ᐅ Floor plan for a narrow semi-detached house – basement plus two full floors, attic without knee wall
Created on: 26 May 2021 11:30
M
mrtnsbr
Hello everyone, I’ve been reading here for a long time, and we have been searching for a suitable house/plot in the Stuttgart area for years. Now, it’s about to happen.
- It will be a semi-detached house, and the external shape and the exterior wall thickness are practically fixed. Inside, I can change almost anything.
- The furniture shown in the plans is mainly for layout purposes (but corresponds to our current furniture).
- The kitchen was quickly planned in about 5 minutes – it might be completely different later.
- The attic (parents’ bedroom and bathroom) is a work in progress. If anyone has tips on how to nicely fit the bathroom there, I’d appreciate it. I’m currently struggling especially with the planning of the soil pipes.
- In the attic -> The walls are exactly at 1m (3 feet 3 inches) height. The wall in the bathroom, which stands oddly next to the shower, is at the 2m (6 feet 7 inches) line.
- We plan to install glass doors in several places – otherwise, the stairwell would be very dark.
- Photovoltaic panels are planned on the south side -> only a few roof windows are desired.
A few questions:
- The stairs from the ground floor to the first floor -> quarter turn. Otherwise, half-turn stairs. Has anyone used this and would advise against it, or is this fine?
- I just had the idea to build the staircase with masonry on both sides. The niche in the stairwell (U-shaped) would then be used as a service shaft (e.g., for underfloor heating). Is this possible? Does anyone do this? Basically, a drywall tunnel from the basement to the attic (with suitable fastening at each floor slab – of course, I can’t stack drywall over 4 floors without support).
Building Regulations / Restrictions
Plot size: 320 sqm (3445 sqft)
Slope: no
Plot ratio / floor area ratio / building envelope, building line and boundary: exactly specified. The house is positioned exactly within the building envelope according to the zoning plan. The external dimensions cannot be adjusted.
Adjacent buildings: west - semi-detached neighbor, south - access road, north - cul-de-sac, east - municipal green area
Parking spaces: we have one car and about 8 bicycles – a double garage is possible and planned, mainly to be used as a bike workshop.
Number of floors – attic without knee walls, dormers not possible
Roof type – gable, 35 degrees (no alternatives allowed)
Style – rather modern / standard
Orientation – fixed
Maximum height/limits – fixed due to semi-detached design
Owners’ Requirements
Number of people, ages – 4 (2 adults, 2 elementary school children)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floors – large living area on one floor, then children’s floor, then parents’ floor
Office: family use or home office? Mainly home office, both of us work at least 50% from home (even outside of the pandemic)
Guests per year – grandparents regularly stay up to a week
Open or closed architecture – living area should be clearly separated from children’s floor
Traditional or modern construction – good question, I think we are rather traditional
Open kitchen, kitchen island – open to closed; currently open in the plan
Number of dining seats – 6
Fireplace – would be nice but absolutely a nice-to-have. Space will likely be too tight.
Balcony, roof terrace – no
Garage, carport – planned
Utility garden, greenhouse – no
House Design
Who designed the plan:
- Do-it-Yourself
What do you like most? Why?
- Separation from living room to stairs: we currently find the open design annoying every evening – because of the kids.
- The pantry (as small as it is).
- The stairs to the basement: we all cycle a lot, including in muddy conditions. Access via the basement and an extra shower there is great.
- Parents' bedroom in the attic is on the north side (a bit cooler and away from the street).
What do you dislike? Why?
- The side with the basement stairs and light wells is useful, but it’s not very nice with the railing and so on.
Price estimate according to the architect/planner: 850,000
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: not quite sure yet.
Preferred heating system: heat pump. We would possibly like a ventilation system, but the general contractor is reluctant, and I don’t trust their planning. I lack enough knowledge myself.
If you have to give up something, on which details/additions?
- can give up: open kitchen
- cannot give up: closed living room
Why has the design ended up like it is now? For example:
There is a standard semi-detached house plan for narrow houses, with half-turn stairs on every floor, narrow kitchen next to the main entrance.
This is what I planned with a tool. We already live in a similar floor plan (terraced house) but with one floor less. So at least I knew what I don’t want anymore (everything open via the stairwell).
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Is there any obvious nonsense that should not be done like this?
- It will be a semi-detached house, and the external shape and the exterior wall thickness are practically fixed. Inside, I can change almost anything.
- The furniture shown in the plans is mainly for layout purposes (but corresponds to our current furniture).
- The kitchen was quickly planned in about 5 minutes – it might be completely different later.
- The attic (parents’ bedroom and bathroom) is a work in progress. If anyone has tips on how to nicely fit the bathroom there, I’d appreciate it. I’m currently struggling especially with the planning of the soil pipes.
- In the attic -> The walls are exactly at 1m (3 feet 3 inches) height. The wall in the bathroom, which stands oddly next to the shower, is at the 2m (6 feet 7 inches) line.
- We plan to install glass doors in several places – otherwise, the stairwell would be very dark.
- Photovoltaic panels are planned on the south side -> only a few roof windows are desired.
A few questions:
- The stairs from the ground floor to the first floor -> quarter turn. Otherwise, half-turn stairs. Has anyone used this and would advise against it, or is this fine?
- I just had the idea to build the staircase with masonry on both sides. The niche in the stairwell (U-shaped) would then be used as a service shaft (e.g., for underfloor heating). Is this possible? Does anyone do this? Basically, a drywall tunnel from the basement to the attic (with suitable fastening at each floor slab – of course, I can’t stack drywall over 4 floors without support).
Building Regulations / Restrictions
Plot size: 320 sqm (3445 sqft)
Slope: no
Plot ratio / floor area ratio / building envelope, building line and boundary: exactly specified. The house is positioned exactly within the building envelope according to the zoning plan. The external dimensions cannot be adjusted.
Adjacent buildings: west - semi-detached neighbor, south - access road, north - cul-de-sac, east - municipal green area
Parking spaces: we have one car and about 8 bicycles – a double garage is possible and planned, mainly to be used as a bike workshop.
Number of floors – attic without knee walls, dormers not possible
Roof type – gable, 35 degrees (no alternatives allowed)
Style – rather modern / standard
Orientation – fixed
Maximum height/limits – fixed due to semi-detached design
Owners’ Requirements
Number of people, ages – 4 (2 adults, 2 elementary school children)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floors – large living area on one floor, then children’s floor, then parents’ floor
Office: family use or home office? Mainly home office, both of us work at least 50% from home (even outside of the pandemic)
Guests per year – grandparents regularly stay up to a week
Open or closed architecture – living area should be clearly separated from children’s floor
Traditional or modern construction – good question, I think we are rather traditional
Open kitchen, kitchen island – open to closed; currently open in the plan
Number of dining seats – 6
Fireplace – would be nice but absolutely a nice-to-have. Space will likely be too tight.
Balcony, roof terrace – no
Garage, carport – planned
Utility garden, greenhouse – no
House Design
Who designed the plan:
- Do-it-Yourself
What do you like most? Why?
- Separation from living room to stairs: we currently find the open design annoying every evening – because of the kids.
- The pantry (as small as it is).
- The stairs to the basement: we all cycle a lot, including in muddy conditions. Access via the basement and an extra shower there is great.
- Parents' bedroom in the attic is on the north side (a bit cooler and away from the street).
What do you dislike? Why?
- The side with the basement stairs and light wells is useful, but it’s not very nice with the railing and so on.
Price estimate according to the architect/planner: 850,000
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: not quite sure yet.
Preferred heating system: heat pump. We would possibly like a ventilation system, but the general contractor is reluctant, and I don’t trust their planning. I lack enough knowledge myself.
If you have to give up something, on which details/additions?
- can give up: open kitchen
- cannot give up: closed living room
Why has the design ended up like it is now? For example:
There is a standard semi-detached house plan for narrow houses, with half-turn stairs on every floor, narrow kitchen next to the main entrance.
This is what I planned with a tool. We already live in a similar floor plan (terraced house) but with one floor less. So at least I knew what I don’t want anymore (everything open via the stairwell).
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Is there any obvious nonsense that should not be done like this?
I wouldn’t do without a toilet on the ground floor.
I don’t know how your elementary school kids are, but mine don’t like using the school restroom. As soon as they walk through the front door, they head straight to the ground floor toilet 😀
Our kitchen will also have a 3m (10 feet) custom-built cabinet wall, including two pantry cabinets, so we won’t need a separate pantry room. Maybe that helps you visualize it?
I don’t know how your elementary school kids are, but mine don’t like using the school restroom. As soon as they walk through the front door, they head straight to the ground floor toilet 😀
Our kitchen will also have a 3m (10 feet) custom-built cabinet wall, including two pantry cabinets, so we won’t need a separate pantry room. Maybe that helps you visualize it?
apokolok schrieb:
I find the option without a guest toilet quite feasible.
I think going down the stairs to the basement is absolutely reasonable, and by having more distance and the shower facility, you also create real added value in the basement. Always arguing with a damaged knee is, in my opinion, pointless, as that comes with more problems than just the toilet.
You can also access the basement directly from the garden, and children can definitely get used to that.
I would plan the door from the hallway to the kitchen as a sliding door. It will usually stay open, but you can close it when you want peace and quiet upstairs or downstairs.
Overall, I like the design considering the external circumstances. Thanks for agreeing with my approach 🙂 That’s exactly my opinion: having four toilets in this semi-detached house is total overkill, and having the shower in the basement is a real plus. I’m also someone who prefers three doors between me and others when a meeting runs long.
We have already considered the sliding door as well. Since the staircase is supposed to have no risers (for lighting), sound travels everywhere. I’m still unsure how much soundproofing I need and want. At the moment, it is very noisy (gypsum board walls and simple doors), so we are currently planning appropriate doors and different walls. With sound issues and two boys who will eventually be teenagers, I prefer to be on the safe side and would plan a regular door.
Yaso2.0 schrieb:
I wouldn’t skip having a bathroom on the ground floor.
I don’t know how your elementary school kids are, but mine don’t like using the school bathroom, so as soon as she comes through the front door, she heads straight to the ground floor bathroom 😀
Our kitchen will also have a 3m (10 ft) built-in cabinet wall, including two pantry cabinets, so we won’t need a separate pantry anymore. Maybe that helps you visualize it? Thanks for the pictures – I’ll use them directly for our discussion tonight! We’re still not quite sure about the kitchen details yet.
That’s the frustrating thing about building a house: when you plan a kitchen alone, you can spend 100 hours just on that. But with housebuilding, everything has to happen at the same time, and you don’t really have time for anything 😉
mrtnsbr schrieb:
Thanks for sharing my view as well 🙂 That’s exactly my opinion: 4 toilets in that semi-detached house are totally over the top, and having a shower in the basement is really useful. Exactly right. In the basement, near the garden entrance, and right at the bottom of the internal basement stairs, also easily accessible from the ground floor, though
mrtnsbr schrieb:
And I’m one of those people too: I prefer to have three doors between me and others when a meeting runs long. maybe with an “occupied” light on the ground floor, so people know they have to go upstairs after all.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
Exactly right. In the basement near the garden entrance, and also easily accessible from the ground floor at the bottom of the internal basement stairs, but
maybe with a “occupied” light on the ground floor, so you know you actually have to go upstairs.Great idea! I currently have something like that for the garage (a notification on my phone—because it tends to be left open and sometimes stays open overnight). I need that here too! Including the overtime warning 😉
vonBYnachSH26 May 2021 16:16Once again: I wouldn’t do without a toilet on the ground floor! Do you really want to go down to the basement first to wash your hands after coming home? Right now, your main entrance is downstairs. But then still on the ground floor, right? As I said, the friends who have it like that in their homes regret it.
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