ᐅ Floor Plan Design and Placement – Single-Family Home of Approximately 200 m² on a 900 m² Plot
Created on: 4 May 2021 20:49
S
Samantheus
Hello everyone,
we would like to get feedback on our current planning for a single-family house. Here is the completed questionnaire.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 911m² (9,800 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: 0.45
Building envelope, building line and boundary
Edge development: garage only
Number of parking spaces: 4
Number of floors: 2
Roof shape: gable roof
Architectural style:
Orientation: The garden faces southwest, the house is about 5m (16 ft) from the street, parallel to the street
Maximum heights / limits
Other requirements
Owners’ Requirements
Architectural style, roof shape, building type: single-family house, modern, gable roof main building, green flat roof extension and garage
Basement, floors: basement, ground floor, upper floor
Number of people, age: currently 2 adults (mid-30s), 1 small child; planned for 2 adults and 2–3 children
Space requirements on ground and upper floors: see floor plan
Office: home office (working professionally from home, 2 offices required)
Guests per year:
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: open kitchen in U-shape with counter or kitchen with cooking island
Number of dining places: 6
Fireplace: optional, rather not
Music / stereo wall: yes
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double garage with two parking spaces in front (currently 1 car, possibly 2 in the future)
Utility garden, greenhouse: only recreational garden
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why certain things should or should not be: Professional work from home, therefore two large offices are required. The plot is a corner lot on two streets, so the L-shaped house design aims to shield somewhat from the streets and create a protected garden area. If a third child arrives, one office should be converted into a third child’s bedroom. Then a small office area will be separated off in the master bedroom with a drywall partition or a basement room will be finished.
House Design
Who is responsible for the design: planner from a construction company (with some do-it-yourself input)
What do you particularly like? Why?: 2 equally sized children’s bedrooms, 2 offices with enough space for full-time work (>40 hours per week), large living/dining/kitchen area, extension provides light and noise protection from the street
What do you dislike? Why?: staircase ends at front door, which might lead to dirt being carried inside
Price estimate according to architect/planner: about 700k for KfW 55 standard including garage and basement, solid construction
Personal price limit for house including fittings: about 800k including exterior landscaping
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump
In the living/dining/kitchen area, the kitchen should be U-shaped with a counter or a cooking island on the far left. Afterwards comes the dining area, then the sofa. The stereo system with large floor-standing speakers should be on the wall opposite the kitchen. The extension should house a piano and a tipi (children’s play tent). Alternatively, the sofa could be placed in the bottom right corner and the speakers at the end of the extension.
The offices should have space for a large desk (2m x 1m (6.5 ft x 3.3 ft)), a bookshelf wall, and a small seating area.
If you have to give up something, which details / expansions
-can you give up: fireplace / stove
-can you not give up: offices
Why is the design the way it is now?
Combination of our suggestions and ideas from the planner during a joint site visit
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
The most important in 130 characters:
Detailed questions about the floor plan:
Questions about placement:
Option 1:
Option 2:
Placement:
Thank you in advance!
Best regards
Samantheus
we would like to get feedback on our current planning for a single-family house. Here is the completed questionnaire.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 911m² (9,800 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: 0.45
Building envelope, building line and boundary
Edge development: garage only
Number of parking spaces: 4
Number of floors: 2
Roof shape: gable roof
Architectural style:
Orientation: The garden faces southwest, the house is about 5m (16 ft) from the street, parallel to the street
Maximum heights / limits
Other requirements
Owners’ Requirements
Architectural style, roof shape, building type: single-family house, modern, gable roof main building, green flat roof extension and garage
Basement, floors: basement, ground floor, upper floor
Number of people, age: currently 2 adults (mid-30s), 1 small child; planned for 2 adults and 2–3 children
Space requirements on ground and upper floors: see floor plan
Office: home office (working professionally from home, 2 offices required)
Guests per year:
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: open kitchen in U-shape with counter or kitchen with cooking island
Number of dining places: 6
Fireplace: optional, rather not
Music / stereo wall: yes
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double garage with two parking spaces in front (currently 1 car, possibly 2 in the future)
Utility garden, greenhouse: only recreational garden
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why certain things should or should not be: Professional work from home, therefore two large offices are required. The plot is a corner lot on two streets, so the L-shaped house design aims to shield somewhat from the streets and create a protected garden area. If a third child arrives, one office should be converted into a third child’s bedroom. Then a small office area will be separated off in the master bedroom with a drywall partition or a basement room will be finished.
House Design
Who is responsible for the design: planner from a construction company (with some do-it-yourself input)
What do you particularly like? Why?: 2 equally sized children’s bedrooms, 2 offices with enough space for full-time work (>40 hours per week), large living/dining/kitchen area, extension provides light and noise protection from the street
What do you dislike? Why?: staircase ends at front door, which might lead to dirt being carried inside
Price estimate according to architect/planner: about 700k for KfW 55 standard including garage and basement, solid construction
Personal price limit for house including fittings: about 800k including exterior landscaping
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump
In the living/dining/kitchen area, the kitchen should be U-shaped with a counter or a cooking island on the far left. Afterwards comes the dining area, then the sofa. The stereo system with large floor-standing speakers should be on the wall opposite the kitchen. The extension should house a piano and a tipi (children’s play tent). Alternatively, the sofa could be placed in the bottom right corner and the speakers at the end of the extension.
The offices should have space for a large desk (2m x 1m (6.5 ft x 3.3 ft)), a bookshelf wall, and a small seating area.
If you have to give up something, which details / expansions
-can you give up: fireplace / stove
-can you not give up: offices
Why is the design the way it is now?
Combination of our suggestions and ideas from the planner during a joint site visit
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
The most important in 130 characters:
- Is the floor plan good from your perspective, or have we overlooked something important?
Detailed questions about the floor plan:
- Does the entrance area seem too large?
- Do you have alternative ideas for designing the staircase better (we are currently considering either a U-shaped staircase with landing or an L-shaped staircase with landing)? We had a version drawn with an entrance bay so the staircase doesn't end right at the door. But that costs more and might make the entrance area too large?
- We are still considering reducing the number of windows in the living/dining/kitchen area. What do you think? We are afraid it might get too hot in summer because of the southern orientation (external blinds are planned).
- Another consideration is external roller shutters or blinds on the upper floor?
- Regarding the living room layout, we’re unsure. On one hand, we want two large floor-standing speakers optimally placed for a stereo triangle, on the other hand, we want to have a view of the garden from the sofa.
- About the windows on the upper floor, we're unsure: Does a floor-to-ceiling window make sense in the children’s rooms, or is it rather a safety risk? We have planned a window next to the bed (on the same wall as the head of the bed). I'm unsure if that might look strange in reality or if the bed should be placed on the opposite wall (but then the headboard would face the children’s room window).
Questions about placement:
- There is a busy street at the bottom side and a less busy street on the right side. Currently, the house is about 5m (16 ft) from the busy street and 8m (26 ft) from the right street. If we move the house further upwards, we would have more quiet from the street, but the garden would become smaller and the "wasted front garden area" would increase. What do you think?
- Do you have any creative ideas to shift or stretch the house further to the right? On the left side is a garage, which we would like to build directly onto.
Option 1:
Option 2:
Placement:
Thank you in advance!
Best regards
Samantheus
S
Samantheus5 May 2021 10:31Thank you for your responses.
Currently, the house is 5m (16 feet) from the street and the garage 6m (20 feet), offset by 1m (3 feet). Do you mean moving everything a full 1m (3 feet) closer to the street? So the house would be 4m (13 feet) and the garage 5m (16 feet)? We want to keep the parking spaces in front of the garage usable and are worried it might become a bit too tight then.
Regarding the floor-to-ceiling window in the bedroom:
We currently also have a floor-to-ceiling window in the bedroom with an exterior roller shutter and an interior curtain. We actually like that combination and manage well with it. However, currently, we have no neighbors in front of the bedroom, just a nice wide view. We are also considering whether it might look odd on the exterior façade if there are no other floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor except for the bedroom, which would also have a French balcony.
ypg schrieb:According to the development plan, it is actually not allowed, but the plan is several decades old and the newer houses in the area also have two full stories. We already showed the sketch to the building authority, and the employee said that the exception should be approved from his point of view. The ground floor and upper floor are about 208sqm (2,238 sq ft). The garden faces southwest (see last picture).
Is a two-story building allowed? Based on the floor space index / plot ratio, I would guess no.
How many square meters is it in total? And where is south (I probably missed that)?
hanghaus2000 schrieb:Thanks for the tip, I will ask the company about what options are available and how much extra that would cost. Currently, normal triple glazing is planned. We want to plant a tall hedge along the street and also have fewer windows on that side, hoping that will reduce noise coming in.
I would move the whole thing 1m (3 feet) towards the street. The street noise would be the same because of the 1m (3 feet).
Are no soundproof windows planned on the street side?
Currently, the house is 5m (16 feet) from the street and the garage 6m (20 feet), offset by 1m (3 feet). Do you mean moving everything a full 1m (3 feet) closer to the street? So the house would be 4m (13 feet) and the garage 5m (16 feet)? We want to keep the parking spaces in front of the garage usable and are worried it might become a bit too tight then.
DaSch17 schrieb:That is the estimate for the house and garage, turnkey, built to KfW 55 energy standard with solid construction and a basement. This includes all interior work such as flooring and painting. It excludes the plot, landscaping, solar panels, or any additional special requests. Why does the amount seem strange to you? We have been in contact with three construction companies, and all estimates were in a similar range.
700k hopefully only for the house including the integrated double garage, right?
Regarding the floor-to-ceiling window in the bedroom:
We currently also have a floor-to-ceiling window in the bedroom with an exterior roller shutter and an interior curtain. We actually like that combination and manage well with it. However, currently, we have no neighbors in front of the bedroom, just a nice wide view. We are also considering whether it might look odd on the exterior façade if there are no other floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor except for the bedroom, which would also have a French balcony.
Samantheus schrieb:
This is the estimate for a turnkey house and garage built to KfW 55 energy efficiency standard, using solid construction with a basement. It includes all interior work, such as floor coverings and painting. It excludes the plot of land, landscaping, photovoltaic systems, or other special requests. In what way does the amount seem unusual to you? We contacted three construction companies, and all their estimates were in a similar range. Okay, then it fits! We had feared that this was the all-in budget (including additional construction costs, land, and landscaping).
Calculate about 2,650 EUR per m² (28 sq ft) plus 40,000 EUR for the double garage and 80,000 EUR for the basement. That brings you to 650,000 EUR, leaving you with 50,000 EUR for special requests and other extras.
H
hanghaus20006 May 2021 16:09Samantheus schrieb:
Currently, the house is 5 m (16 feet) away from the street and the garage is 6 m (20 feet) away (offset by 1 m). Do you mean moving everything 1 m closer to the street? So the house would be 4 m (13 feet) and the garage 5 m (16 feet)? We would like to use the parking spaces in front of the garage for parking as well, so we're worried it might become a bit tight.I meant the whole thing. For me, the minimum required 5 m (16 feet) is fine. But if you have vehicles that are 5 m (16 feet) long, then 6 m (20 feet) would be better.
S
Samantheus18 Jun 2021 12:53Hello everyone,
Our planning is now entering the final phase, and the detailed design is currently being prepared. We have made a few more adjustments to the floor plan, so I have attached the latest version below. The garage is now 6m (20 feet) from the street, and the house is 5.20m (17 feet) away. The downstairs toilet now has enough space to potentially add a shower later; for now, it can be used as a storage closet. The windows have also been slightly fine-tuned.
We would especially appreciate your feedback on a few points:
Is there anything else you notice that you would question critically or suggest changing?
Thank you very much in advance!
Best regards,
Sam
Exterior views:
Floor plans:
Our planning is now entering the final phase, and the detailed design is currently being prepared. We have made a few more adjustments to the floor plan, so I have attached the latest version below. The garage is now 6m (20 feet) from the street, and the house is 5.20m (17 feet) away. The downstairs toilet now has enough space to potentially add a shower later; for now, it can be used as a storage closet. The windows have also been slightly fine-tuned.
We would especially appreciate your feedback on a few points:
- Ceiling height: We are currently planning a rough structural height of 2.625m (8 feet 7 inches) on the ground floor. Considering the relatively large kitchen/dining/living area, we are thinking about increasing it to 2.75m (9 feet). The additional cost for the extra course of masonry and raising the windows and doors by 12.5cm (5 inches) would be about 9,000 EUR. Do you think this makes sense given the floor plan, or would it be better to save the money and invest it elsewhere?
- Stove: The partition wall between the living and dining area (possibly half-height rather than full ceiling height) is intended to act as a room divider and end with a fireplace. The stove installer recommended a tunnel fireplace with two glass panes for a wood stove. If we want three panes, they suggest a gas fireplace instead (a three-pane wood stove would produce too much heat for the room size, or require frequent cleaning due to low fuel consumption). There is a gas connection at the house, so we are currently leaning towards that option, as it is also less labor-intensive. Do you see any issues here? What would you recommend?
- Air conditioning: The back of the house (garden side) faces southwest; blinds or roller shutters are planned. Since the office faces the garden and will be in continuous use with a lot of electronic equipment generating significant heat, this room will definitely need air conditioning. We are considering whether to also air condition the kitchen/dining/living area, the master bedroom, or even the children’s rooms at the same time. Would you recommend doing it all at once since it might be easier to plan and potentially cheaper? Or start only with the must-have (office) and later upgrade if necessary, after seeing how the heat develops? What do you think the approximate cost difference would be between retrofitting later versus installing everything now? We do not have any quotes yet.
- Photovoltaics: We would like to install photovoltaic panels on the southwest-facing roof. Due to a lot of electronic devices, an air-to-water heat pump, air conditioning, and potentially an electric car in the future, electricity consumption is expected to be relatively high, although it is difficult to estimate at this point. We have a quote for an approximately 10.5 kWp system costing around 15,000 EUR without a battery, and about 24,000 EUR with a 13.5 kWh battery. Would you recommend including the battery now, or waiting for the technology to improve and potentially retrofitting later?
Is there anything else you notice that you would question critically or suggest changing?
Thank you very much in advance!
Best regards,
Sam
Exterior views:
Floor plans:
S
Samantheus18 Jun 2021 13:52kbt09 schrieb:
How is the toilet in the master bathroom above the overlapping staircase supposed to work?
262 cm (8 ft 7 in) rough construction height will result in what finished ceiling height? 250 cm (8 ft 2 in)?
Quite a large hallway area on the ground floor.Toilet: According to the planner, it shouldn’t be a problem. The overlap shown in the drawing is probably just a software issue. In reality, the wall will simply continue normally there.Finished height: Slightly less, I would estimate around 247–248 cm (8 ft 1 in).
Hallway: Yes, that’s true. That’s why we’ve already shifted the entrance to the living area a bit into the hallway. Do you perhaps have any good ideas?
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