ᐅ 200 m² duplex apartment in an existing building, almost fully customizable interior
Created on: 3 Mar 2021 15:55
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misterNES
Hello dear forum community,
my wife and I are currently working with an interior designer to plan our future apartment in an existing townhouse. We are planning a maisonette with approximately 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft) of usable space plus a roof terrace. The design options are still very flexible. Currently, the floors are not yet connected (except for the main stairwell). The spaces were used commercially until recently; a few decades ago, they were residential units. There are only a few load-bearing walls. Apart from the exterior walls, we have a lot of freedom, and our interior designer has created an initial plan based on the latest building plans (of course, everything will be re-measured, floors opened up, checked by a structural engineer, etc.). Floors, ceilings, interior walls, heating, electrical, plumbing, and so on will all be newly installed. High ceilings (3.50 m (11.5 ft) in the basement, 3 m (9.8 ft) upstairs) also allow for some technical installations to be accommodated in (partly) suspended ceilings.
Restrictions/Requirements
- Townhouse from 1860, completely renovated at the end of the 1980s, including the addition of one floor (previously three, now four stories)
- The façade is under heritage protection, meaning no visible changes to the windows are allowed
- Total living space per floor approximately 300 sqm (3,230 sq ft)
- Size of the owner’s apartment: about 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft), divided over two floors of about 100 sqm (1,075 sq ft) each
- Adjacent living areas on both floors are either occupied by the owner’s family or currently vacant and being converted for rental
- Orientation: windows facing south and west
- To the north, the neighboring house is adjacent; the office and child’s room 1 window look onto an inner courtyard
Owner’s Requirements
- Floors: 2 floors (3rd and 4th floor in the building) plus an added roof terrace (not existing yet; planned conversion/extension of the attic above the 4th floor)
- Number of residents: 2 adults (+ 2 children planned)
- Age: 33, 34 years
- Rooms needed on lower floor: entrance/hall, wardrobe, office for two persons, open kitchen-dining-living area, backup kitchen/laundry room, library/playroom
- Rooms needed on upper floor: master bedroom, walk-in dressing room, master bathroom including fitness/wellness area, 2 children’s rooms, children’s bathroom, possibly laundry room (if not on lower floor), access to the roof terrace
- Office: both self-employed, full workplaces for two people
- Overnight guests per year: minimal or none planned
- Open architecture, open kitchen, freestanding island, freestanding staircase in living space
- Modern construction methods where possible in the existing building
- Number of dining seats: at least 8
- Fireplace: wood possible (existing chimney shaft), ethanol fireplace might be better/more flexible as a design element regarding location?
- Roof terrace: planned with the attic conversion above the upper floor
- Heating: underfloor heating (no problem on the lower floor due to high floor build-up, upper floor still to be checked, if necessary radiators/wall heating)
- Cooling: chilled ceiling (summer in the city center can get very hot and likely will get hotter in the future)
Floor Plan Draft
- Designed by the interior designer
- Likes: generous layout, plenty of storage but still not cramped
- Uncertainties: exact location of the roof terrace access (might mean giving up a separate laundry room)
- Price estimate from the interior designer: to follow shortly but not relevant yet
- Personal price limit for the apartment: no specific limit
Most Important/Fundamental Questions about the Floor Plan
- Have we overlooked anything in the floor plan?
- Should the living room area remain completely open or be partially separated by a room divider (maybe sufficiently structured by different ceiling heights in suspended ceilings)?
- Our idea is to forgo a traditional TV and install a projector and screen in a suspended ceiling – does anyone have experience with this?
- Is it better to have the laundry room upstairs or on the lower floor in the utility room?
- Is a controlled ventilation system worthwhile? Possibly decentralized in the bedrooms (on the upper floor this is possible since the façade is not heritage-protected there), but there is concern about street noise in the city center.
Thank you very much in advance!
Dominik
my wife and I are currently working with an interior designer to plan our future apartment in an existing townhouse. We are planning a maisonette with approximately 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft) of usable space plus a roof terrace. The design options are still very flexible. Currently, the floors are not yet connected (except for the main stairwell). The spaces were used commercially until recently; a few decades ago, they were residential units. There are only a few load-bearing walls. Apart from the exterior walls, we have a lot of freedom, and our interior designer has created an initial plan based on the latest building plans (of course, everything will be re-measured, floors opened up, checked by a structural engineer, etc.). Floors, ceilings, interior walls, heating, electrical, plumbing, and so on will all be newly installed. High ceilings (3.50 m (11.5 ft) in the basement, 3 m (9.8 ft) upstairs) also allow for some technical installations to be accommodated in (partly) suspended ceilings.
Restrictions/Requirements
- Townhouse from 1860, completely renovated at the end of the 1980s, including the addition of one floor (previously three, now four stories)
- The façade is under heritage protection, meaning no visible changes to the windows are allowed
- Total living space per floor approximately 300 sqm (3,230 sq ft)
- Size of the owner’s apartment: about 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft), divided over two floors of about 100 sqm (1,075 sq ft) each
- Adjacent living areas on both floors are either occupied by the owner’s family or currently vacant and being converted for rental
- Orientation: windows facing south and west
- To the north, the neighboring house is adjacent; the office and child’s room 1 window look onto an inner courtyard
Owner’s Requirements
- Floors: 2 floors (3rd and 4th floor in the building) plus an added roof terrace (not existing yet; planned conversion/extension of the attic above the 4th floor)
- Number of residents: 2 adults (+ 2 children planned)
- Age: 33, 34 years
- Rooms needed on lower floor: entrance/hall, wardrobe, office for two persons, open kitchen-dining-living area, backup kitchen/laundry room, library/playroom
- Rooms needed on upper floor: master bedroom, walk-in dressing room, master bathroom including fitness/wellness area, 2 children’s rooms, children’s bathroom, possibly laundry room (if not on lower floor), access to the roof terrace
- Office: both self-employed, full workplaces for two people
- Overnight guests per year: minimal or none planned
- Open architecture, open kitchen, freestanding island, freestanding staircase in living space
- Modern construction methods where possible in the existing building
- Number of dining seats: at least 8
- Fireplace: wood possible (existing chimney shaft), ethanol fireplace might be better/more flexible as a design element regarding location?
- Roof terrace: planned with the attic conversion above the upper floor
- Heating: underfloor heating (no problem on the lower floor due to high floor build-up, upper floor still to be checked, if necessary radiators/wall heating)
- Cooling: chilled ceiling (summer in the city center can get very hot and likely will get hotter in the future)
Floor Plan Draft
- Designed by the interior designer
- Likes: generous layout, plenty of storage but still not cramped
- Uncertainties: exact location of the roof terrace access (might mean giving up a separate laundry room)
- Price estimate from the interior designer: to follow shortly but not relevant yet
- Personal price limit for the apartment: no specific limit
Most Important/Fundamental Questions about the Floor Plan
- Have we overlooked anything in the floor plan?
- Should the living room area remain completely open or be partially separated by a room divider (maybe sufficiently structured by different ceiling heights in suspended ceilings)?
- Our idea is to forgo a traditional TV and install a projector and screen in a suspended ceiling – does anyone have experience with this?
- Is it better to have the laundry room upstairs or on the lower floor in the utility room?
- Is a controlled ventilation system worthwhile? Possibly decentralized in the bedrooms (on the upper floor this is possible since the façade is not heritage-protected there), but there is concern about street noise in the city center.
Thank you very much in advance!
Dominik
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misterNES4 Mar 2021 13:36ypg schrieb:
Quick question:
Are you really planning to use the entrance door on the upper floor as it is?
And how is the access to the roof terrace intended? Very good question. We probably wouldn’t actually use the door on the upper floor as a main entrance, but I can well imagine that during the children’s teenage years (who don’t exist yet..) it could be used as a separate entrance to avoid going through the living area all the time. However, it’s not absolutely necessary (except maybe as an emergency exit, but I’m not familiar with those regulations, and as I said, so far we have always planned with the door fixed in place). By the way, my parents have their apartment door across from it.
The roof terrace is still a big question mark. It’s less about the permit—my architect and builder have already checked with the relevant authority, and it is basically possible as long as no extension is visible from the street at a 45-degree angle (roughly his words). I’m attaching a photo showing approximately where it might be (marked in blue). The roof terrace belonging to my parents is marked in green (also attached), but that one is built on top of the roof, whereas my plan was to open up the roof and redesign it. The beam marked in red is part of the existing roof structure and cannot be removed. The dark blue area is where there is currently a hatch to the attic with a folding ladder. The attic only has standing height in that area.
Otherwise, the roof is very flat, and a lot could potentially be redesigned.
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misterNES4 Mar 2021 13:42ypg schrieb:
My question was whether this door could simply be installed to open into a room. It doesn’t change the escape route, though. I wouldn’t have thought of that. Would that be practical?
ypg schrieb:
I’ll sketch it out at home! That would be really kind, thank you!
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Nice-Nofret4 Mar 2021 13:52I would definitely keep the door to the stairwell on the upper floor: it serves as an emergency exit and also makes it easier to bring items up using the elevator. Otherwise, you would have to carry all the furniture and belongings up the internal stairs every time.
Is your parents’ rooftop terrace actually used? I wonder how often in real life someone would use a rooftop terrace that requires climbing two flights of stairs. Of course, it also depends on what recreational options are available nearby, like parks or similar.
Another question is whether access to the roof could be provided via the stairwell, or if part of the roof ladder could be placed over the stairwell opening of the internal stairs.
Is your parents’ rooftop terrace actually used? I wonder how often in real life someone would use a rooftop terrace that requires climbing two flights of stairs. Of course, it also depends on what recreational options are available nearby, like parks or similar.
Another question is whether access to the roof could be provided via the stairwell, or if part of the roof ladder could be placed over the stairwell opening of the internal stairs.
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misterNES4 Mar 2021 14:23That’s certainly true when it comes to carrying things. I grew up in this house, and the elevator was taken for granted because it was always there. Currently, I live elsewhere on the third floor without an elevator, and you really learn to appreciate having one.
My parents have two terraces: the "lower" one (at ground level with the living room) and the "upper" one, which you reach by stairs from the lower terrace. The lower terrace has been there from the beginning and is used almost daily, while the upper terrace was added a few years later and is, of course, used as well, but less often because the walk is not insignificant.
In my case, there is no option of having both a lower and an upper terrace—there is only “one” terrace, and yes, it’s not ideal to reach, but I wouldn’t want to do without it. There are parks and similar areas nearby, but they are not a real alternative for me. The question of swapping the basement and the upper floor will probably come up now. Well, the house originally had only three floors, and the fourth floor was added during renovations about 30 years ago. The beautiful high ceilings are therefore on the third floor, and I don’t need a bedroom with 3.50 meters (11.5 feet) ceiling height. Also, if all the bathrooms were moved from the basement to the third floor, things would get more complicated because the ceiling height on the second floor cannot be reduced, which would severely limit the flexibility of our bathroom planning. The office in the basement, where clients can also be received, fits better in the layout of the third floor.
My dream would be to design the rooftop terrace with a covered access, possibly even adding a living space up there with a small kitchen and dining area for essentials, plus an exit to the outside. That way, it could be used year-round. Should I treat myself to that luxury? Probably it’s “just” a matter of budget. I’m not really a fan of a dumbwaiter either, and it’s very expensive. In that case, it might make more sense to expand the upper floor instead.
My parents have two terraces: the "lower" one (at ground level with the living room) and the "upper" one, which you reach by stairs from the lower terrace. The lower terrace has been there from the beginning and is used almost daily, while the upper terrace was added a few years later and is, of course, used as well, but less often because the walk is not insignificant.
In my case, there is no option of having both a lower and an upper terrace—there is only “one” terrace, and yes, it’s not ideal to reach, but I wouldn’t want to do without it. There are parks and similar areas nearby, but they are not a real alternative for me. The question of swapping the basement and the upper floor will probably come up now. Well, the house originally had only three floors, and the fourth floor was added during renovations about 30 years ago. The beautiful high ceilings are therefore on the third floor, and I don’t need a bedroom with 3.50 meters (11.5 feet) ceiling height. Also, if all the bathrooms were moved from the basement to the third floor, things would get more complicated because the ceiling height on the second floor cannot be reduced, which would severely limit the flexibility of our bathroom planning. The office in the basement, where clients can also be received, fits better in the layout of the third floor.
My dream would be to design the rooftop terrace with a covered access, possibly even adding a living space up there with a small kitchen and dining area for essentials, plus an exit to the outside. That way, it could be used year-round. Should I treat myself to that luxury? Probably it’s “just” a matter of budget. I’m not really a fan of a dumbwaiter either, and it’s very expensive. In that case, it might make more sense to expand the upper floor instead.
misterNES schrieb:
So the nice high ceilings are on the third floor, and I don't need a bedroom with a 3.50-meter (11.5 feet) ceiling height....Too bad, my suggestion would have been to switch the use of the floors 🙂Regarding the staircase: I mean it this way because...
The separate entrance will be locked anyway when children are present (no parent needs it once a toddler starts exploring the world) and will only be reopened when both children have finished high school.
However, I’m not sure if this is the perfect solution. With a plan like this (a different staircase means completely redesigning and starting over), you would have to think about the layout every day, from getting up to going to bed. This would be the most obvious option if you add a few more rooms upstairs.
But maybe this is just nitpicking on a high level 😉
misterNES schrieb:...even before the teenage years, running up and down can a) be annoying, and b) affect the privacy on the sofa below, especially if the living room, where you actually want to relax or enjoy your evening, is being used as a passageway. This floor doesn’t need that. Besides, you can make good use of the space under the staircase in the living area.
in the children’s teenage years (which don’t even exist yet) it could be used as a separate entrance, so you don’t always have to go through the living area.
The separate entrance will be locked anyway when children are present (no parent needs it once a toddler starts exploring the world) and will only be reopened when both children have finished high school.
However, I’m not sure if this is the perfect solution. With a plan like this (a different staircase means completely redesigning and starting over), you would have to think about the layout every day, from getting up to going to bed. This would be the most obvious option if you add a few more rooms upstairs.
misterNES schrieb:I’m not so keen on the idea of the family entrance also allowing business visitors if there are options upstairs. For example, you could separate the office upstairs with its own entrance door, next to which would be the stairs to the roof terrace. Instead, the basement could be used for fitness and utility rooms.
The office in the basement, which can also host clients, fits the third floor better from a floor plan perspective.
But maybe this is just nitpicking on a high level 😉
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