ᐅ Floor plan of a 1.5-story house with a captain’s gable, covering just under 200 square meters
Created on: 18 Jul 2021 18:13
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blubbernase
hi, we have been going back and forth with the work and wanted to get your opinion
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 673 m² (7239 ft²)
Slope: 3.5% incline from one side to the other
Floor area ratio: 0.2 (Floor area ratio I: 134.6 m² (1450 ft²), Floor area ratio II: 201.9 m² (2172 ft²))
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see picture (the side lines mark the property borders)
Edge development: new residential area, detached houses
Number of parking spaces: 1
Number of stories: max 1 full story
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style: captain’s house
Orientation: ridge runs northwest to southeast
Maximum heights/limits: eaves height 4.5 m (15 ft), ridge height 9 m (30 ft), reference point in development plan nearly 1 meter (3 ft) above plot level, brick facing required, dormers allowed on only 50% of the eaves length
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: gable roof
Basement, stories: partial unheated basement, ground floor, upper floor
Number of occupants, ages: 34 m, 33 f, 3 m, 4 f + 1 planned
Space needs on the ground floor: 1 office, 1 office/guest room, kitchen with dining area, living room, bathroom with shower, entry hall
Space needs on the upper floor: 1 bedroom, 3 children's rooms, 1 full bathroom, 1 toilet with washer/dryer
Office: 100% home office
Overnight guests per year: 1 per month, mother-in-law
Conservative or modern construction: practical?
Kitchen: kitchen with dining area, table to be inside the kitchen
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage for one car and bicycles
Utility garden, greenhouse: maybe later
House Design
Ground floor: floor area 107.5 m² (1156 ft²) (including stairs)
Upper floor: floor area 101.2 m² (1090 ft²) (including stairs)
Basement: approx. 70 m² (753 ft²)
Designer: designed by ourselves using Sweet Home 3D
Basically, we based the exterior dimensions on the Whiteline promotional house "Kiefernallee" from Gussek Haus and extended it about 50 cm (20 inches) longer on the left side of the gable. We have been working with Gussek Haus for a while. Initially, we had a floor plan with 4 gables and a longer house, but we discarded it due to complexity. The upper-floor layout is still based on that promotional house, but the ground floor has changed quite a bit.
What do you particularly like? When entering the house, you’re not immediately in the living room.
Price estimate according to the architect/planner: base house approx. 450,000 € (including move-in ready) + 60,000 €
Personal price limit for the house including basement: 550,000 € + additional costs and fittings
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump with indoor unit
If you had to give up something, which details/extensions?
- You could give up: basically nothing 😀
- You could not give up: a few extra square meters here and there
Why did the design turn out this way?
For example: it fits well on the plot, although the terrace is quite small.
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Will the long hallway annoy us despite being reasonably wide?
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 673 m² (7239 ft²)
Slope: 3.5% incline from one side to the other
Floor area ratio: 0.2 (Floor area ratio I: 134.6 m² (1450 ft²), Floor area ratio II: 201.9 m² (2172 ft²))
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see picture (the side lines mark the property borders)
Edge development: new residential area, detached houses
Number of parking spaces: 1
Number of stories: max 1 full story
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style: captain’s house
Orientation: ridge runs northwest to southeast
Maximum heights/limits: eaves height 4.5 m (15 ft), ridge height 9 m (30 ft), reference point in development plan nearly 1 meter (3 ft) above plot level, brick facing required, dormers allowed on only 50% of the eaves length
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: gable roof
Basement, stories: partial unheated basement, ground floor, upper floor
Number of occupants, ages: 34 m, 33 f, 3 m, 4 f + 1 planned
Space needs on the ground floor: 1 office, 1 office/guest room, kitchen with dining area, living room, bathroom with shower, entry hall
Space needs on the upper floor: 1 bedroom, 3 children's rooms, 1 full bathroom, 1 toilet with washer/dryer
Office: 100% home office
Overnight guests per year: 1 per month, mother-in-law
Conservative or modern construction: practical?
Kitchen: kitchen with dining area, table to be inside the kitchen
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage for one car and bicycles
Utility garden, greenhouse: maybe later
House Design
Ground floor: floor area 107.5 m² (1156 ft²) (including stairs)
Upper floor: floor area 101.2 m² (1090 ft²) (including stairs)
Basement: approx. 70 m² (753 ft²)
Designer: designed by ourselves using Sweet Home 3D
Basically, we based the exterior dimensions on the Whiteline promotional house "Kiefernallee" from Gussek Haus and extended it about 50 cm (20 inches) longer on the left side of the gable. We have been working with Gussek Haus for a while. Initially, we had a floor plan with 4 gables and a longer house, but we discarded it due to complexity. The upper-floor layout is still based on that promotional house, but the ground floor has changed quite a bit.
What do you particularly like? When entering the house, you’re not immediately in the living room.
Price estimate according to the architect/planner: base house approx. 450,000 € (including move-in ready) + 60,000 €
Personal price limit for the house including basement: 550,000 € + additional costs and fittings
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump with indoor unit
If you had to give up something, which details/extensions?
- You could give up: basically nothing 😀
- You could not give up: a few extra square meters here and there
Why did the design turn out this way?
For example: it fits well on the plot, although the terrace is quite small.
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Will the long hallway annoy us despite being reasonably wide?
I don’t understand the new designs from you:
- the washing machine and dryer on the upper floor, when you have such a huge basement
- the children's bathroom without a shower
- the shower on the upper floor under the sloping roof (the bathroom MUST have a shower)
- the tiny window in the bathroom
- the closet parking space in the bedroom? Where?
- the construction of a basement without proper planning (already mentioned a few days ago) – just for the sake of having one
- the kitchen: why is there a seating area at the counter, probably doubled by another dining table?
- sofa to be provided by the builder?
- the tiny shower in the guest toilet
- the very small entrance area. As a family, you’re not allowed to come home 😉 How is that supposed to work with the two doors?
- windows! Some are very narrow and not harmonious, although there are better options. A symmetrical gable is planned, but the windows on the left and right disrupt the balance. Very small window in the bathroom, although there are better solutions. Then these “ribbons of windows”… are there any windows left at all?
I find the Kiefernallee plan clearer and better.
- the washing machine and dryer on the upper floor, when you have such a huge basement
- the children's bathroom without a shower
- the shower on the upper floor under the sloping roof (the bathroom MUST have a shower)
- the tiny window in the bathroom
- the closet parking space in the bedroom? Where?
- the construction of a basement without proper planning (already mentioned a few days ago) – just for the sake of having one
- the kitchen: why is there a seating area at the counter, probably doubled by another dining table?
- sofa to be provided by the builder?
- the tiny shower in the guest toilet
- the very small entrance area. As a family, you’re not allowed to come home 😉 How is that supposed to work with the two doors?
- windows! Some are very narrow and not harmonious, although there are better options. A symmetrical gable is planned, but the windows on the left and right disrupt the balance. Very small window in the bathroom, although there are better solutions. Then these “ribbons of windows”… are there any windows left at all?
I find the Kiefernallee plan clearer and better.
B
blubbernase25 Nov 2021 00:07I like to respond to the questions, but first, here is the quote from the post with the plans:
In our current house, the washer and dryer are in the basement, and the laundry storage is on the upper floor (UF). One of our absolute must-haves from minute one was that the appliances should be where the laundry is generated and put away. Constantly carrying laundry up and down is a total no-go. The basement could be tiny or huge, but the appliances will never be there. That simply doesn’t fit our way of managing the household.
As mentioned in the post: the bathroom is not yet planned, so the window location and size have not been decided. We are in the process of coordinating this now.
Do we really need three showers? Basically, my wife and I prefer to shower in the evening. The children will have to share between the bathrooms on the upper and ground floors.
Like this?
At the beginning, it was a nearly 50 sqm (540 sq ft) partial basement for technical equipment and storage at 56k. Due to the house shape, this changed into 67 sqm (720 sq ft) plus an additional room for 66k. The extra cost compared to a full basement was only 3,000 €. Another option was to reduce the basement to 40 sqm (430 sq ft), which would have saved just 3k. That’s why we’re still thinking about how to use it, what investments would be needed, and how to divide the space.
As said before, only the basic layout (run along the exterior wall with an attached island) was proposed by the kitchen studio. Everything else was left in the drawing by the architect as placeholders.
Our existing sofa, which will move with us, please 🙂
Good eye—the dimensions are incorrect. The shower is actually planned at 100 x 80 cm (39 x 31 inches). Is that still considered small? My mother-in-law has a shower of this size, and I always find it quite spacious.
Yes, that is a good point. We are also discussing this with the architect, especially regarding the doors. The vestibule is one of our must-haves. Our current one is unfortunately much smaller (1.10 x 1.60 m (3 ft 7 in x 5 ft 3 in)), but we don’t want to give up that function.
The windows follow the intended function: on the left side, it’s a desk spot with a view and an exit; on the right side, a seating window surrounded by bookshelves. The missing symmetry is not a big problem; facades don’t always have to be completely symmetrical. The window ribbons are there because otherwise we would look directly into the neighbor’s living room from the dining area, or they would look directly onto our sofa.
Not final are:
- Bathroom on the upper floor (UF),
- Basement. This will remain a utility/storage basement. We do not want living spaces down there. However, the layout and ceiling height are not finalized yet.
- Kitchen (the attached island is planned in principle, but everything else shown there is just a placeholder from the architect’s program).
ypg schrieb:
- The washing machine and dryer on the upper floor, when you have such a large basement
In our current house, the washer and dryer are in the basement, and the laundry storage is on the upper floor (UF). One of our absolute must-haves from minute one was that the appliances should be where the laundry is generated and put away. Constantly carrying laundry up and down is a total no-go. The basement could be tiny or huge, but the appliances will never be there. That simply doesn’t fit our way of managing the household.
ypg schrieb:
- The shower on the upper floor with the sloped ceiling (Bathroom MUST however be...)
- Small window in the bathroom
As mentioned in the post: the bathroom is not yet planned, so the window location and size have not been decided. We are in the process of coordinating this now.
ypg schrieb:
- Children’s bathroom without a shower
Do we really need three showers? Basically, my wife and I prefer to shower in the evening. The children will have to share between the bathrooms on the upper and ground floors.
ypg schrieb:
- Closet space in the bedroom? Where?
Like this?
ypg schrieb:
- Building a basement without proper planning (mentioned a few days ago) — just for the sake of having one
At the beginning, it was a nearly 50 sqm (540 sq ft) partial basement for technical equipment and storage at 56k. Due to the house shape, this changed into 67 sqm (720 sq ft) plus an additional room for 66k. The extra cost compared to a full basement was only 3,000 €. Another option was to reduce the basement to 40 sqm (430 sq ft), which would have saved just 3k. That’s why we’re still thinking about how to use it, what investments would be needed, and how to divide the space.
ypg schrieb:
- Kitchen: why is there a seating area at the counter, and will there probably be another dining table duplicating it?
As said before, only the basic layout (run along the exterior wall with an attached island) was proposed by the kitchen studio. Everything else was left in the drawing by the architect as placeholders.
ypg schrieb:
- Sofa provided by the builder?
Our existing sofa, which will move with us, please 🙂
ypg schrieb:
- The tiny shower in the WC
Good eye—the dimensions are incorrect. The shower is actually planned at 100 x 80 cm (39 x 31 inches). Is that still considered small? My mother-in-law has a shower of this size, and I always find it quite spacious.
ypg schrieb:
- The very small entrance vestibule. As a family, you shouldn’t have to struggle coming home 😉 How does that work with two doors?
Yes, that is a good point. We are also discussing this with the architect, especially regarding the doors. The vestibule is one of our must-haves. Our current one is unfortunately much smaller (1.10 x 1.60 m (3 ft 7 in x 5 ft 3 in)), but we don’t want to give up that function.
ypg schrieb:
- Windows! Some are very narrow and don’t fit well, although other solutions exist. There will be a symmetrical gable planned, but the windows to the left and right break the harmony. Very small window in the bathroom, even though there are other options. Then those “window ribbons”… is there even space left for windows at all?
The windows follow the intended function: on the left side, it’s a desk spot with a view and an exit; on the right side, a seating window surrounded by bookshelves. The missing symmetry is not a big problem; facades don’t always have to be completely symmetrical. The window ribbons are there because otherwise we would look directly into the neighbor’s living room from the dining area, or they would look directly onto our sofa.
No offense, but if everything is already perfect—except for the "not yet final" points—what do you expect to hear from us? You asked for opinions, and the general consensus seems fairly unanimous. Either you take the opinions seriously and let go of your preconceived notions, or this makes no sense at all, neither for you nor for the readers.
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blubbernase25 Nov 2021 09:44All good.
I never said it was perfect...? And of course, I want to hear criticism, preferably justified so I can understand it. Just because I don’t immediately reject everything and start over from scratch doesn’t mean I’m not considering it.
I don’t see it that way. There are some unnecessary comments that are very general, which I ignore as they are not helpful. If you look back at the longer lists of feedback, we have actually adopted quite a bit of it. The other points are still being discussed here.
Of course, I will not let go of my "preconceptions." The spatial requirements and needs weren’t randomly chosen—they are based on the fact that we have lived in a single-family house rental for 7 years and have thoroughly analyzed our household routines and ongoing processes over the last 2 years, including actually counting who walks which routes and when.
I just can’t do with blanket condemnation.
K1300S schrieb:
No offense, but if everything is already perfect—except for the "not yet final" points—what do you want to hear from us?
I never said it was perfect...? And of course, I want to hear criticism, preferably justified so I can understand it. Just because I don’t immediately reject everything and start over from scratch doesn’t mean I’m not considering it.
K1300S schrieb:
You asked for opinions, and the general consensus seems quite clear.
I don’t see it that way. There are some unnecessary comments that are very general, which I ignore as they are not helpful. If you look back at the longer lists of feedback, we have actually adopted quite a bit of it. The other points are still being discussed here.
K1300S schrieb:
Either you take the opinions seriously and let go of your preconceptions, or this makes no sense at all, neither for you nor for the readers.
Of course, I will not let go of my "preconceptions." The spatial requirements and needs weren’t randomly chosen—they are based on the fact that we have lived in a single-family house rental for 7 years and have thoroughly analyzed our household routines and ongoing processes over the last 2 years, including actually counting who walks which routes and when.
I just can’t do with blanket condemnation.
blubbernase schrieb:
Our existing sofa, which will also be moved along 🙂 But by now you do know what “provided by the builder” means, right? According to the plan, it looks like you either want to build a platform or the sofa … -> furniture brought in is not defined as “builder’s scope” in terms of construction or acquisition. That’s confusing.
blubbernase schrieb:
The missing symmetry is not a big problem now, do facades have to be completely symmetrical? Definitely not. But they should be arranged harmoniously. Too many similar but slightly different window sizes create a restless, somewhat disorganized impression, if not even sloppy, especially if it does not suit the overall building design. In my opinion, this also applies to a “slightly” offset gable, as I have seen here. It gives the house a visual imbalance. You cannot sugarcoat that, nor explain it away on the front door. Even doors are placed somewhat arbitrarily: personally, I would be bothered by the living room door, which is not aligned with the staircase, or by the planned offset of the flooring in the living area.
blubbernase schrieb:
The window bands are there because otherwise we would be looking directly into the neighbor’s dining room or vice versa, the neighbor could look right at our sofa. To be honest: a window seat by choice? And window bands where you actually want to see and access your garden from inside? To block views from neighbors, a hedge or a privacy screen would be more appropriate, but not a prison-like window! That creates a poor spatial effect, no coziness.
Meanwhile, the guest toilet has a floor-to-ceiling window, larger than the bathroom’s. Furniture layout follows the window placement.
Also, there are two prison-like windows in the stairwell.
blubbernase schrieb:
One of the absolute must-haves from minute one was to have the appliances right where the laundry happens and is put away. Constantly carrying laundry up and down is a total no-go. Okay, the utility room is on the upper floor. Such a request is legitimate. Usually, it goes hand in hand with forgoing a basement or including the basement in the living area.
blubbernase schrieb:
At first, it was a nearly 50 sqm (540 sq ft) partial basement for technical equipment and a storage room for 56k. Due to the house shape, it became 67 sqm (720 sq ft) with an additional room for 66k. The price difference to a full basement was then €3,000. There was one alternative to reduce the basement to 40 sqm (430 sq ft), but that would have saved only 3k. That’s why we are considering how to use it. Otherwise, you are building a technical room and some hobby space for over 70,000. Respect, if you are happy to pay that!
blubbernase schrieb:
As mentioned, only the layout (line along the exterior wall and attached island) was proposed in the kitchen studio. The rest was simply left as drawn by the architect. Then why not draw in your preferred kitchen layout yourself?
blubbernase schrieb:
Yes, that’s a good point. We are discussing the doors with the architect exactly because of this. blubbernase schrieb:
The entrance vestibule (windfang) is also one of the must-haves. Your must-haves from the very beginning: Have they evolved at all during the planning phase? Have you ever worked on your early ideas while planning offered something different? Or did you just tick off a checklist and linear workflow regardless of whether it fits or not?
I’m thinking spontaneously of window seats, entrance vestibule, utility room …
What if you opened the dining area toward the garden to keep an eye on the playing children? A window seat might enrich the study room instead, and by matching widths, also create harmony with a spacious dining room window. The same goes for the bathroom – always plan the furniture according to the sloped ceiling before approving a design. For windows, simply fix a standard width.
Plan for a large hobby room in the basement with proper windows and/or outdoor access – this can also be realized with a sunken terrace, etc.
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