ᐅ Single-family home floor plan, accessible for aging in place, with a master bedroom for parents on the ground floor

Created on: 13 Jul 2021 22:17

Hello dear forum,

I am currently focused solely on the ground floor layout, as I've been stuck on this for weeks. We want to build barrier-free from the start and live on the ground floor, so the children have the first floor. Unfortunately, I can’t find any floor plans that match this requirement at all.
The consultant drew a floor plan for us, but I find the solution with the master bathroom awkward. Also, because the ground floor is so large, the upper floor becomes correspondingly big, even though we don’t need that much space there.
Maybe you have suggestions on how to improve this.

Thanks in advance

Development plan/restrictions
approx. 650sqm (33m (108 feet) wide, 22m (72 feet) deep) pure building land
no slope
2 floors
gable roof

Owners’ requirements
The exterior appearance does not matter to us at all
2 floors
no basement
2 adults & 2 children
office: home office
open architecture
modern construction
open kitchen, kitchen island
6 dining seats
fireplace
garage, carport
pool
smart home
KfW40+ standard

House design
Who created the design:
– Planner from a construction company

What do you particularly like? Why?
It is a clear floor plan and recognizable as such.

What do you not like? Why?
The living area seems too small, 2 bathrooms are not necessary.

Price estimate according to architect/planner: $480K
Personal price limit for the house, including furnishings: $600K
preferred heating technology: heat pump

Floor plan of a house with living and dining area, kitchen, bedroom, dressing room, bathroom, toilet, hallway.

Nagučki15 Jul 2021 19:48

#25

Unfortunately, I don't have any measurements yet; I'll need to work on that with the architect. Would it possibly make sense to relocate the utility room to the extension?

haydee15 Jul 2021 20:44

#26

And the bathroom located down the hallway past the front door?

Why does the bedroom have to be on the ground floor?
It is only somewhat suitable for limited mobility. If the stairs are a problem, stairlifts are an option.

Nagučki15 Jul 2021 21:14

#27

Because I find it very comfortable when the children have their own floor. We currently live in a maisonette apartment and also have the parents’ bedroom on the ground floor. This is a very personal preference that I definitely do not want to give up.

Tarnari15 Jul 2021 21:38

#28

hampshire schrieb:
I will probably never understand why people place a sofa with its back against a garden window and make a screen the central focus in the living area.

You are a sound expert after all. There are people, like us, who enjoy a well-organized home theater evening. Basically, I’m sure you would agree that for this kind of audience, the setup you criticized is still better than placing the TV in front of a large window, including the center and front speakers. In that case, you might as well do without the window. Pragmatically speaking, a window is supposed to bring in light. With such a setup, it still does.
When I watch TV and enjoy the sound, I don’t want to be looking out the window. You don’t do that in a cinema either.
Also, when we just sit in the living area, we always sit at the dining table, not on the couch by the window. From there, we have more or less a panoramic view outside.
Conclusion: a home should be designed according to everyday habits. One person sits on the couch and wants to look outside into the greenery (if possible at all), while another sits on the couch and has a cinema/TV evening.
All perfectly valid from my perspective.

All of this especially considering that very few people have the space and, above all, the budget for a dedicated home theater room.
If they enjoy watching TV at all.

hampshire15 Jul 2021 22:02

#29

Tarnari schrieb:

There are people, like us, who enjoy a well-planned home cinema evening.

Tarnari schrieb:

A house should be designed according to everyday habits.

Absolutely right – it should serve everyday routines. If film and TV are important, there are solutions that don’t require compromising by sitting with your back to the garden, for example a concealed motorized projector screen for the cinema. This can also work with the sofa facing the window. Speakers can be planned as in-wall units in a new building, and there are excellent systems available. For casual viewing, a smaller, secondary screen is sufficient.

In so many other areas, thousands are spent on better kitchen hinges, or a high-quality Q3 wall finish, or numerous built-in lights in the ceiling from Q1 to Q4, or generous circulation spaces, and so on.

I often find the creativity lacking here. If the solution “sofa facing the window” has been considered, that’s fine. But I don’t think it is often really thought through.

haydee15 Jul 2021 22:54

#30

Nagučki schrieb:

Because I find it very comfortable when the children have their own floor. We currently live in a duplex apartment and the parents' bedroom is on the ground floor. This is a very personal preference that I definitely don't want to miss.

That is something different from accessibility in old age.

Don’t plan a parents’ wing as a detached add-on carelessly next to the entrance. Especially because you can hear everyone coming and going there.

ᐅ Single-family home floor plan, accessible for aging in place, with a master bedroom for parents on the ground floor

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