11ypg schrieb:
I don’t understand. What does the shower have to do with the washing machine? Personally, I wouldn’t change anything. Except maybe give your wife the round shower tray – they’re not expensive and she’ll get what she wants. For that, I would place the bathtub where the toilet is, opposite the washbasins. I definitely wouldn’t position the toilet facing the door.
When you mirror the layout, nothing really changes except that the plan is flipped, and this can improve the orientation. What do you think?
For reference: Bedroom – the bed is 205 cm wide (81 inches), the wardrobe has the same interior dimensions as a standard wardrobe, but instead of a back wall, it backs onto your sloping roof, providing even more storage space. You can easily build this yourself with sliding doors and use an Ikea concept inside. Ivar also works well.
Windows are planned to be at 2 meters (79 inches) high. Now I finally understand the mirroring properly. Sorry, it was very late yesterday! I thought I was supposed to mirror the entire house so that it becomes a semi-detached house. 😀 Unfortunately, the parking area (carport) can’t be mirrored, but I will consider it for the house.
Regarding the shower: My wife doesn’t like it when someone is sitting on the toilet and watching her shower. Please don’t imagine that. You’ve given me completely new ideas with the round shower tray; it would definitely be a real eye-catcher. Thank you.
Hi,
I think the upper floor is very well designed! However, the children's rooms are somewhat inflexible if you want to move the closet for any reason or if you don’t need one at all. But built-in closets are quite common in the US as well.
Another question: Which software did you use to create your floor plan? I’m still experimenting with SweetHome3D, but my wife finds the level of realism lacking... a slightly uneven ceiling above the bed might change that 😀
I think the upper floor is very well designed! However, the children's rooms are somewhat inflexible if you want to move the closet for any reason or if you don’t need one at all. But built-in closets are quite common in the US as well.
Another question: Which software did you use to create your floor plan? I’m still experimenting with SweetHome3D, but my wife finds the level of realism lacking... a slightly uneven ceiling above the bed might change that 😀
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