ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a Single-Family Home of Approximately 230 sqm with L-Shaped Layout
Created on: 4 Jun 2021 13:59
S
soneva2012
Hello everyone! We recently purchased a great plot of land and are now excited to plan a single-family home for us and our three children. I have completed the questionnaire, but first, a few details about the plot and its location.
We bought a portion of the garden from a large property. The seller lives in a bungalow on the remaining part. However, this will likely be sold within the next 10 years and then divided into three.
The plot is triangular (plot 4 in the latest attachment). The access road is a dead-end street to the north. There is therefore little traffic but many pedestrians, as we are located on the edge of a forest. To the south, there is a lightly used road, but it is situated below our plot. The south side of the plot is very private, thanks to a tall hedge and tree planting. The plot is overlooked only by two houses to the north and the neighboring bungalow to the east. Later, however, there will probably be a two-story house with east-west orientation built to the east.
Because of this, we had the idea to build the house in an L-shape to create a private terrace and garden area not overlooked by the eastern neighbor. The south side should have as much glazing as possible since it is very private. Now to the questionnaire:
Building Plan/Restrictions
Plot size - 830 sqm
Slope - No
Section 34 (1) of the German Building Code applies – the following info mainly comes from the development plan for neighboring houses:
Site occupancy index 0.20
Floor space index 0.35
Building window, building line, and boundary
Edge development - Garage only
Number of parking spaces
Number of floors - Two
Roof type - Pitch 0–30 degrees
Style - Open development; only detached houses
Orientation - According to preliminary notice, north/south
Maximum heights/limits - Wall height 6.30m (21 feet); ridge height 9.50m (31 feet)
Other requirements - Exceeding building boundaries for minor structures according to the German Land Utilization Ordinance Section 23 by max. 1.50m (5 feet) is allowed
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type - Single-family house, Bauhaus style with flat roof, L-shape
Basement, floors - Two plus basement
Number of people, ages - 5 people aged 40, 40, 6, 4, 2
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor
Ground floor: open kitchen with pantry, living room somewhat separated, guest WC with shower, guest room/office, additional office, wardrobe
Upper floor: 3 children’s bedrooms, children’s bathroom, master bedroom with bathroom and walk-in closet
Basement: technical room, utility room, 1 recreational room would be great for the children as teenagers for watching TV etc.
Office: family use or home office? Both mainly work from home
Overnight guests per year: several times a year for 3 to 10 days (family abroad)
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern style: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes; yes
Number of dining seats: 8 to 10
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony yes; roof terrace no
Garage, carport: attached double garage
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: no, only raised beds
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons why or why not: additional wishes: pool, possibly sauna (inside on upper floor or outside).
House Design
Planned by: architect
What do you particularly like? Why? Continuous windows on the south side; L-shape creating a private terrace; all bedrooms with mountain views to the south; separation of children’s rooms from master bedroom.
What do you not like? Why? Ground floor to be redesigned: another office is needed; WC has no window; living room possibly too large.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 1.2 million with basement, garage, pool, and outdoor facilities. Excluding land, ancillary construction costs, kitchen, and lighting but otherwise “all in.”
Personal price limit for the house including fittings: 1.2 to 1.4 million
Preferred heating technology: heat pump plus photovoltaic
If you had to give up, on which details/expansions
- can you give up: pool and sauna
- cannot give up: 3 children’s bedrooms; 2 offices (1 combined with guest room)
The main question at the moment is how we can optimize the ground floor, but I look forward to your comments and ideas!
The floor plans are oriented to the north!







We bought a portion of the garden from a large property. The seller lives in a bungalow on the remaining part. However, this will likely be sold within the next 10 years and then divided into three.
The plot is triangular (plot 4 in the latest attachment). The access road is a dead-end street to the north. There is therefore little traffic but many pedestrians, as we are located on the edge of a forest. To the south, there is a lightly used road, but it is situated below our plot. The south side of the plot is very private, thanks to a tall hedge and tree planting. The plot is overlooked only by two houses to the north and the neighboring bungalow to the east. Later, however, there will probably be a two-story house with east-west orientation built to the east.
Because of this, we had the idea to build the house in an L-shape to create a private terrace and garden area not overlooked by the eastern neighbor. The south side should have as much glazing as possible since it is very private. Now to the questionnaire:
Building Plan/Restrictions
Plot size - 830 sqm
Slope - No
Section 34 (1) of the German Building Code applies – the following info mainly comes from the development plan for neighboring houses:
Site occupancy index 0.20
Floor space index 0.35
Building window, building line, and boundary
Edge development - Garage only
Number of parking spaces
Number of floors - Two
Roof type - Pitch 0–30 degrees
Style - Open development; only detached houses
Orientation - According to preliminary notice, north/south
Maximum heights/limits - Wall height 6.30m (21 feet); ridge height 9.50m (31 feet)
Other requirements - Exceeding building boundaries for minor structures according to the German Land Utilization Ordinance Section 23 by max. 1.50m (5 feet) is allowed
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type - Single-family house, Bauhaus style with flat roof, L-shape
Basement, floors - Two plus basement
Number of people, ages - 5 people aged 40, 40, 6, 4, 2
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor
Ground floor: open kitchen with pantry, living room somewhat separated, guest WC with shower, guest room/office, additional office, wardrobe
Upper floor: 3 children’s bedrooms, children’s bathroom, master bedroom with bathroom and walk-in closet
Basement: technical room, utility room, 1 recreational room would be great for the children as teenagers for watching TV etc.
Office: family use or home office? Both mainly work from home
Overnight guests per year: several times a year for 3 to 10 days (family abroad)
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern style: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes; yes
Number of dining seats: 8 to 10
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony yes; roof terrace no
Garage, carport: attached double garage
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: no, only raised beds
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons why or why not: additional wishes: pool, possibly sauna (inside on upper floor or outside).
House Design
Planned by: architect
What do you particularly like? Why? Continuous windows on the south side; L-shape creating a private terrace; all bedrooms with mountain views to the south; separation of children’s rooms from master bedroom.
What do you not like? Why? Ground floor to be redesigned: another office is needed; WC has no window; living room possibly too large.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 1.2 million with basement, garage, pool, and outdoor facilities. Excluding land, ancillary construction costs, kitchen, and lighting but otherwise “all in.”
Personal price limit for the house including fittings: 1.2 to 1.4 million
Preferred heating technology: heat pump plus photovoltaic
If you had to give up, on which details/expansions
- can you give up: pool and sauna
- cannot give up: 3 children’s bedrooms; 2 offices (1 combined with guest room)
The main question at the moment is how we can optimize the ground floor, but I look forward to your comments and ideas!
The floor plans are oriented to the north!
S
soneva20125 Jun 2021 21:19ypg schrieb:
I reviewed the elevations again: those are definitely venetian blinds indicated on the floor-to-ceiling windows. There is definitely way too much window area for a bedroom. Natural light is nice, but solar heat stays inside the room and can’t be easily removed. You would need technical solutions for that. And as mentioned before: people don’t hang out in the bedroom to enjoy the view. Let the children have that and that’s fine.
Considering the room itself and the fact that the facade could use some solid wall sections here and there, I would suggest giving the bedroom an east-facing window if it stays upstairs. A balcony door, for sauna access, should probably remain. Skip the south-facing window because a standard bed would have trouble fitting width-wise in that position... plus it’s always nicer to walk into the bedroom and see the bed right away. The trees to the south are 20 to 30 meters (65 to 100 feet) tall and provide a lot of shade in summer. I can’t bring myself to move the bedrooms to the north where you would see the street and neighbors. Or is there another solution?
S
soneva20125 Jun 2021 21:22ypg schrieb:
- I find the main outdoor seating area by the kitchen of 10m² (108 sq ft) too small. We have 30m² (323 sq ft)... and it could still use another meter. Or have I missed something?The 10m² (108 sq ft) is an error; it is definitely larger.
soneva2012 schrieb:
Or is there another solution?I have already listed the options.Sure, with 5 of them, quite a lot adds up, which definitely argues in favor of having a basement. The resale value is also linked to a more appealing facade. You’re investing 1.2 million + x and end up building a visual compromise. Is that really the right adjustment to make?
S
soneva20125 Jun 2021 22:27haydee schrieb:
Yes, with five units, quite a lot adds up, which already argues in favor of a basement.
The resale value is also connected to a more appealing facade.
You are investing 1.2 million + x and end up building a visual compromise. Is that really the right lever to adjust? I wouldn’t say it is a visual compromise. I do like the facade. Most people here don’t—that’s fine, they don’t have to live there.
I posted a photo of another project because, judging from the views alone, it’s not easy to tell how the house will actually look in the end. The other project is larger and more expensive to build due to structural reasons (more windows!). But visually, I find it similar in style.
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