ᐅ Optimization of a 150 m² Single-Family House on a 470 m² Lot with a 19 m Narrow Width
Created on: 12 Feb 2021 18:29
C
candinoGood evening dear members,
After recently purchasing our plot of land, we are now facing the challenge of planning a suitable house for it. At first, it may seem like a simple task to pick a ready-made prefabricated house off the shelf or from the vast options available online. However, given the many personal requirements and available variations, you quickly realize it’s not that straightforward.
The plot is located on a private road right next to a cul-de-sac, almost ideally facing southwest with an unobstructed view of a field. There are no immediate neighbors to the left and right, as both adjoining plots remain undeveloped. We currently live in 95m² (1023 ft²) across two rooms. Since there are now three of us, we simply need a third room. Our living room is open-plan and, including the kitchen with an island, measures 45m² (484 ft²). We would prefer not to reduce this space with the new build.
Although we have provided our builder with a fairly clear picture of our wishes and what might be considered first-world problems, the implementation so far does not feel quite like what we envisioned.
Zoning plan/restrictions
No zoning plan, §34
Plot size – 470m² (5059 ft²)
Slope – no
Floor area ratio
Site coverage
Building plot, building line, and boundary
Edge development
Number of parking spaces – 2
Number of floors – 2
Roof type – hipped roof
Architectural style – modern
Orientation – southwest
Maximum heights/limits
Other requirements
Homeowners’ requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type
Basement, number of floors – no basement
Number of occupants, ages: 40, 34, 2
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor
Office: home office, flexibility for older age (possible future use)
Guest bedroom usage per year – 1-2 times
Open or closed layout – definitely open
Conventional or modern construction – modern, timeless
Open kitchen, kitchen island – open with kitchen island
Number of dining seats – 4-6
Fireplace – yes, but location undecided
Music/stereo wall – no
Balcony, roof terrace – no
Garage, carport – double carport instead of garage to avoid “walling in” the plot
Utility garden, greenhouse – no
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why certain options are excluded
How can we maintain privacy on the upper floor despite the open-plan design?
We find the window arrangement in the bathroom too exposed.
The gallery window on the upper floor is a nice feature, but there will be a house directly opposite.
House design
Who created the plan:
- Sketch by the homeowners, translated by a builder’s planner
What do you particularly like? Why?
Large open living, dining, and kitchen area, bay window to extend the living space
What do you not like? Why?
Entrance area including wardrobe, guest bathroom, utility room – feel too small/cramped for everyday family life with children
It feels like a lot of storage space doesn’t fit well with the construction style – or is that possible?
Would a half-landing staircase be better?
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 300k
Personal price limit for the house including features: 330k
Preferred heating technology: air source heat pump
If you had to give up any details or extensions, which ones?
- Can do without: T-shaped layout, dressing room, possibly the gallery, straight staircase
- Cannot do without: floor plan, open living/dining area, and bedroom with large garden-facing windows
Why is the design the way it is now? For example:
Standard plan from the builder? Own ideas adapted to the plot?
Which wishes were incorporated by the architect/planner?
House width was reduced by 50cm (20 inches) from 10m (33 ft) to provide enough space on the narrow plot for a 6m (20 ft) double carport.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can a two-story house be designed on this plot to minimize wasted space while maintaining an open layout with enough privacy and storage—especially in the hallway?
I look forward to your ideas and suggestions for improvement.
After recently purchasing our plot of land, we are now facing the challenge of planning a suitable house for it. At first, it may seem like a simple task to pick a ready-made prefabricated house off the shelf or from the vast options available online. However, given the many personal requirements and available variations, you quickly realize it’s not that straightforward.
The plot is located on a private road right next to a cul-de-sac, almost ideally facing southwest with an unobstructed view of a field. There are no immediate neighbors to the left and right, as both adjoining plots remain undeveloped. We currently live in 95m² (1023 ft²) across two rooms. Since there are now three of us, we simply need a third room. Our living room is open-plan and, including the kitchen with an island, measures 45m² (484 ft²). We would prefer not to reduce this space with the new build.
Although we have provided our builder with a fairly clear picture of our wishes and what might be considered first-world problems, the implementation so far does not feel quite like what we envisioned.
Zoning plan/restrictions
No zoning plan, §34
Plot size – 470m² (5059 ft²)
Slope – no
Floor area ratio
Site coverage
Building plot, building line, and boundary
Edge development
Number of parking spaces – 2
Number of floors – 2
Roof type – hipped roof
Architectural style – modern
Orientation – southwest
Maximum heights/limits
Other requirements
Homeowners’ requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type
Basement, number of floors – no basement
Number of occupants, ages: 40, 34, 2
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor
Office: home office, flexibility for older age (possible future use)
Guest bedroom usage per year – 1-2 times
Open or closed layout – definitely open
Conventional or modern construction – modern, timeless
Open kitchen, kitchen island – open with kitchen island
Number of dining seats – 4-6
Fireplace – yes, but location undecided
Music/stereo wall – no
Balcony, roof terrace – no
Garage, carport – double carport instead of garage to avoid “walling in” the plot
Utility garden, greenhouse – no
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why certain options are excluded
How can we maintain privacy on the upper floor despite the open-plan design?
We find the window arrangement in the bathroom too exposed.
The gallery window on the upper floor is a nice feature, but there will be a house directly opposite.
House design
Who created the plan:
- Sketch by the homeowners, translated by a builder’s planner
What do you particularly like? Why?
Large open living, dining, and kitchen area, bay window to extend the living space
What do you not like? Why?
Entrance area including wardrobe, guest bathroom, utility room – feel too small/cramped for everyday family life with children
It feels like a lot of storage space doesn’t fit well with the construction style – or is that possible?
Would a half-landing staircase be better?
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 300k
Personal price limit for the house including features: 330k
Preferred heating technology: air source heat pump
If you had to give up any details or extensions, which ones?
- Can do without: T-shaped layout, dressing room, possibly the gallery, straight staircase
- Cannot do without: floor plan, open living/dining area, and bedroom with large garden-facing windows
Why is the design the way it is now? For example:
Standard plan from the builder? Own ideas adapted to the plot?
Which wishes were incorporated by the architect/planner?
House width was reduced by 50cm (20 inches) from 10m (33 ft) to provide enough space on the narrow plot for a 6m (20 ft) double carport.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can a two-story house be designed on this plot to minimize wasted space while maintaining an open layout with enough privacy and storage—especially in the hallway?
I look forward to your ideas and suggestions for improvement.
P
pagoni202012 Feb 2021 18:51I would place the house closer to the front and definitely would not sacrifice 50cm (20 inches) just to build such a wide carport. Those 50cm (20 inches) inside can make a big difference; there will be other solutions for the car.
The fireplace might be tight because it already takes up quite a bit of space, and there should be some clearance around it.
As always, it is important to mark out the actual furniture dimensions; otherwise, there can be unpleasant surprises.
Regarding the basic layout, I think the ground floor is not bad. Maybe you will get some tips here about the staircase, wardrobe, storage space, etc.
The office could also serve as a TV room depending on your needs, which would allow more flexibility for the living room. In particular, you could add some windows to that wall.
I don’t like the upper floor as it is, but with a possibly changed staircase, you will have different options there as well.
I wouldn’t have two doors to the bathroom. I would just go through the hallway—even within the family, first, you lose space, and second, it looks chaotic. Also, who wants to constantly lock and unlock two doors? If necessary, you can plan a door in the wall for later, when the kids move out, but until then, you’ll get used to it.
The access to the bedroom also seems a bit complicated, and you basically have two entrances to the bedroom.
I might swap the bedroom with a children’s room.
As soon as the second bathroom door is removed, you can have a nice 11sqm (118 sq ft) bathroom without that T-shaped layout.
Be careful with children’s room 2: it might turn into a “vampire room” due to constant darkness caused only by that narrow window slot. 😱
The fireplace might be tight because it already takes up quite a bit of space, and there should be some clearance around it.
As always, it is important to mark out the actual furniture dimensions; otherwise, there can be unpleasant surprises.
Regarding the basic layout, I think the ground floor is not bad. Maybe you will get some tips here about the staircase, wardrobe, storage space, etc.
The office could also serve as a TV room depending on your needs, which would allow more flexibility for the living room. In particular, you could add some windows to that wall.
I don’t like the upper floor as it is, but with a possibly changed staircase, you will have different options there as well.
I wouldn’t have two doors to the bathroom. I would just go through the hallway—even within the family, first, you lose space, and second, it looks chaotic. Also, who wants to constantly lock and unlock two doors? If necessary, you can plan a door in the wall for later, when the kids move out, but until then, you’ll get used to it.
The access to the bedroom also seems a bit complicated, and you basically have two entrances to the bedroom.
I might swap the bedroom with a children’s room.
As soon as the second bathroom door is removed, you can have a nice 11sqm (118 sq ft) bathroom without that T-shaped layout.
Be careful with children’s room 2: it might turn into a “vampire room” due to constant darkness caused only by that narrow window slot. 😱
candino schrieb:
There are no direct neighbors on either side, as both plots will remain undeveloped.Have the children of the owners of the reserved plots already built elsewhere, and are the grandchildren still so young that this situation can basically be assumed to last indefinitely? By the way, on your own property, you don’t have a building contractor carrier; instead, it’s a general contractor. At least you crossed out the architect in the questionnaire, so you’ve recognized the difference between a draftsman and an architect. Which "first world problems" was I supposed to identify here as something the general contractor did not understand?
First of all, thank you for letting me witness this: hardly even 1 percent of questioners think of highlighting answers in different colors on the questionnaire. Hence my like!
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Thank you very much for the prompt feedback. I have updated the original post accordingly.
Would access through the dressing room to both rooms be better? We would be bothered by the fact that the child (and friends) would use the same path. A children’s bathroom is out of the question.
Plot 3 has been combined with the one above and will be built on only in the northern part. Plot 5 will remain undeveloped because the owner of that and the property behind it with the guest operation fortunately insists on keeping their clear view.
After the rough planning and cost estimation, it moves on to the architect, who then designs every single wall in detail, prepares the building permit application, and so on.
If someone voluntarily takes the time to help us, this is the least we can do.
pagoni2020 schrieb:
I would avoid having two doors to the bathroom; I would simply walk through the hallway myself since it’s a family home. First, you lose space, and second, it looks chaotic. Who wants to always lock and unlock two doors? If needed, you can plan for that in the wall later, once the children have moved out, but until then, you get used to it.
The access to the bedroom also seems a bit complicated, and you basically end up with two entrances to the bedroom.
Would access through the dressing room to both rooms be better? We would be bothered by the fact that the child (and friends) would use the same path. A children’s bathroom is out of the question.
11ant schrieb:
Have the children of the neighboring plot owners already built elsewhere, and are the grandchildren still so young that this is guaranteed to last forever?
Plot 3 has been combined with the one above and will be built on only in the northern part. Plot 5 will remain undeveloped because the owner of that and the property behind it with the guest operation fortunately insists on keeping their clear view.
11ant schrieb:
You don’t have a building contractor on your own property; in that case, it’s a general contractor. At least you crossed out “architect” in the questionnaire, so you recognized the difference between draftsman and architect.
After the rough planning and cost estimation, it moves on to the architect, who then designs every single wall in detail, prepares the building permit application, and so on.
11ant schrieb:
First of all, thank you for letting me witness this: unfortunately, less than one percent of those asking questions think of highlighting the answers by color in the questionnaire. So here’s my like!
If someone voluntarily takes the time to help us, this is the least we can do.
11ant schrieb:
By the way, you don’t have a building developer on your own plot; in that case, it’s a general contractor. Alright, thanks. In our case, I’ll just say “prefabricated house supplier.”
11ant schrieb:
Which "First World Problems" should I have noticed as not understood from the GC here? The sentence was meant more like saying it’s “complaining at a very high level,” despite everything. Still, these are important decisions we need to make.
P
pagoni202012 Feb 2021 20:57candino schrieb:
Kids’ bathroom is out of the question. Finally... so it does exist after all!
In this case, I would make the bathroom accessible as usual from the hallway. An en suite bathroom is nice but also has its drawbacks. Besides, the upstairs hallway is private anyway. Alternatively, you could add a very small shower/WC as an en suite solution. I once had that after a renovation and liked it. Really very small, shower/WC. You could use that gallery area as space.