ᐅ Architect-designed house floor plan with a recessed upper level
Created on: 26 Aug 2021 20:36
S
stfn_86
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 485 sqm (5220 sq ft)
Slope: No slope on the property, but the site will be raised about 1 m (3 ft) above street level due to terrain adjustment
Floor Area Ratio: 0.4
Building Coverage Ratio: Not specified
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: See plan
Peripheral building: Within standard guidelines
Number of parking spaces: TBD
Number of floors: 2
Roof type: Flat roof as specified by the development plan
Architectural style: Modern
Orientation: Garden facing west
Maximum heights/limits: Max building height: 10.50 m (34 ft)
Additional requirements: According to the development plan, no fences or hedges are allowed in the front yard. However, our plot is on the edge of the development area along an existing street. On the opposite side of the street (outside the development area), most houses have fences, so exemption from this regulation might be possible.
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: Modern, cubic
Basement, floors: Partial basement, ground floor, upper floor, penthouse floor
Number of people, ages: M 35, F 34, planning for 1-2 children
Office: M 100% home office, F 40-60% home office, two separate offices needed
Overnight guests per year: few
Open or closed layout: open
Traditional or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open, kitchen island
Number of dining seats: TBD
Fireplace: no
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: roof terrace
Garage, carport: somewhat larger single garage, no double garage needed
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons for preferences:
House Design
Planner: Architect
What do you particularly like? Why?
Overall, the layout meets our expectations well, for example modern exterior, lots of natural light, large kitchen.
What do you dislike? Why?
Price estimate by architect: €725,000 (construction + incidental building costs)
Personal budget limit for house including fittings: TBD
Preferred heating system: District heating (mandated)
If you have to give up on something, which details/extensions
-can you forego: lounge, gallery, sauna, possibly one child’s room
-can’t you forego: two offices (one in the penthouse floor, one on the upper floor)
Why is the design the way it is now?
This is the architect’s first draft, which we see as a basis for further revisions.
What is the key/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What general feedback do you have for us to bring into the next discussion with the architect (besides points under “dislikes”)? I will post the next revision of the floor plan here.
Apologies for the rough dimensions. I added them myself and they are not exact to the last decimal.
Plot size: 485 sqm (5220 sq ft)
Slope: No slope on the property, but the site will be raised about 1 m (3 ft) above street level due to terrain adjustment
Floor Area Ratio: 0.4
Building Coverage Ratio: Not specified
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: See plan
Peripheral building: Within standard guidelines
Number of parking spaces: TBD
Number of floors: 2
Roof type: Flat roof as specified by the development plan
Architectural style: Modern
Orientation: Garden facing west
Maximum heights/limits: Max building height: 10.50 m (34 ft)
Additional requirements: According to the development plan, no fences or hedges are allowed in the front yard. However, our plot is on the edge of the development area along an existing street. On the opposite side of the street (outside the development area), most houses have fences, so exemption from this regulation might be possible.
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: Modern, cubic
Basement, floors: Partial basement, ground floor, upper floor, penthouse floor
Number of people, ages: M 35, F 34, planning for 1-2 children
Office: M 100% home office, F 40-60% home office, two separate offices needed
Overnight guests per year: few
Open or closed layout: open
Traditional or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open, kitchen island
Number of dining seats: TBD
Fireplace: no
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: roof terrace
Garage, carport: somewhat larger single garage, no double garage needed
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons for preferences:
- Possibly a sauna in the penthouse floor. If so, a bathroom should be relocated there and the penthouse floor slightly enlarged. Otherwise, the penthouse floor will serve as a study/guest room.
- Originally no basement was planned, only a utility room on the upper floor. Due to terrain raising, a partial basement now seems reasonable. Currently considering replacing the utility room with a gallery/open space.
House Design
Planner: Architect
What do you particularly like? Why?
Overall, the layout meets our expectations well, for example modern exterior, lots of natural light, large kitchen.
What do you dislike? Why?
- The living room is located at the front as per the architect’s recommendation, placing the kitchen towards the garden. The idea was to protect the living area from street views with a hedge or similar. However, fences or hedges in the front yard are prohibited (see above), so adequate privacy seems difficult. On the other hand, the house is raised relative to the street (finished floor level 30.60 m (100.4 ft), street: 29.50 m (96.8 ft)), which may provide some privacy. I’m unsure if the architect fully considered the fence restriction. Currently, we are thinking about swapping the kitchen and living room.
- The lounge area was not explicitly requested by us and seems like an afterthought to use extra space.
- The dressing room is somewhat oversized.
- The entrance from the garage into the house feels too “American” and might be removed. This would mean a longer path from the garage to the kitchen for unloading groceries.
Price estimate by architect: €725,000 (construction + incidental building costs)
Personal budget limit for house including fittings: TBD
Preferred heating system: District heating (mandated)
If you have to give up on something, which details/extensions
-can you forego: lounge, gallery, sauna, possibly one child’s room
-can’t you forego: two offices (one in the penthouse floor, one on the upper floor)
Why is the design the way it is now?
This is the architect’s first draft, which we see as a basis for further revisions.
What is the key/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What general feedback do you have for us to bring into the next discussion with the architect (besides points under “dislikes”)? I will post the next revision of the floor plan here.
Apologies for the rough dimensions. I added them myself and they are not exact to the last decimal.
ypg schrieb:
The question "number of parking spaces" refers to how many are required per residential unit according to the development plan 😉 I know, I know... I looked into this a few weeks ago and believe the planning should work that way. I see the architect as primarily responsible for designing the plan so that it meets the requirements for approval.
A
akanezumi26 Aug 2021 23:14I believe the cost estimate is too low, especially if the generous exterior appearance is matched by an equally extensive interior finish. When roughly calculating, I arrived at 250 to 280 sqm (2690 to 3014 sq ft), including the basement and two upper floors. That all costs a significant amount of money.
We are currently planning/building "only" about 270 sqm (2906 sq ft), but realistically, we will not be able to manage with the stated budget. And we have no basement and only 1.5 floors.
Otherwise, there would be too many levels for my personal taste. I would probably try to fit the floor plan into a maximum of two stories. But of course, it always has to fit the plot. And here, I have to agree with haydee—such a house on a lot smaller than 500 sqm (5382 sq ft) is quite "interesting."
We are currently planning/building "only" about 270 sqm (2906 sq ft), but realistically, we will not be able to manage with the stated budget. And we have no basement and only 1.5 floors.
Otherwise, there would be too many levels for my personal taste. I would probably try to fit the floor plan into a maximum of two stories. But of course, it always has to fit the plot. And here, I have to agree with haydee—such a house on a lot smaller than 500 sqm (5382 sq ft) is quite "interesting."
haydee schrieb:
I find the house a bit large for the plot.akanezumi schrieb:
And I have to agree with haydee, a house like that on a plot of less than 500 square meters (about 5,380 square feet) is quite “interesting.”I also recalculated the floor area ratio at first. But those are just numbers – it will definitely be a large block on a small plot.Y
Ypsi aus NI26 Aug 2021 23:51I am also quite sure that the budget for the house will never be sufficient. We had to learn that from experience as well. Additionally, the spacious, bright design gives the impression of a 2,000 m² (21,500 sq ft) plot.
Are you sure that the house will become a comfortable retreat? It reminds me of those huge homes in new development areas, where you need a strong tendency toward showmanship to actually feel comfortable living in them. They offer too much visibility.
In short: a cool house on a significantly too small plot for too little budget!
Are you sure that the house will become a comfortable retreat? It reminds me of those huge homes in new development areas, where you need a strong tendency toward showmanship to actually feel comfortable living in them. They offer too much visibility.
In short: a cool house on a significantly too small plot for too little budget!
A few thoughts from me, independent of the very justified comments from previous posters.
- I would find the ground floor noticeably lacking in potential walls for wardrobes, dressers, or display cabinets. If the tidy appearance is intentional, that’s fine. But it has to be a deliberate choice.
- I really like the parents’ wing if it is built as shown. The walk-in closet can be left as is and would genuinely deserve that name in this size. Otherwise, such spaces are often referred to as “walk-in closets” even in upscale circles.
- What I don’t like at all are the two tiny rooms, such as the office and utility room. A rough construction width of 2m (6.5 ft) feels too narrow, since for ergonomic reasons I wouldn’t place the desk right by the (south-facing?) window. Either it will be almost constantly shaded, or it will cause glare.
- I understand you want to work in the attic studio at the very top if no sauna is installed there. In that case, I would point out that the distance to the kitchen is very, very far. In my rental apartment, I enjoy being able to quickly walk from long calls at my screen with a headset to the kitchen to grab a bite. Here, that would really be a long trip.
- If you want a basement, then make it a proper one, not just a makeshift room. You don’t have much storage space despite having a lot of square meters.
I would also seriously question the budget for this project. When did the architect last build a house, and how accurate were their cost estimates? Especially in the current market environment, I would be concerned.
The idea of HQ-Extreme is very thoughtful but certainly not inexpensive.
- I would find the ground floor noticeably lacking in potential walls for wardrobes, dressers, or display cabinets. If the tidy appearance is intentional, that’s fine. But it has to be a deliberate choice.
- I really like the parents’ wing if it is built as shown. The walk-in closet can be left as is and would genuinely deserve that name in this size. Otherwise, such spaces are often referred to as “walk-in closets” even in upscale circles.
- What I don’t like at all are the two tiny rooms, such as the office and utility room. A rough construction width of 2m (6.5 ft) feels too narrow, since for ergonomic reasons I wouldn’t place the desk right by the (south-facing?) window. Either it will be almost constantly shaded, or it will cause glare.
- I understand you want to work in the attic studio at the very top if no sauna is installed there. In that case, I would point out that the distance to the kitchen is very, very far. In my rental apartment, I enjoy being able to quickly walk from long calls at my screen with a headset to the kitchen to grab a bite. Here, that would really be a long trip.
- If you want a basement, then make it a proper one, not just a makeshift room. You don’t have much storage space despite having a lot of square meters.
I would also seriously question the budget for this project. When did the architect last build a house, and how accurate were their cost estimates? Especially in the current market environment, I would be concerned.
The idea of HQ-Extreme is very thoughtful but certainly not inexpensive.
Similar topics