Hello everyone,
finally, we have reached an important step… the plot is signed for.
We want to build with an architect and already have some ideas about what we like and what we don’t.
We definitely want to give the architect the opportunity to apply their expertise regarding the floor plan… maybe they can convince us.
But if not, we are currently (almost) quite happy with this self-drawn floor plan.
A few key facts…
Plot size: 660 sqm (about 7100 sq ft), floor area ratio 0.4, no slope, approximately 26m x 25m (85 ft x 82 ft)
Longest building side allowed: max. 15m (about 49 ft)
L-shaped bungalow with covered terrace (southwest side)
We want to build with a basement. This should have windows with natural daylight behind the garage on the east side. There will be 2–3 living rooms down there (playroom, hobby room, later for the kids or grandparents if necessary).
The roof will not be converted into a living space — 20-22° (degrees) pitch, hip roof, for aesthetic reasons.
We know that a basement is more expensive than a second floor, etc. The budget is roughly 650,000–700,000 (currency).
Utility room, laundry room, sauna, etc. will all be located in the basement since there is enough space. 🙂
Now to the floor plan:
We like an open design with a large entrance area.
What we like about this floor plan:
Children’s area separated from parents
Connection from the garage with access to the storage room and basement
Access from kitchen and living room to the terrace possible
Master bedroom with direct view of the garden on the southeast side (in summer the shutters are closed anyway)
Children’s rooms with windows facing west, slightly southwest.
Open questions…
Are the children’s rooms too narrow at almost 3m (about 10 ft)?
Is the living room too narrow at almost 4.5m (about 15 ft)?
The L-shape at the terrace is about 3m (10 ft) deep — here we could possibly adjust a bit to enlarge the children’s rooms.
My wife doesn’t like that the kitchen is visible directly from the entrance area.
(I prefer the kitchen visibility over the living room couch). What do you think is better or worse?
The kitchen window is on the south side, possibly too much sun… maybe we should add an awning if needed.
I can’t fit a second toilet elsewhere without making the children’s rooms even smaller… so it will remain a guest toilet for the parents.
Is a door between the entrance area and the living area for a windbreak useful, or unnecessary? (We have underfloor heating.)
(Maybe a hidden interior door, but I’m unsure what happens if it gets damaged.)
The floor area ratio will be tight… 15m x 15m = 225 sqm (about 11,200 sq ft) + garage + driveway… we might need to reduce the width a bit.
660 sqm x 0.4 = 264 sqm (about 2,840 sq ft).
I have seen many floor plans here… wishes and practicality have to match somewhere.
I’m really curious about the experts’ opinions…
Is it rubbish or usable?
Thanks
finally, we have reached an important step… the plot is signed for.
We want to build with an architect and already have some ideas about what we like and what we don’t.
We definitely want to give the architect the opportunity to apply their expertise regarding the floor plan… maybe they can convince us.
But if not, we are currently (almost) quite happy with this self-drawn floor plan.
A few key facts…
Plot size: 660 sqm (about 7100 sq ft), floor area ratio 0.4, no slope, approximately 26m x 25m (85 ft x 82 ft)
Longest building side allowed: max. 15m (about 49 ft)
L-shaped bungalow with covered terrace (southwest side)
We want to build with a basement. This should have windows with natural daylight behind the garage on the east side. There will be 2–3 living rooms down there (playroom, hobby room, later for the kids or grandparents if necessary).
The roof will not be converted into a living space — 20-22° (degrees) pitch, hip roof, for aesthetic reasons.
We know that a basement is more expensive than a second floor, etc. The budget is roughly 650,000–700,000 (currency).
Utility room, laundry room, sauna, etc. will all be located in the basement since there is enough space. 🙂
Now to the floor plan:
We like an open design with a large entrance area.
What we like about this floor plan:
Children’s area separated from parents
Connection from the garage with access to the storage room and basement
Access from kitchen and living room to the terrace possible
Master bedroom with direct view of the garden on the southeast side (in summer the shutters are closed anyway)
Children’s rooms with windows facing west, slightly southwest.
Open questions…
Are the children’s rooms too narrow at almost 3m (about 10 ft)?
Is the living room too narrow at almost 4.5m (about 15 ft)?
The L-shape at the terrace is about 3m (10 ft) deep — here we could possibly adjust a bit to enlarge the children’s rooms.
My wife doesn’t like that the kitchen is visible directly from the entrance area.
(I prefer the kitchen visibility over the living room couch). What do you think is better or worse?
The kitchen window is on the south side, possibly too much sun… maybe we should add an awning if needed.
I can’t fit a second toilet elsewhere without making the children’s rooms even smaller… so it will remain a guest toilet for the parents.
Is a door between the entrance area and the living area for a windbreak useful, or unnecessary? (We have underfloor heating.)
(Maybe a hidden interior door, but I’m unsure what happens if it gets damaged.)
The floor area ratio will be tight… 15m x 15m = 225 sqm (about 11,200 sq ft) + garage + driveway… we might need to reduce the width a bit.
660 sqm x 0.4 = 264 sqm (about 2,840 sq ft).
I have seen many floor plans here… wishes and practicality have to match somewhere.
I’m really curious about the experts’ opinions…
Is it rubbish or usable?
Thanks
M
Myrna_Loy16 Apr 2021 10:33I understand the desire for a spacious hallway area and the idea of a separate children’s zone, but this design is essentially an example of poorly utilized space.
Insisting on this exact layout with only minor suggested changes—which are simply not feasible because too many fundamental issues remain unresolved—already makes me feel sorry for the architect. I also suspect that any further comments will be dismissed, but I’ll give it a try.
A clearly separated children’s area can be very nice; I know a few examples, but they were built with budgets in the seven-figure range. A friend of mine went so far as to create a private rooftop terrace for the children as a covered outdoor play area. There, the kids also have their own bathroom and, above all, a truly private space (and so do the adults). Certainly not right next to the front door. Essentially, you have planned the private zone—which can be well achieved in a thoughtfully designed bungalow and is common in upscale homes—as a passageway through the public area.
I also find the walk-in closet to be a poor solution. Entering the bedroom through an asymmetrical, windowless room doesn’t feel like accessing a private wellness area. The generous circulation spaces make the living area feel rather uninviting, and the furniture in the plan appears cramped into corners.
I hope you find an architect who is both skilled in design and diplomatic, rather than someone who simply carries out the builders' wishes as long as the money is right.
Insisting on this exact layout with only minor suggested changes—which are simply not feasible because too many fundamental issues remain unresolved—already makes me feel sorry for the architect. I also suspect that any further comments will be dismissed, but I’ll give it a try.
A clearly separated children’s area can be very nice; I know a few examples, but they were built with budgets in the seven-figure range. A friend of mine went so far as to create a private rooftop terrace for the children as a covered outdoor play area. There, the kids also have their own bathroom and, above all, a truly private space (and so do the adults). Certainly not right next to the front door. Essentially, you have planned the private zone—which can be well achieved in a thoughtfully designed bungalow and is common in upscale homes—as a passageway through the public area.
I also find the walk-in closet to be a poor solution. Entering the bedroom through an asymmetrical, windowless room doesn’t feel like accessing a private wellness area. The generous circulation spaces make the living area feel rather uninviting, and the furniture in the plan appears cramped into corners.
I hope you find an architect who is both skilled in design and diplomatic, rather than someone who simply carries out the builders' wishes as long as the money is right.
I
Iotafreak16 Apr 2021 11:47kbt09 schrieb:
Regarding the kids’ bedrooms again... I’m just asking... how do you imagine your front door? Glass panels? What is the concept for the kids’ rooms? Separate from the master bedroom, right? Then take another look at my examples.
And now I just saw the guest bathroom area... your wardrobe won’t fit in the planned length there, otherwise you’ll end up squeezed into the guest bathroom corner.
@Tolentino ... if the house were round 😉, you could just glide into the corner 😉.Yes, exactly, kids’ bedrooms separate from the parents’ area... front door with side glass panels... But I can already see... this is probably nonsense... I just lack the imagination to express the wishes properly.Iotafreak schrieb:
I somehow lack the imagination to express the wishes appropriately No, the wishes are clearly defined and achievable.
However, no one here understands—and it is also not specified as your wish—that everyone passes by the children's rooms and does not respect their need for quiet in the evening. That they are practically exposed to the open-plan entrance/living area, and if they need to use the bathroom, they have to pass by every visitor and also towards the street outside, thus having no privacy or intimacy.
You are not the only client with your wishes, but you are certainly not someone who implements them well.
I
Iotafreak16 Apr 2021 12:06Myrna_Loy schrieb:
I can understand the desire for a spacious hallway area and also the idea of a separate kids’ zone – but the design is really just an example of inefficient space use.
Insisting on this particular plan with only minor tweaks – which simply aren’t possible because too much is off in this design – already makes me feel sorry for the architect. I also suspect that any further comments will be rejected, but I’ll give it a try.
A clearly separated children’s area can be very nice; I know a few houses like that, but they tend to be in the seven-figure budget range. A friend even went so far as to create a children’s roof terrace as a covered outdoor play area. The kids also have their own bathroom and, most importantly, a genuine private space. (And so do the adults.) Not right by the front door. Basically, you have planned the private area – something that can be achieved well in a carefully planned bungalow and is common in proper luxury homes – as a passageway for the public area. I also find the dressing room a poor solution. Going through an asymmetrical, windowless room into the bedroom does not feel like access to a private wellness area. The generous circulation spaces also make the living area feel less cozy, just like the furniture being squeezed into corners on the plan.
I hope you find an architect who is skilled both in design and diplomacy, not someone who just blindly implements the clients’ fantasies as long as the money is right. Thank you very much for your comments.
We are not fixed on this design at all, and I am very grateful for every tip.
We are aware that compromises need to be made.
So far, I have not seen a floor plan that even remotely meets our wishes.
Currently, I found the website Extradom.pl… they have some interesting bungalows/floor plans with pictures, which makes it easier to visualize.
The architect has not received any sketches from us (it was advised here not to provide any).
Only the room program has been given. I am personally very curious about the outcome.
Maybe I am stressing myself unnecessarily, and something useful can come from the plan after all.
But I don’t want to waste several weeks without progress, only to start from scratch afterward.
Certainly, a well-separated area could be created with a second floor.
However, our thoughts are as follows:
We want everything on one level ourselves.
Let’s say 40–50 years (if we’re lucky… 🙂 )
As long as the children are small, a completely separated area on ground and upper floors is not practical, as you end up running up and down the stairs all the time.
In their teenage years, that would probably work well for about 10 years.
After that, they might study or move out, etc.
Then the entire second floor would be empty.
With the basement, we would gain more flexibility, since many rooms would be located there, including the laundry.
With 2–3 living rooms with daylight, the kids would have retreat spaces in their teenage years or later.
We would still live on one level.
Once the kids move out, the basement doesn’t bother us, and the 2 or 3 rooms can remain unused without issue.
Our wish is therefore to have everything on one level, with a lightly separated kids’ area.
Of course, not everyone will see it that way… and it doesn’t have to be that way.
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