ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a Single-Family Home of 230-235 m² on Two Full Stories
Created on: 11 Jul 2021 16:11
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Hausbauer4747
By now, we have put quite a lot of thought into a practical, well-usable, and hopefully attractive floor plan, and we would like to reach a final decision fairly soon. We look forward to your feedback and thank you in advance for any tips or suggestions. 🙂
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 2,600 m² (approximately 0.64 acres), completely flat
Site coverage ratio / floor area ratio: 0.4 / 0.8
Number of floors: two full stories
Roof type: hip roof or pyramid roof with 22-25° pitch
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: the floor plans are always aligned with north at the top; the street side is on the east
Maximum heights / limits: the eave height is somewhat tight at 6 meters (approximately 20 feet), otherwise there is plenty of space. Building envelope and setbacks are sufficiently large, so we do not need to apply for any exceptions from the development plan.
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: “urban villa,” hip or pyramid roof with 22-25°
No basement, two full stories
Two adults, three children currently under 3 years old
Room needs on ground floor and upper floor: three children’s bedrooms with a children’s shower bathroom, guest room and office as two separate rooms
Ground floor with rather open architecture
A gas fireplace is an option, but we are likely to forgo it due to the effort of connecting gas and chimney costs
Both garage and carport planned (approx. 6x9 m (20x30 feet) garage and carport about 4x7 m (13x23 feet) located between the house and garage)
House Design
Planning origin: self-designed based on a discussed external dimension of about 12x12 meters (approximately 39x39 feet)
What do you particularly like and why? The house is relatively large and accommodates all room concepts (3 children’s bedrooms with children’s shower bathroom, separate guest room and office, etc.). We like the orientation by cardinal directions (living room southwest, children’s rooms south or southwest, master and guest bedrooms west facing the garden, bathrooms to the east, and front door facing north).
What do you dislike and why? The design focuses primarily on usability rather than aesthetics. For example, representative hallways with little practical use were avoided. However, it is difficult for us to achieve symmetrical and visually pleasing window alignment between the ground and upper floors. This is visible, for example, in the window of the children’s shower bathroom and the utility room below it.
Preferred heating technology: ground source heat pump, but for cost reasons, it will probably be an air-to-water heat pump.
If you have to give up, which features or additions could you do without
- What can you give up: KfW40+ with large photovoltaic system (instead opting for KfW55 with medium photovoltaic system), brick cladding, underfloor cooling, en-suite guest bathroom, showers could possibly be smaller if costs get too high
- What you cannot do without: children’s shower bathroom, (preferably) controlled ventilation system (mechanical supply and exhaust)
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Are we overlooking anything in this floor plan that would annoy us daily later because it is poorly or very impractically planned? Can we find a visual trick to achieve exterior symmetry?
Many thanks!
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 2,600 m² (approximately 0.64 acres), completely flat
Site coverage ratio / floor area ratio: 0.4 / 0.8
Number of floors: two full stories
Roof type: hip roof or pyramid roof with 22-25° pitch
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: the floor plans are always aligned with north at the top; the street side is on the east
Maximum heights / limits: the eave height is somewhat tight at 6 meters (approximately 20 feet), otherwise there is plenty of space. Building envelope and setbacks are sufficiently large, so we do not need to apply for any exceptions from the development plan.
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: “urban villa,” hip or pyramid roof with 22-25°
No basement, two full stories
Two adults, three children currently under 3 years old
Room needs on ground floor and upper floor: three children’s bedrooms with a children’s shower bathroom, guest room and office as two separate rooms
Ground floor with rather open architecture
A gas fireplace is an option, but we are likely to forgo it due to the effort of connecting gas and chimney costs
Both garage and carport planned (approx. 6x9 m (20x30 feet) garage and carport about 4x7 m (13x23 feet) located between the house and garage)
House Design
Planning origin: self-designed based on a discussed external dimension of about 12x12 meters (approximately 39x39 feet)
What do you particularly like and why? The house is relatively large and accommodates all room concepts (3 children’s bedrooms with children’s shower bathroom, separate guest room and office, etc.). We like the orientation by cardinal directions (living room southwest, children’s rooms south or southwest, master and guest bedrooms west facing the garden, bathrooms to the east, and front door facing north).
What do you dislike and why? The design focuses primarily on usability rather than aesthetics. For example, representative hallways with little practical use were avoided. However, it is difficult for us to achieve symmetrical and visually pleasing window alignment between the ground and upper floors. This is visible, for example, in the window of the children’s shower bathroom and the utility room below it.
Preferred heating technology: ground source heat pump, but for cost reasons, it will probably be an air-to-water heat pump.
If you have to give up, which features or additions could you do without
- What can you give up: KfW40+ with large photovoltaic system (instead opting for KfW55 with medium photovoltaic system), brick cladding, underfloor cooling, en-suite guest bathroom, showers could possibly be smaller if costs get too high
- What you cannot do without: children’s shower bathroom, (preferably) controlled ventilation system (mechanical supply and exhaust)
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Are we overlooking anything in this floor plan that would annoy us daily later because it is poorly or very impractically planned? Can we find a visual trick to achieve exterior symmetry?
Many thanks!
Myrna_Loy schrieb:
I get the impression that, apart from the symmetry issue with the facade views, you really like your floor plan and want to hand it over to the general contractor, who will just put a price tag on it and start building. Well, once the design comes back from the structural engineer, that price tag will look like someone has applied VAT twice ;-)
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Hausbauer474712 Jul 2021 12:37Yes, there are computer-generated models, but I cannot share them due to copyright restrictions. However, simulating different roof pitch angles on a computer should not be a problem. We will definitely ask for comparative models with 23°, 30°, and 35°, so the decision can be made quickly. We quite like the shallower roof pitch.
Hausbauer4747 schrieb:
We will definitely ask for comparative illustrations with 23°, 30°, and 35° roof pitches, so the decision can be made quickly. We currently live in a similarly sized house with a 25-degree (25°) roof pitch. Personally, I consider that the limit for aesthetics. Steeper roofs immediately look like the typical “coffee grinder” style house, which I really don’t like. Also, a steeper roof doesn’t benefit you much if you don’t plan to convert or finish the attic space.
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Myrna_Loy12 Jul 2021 12:53K1300S schrieb:
We currently live in a similarly sized house with a 25-degree roof pitch. Personally, I consider this to be the limit of aesthetics. Steeper roofs quickly resemble the typical "coffee grinder" house, which I really don’t like. Besides, a steeper roof is hardly useful if you don’t plan to convert the attic. A house only looks like a "coffee grinder" if it has a cube shape. Then it’s also the common suburban villa style. With a ridge height of 6 meters (20 feet) and a length of 12 meters (39 feet), it’s basically a box that could just as well be a midsize company office building.
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Hausbauer474712 Jul 2021 12:56Myrna_Loy schrieb:
You’re focusing on minor details – the point is that the elongated floor plan with the attached entrance and stair placement creates a very cozy layout that is practical to use. The house doesn’t feel like a block, despite measuring almost 12 x 10 m (39 x 33 feet). That odd bay window feature on the front is obviously not recommended, but using offset elements to break up such a large facade is definitely a good idea. In another thread, someone had planned the kitchen similar to the Schwörerhaus design, and there was criticism that cooking smells would travel upstairs. Architects also criticize enclosed rooms, which in this case would apply to the guest room located directly above the living room. I get the impression that “coziness” and “functionality” don’t follow any objective scale but are rather subjective.
Corners, different facade materials, and so on definitely help make the house more dynamic and interesting. However, these always lead to higher costs, creating a conflict between “aesthetics” and “economy.”
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